Overview
The Board of Trustees of BYU-Idaho requires every student attending the university to have a current ecclesiastical endorsement and be true to the principles of the Honor Code. An ecclesiastical leader may withdraw a student's endorsement at any time or may decline to endorse a continuing student if the leader determines that the student is no longer eligible for the endorsement.
If an endorsement is withdrawn or if a Continuing Ecclesiastical Endorsement (CEE) is denied, no confessional information is exchanged without authorization from the student.
The withdrawal of a student's ecclesiastical endorsement automatically results in the loss of good Honor Code standing. Students who are not in good Honor Code standing are no longer eligible for enrollment or graduation, even if they have completed all necessary coursework.
Excommunication, disfellowshipment, or disaffiliation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints automatically results in the withdrawal of the student's ecclesiastical endorsement and the loss of good Honor Code standing.
Disaffiliation is defined for purposes of this policy as the removal of an individual's name from the official records of the Church.
Process for Requesting an Exception
The decision to withdraw an ecclesiastical endorsement or to deny a CEE may only be reviewed through appropriate ecclesiastical leaders. As a matter of practice, BYU-Idaho does not intervene in ecclesiastical matters or endorsements. However, a student may petition the Dean of Students Office to allow an exception to the ecclesiastical endorsement requirement. This exception does not affect the withdrawn endorsement. If granted, it only allows the student to finish the current semester. As part of the petition, the student must:
(i) contact the Dean of Students Office to request an exception;
(ii) prepare a written statement outlining the reasons why the university should allow an exception; and
(iii) within 10 days of receiving notice that the ecclesiastical endorsement has been withdrawn or that a CEE has been denied;
(iv) submit the written statement to the Dean of Students Office for consideration.
Reviewing a Petition for Exception to Policy
When considering the petition, the Dean of Students will determine whether the student has observed and continues to observe the standards of the Honor Code or has demonstrated other sufficiently compelling grounds to warrant an exception to the university's ecclesiastical endorsement requirement.
The Dean of Students Office will not review the ecclesiastical leader's decision to withdraw or deny the endorsement or the process for reaching that decision. The Dean of Students and other university officials will not discuss confidential matters with the student's present or former ecclesiastical leaders unless the student voluntarily signs a Permission to Exchange Information allowing that communication.
The Dean of Students may also choose to personally interview the student, who may further explain the circumstances which might justify an exception to the ecclesiastical endorsement requirement. The student bears the burden of persuasion that he or she should be considered to be in good Honor Code standing, notwithstanding the lack of an ecclesiastical endorsement. The Dean of Students' decision regarding the petition will be reviewed by the Vice President of Student Life if requested by the student. The decision by the Vice President of Student Life is final.
The Admissions Office provides a separate process for applicants who cannot obtain an ecclesiastical endorsement as part of their application for admission to the university.