Difference between revisions of "LDS Business College"

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Background Mormon prophet Gordon B. Hinckley has said the following about the importance of education:

You are moving into the most competitive age the world has ever known. All around you is competition. You need all the education you can get. Sacrifice a car; sacrifice anything that is needed to be sacrificed to qualify yourselves to do the work of the world. That world will in large measure pay you what it thinks you are worth, and your worth will increase as you gain education and proficiency in your chosen field. You belong to a church that teaches the importance of education. You have a mandate from the Lord to educate your minds and your hearts and your hands (Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” New Era, Jan. 2001, 4).

In addition to stressing the great importance the Mormon Church places on education, the Church offers a number of educational opportunities through the Church Educational System.

LDS Business College LDS Business College (or LDSBC) is a two-year junior college operated and owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and as of 2004 had an enrollment of 1,200 students. The College has four buildings: The Mansion, which is home to a few business classes, Institute (religion classes), and administrative offices; the West Wing, which is where most of the classes are taught; the East Wing, which is where the library is located as well as the cafeteria, and the Medical Career classrooms; and the final building is the Carriage House, this is where the interior design and a few business classes are taught. The College also offers two residence halls for women that are on campus.

LDS Business College is distinguished as one of the best schools of its kind. The job placement rate at graduation is 95% and the students can expect very personal attention and learning environments because the average class size is 19 students. Some of the school’s other credentials and awards include:

• Microsoft designated LDS Business College as a “Microsoft Academy” due to program excellence.
• The National Center for Competency named LDSBC’s medical secretary program as a national testing center for its excellence as “one of the best in the nation.”
• LDS Business College students swept the four-year division of the International Interior Design of America (IIDA) 2002 and 2003 portfolio competition. In 2001 they swept the two-year division of the same IIDA competition.
• LDSBC’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team was a regional winner in 2003, awarded second place in regional competition in 2002, regional winner in 2001, and runner up in 2000.
• LDS Business College is the only commercial school in America conducted by a religious body to be admitted to the National Association of Accredited Commercial Schools (Taken from a report given on LDS Business College by the Utah System of Higher Education).

History

LDS Business College has been in operation for 117 years and started out as a school for elementary grade levels with one room and one teacher. From those small beginnings it grew to include teaching grades 9-12. In 1896 another addition was made to the curriculum of what was then known as Latter-day Saints’ University, a business section was added and called LDS Business College. In 1931, during the Great Depression the high school, and junior high curriculum were closed (the elementary school had been closed some years before this point) because of financial reasons and the LDS Business College was all that remained.

The LDS Business College had a distinct identity as a junior college. From 1922 until present, the University of Utah has accepted credits earned at LDS Business College. In 1893 the college colors of blue and gold were selected and the school song was adopted. The song is titled “Blue and Gold,” and the text was written, as a poem, by James William Welch. E. P. Kimball wrote the music.