The U will be launching a new program to help students returning from serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints succeed at the U.
U president David Pershing made the announcement at a fireside for LDS students on Sunday night where he spoke with Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church. The program will increase scholarship support, launch more online classes, improve married student housing and provide more affordable childcare.
This fall, over 500 students deferred their education at the U to serve LDS missions.
“We want you to have a successful mission. We will hold your place while you go on your mission. We will even be able to hold most of your scholarships while you are away,” Pershing said at the event.
He said that students who return from serving missions bring “wisdom and maturity beyond [their] years” to the classrooms at the U.
Some LDS students at the U were not expecting the gesture.
“I was kind of surprised,” said Joseph Brinton, a senior in history and political science and president of the LDS Institute of Religion’s Spirit of Place Committee. “It was the first time in a long time that they have done something to facilitate [mission service]. This is pretty big … I think it’s admirable that they are making steps to recognize the needs from a substantial portion of the student body.”
Students were also grateful for the acknowledgement.
“Obviously a mission isn’t just something that you do for yourself,” said Tiffany Parkin, a junior in English. “On a broader scale … it’s a good way to promote service.”
Some LDS students have noticed a difference in the demographic at the U since the LDS Church lowered the age of eligibility to serve missions to 18 for men and 19 for women last October.
Parkin said one of her professors commented on the shrinking class sizes last semester. He asked if anyone knew why enrollment was dropping.
At the event, Pershing acknowledged that the U recognizes that many more students, particularly young women, will be serving missions because of the age change and urged all students considering missions to apply for deferment before they leave so that the U can better support them.
“It does seem like there are less incoming freshmen,” Brinton said. “I’ve seen a lot less people with the starry-eyed look.”
Pershing said Sunday that he hopes this new program will make the return easier for students who have completed missions and help them to finish their degrees.
“Hopefully all of this will make it easier for you to come back, to graduate from the university and move successfully forward,” he said.
Brinton said more online classes and improved married housing were needed regardless of the fact that more U students are serving missions.
“I think improving [married student housing] needed to happen anyway,” Brinton said. “I think the most important part is the scholarship.”
When contacted for an interview, Pershing said that he is not yet ready to talk about the details of the program, as they are still evolving.