A response on X to the controversy from the Salt Lake Tribune article:
https://x.com/ProfRonSwanson/status/1877007123944460486
There's a lot of buzz about @BYU, @SaltLakeTribBRK's article, and @ClarkGilbert. As a tenured LDS academic on the East Coast, here's some nuance missing from the conversation 👇
1/ BYU is Costco in a Gucci world.
Tuition is 1/6th the cost of other schools, yet BYU delivers a phenomenal education. Most universities are bleeding money as enrollment drops. BYU? It's the Costco hot dog of higher ed—unbeatable value. @FastCompany's article "80 colleges could close by 2029, even as elite Ivy League schools thrive" notes that, "Many colleges are struggling financially as enrollment falls. Blame skyrocketing tuition and growing doubts about the value of a degree."
fastcompany.com/91245055/highe…
Tuition is 1/6th the cost of other schools, yet BYU delivers a phenomenal education. Most universities are bleeding money as enrollment drops. BYU? It's the Costco hot dog of higher ed—unbeatable value. @FastCompany's article "80 colleges could close by 2029, even as elite Ivy League schools thrive" notes that, "Many colleges are struggling financially as enrollment falls. Blame skyrocketing tuition and growing doubts about the value of a degree."
fastcompany.com/91245055/highe…
2/ @ClarkGilbert isn’t new to saving sinking ships.
Clark Gilbert single-handedly saved @Deseret News. He caused the paper to thrive in a dying industry. He focused on the "job to be done" framework (from his time as a Harvard Professor) and realized most of the press (NYT and WAPO) neglected faith and family stories. They went all in on that content and drove growth in a time while most papers were closing. Yes, he terminated a lot of people--that is what you do with something that is bloated and needs a turnaround.
Clark Gilbert single-handedly saved @Deseret News. He caused the paper to thrive in a dying industry. He focused on the "job to be done" framework (from his time as a Harvard Professor) and realized most of the press (NYT and WAPO) neglected faith and family stories. They went all in on that content and drove growth in a time while most papers were closing. Yes, he terminated a lot of people--that is what you do with something that is bloated and needs a turnaround.
3/ BYU’s professors are some good--a lot bad.
To work there, you must:
1) Be LDS
2) Accept below-market pay
3) Be okay with no real tenure (BYU can fire you).
This filters for two groups:
-->High-caliber profs willing to sacrifice for the mission because of their identity.
-->Those who struggled to find jobs elsewhere but could get a job at BYU because of their faith.
The "sacrifice" narrative sometimes hides the latter reality. A LOT of BYU professors (like a whole lot) are there because there was nowhere else they could get a job. Remember how universities are in trouble--they aren't doing too much hiring. Sacrifice is a false narrative that they push to hide the fact that they aren't that great.
To work there, you must:
1) Be LDS
2) Accept below-market pay
3) Be okay with no real tenure (BYU can fire you).
This filters for two groups:
-->High-caliber profs willing to sacrifice for the mission because of their identity.
-->Those who struggled to find jobs elsewhere but could get a job at BYU because of their faith.
The "sacrifice" narrative sometimes hides the latter reality. A LOT of BYU professors (like a whole lot) are there because there was nowhere else they could get a job. Remember how universities are in trouble--they aren't doing too much hiring. Sacrifice is a false narrative that they push to hide the fact that they aren't that great.
4/ News Flash-->Tread carefully when trash-talking
You can't bi*ch about the person picking up the bill and expect to still be employed. It's pretty simple, if you are a professor of playing the Tuba (like the guy in the article), don't talk sh*t about BYU or the church. I wouldn't have gotten tenure at my school if I talked sh*t about the school. That is not a BYU thing--try that sh*t at Harvard during the tenure process and see how it goes.
You can't bi*ch about the person picking up the bill and expect to still be employed. It's pretty simple, if you are a professor of playing the Tuba (like the guy in the article), don't talk sh*t about BYU or the church. I wouldn't have gotten tenure at my school if I talked sh*t about the school. That is not a BYU thing--try that sh*t at Harvard during the tenure process and see how it goes.
5/ BYU plays a different game—and wins.
Most schools aim to be Harvard, the Louis Vuitton of higher ed. BYU is trying to be Amazon or Costco: efficient, student-focused, and mission-driven. It doesn’t chase prestige for prestige’s sake. My school is trying to be Harvard by plaing the same game the same way as Harvard. We will NEVER win. What makes BYU different is that it’s the only university prioritizing students instead of faculty and administrators.
Most schools aim to be Harvard, the Louis Vuitton of higher ed. BYU is trying to be Amazon or Costco: efficient, student-focused, and mission-driven. It doesn’t chase prestige for prestige’s sake. My school is trying to be Harvard by plaing the same game the same way as Harvard. We will NEVER win. What makes BYU different is that it’s the only university prioritizing students instead of faculty and administrators.
6/ One-of-a-kind for faith-centered students.
The question is— Do we need one more super liberal school for professors? Or do we want a faith-promoting school for students? Hearing these BYU professors whine about this is funny. This is begging for bread with a loaf under your arm. There are far more options for a more liberal experience by students and professors. There is only BYU for the BYU for a faith-centered experience. Unlike most universities, BYU is for students, not professors.
The question is— Do we need one more super liberal school for professors? Or do we want a faith-promoting school for students? Hearing these BYU professors whine about this is funny. This is begging for bread with a loaf under your arm. There are far more options for a more liberal experience by students and professors. There is only BYU for the BYU for a faith-centered experience. Unlike most universities, BYU is for students, not professors.
7/ This won’t hurt BYU’s rankings.
-->Rankings bias against BYU is already baked in.
-->Non-LDS folks don’t see these internal debates as significant.
Spoiler: BYU remains harder to get into than its ranking suggests. Ever explain to non-LDS that there was a BYU-Hawaii. First question, always, "Why didn't you go there?!" We live in a buble where things that are big inside all seem the same to the outside. We already have the bias against faith (see Pac12 expansion). This won't impact it.
-->Rankings bias against BYU is already baked in.
-->Non-LDS folks don’t see these internal debates as significant.
Spoiler: BYU remains harder to get into than its ranking suggests. Ever explain to non-LDS that there was a BYU-Hawaii. First question, always, "Why didn't you go there?!" We live in a buble where things that are big inside all seem the same to the outside. We already have the bias against faith (see Pac12 expansion). This won't impact it.
8/ Clark Gilbert gets it. @ClarkGilbert is taking the right approach. BYU and the church, should face critics, but it shouldn't pay for them to be professors at BYU. What makes BYU different is that it’s the only university prioritizing students instead of faculty and administrators. That is how BYU wins as the higher education market melts down.
Given that most higher educators are being churned out of increasingly progressive institutions that demand alignment with progressive ideals, how much harder is it going to be for BYU to find qualified faculty that won't kiss Babylons ring, and aren't institutionally inbred?
I can tell you most find the progressive stuff as too much. Many (including non-LDS) would love to teach at a school that identifies only two genders. At one point years ago, Utah was weird. Now, everywhere else has gotten much more weird; making Provo look normal
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