LDS Business College - BC Trends - Fall 2017 by Ensign College

L D S B U S I N ES S C O L L E G E

BCTRENDS

Fall 2017

CREATING ENVIRONMENTS FOR DEEP LEARNING MOTIVATING STUDENTS WITH SUBJECT MATTER IMMERSION Inauguration for 13th college president set

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Creating environments for deep learning MOTIVATING STUDENTS WITH SUBJECT MATTER IMMERSION

f prospective students are looking at LDS Business College for an easy alternative to higher education, they’re in for a surprise. The college is in the midst of an initiative to get students out of their comfort zone by increasing their responsibility for their own education. “This campus-wide initiative helps students to discover how to learn more deeply,” said LDSBC President Bruce C. Kusch. “One pattern for deep learning, called subject matter immersion (SMI), creates an environment in which the student is immersed, covered and surrounded by the course content rather than merely being presented with it by the instructor. Assignments revolve around real-life challenges, including tasks they will face in the workplace. Students are responsible for defining how they demonstrate subject mastery, thus improving their leadership and problem-solving capabilities.” “In a current research study conducted at LDSBC, the initial review of SMI focus group transcripts indicate higher student motivation, more engagement in the learning experience, a greater acceptance of responsibility and more satisfaction with learning outcomes when related to the control group,” said Laura Zemp, director of institutional research at LDSBC. “The fruits of deep learning include confidence, capability and competence.” “This experience will forever change the way I approach teaching and learning,” said Leslie Robbins, an English instructor and chair of the Learning and Teaching Council at LDS Business College. “Students created order from chaos as they demonstrated capabilities needed for life. Instead of talking about case studies, we were the case study and this was real life. Watching these students immerse themselves in the center of learning changed not only them, it changed me as a teacher.”

Subject Matter Immersion Principle Model

“The SMI climate should feel different than traditional learning environments,” said Robbins. “SMI moves beyond classroom activities and assignments by providing a climate where students are placed outside their comfort zone, encouraged to accept responsibility for their own learning and grapple with ambiguous challenges.” “I’ve been spoon-fed for 15 years,” said one student, reminiscing about his elementary and secondary education and courses taken at two other universities. “I’d rather have an experience like this where I am allowed to run, to learn who I am, what I can do, what everyone else can do, and to see capability in other people. It has been the best three months of my life.” “Students want to take more responsibility for their own learning,” said Zemp. “Such responsibility aligns with the spiritual concept of acting and not being acted upon. What happens in much of education acts upon the students rather than making them actors in their own learning. As students become more anxiously engaged in their own learning, they will learn more deeply. Focusing on the learning process rather than content allows students to learn independently and grow beyond the classroom.” n

Laura Zemp and Leslie Robbins discuss the practical impact of deep learning on LDS Business College students. ldsbc.edu | #DiscoverLDSBC

Inauguration for 13th president set BRUCE C. KUSCH TO BE FORMALLY INSTALLED AS PRESIDENT OF 131-YEAR-OLD LDS BUSINESS COLLEGE

he new LDS Business College president, Bruce C. Kusch, will be inaugurated in a ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 at 11 a.m. in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. On April 17, President Kusch replaced J. Lawrence Richards, the College’s 12th president, who’s now director of special projects for the Church's commissioner of education. Members of the LDS Church Board of Education will participate in the October inauguration. Previously, President Kusch worked at BYU-Idaho as the associate academic vice president for curriculum and as associate dean in the Online Programs office. He was also a member of the business management faculty at the university. Prior to his work at BYU-Idaho, President Kusch worked in various jobs in the high-tech industry before he decided to go back to school to pursue a career in higher education. He went on to earn his doctorate—starting the process at age 55 —in instructional design from Idaho State University. From 2012 to 2015, President Kusch presided over the Mexico Cuernavaca Mission. After completing that assignment he returned to BYU-Idaho briefly before accepting the position of chief academic officer at LDSBC in the spring of 2016, where he worked until he became president in 2017. President Kusch and his wife, Alynda, are the parents of four children and have 20 grandchildren. Founded in 1886, LDS Business College educates 2,200 students annually from 43 U.S. states and more than 30 countries. LDSBC trains students to be job-ready proficient in one to two years at its campus in downtown Salt Lake City and online. n

97-year-old certificate found LDS Business College was founded in 1886. In its 131-year history, the college has occupied nine locations in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s a pleasant surprise, therefore, when a bit of history is uncovered. Gloria and Ted Olsen, (Draper, Utah) recently discovered a pristine graduation certificate from the college given to Gloria’s mother, Tessie, in 1920. Teresa “Tessie” Davis was born May 14, 1904 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the sixth of seven children born to Joseph Hyrum and Annie Cecelia Condie Davis. “We have many fond memories of my mother,” said Gloria. “She was a very loving, caring and generous person.” ldsbc.edu | #DiscoverLDSBC

“After Tessie graduated from LDS Business College in 1920, she went to work at The Salt Lake Tribune as a stenographer using the business training she received at the College,” said Ted. “During World War II and after raising her children, she worked at the Remington Arms plant, again using her stenographer skills.” n BC Trends / Fall 2017 | © 2017 LDS Business College

BC STORIES BC STUDENT IS REFUGEE FROM MANY LANDS

Pamela finds stability at last

amela Hirwa did not have a settled life growing up. Her parents lost everything they owned during the Rwandan Civil War, and the family was forced to live as refugees. “We slept under bushes and walked long distances,” said Pamela. “My educated parents lovingly did their best, but I didn’t know where I belonged.” Rwanda was only Pamela’s first adventure. Over the next 20 years, she found refuge in the DR Congo, Pamela Hirwa Citizen of the World Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and again in South Africa. The family became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during their second stay in South Africa, and blessings began to flow. Pamela served a mission to Zambia. While there, she was prompted to come to America for her education. She applied for admission and was pleasantly surprised to receive a service scholarship to LDS Business College. “I have gained many marketable skills,” said Pamela. “Not only is my life more stable, I see a better path ahead for me and my future family. I’m fortunate to be in a good place in my life.” n

GETTING INVOLVED IS KEY TO CONFIDENCE

College gives Matt a new outlook

resh off his mission to Mexico, Matt Everett signed up for a mid-semester scholarship for returned missionaries. But he soon felt a little lost. “For some strange reason, I didn’t feel the school was for me,” he said. He debated returning home, but when he convinced himself to stay, his life began to change. “When I got involved with mentoring, new student Matt Everett orientation, and planning other school activities, I knew Bountiful, Utah this was where I needed to be,” said Matt. “The BC ended up being the best choice I could make for my education.” As Matt has picked up new skills at the College, he has also learned about himself. For example, living the Honor Code means more to him than just shaving every day. “It means being ethical in what I do,” he said. “I decided to live the Honor Code because I want to feel the Spirit more. I want to be able to learn more, and I want others to know what I stand for.” Hands-on experience during the school year gave Matt the confidence for a sales job during the summer. “While I was selling, I realized that my professors taught the exact skills needed for a successful career,” he said. “I know that people care about me here. I have come to understand that Heavenly Father loves me for who I am.” n

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LDSBC WHAT WE OFFER 1- BUSINESS

2- PARALEGAL

3- SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

1) For her management class, Paige Christensen COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, UTAH shows a regional manufacturer how Instagram could improve their consumer marketing. 2) T’Cherise Howard CLINTON POINT, GEORGIA discusses warrant requirements for search and seizure in a paralegal class. 3) Karina Galacia Zuvire MEXICO CITY, MEXICO and Matthew Helton BROOKSVILLE, MARYLAND participate in a group test for social media marketing. 4) Kelsey Crandall MAPLETON, UTAH displays her portfolio at a recent college portfolio competition. 5) Armando Aragon TIJUANA, MEXICO has studied hard to be a medical assistant so he can help provide great patient care. 6) Spencer DeGraw, IT/ CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM DIRECTOR, rehearses strategy with his students at a regional cybersecurity competition in Idaho. 7) Brailee Ogden MESQUITE, NEVADA poses outside the Davis Technical College in Kaysville, Utah. She has combined an architecture program there with classes at LDSBC to earn an associate degree.

4- INTERIOR DESIGN

6- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

5- HEALTH PROFESSIONS

7- APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

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