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Campus Education Week, begun in 1922, is a program unique to adult continuing education in the
United States. For one week each August the program utilizes the campus of Brigham Young
University (Provo, Utah) to present approximately 1,000 classes on education, religion, marriage,
family relations, health, history, genealogy, science, youth interests, and many other areas.
The program is designed primarily for adults, although anyone age 14 and over may attend.
It is believed to be the largest continuing education program of its type. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Campus Education Week held at this time of the
year?
The following are answers to questions students most frequently
ask about Campus Education Week. We hope these responses will be
informative and helpful in answering questions and concerns about
Education Week. Each evaluation form and letter is read by one of the Campus Education Week staff members. Many changes made from year to year are in response to those questions and suggestions. However, some of the changes you would like to see may not have been implemented. The following examples show some of the dilemmas posed by suggestions received each year:
Please enforce the rules.
With over 22,000 students attending the program and the same number
of personal preferences, not all students will be completely satisfied.
We will continue to do all that we can to improve the program and
to help it fill each student's needs.
We realize that the dates the program is held may present significant
scheduling conflicts (i.e., vacation, children starting school,
child care, etc.) for those who would like to attend. However, we
want to provide the finest educational experience possible for the
maximum number of people. To do that we need the entire BYU campus.
Since this campus is the most efficiently used college campus in
the United States (with classes every weekday, evening classes and
activities every week night, Saturday conferences, and Sunday church
services), we don't have many scheduling options. The only way we
can offer a program the size of Education Week is to squeeze it
tightly between August commencement and the beginning of fall semester.
The university calendar does not have any other week available during
the year. Since campus housing is built to accommodate BYU students, we have
to schedule our housing assignments wherever they can fit in. Helaman Halls cannot house both genders in the same building since they have only one restroom per wing or have shared bathrooms between rooms. Heritage
Halls best suits families since there are three rooms and a single bathroom in each unit. BYU Housing does a
great job of finding spaces for as many people as possible. They
try to fit your needs as nearly as possible with the rooms that
are available. We can guarantee one thing—you will never have
to share your lodgings with strangers because in a short time they
will be your new friends! How can I get into campus housing?
Each year in late spring, a newsletter providing registration and
campus housing information is mailed to everyone who registered
for Education Week during the previous two years (and to those who
subsequently request to be put on the mailing list). Newsletters
are sent third-class mail, and thus are not forwarded if you move.
The registration procedure and dates are outlined in the newsletter.
Although we have considered this option, such a policy would hamper
one of the major purposes of Education Week—to provide an exceptional
learning opportunity to as many people as possible. So long as the
spirit of patience, cooperation, and friendship continues to exemplify
student interactions, we hope to be able to continue without an
enrollment cap. Even without the Marriott Center (where over 23,000
students could be accommodated), most hours there is class space
for more than 15,000 students. The highest number of students in
class at any given hour at Education Week seldom exceeds that number.
So while a particular class you want may be full, there are plenty
of seats waiting in other worthwhile classes. Why can't we bring babies and children under the age of 14?
We realize, as you do, that many people schedule their entire year's
vacation around Education Week. They spend their savings and often
travel hundreds of miles to attend. Because of such sacrifices,
we feel a responsibility to provide an atmosphere that makes this
learning experience memorable and motivating. We enforce the policy
of no children in the classrooms because children under 14 may easily
become disinterested and disruptive. Also, babies have their own
needs that they often make known in fairly noisy ways, disrupting
other students. For these reasons, we instruct the room hosts/hostesses
not to admit children under 14 or individuals with babies to the
classrooms. Brigham Young University's
Division of Continuing Education offers programs at other times
of the year for children under the age of 14. We hope that some
of the needs of this age group can be met through these programs.
Brigham Young University is just that—a university. It really
isn't set up for child care. Also, there are liability issues involved
that would make it difficult to operate a child-care service. Many
have suggested getting local residents to tend children for out-of-town
guests, but we want area residents to be able to attend and benefit
from Education Week as well.
Football games, drama productions, and movies—a ticket to these
events provides the right to a seat. However, Education Week is
an educational program, and each student must be registered in order
to attend. In addition, the handling of mailings, housing assignments,
refunds, specific questions, and emergency situations (that may
arise involving Education Week students) is enhanced by individual
registration. Therefore, we need to know who really is here attending
classes.
Monday night is family home evening. The Church leadership (whom
we heartily endorse) has set aside Monday night as a special night
to be with our families. Why can't I record the lectures?
In planning Education Week, we try to get the finest teachers and,
as much as possible, give you direct contact with them. In recording,
we run the risk of copyright violations on printed or recorded material.
Copyrights, as you may know, can cover not just printed works but
also ideas, arrangements, and other creative works. It is easy to
bend and break copyright laws, even unintentionally. Also, there
have been occurrences where a teacher's
recorded comments were later taken out of context, creating a meaning
the teacher never intended. To avoid complications in either of
these areas, we have made a decision not to allow the audio or video
recording of presentations. This is an administrative decision and
is not at the discretion of the teacher, so please don't impose
on teachers by asking them to break this policy.
Why don't you use
larger rooms?
When scheduling the rooms for Education Week, we take into consideration
a myriad of factors so we can provide the facilities that will best
suit the students and the teacher. We try to anticipate as many
elements as we can, including past class attendance, predictions
on the appeal of new topics/faculty, and teacher preference and
availability. While we already schedule the largest rooms on campus,
we honestly do not know beforehand when a teacher will draw a crowd
larger than the room capacity will accommodate. Why don't you repeat popular classes?
Most often, we do not know when a class will be "popular"
or when there will not be enough room to accommodate all who want
to attend a particular class. Since the class schedule is finalized
months before the program, if a class does overflow during Education
Week, we cannot set up another class as a repeat—all of the
rooms are scheduled for other classes, and the faculty usually have
other commitments.
With the large number of classes that are offered during the week,
and given the prohibitive cost of providing outlines of each class
and the tight schedules of several of the faculty, we do not ask
faculty to prepare and submit outlines ahead of time. We have found
that students' taking personal
notes during lectures is much more valuable.
The Conference Center (which was built specifically to accommodate
conferences such as Education Week) has two of the largest and finest
lecture halls on campus. Although it may seem distant from the center
of campus, one may go from the library to the Conference Center
in less than 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. During the program,
shuttle vans run continuously to the Conference Center (and many
other locations on campus). Some students have found it convenient
to park in the Marriott Center parking lot and select between classes
at the Conference Center and at the Marriott Center.
We spend a lot of time considering options that allow for a fair
distribution of seating. First-come, first-served is not a perfect
answer, but it is the best one we have been able to come up with.
So if one of your fellow students has planned and organized so that
he/she can be in the seat next to you, don't deny him/her the privilege.
Instead of saving the seat next to you for a friend, you could save
your friendship for whoever is in the seat! This new acquaintance
may be a highlight of your Education Week experience.
With more than 22,000 students headed for their chosen classrooms,
you can feel like a salmon swimming upstream sometimes. Using certain
doors as entrances and exits is our attempt to get you (and everyone
else!) where you want to go as smoothly as possible.
Why can't I eat
or drink in class? Why don't you have lunch and dinner breaks?
In fact, we did try that at one time. But everyone went to dinner
at the same time, and the lines and confusion were tremendous. Many
students complained that they came to Education Week to learn, not
to eat, and they were upset because we did not offer classes throughout
the day. Even if we were to eliminate some classes in order to provide
meal breaks, we might cut your favorite ones! This way, the choice
is all yours. What if the class I've chosen is full?
Many people have had the experience described by this Education
Week student: "When I couldn't
get in the class I wanted, I went into any class close by that had
room. I found it to be just as exciting and informative as the first-choice
class. Every class was good." You may discover whole new areas
of interest—and that is part of what Education Week is all
about. Why can't I bring an extra chair into the classroom if all the seats are taken?
Many of us would be willing to stand in the back of the room for
the entire lecture or sit on the cold, hard floor for the opportunity
to hear our favorite teachers. However, there are building, safety,
and fire codes that will not allow us to pack a room beyond its
legal seating capacity. So if the class you want is full, do as
the student above did—take it as a challenge to find an equally
stimulating class where there will be a seat welcoming you. The turn-around time after graduation and before university conferences
does not allow us to run a six-day program. In addition, many of our faculty
take personal vacation to teach for us. Several others are university
professors, and by teaching this week, have very little time to wrap up
one year's work before beginning another. This issue has been thoroughly
researched and no plausible solution has been found.
Brigham Young University is a professional business entity that
operates year-round. Although Education Week is held between regular
BYU semesters, the function of the university continues. Over 2,000
full-time employees, plus faculty and part-time employees, need
to be able to get to work each day so that they can keep the university
operating and serve your various needs while you are here. For this
reason, we have designated specific parking areas for Education
Week students and ask you to observe and respect the parking areas
reserved for BYU employees. Also, please note that painted curbs,
yellow lines, handicap zones, and staff zones are restricted for
special use. Each year we find that there is plenty of parking just
west of the football stadium. We encourage you to carpool or use
public transportation—the bus stops right at the Wilkinson
Student Center. Will there be a broadcast of any Campus Education Week classes this year?
When information becomes available, details
will be listed on the Broadcast
Page and in the class schedule. |
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