25 years ago, a stunning announcement began Ricks College's transformation to BYU-Idaho
At the turn of the century, the conventional wisdom among Ricks College leaders and students was that the little school in Rexburg, Idaho, would always be a junior college.
Former Ricks College President Steven Bennion once said he was asked at least weekly when Ricks would become a four-year college while he led the school from 1989-97 .
'My answer was always, 'probably never,'' he said.
That viewpoint evaporated on June 21, 2000, after a stunning decision.
'I'm pleased to announce that Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, will change from its present two-year, junior college status to a four-year institution,' said President Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the school's sponsor.
'The new four-year school will be known as Brigham Young University-Idaho, with the name change designed to give the school immediate national and international recognition,' he said.
The school and community has spent the past week launching a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the announcement today and will spend the next 18 months honoring the transformation and growth of BYU-Idaho.
That growth has indeed been transformative.
At the time of the announcement, Ricks College had 8,628 students. In 2024, BYU-Idaho served more than 30,000 students on campus using a unique, three-track system that keeps the campus humming year-round, a change also anticipated by President Hinckley.
'BYU-Idaho will shift its emphasis to a year-round activity program designed to involve and meet the needs of a diverse student body,' he said.
The school also has maintained another focus President Hinckley set for it in 2000.
'BYU-Idaho will continue to be teaching-oriented. Effective teaching and advising will be the primary responsibilities of its faculty, who are committed to academic excellence,' he said.
The Deseret News reported that the change was meant to provide more in-depth higher education for a greater number of students. That certainly has been achieved over the past 25 years.
In fact, moving to a university system paved the way for massive growth across the Church Educational System. BYU-Idaho was the breeding ground for BYU-Pathway Worldwide, which launched in 2009 with 458 students. Today, the global online program has approximately 80,000 students supported by BYU-Idaho's extensive online offerings.
Ricks College didn't officially become BYU-Idaho until Aug. August 10, 2001.
A month later, another former Ricks College president, President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ, spoke on campus.
'There is the miracle in how much they have done,' he said. 'In those 15 months, they created a detailed plan, hired new faculty, received conditional accreditation status which could have taken years, and then launched this new venture, BYU-Idaho.
'And change will not end,' he said. 'The phrase 'Rethinking Education' is not to be only a slogan for the transformation from a two- to four-year status. The school is to be a place of educational innovation, permanently.'
Since the changeover, BYU-Idaho has built out more than 100 bachelor's degrees and its online powerhouse.
The celebration of the school's evolution, which began as an elementary school in 1888, will continue through December 2026. It is expected to include three special issues of the BYU-Idaho magazine and a 'Why BYU-I' social media campaign.
The president of the school during the transformation was Elder David A. Bednar. Now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he has said the move was a watershed moment in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ.
'The creation of BYU–Idaho was one of the most important educational events of the Restoration,' he told the Church News for the 20th anniversary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
Pilot killed in Beverly plane crash identified by his family as Geoffrey Andrews
The pilot killed in a small plane crash in Beverly, Massachusetts on Thursday has been identified by his family. Geoffrey Andrews was piloting the plane when it crashed shortly after takeoff Thursday on Sam Fonzo Drive in an industrial park near Beverly Regional Airport. A second man in the plane was injured. He has not been identified. Police said it appears Andrews was attempting to take off when the plane crashed. The FAA said the plane had just left Beverly and was heading to Ticonderoga Municipal Airport, which is about 100 miles north of Albany, New York. "We thank the investigators who we trust will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused this catastrophic loss of life. We also pray for his passenger in the plane and are sending his loved ones strength through this difficult time," said Andrews' family in a statement. His family said Andrews was a staff scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and graduated from Lehigh University and got his doctorate from Purdue University. They said he loved to fly and was working to become a certified flight instructor. Andrews is survived by his wife, Gentry, who is expecting their first child in October. "Beyond his love for flight, Geoffrey was a charismatic, beautiful soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and always had a kind word for others. He was so excited about the upcoming birth of their baby," said his family in a statement.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
5K raises money for organization helping to combat homelessness in Los Angeles
Union Rescue Mission hosted their 'Just Help 1' 5K Run/Walk at Griffith Park on Saturday morning. Saturday's event, the 8th annual edition, raises money for individuals and families experiencing homelessness across L.A., organizers said in a media release. 'Participants will run, walk or cheer as every step supports URM's transformational programs, shelters, meals and long-term recovery services for those in need,' URM officials said. KTLA 5's Erin Myers spoke to Union Rescue Mission CEO Mark Hood just as the 5K officially kicked off on Saturday morning. L.A. City Controller: Immigration raid protests cost taxpayers over $30 million 'It's just a great event…it's a way to not only raise awareness, but 86 cents of every dollar that comes into this event goes back to transforming lives, getting people off the street and helping them find their way home,' Hood told KTLA. 'It's such a crisis…there are more homeless people in Los Angeles County than any other county in the United States by far. It's a big problem, but I'm very happy [to say] we are a solution.' According to the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, the L.A. County homeless population was estimated to be 73,512. The data also indicated that the City of Los Angeles had a homeless population of 45,252. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
My husband has an identical twin. I can't tell them apart over the phone.
I never believed in love at first sight until I met my now-husband. I couldn't recognize him from his identical twin brother over the phone. We ended up having fraternal twins, and I got to experience the twin magic first-hand. The first time I met my husband, I had all the cliché love signs. I felt butterflies in my stomach, and my heart was beating fast. I never believed in love at first sight until I actually fell in love with him the moment I saw him. We didn't even talk then. I just knew this was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. When I told a friend of mine who knows him, she asked me, "Are you sure it's not his twin brother?" When we started dating, when we went out together, people would greet him with his brother's name. He never corrected them. Whenever I called him on their home's landline, I never knew if it was him or his twin brother who answered the phone; they had the exact same voice and even way of speaking. They were famous for pulling pranks, and I was always afraid they'd play one on me. On our wedding day, his twin brother went early to the photographer's studio, and my now-husband hadn't arrived yet. We joked that we could take photos with his twin brother in case my husband didn't arrive in time. Years later, I was pregnant with fraternal or non-identical twins. It was so surreal having twins whose dad was also a twin. I had an emergency C-section and gave birth to my twins early at 35 weeks. When they were in the NICU, the nurses separated them. My son started not to eat; he had an NG-tube, but he wasn't thriving, and his sister was always crying and not sleeping well. One nurse decided to put them together. They held hands, my son started to eat again, and they both were calmer and sleeping better. Knowing that this bond they formed in the womb was continuing after birth made me very emotional. When they were babies, they had their own secret language. My daughter would translate to us what her twin brother wanted or was saying because he had delayed speech. Even now, as tweens, when we're out together, they unintentionally hold hands. It warms my heart to see them grow together, each with their own unique character, yet so close to each other. When they were almost a year old, their uncle came to visit us. It was their first time meeting him since he doesn't live in Canada. They were so confused, and it was hilarious watching them not knowing which one was their dad. Last year, we had sort of a "twins reunion." It included our twins, my husband and his twin brother, and their oldest brother's identical twin girls. It was funny comparing notes and inside jokes and seeing how twins' dynamics are different from ours. Although they're twins, I still have to remind myself that they are also two separate individuals. I learned a long time ago not to compare them to each other, whether in their milestones or academically. I hope they continue to support each other while embracing their individuality. And I can't wait to see what they'll do next. Read the original article on Business Insider
