GENERAL

All students attending Brigham Young University, BYU-Hawaii, Brigham Young University - Idaho, and LDS Business must have an annual ecclesiastical endorsement from the bishop of the ward they attend while in school. The endorsement fosters communication between students and ecclesiastical leaders. It gives bishops an opportunity to review a student's understanding of and commitment to the Honor Code and dress and grooming standards.

The continuing endorsement will help ensure that students who are active Church members are not excluded through enrollment ceilings while inactive members enjoy the blessings of attending Church schools. Bishops should consider faithful attendance at Church meetings as one factor in the endorsement process even though no required percentage of attendance has been specified. We encourage bishops to include the following question in endorsement interviews: "Have you done and will you continue to do your duty in the Church, attend your meetings, and abide by the rules and standards of the Church?" Students who have not been endorsed may not register for university or college classes for the next academic year.

Please direct question on endorsement to the office of the Dean of Students at the respective institution.

We appreciate your support of this opportunity to enhance the spiritual development of our young people.

                                                                                                                                The First Presidency
                                                                                                                                 December 15, 1989

GENERAL GUIDELINES

The First Presidency has indicated that "All students attending . . . Brigham Young University - Idaho. . . . must have an annual ecclesiastical endorsement from the bishop of the ward they attend while in school." Every currently registered student planning on continuing at BYU-Idaho in the Spring, Summer Terms or the Fall semester must submit a continuing ecclesiastical endorsement to the Honor Code Office prior to being permitted to register. This endorsement may only be given by the bishop of the ward the student resided in during the Winter Semester. The "Brigham Young University - Idaho & Church Liaison Guidebook" on pp. 7-12 provides general information in regard to the procedure to be followed in meeting this continuing ecclesiastical endorsement process.

The Honor Code office will provide every campus bishop the necessary forms for ecclesiastical endorsement for continuing students as well as a list of students residing within each ward during the Winter Semester. Bishops or their counselors should interview each student giving careful consideration to the following:

Students who are not active in the Church, or who do not do their duty in the Church, or who do not keep their commitment to the Honor Code may place their ecclesiastical endorsement to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho in jeopardy. As a common judge in Israel, the bishop has the responsibility to interview each student and determine whether he or she is worthy to continue as a student at BYU-Idaho.

Violations of the law of chastity are grounds for discontinuance. "No one known to be guilty of overt and active homosexual conduct is to be enrolled or permitted to remain at [BYU-Idaho] unless this behavior has been repented of and forsaken for a suitable lengthy period of time" prior to enrollment. Likewise, those students who are in violation of the drug policy should be "dismissed on a first offense, except when the only contact with a drug was limited and where the student has repented before disciplinary action is begun."

If a determination is made to work with a student and a student's behavior continues as in the past or becomes worse, it may be best to counsel the student to transfer to another institution until he/she can demonstrate his/her continued ability to live in accordance with and comply with the Honor Code.

BISHOPRIC CHANGES DURING CONTINUING ENDORSEMENT PROCESS

In the event there is a change in the bishopric during the continuing endorsement process, the new bishop may want to consult with the former bishop about some of the students within the ward prior to completing the continuing endorsement form.

EXCOMMUNICATED OR DISFELLOWSHIPPED STUDENTS

When a student is disfellowshipped or excommunicated, church leaders are to notify school authorities. Dismissal from school is virtually automatic, although the president of the university has authority to authorize exceptions under rare circumstances to the end of the current term. The school generally dismisses disfellowshipped and excommunicated students because acts leading to those church penalties far exceed the bounds of the Brigham Young University - Idaho Honor Code.

Individuals who have been excommunicated or disfellowshipped prior to seeking enrollment at Brigham Young University - Idaho are not eligible for admission until they have been reinstated into full fellowship within the Church. Students who have had a Church Disciplinary Council action taken against them while registered as students, may in very rare and extreme cases be permitted to continue their student status and then only upon recommendation by the appropriate bishop, with the concurrence of their stake president and after review by the president of the university.

INTERVIEWS

A bishop's counselors may interview students at the direction of the bishop. If a counselor determines that the student is worthy to continue and willing to keep the commitment he/she has signed, then the form should be given to the bishop for his signature. Only the bishop should sign the Ecclesiastical Endorsement form. In an emergency and the absence of the bishop a counselor may sign the endorsement.

NONMEMBERS

Students who are not members of the Church but who desire to continue at BYU-Idaho for the next academic school year are required to submit a continuing ecclesiastical endorsement. This endorsement can only be provided by the bishop of the ward in which the student resides during the Winter Semester, by a member of the Honor Code office staff, or by the student's local ecclesiastical leader.

STUDENTS RESIDING AT HOME -- ATTENDING CHURCH ON CAMPUS

Students who reside at home but attend church on campus may be endorsed only by the bishop of the campus ward they attend. It should be remembered that students attending a campus ward who live in the local area may not have their name on the ward list provided by the Honor Code office. The campus bishop may want to make contact with the home bishop if there are questions relative to worthiness or church attendance. In the event a student has not attended the campus ward or the bishop is not aware of the student or has not had any contact with the student, then the Honor Code office should be notified and the endorsement should be given only by the home ward bishop.

STUDENTS RESIDING AT HOME -- ATTENDING CHURCH IN THEIR HOME WARD

Students who commute from a local community to campus each day but attend church in their home ward will be required to get an endorsement through their home bishop. It will be the responsibility of the student to go to the Honor Code office and pick up the necessary form for continuing endorsement prior to being cleared to register. Phone calls endorsing students will not be acceptable.

STUDENTS NEEDING SPECIAL ATTENTION

Occasionally a bishop may feel that a student he worked with during the past semester may have moved or changed apartments to avoid completing the repentance process or to locate a different bishop who may be more sympathetic to the student's cause. In the event that this should occur or a determination is made that a specific student should only be endorsed by a specific bishop, the bishop should forward the student's name to the Honor Code office on the appropriate form provided as soon as possible. The Honor Code office will coordinate with the bishops involved and assist the student in getting to the appropriate bishop for the endorsement.

WITHDRAWAL OF ENDORSEMENT

A student’s endorsement may be withdrawn at any time if the ecclesiastical leader or Honor Code office endorsing officer determines that the student is no longer eligible for the endorsement. Students without endorsements, except in unusual circumstances, must be withdrawn from school. Disfellowshipment, excommunication, or disaffiliation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints results in the withdrawal of the student’s endorsement. The decision to withdraw an endorsement may be appealed through the appropriated ecclesiastical channels and then through the university’s administrative review process.

FORMS

The following forms are provided by the Honor Code office for use by bishops in fulfilling their role in the Continuing Ecclesiastical Endorsement program. A brief description and purpose for each form has been provided.

Ecclesiastical Endorsement Withdrawal Form: This may be used to advise the Honor Code office when a bishop desires to withdraw his endorsement of a student. The form could be used during the continuing endorsement process or at any other time.

Student List: This is a computer-generated list, provided by the Honor Code office, which shows the students currently enrolled at BYU-Idaho who are members of your ward. The list may not include local area students who show their local address as their home address. In addition, you may want to provide the Honor Code office a list of students attending your ward but not on your list in order to ensure that these students are not endorsed by another bishop. This list might include students living in different student housing or who attend your ward by agreement with another ward or bishop.

Student Commitment/Bishop's Endorsement: This is a two page form with the Honor Code and dress and grooming standards on one page and with the student information and commitment and the Interviewing Officer's Endorsement and instructions on the second page. The top portion of the form should be filled out by the student prior to his/her visit with the bishop or counselor. The lower portion of the form, except for the signature, could be filled in prior to the interview. Only those students who plan to continue at BYU-Idaho beyond the end of the Winter Semester will need a continuing endorsement. A number of forms will be provided each bishop prior to the beginning of the endorsement process. In the event you need more, please contact the Honor Code office or the student may download the endorsement at the University website by going clicking on Student Services and Activities and then the Honor Code office. At that page the "continuing ecclesiastical endorsement" should be checked. This permits the student to down load the appropriate form. The endorsement form has changed from last year, so forms dated previously or regular endorsement forms from the CES application may not be used. Please do not use any forms other than those specified as they do not contain current information Honor Code or dress and grooming information.

Special Holds: This is a form which can be used by you to inform the Honor Code office of the names of students who you believe should only be endorsed by you as their bishop and not by any other campus bishop or the students home bishop.