BYU students protest end to program
Gilchrist, 30, of Orem, a first-year student in BYU's Master of Social Work program, spent Friday, his 30th birthday, in a 24-hour protest to make a point: He and other students value the BSW program and want it to remain intact.
"Here I am, on my birthday," Gilchrist said. "But sometimes you have to do what you need to do."
Gilchrist and five other students camped out on the grass at the corner of University Avenue and University Parkway, just off BYU campus in Provo. They began at 9 p.m. Thursday and said they would end at 9 p.m. Friday.
David Magleby, BYU dean of the College of Family Home and Social Sciences, says Gilchrist will definitely get half his birthday wish.
"Yes, we have listened to the students. There have been multiple opportunities to comment with me and others," Magleby said.
But will BYU officials change their mind about axing the BSW program?
"No," Magleby said. "We will not reinstate the Bachelor of Social Work program in the near future — the next several years."
Further, BYU is concerned about an insufficient number of potential social work faculty. Because of the limited pool of faculty, BYU has been worried about accreditation of its BSW and MSW programs, he said.
BYU Academic Vice President John Tanner wrote a letter dated Thursday to the students, stating: "The central administration is united in supporting the decision to phase out our Bachelor of Social Work degree and strengthen our Master of Social Work degree. This decision is not up for reconsideration."
Magleby announced the university's decision and outlined explanations to the students in October.
The students staged a 50-person off-campus protest in November. They had a press conference with agency officials speaking in December.
Gilchrist said they opted for the off-campus protest Friday after requests for an on-campus protest became bogged down in red tape. "It got caught up in administrative circles," he said. "I'm done trying to ask BYU for permission to protest."
BYU officials said the protest application process was stalled after the students canceled an appointment. "The application was neither approved nor denied. The procedure was incomplete," said BYU spokeswoman Carri P. Jenkins.
Gilchrist said at that point he and others had given up on the protest request procedure after two weeks and had decided to go through Provo city.
Several approved demonstrations have occurred on the BYU campus during the past year, including one a couple weeks ago to decry violence against women.
Gilchrist didn't have classes Friday, while the other protesting students did, so he was a lone protester at times.
He sat out in front of the two camping tents as motorists drove by and honked. He and others had posted homemade signs. One read: "Save BYU social work program." Another showed a face with a red gag across its mouth with black letters reading: "Red Tape."
For the occasion, Gilchrist wore his white BYU social work T-shirt. It has a blue "Superman" emblem and the letters "SW" for social work.
BYU social work student Jonathan Strange stopped by to show his support.
"I think BYU's decision is noncommunity," said Strange, 26, of Springville, a junior. He is in the final group of students to pass through the BSW program.
Officials with local social services agencies, as well as Alpine and Provo school districts, have not been happy with the idea of losing the annual 60 BSW students. The students are required to fulfill 480 volunteer service hours in the community in order to graduate.
However, Utah Valley State College officials are studying a proposal to implement a BSW program.
The proposal was submitted to UVSC administration in fall 2007. It would have to go through the college's Board of Trustees and administration, then to the State Board of Regents for final approval.
Brent Platt, western regional director for Utah's Division of Child and Family Services, said he was initially upset over BYU's decision to cancel its BSW program — but he is over it now.
"UVSC will really pick things up," Platt said. "Things seem really positive with that. I'm really excited."
Of the universities in Utah offering social work programs, the University of Utah offers a bachelor's, master's and doctorate; Utah State University has a bachelor's and master's; and Weber State University has a bachelor's program. Southern Utah University offers a master's in social work but not a bachelor's.
BYU's BSW program will end in spring 2010. This will allow students who are in the program, or who were just accepted into the program for winter 2008, to complete their degrees.
E-mail: astewart@desnews.com
Recent comments
UVU high school is a step down from BYU I'm sorry. IT feels like...
A STEP DOWN | March 25, 2008 at 4:03 p.m.
For years the academic leadership at BYU have had to make decisions...
Amazing | March 25, 2008 at 8:21 a.m.
This kind of problem and protest comes from Students being backed...
awesomeron | March 24, 2008 at 9:33 p.m.
