Rachel Withers

January 22, 2015

Comm 335

Devotional Attendance and Reverence PR Plan

Executive Summery
In 2006 the construction of the BYU-Idaho center was begun at Brigham
Young University-Idaho. The building was made so all BYU-Idaho students
would fit in one auditorium for devotionals and other events. Since the
dedication of the BYU-I center in 2010, students have been asked to attend
devotional and to not bring food or beverages. Ushers and leaders alike have
found that students are not complying with these requests.
The campaign will help students understand why they are asked to
obey devotional rules and how they can cultivate a heart of a disciple of
Christ. The campaign will further focus on educating students as to the
history of the BYU-Idaho Center and why they should treat each devotional
with respect and reverence.

Background
The byui.edu website says that on December 18, 2010 the BYU-Idaho center
was dedicated by President Henry B. Eyring. All of campus and Rexburg had
waited for this building to be finished with her 434,859 square feet. When
the BYU-Idaho center was dedicated Elder Bednar encouraged students and
the people of Rexburg to be grateful for their blessings and to never let pride
replace humility. The BYU-Idaho center is a huge blessing for all students and
community members alike. The blessings of the BYU-Idaho center are the
beautiful auditorium that seats 15,000 people and the indoor track/gym.

Situation Analysis
The BYU-Idaho center has been dedicated now for four years. Devotionals are
held weekly on Tuesdays. At devotionals the top floor of the BYU-I Center is
never opened. The reason is because there are not enough students at the
devotional to open the balcony. There are 16,738 students enrolled this
semester. Often students only fill a little over half of the I-center meaning
only about half of the students enrolled are attending devotional.
Students are asked by ushers to not have food or drink in the auditorium.
Most students do not know the reason. The real reason is the carpet has a

glue under it that is water soluble. When water or other liquids spill on the
carpet the carpet starts to come up which is why beverages are not allowed.
Food is not allowed because it makes the dedicated auditorium cluttered.
Still ushers find food after each devotional which leaves food stains making it
harder for whose ever job it is that day to clean the auditorium.

Strengths

Weekly BYU-I Center cleaning provided by BYU-Idaho students

Devotionals provide a spiritually uplifting experience for all students
Students are spiritually fed during the week
The devotional location is beautiful and brings the spirit
Many students come to devotional and arrive early

Weaknesses

Some students who do go to devotional judge other students who are

unable to attend because of work or travel
Students do not understand why they are not allowed to bring food and
beverages into the BYU-I center so they continue to break the rules
Some students carry on loud conversations while the speaker is
addressing the audience
Only an estimated half of the students enrolled attend devotional

Opportunities

When President Gilbert gives his first devotional address he can

discuss why students should attend devotional, be reverent, and why
they are not allowed to bring food and drink
Students can arrive early to devotional to help prepare themselves to
listen by the spirit
Bishops can encourage more frequent respectful devotional
attendance

Threats

Students from previous semesters might continue their unreverent

behavior distracting those who are trying to listen by the spirit
Students might continue to not understand that food and drink will
damage the auditorium
Students are busy and might still see devotional as a waste of time

Objectives
The main goal of the campaign will be to help students understand the
purpose of devotional and why they should follow devotional rules. This
objective will be implemented through the following goals:

Raise awareness of why food and drink are not allowed in the BYU-I
Center auditorium
Help students prepare physically, mentally and spiritually for
devotional
Increase devotional attendance

Audience
The audience for this campaign will be all who attend BYU-Idaho devotionals
including students, faculty, community members, and speakers.
Students: Devotionals were organized to help the students who attend BYUIdaho. Many students do not understand the importance of attending
devotional and being reverent.
Faculty: As part of their spiritual nourishment, campus faculty are
encouraged to go to devotional. Some might not be encouraging other
students to attend. Others might be using the time to grade papers and
continue with their work.
Community Members: BYU-Idaho welcomes all who wish to be spiritually
uplifted by attending devotional. Community members might not know how
to verify who is speaking and when.
Speakers: Those who speak at devotional have prepared spiritually to teach.
When students are disruptive or disrespectful speakers cannot be led by the
spirit because the audience is not ready to be taught.

Strategies
The strategy of the devotional campaign will be to increase devotional
attendance through various methods. The campaign will mostly be aimed
towards students and faculty.

An attitude of respect will be implemented by using on and off campus

resources for promoting the campaign. Faculty and campus leaders will

teach students why they should be reverent and respectful during

devotional. Through combined effort the overall feel of devotional will
change. Students will know the why behind devotional attendance
and respect.

Tactics

An article in the Scroll will be published explaining why there are

weekly devotionals and why there are rules.
Flyers will be circulated around campus with the question Is your
heart and mind ready? This will be to remind students that part of
devotional attendance is preparing their heart and mind to listen.
The slogan, Is your heart and mind ready? will be posted on
billboards around campus.
President Clark will take several minutes at the first devotional of the
semester explaining why food and drink are prohibited as well as why
it is so important we are reverent.
Students will receive an email from President Clark with an invitation to
make devotionals a sacred time.
A pamphlet will be made for students and faculty teaching about the
Spirit of Ricks and why students are motivated to come to devotional
with an attitude of reverence and respect.

Calendar
The Devotional campaign will begin at the start of Spring Semester 2015.
Initial tactics will be used before this time to test the usefulness of the
chosen strategies.

On February 14, 2015 flyers will go out on campus with the slogan, Is
your heart and mind ready? This day will be chosen to highlight the
importance of having Christlike love during devotional.
On April 21, 2015, at President Clarks devotional, he will discuss the
why of the devotional rules and the blessings that come when they
are obeyed. That same day students will receive an email from
President Clark with a similar message urging them to make
devotionals a sacred time.
The next weeks scroll, on April 28, 2015, will feature an article
discussing the blessings BYU-Idaho students have including the BYU-I
Center. The article will also discuss how to prepare for devotional.
April 20, 2015 on the first day of classs pamphlets will already be
dispersed throughout campus in different locations. Billboards will also
be up before the first day of class with the slogan slaying, Is your

heart and mind ready? referring to the attitude that should be

displayed at devotional.

Budget
$359.70 to print 1,500 premium flyers through fedex.com
$1,049.70 to print 1,500 pamphlets through staples.com
$199.90 to print 10 posters through staples.com

Evaluation

Ushers will report back if there is a change in behavior during

devotional and less food left behind.
A survey will be sent out asking students how their perception of
devotional has changed and how many times they attended during the
semester. They will also be asked if they brought food or beverage to
the devotional.
Teachers will be asked if they perceive a difference in how students
treat devotional.
Through visual surveillance attendance will be monitored to note if
there has been an increase in devotional attendance.