Note: This is an installment in the Q&A series, reporting in the LDSBC Newsroom on informal meetings held with President and Sister Kusch and members of the College community. During the Q&A sessions, students, faculty and staff are invited to submit questions and engage in conversations with the Kusches about all that’s going on at LDSBC. Check out other Q&A articles here.
The 60-minute breakfast meeting was full of meaningful discussion, including sharing of challenges and opportunities and discussing the future of LDS Business College.
Here’s a summary of what transpired in the Q&A breakfast this month:
Student question: How can students become more involved at the College?
Answer: We’d love to have more of a student voice and we’ve discussed the best ways to organize it. We may form a type of student council.
Q: How can students help foster consistent, deep learning?
A: Hold your professors accountable. When you review a syllabus, ask where the opportunities are for you to be agents to act and not just objects to be acted upon. If you expect your professors to provide a deep learning environment, where you help identify course criteria and activities, they’ll get the message from us (the administration) and from you (the students).
We’ve also talked about the idea of deep learning student mentors who can assist professors and adjunct instructors in specific ways, bringing deep learning into all our classrooms.
Q: How do you measure success?
A: President Kusch referenced the sentiment expressed by President Gordon B. Hinckley years ago when he pointed out to BYU-Idaho students attending the dedication of the Gordon B. Hinckley Center on that campus that they may not be geniuses, but the work of the world isn’t done by geniuses — it’s done by ordinary people who learn to work in extraordinary ways.
The students were encouraged by President and Sister Kusch to live with real intent, with a desire to always do their best, and know that the Lord will help and guide them. The Kusches shared the perspective that life can become overwhelming when we’re distracted by things that aren’t really that important. They asked the students to always remember what really matters.
Q: How can I chart the right course in school to prepare me for my career?
A: All the right things include prayer, taking aptitude tests, and trying a number of different classes and subject areas. President Kusch suggested reaching out to others through families, neighborhoods, LDS wards and stakes, to ask for time to talk about their career and the types of things they do. This will help students get a good sense of what’s entailed in different career paths.
He also pointed out the reality that workers today can expect to be working in many different industries throughout their careers; that in 10 to 20 years, day-to-day work will likely be very different than it is today. He noted the example of the internet and how it changed the way people work. In the history of the world, the internet as we know it today is still in its infancy.
Q: How can students help further the mission of LDSBC?
A: We need to invite more students to join us at the College. We need our message of skills-based education, where students can begin earning a living wage in one-to-two years through our certificate and associate degree programs, to be delivered to more people. Tell your family and friends. Be an advocate for LDSBC.
We want to help mentor ‘capable and trusted disciples of Jesus Christ.’ The Lord needs capable, converted Saints and LDSBC plays an important role in making that happen.
Sister Kusch encouraged the students to take their time at LDSBC seriously and come prepared for class. She also discussed how the College Board of Trustees works, who is on the Church Educational System’s Board and how their leadership helps set the course for LDSBC and all the CES institutions.
President Kusch ended the conversation with an invitation for the students to email him with something they want him to know — something they think he may not be aware of.
Stay tuned for more Q&A sessions with President and Sister Kusch. Several events will be hosted, for students as well as faculty and staff, in the coming months.