As of this semester student body officers no longer oversee the Activities Program. The student body officers are now able to spend more time representing concerns of students, while six appointed managing directors are the administrative body of the Activities Program.

What do student body officers do?

With the transitions that have been made, the student body officers have moved into unplowed territory.

This semester, they are defining what future officers’ roles will be and how the organization will be structured, said Van Crawford, student body officer advisor.

“The student body officers are gathering information from all the student entities on campus,” Crawford said. “This will help as they compile a proposal of how the student body officers should be organized ... If the proposal is approved, the summer will be spent putting the proposal into action.”

Student body officers also attend weekly meetings with university vice presidents and other administrators, said activities director, Devin Shaum. At those meetings the officers fill two purposes: solicit feedback and information from advisors at the meetings, and give student feedback to the administration.

Why have the roles of the student body officers been changed?

One challenge faced in the past was that sometimes student body officers were elected who had not been involved in the Activities Program—the same program that they were placed in charge of. Eighty-five to ninety percent of the officers’ time was spent working with the Activities Program, leaving only a small fraction of their time open to address student concerns, Shaum said.

“It makes logical sense that the Activities Program is run by people who are appointed, allowing the student body officers time to represent the entire student body,” Crawford said.

How does student leadership at BYU-Idaho differs from other universities?

“The purpose of the Activities Program is to provide experiences that allow individuals to learn by faith, step into the darkness of things they may not understand and make a difference,” Shaum said.

Administrators from other universities come and learn about BYU-Idaho, and go away scratching their heads, Shaum said. What they cannot understand is how the student leadership changes each semester.

Other universities think student leadership is about what the students do. Here we focus on what happens to the students how they change and grow, Shaum continued. We realize there may be a few bumps along the way, but want to give many students leadership experiences.

Each semester there are as many as 22 directors of Activities organizations plus three student body officers.

“In one year that provides 70-75 students powerful leadership experiences,” Shaum said.

Who are the managing directors and what do they do?

The managing directors are six appointed students who oversee the organizations of the Activities Program, such as Service Activities, Dance Board and Athletics. They conduct the Directors Council, a meeting which the leaders of each Activities organization attend.

The six managing directors for this semester are:
Ryan Belnap, a senior from Pocatello, Idaho
Rob Cox, a senior from Visalia, Calif.
Ryan Davis, a senior from New Bremen, Ohio
Heather Long, a senior from Pine Bush, N.Y.
Antje Urban, a senior from Dresden, Germany
Angel Viveros, a junior from Leon, Mexico

Q: How have your responsibilities changed,from those of past student body officers?

 A: (Buehler) “Now we have more of a representative role.  We used to preside over the Activities Student Council, but now we just attend.  Six managing directors ... now direct that meeting.  Our advisor changed.  Instead of Brother Shaum, it is now Brother Crawford...”

Q: How will these changes benefit BYU-Idaho students and the Activities Program?

A: (Buehler) “In the past some of the officers had never been involved in Activities and were suddenly in charge of them.  The managing directors ... have been [previously involved] ...  It frees up time for student body officers to have ... a representative role.”