In addition to teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, institute programs should also provide a spiritual and social climate where students can associate together and prepare for effective Church service. An institute, however, is not a university with the same obligation or resources to develop artistic talent or provide training and performance opportunities for those with such abilities and interests.
Activity programs (such as choral, dance, drama, and so forth) are not a required offering for institutes of religion. A particular activity program may be approved, however, where there is sufficient interest from students and administration and where the following guidelines have been carefully considered and implemented:
• These ongoing activity programs should be conservative in the amount of S&I and individual
student resources allocated for time (practice, performance, and administration), money (costumes, equipment, travel, and so forth), energy, and administrative attention.
• Sufficient funds should be budgeted and approved before any ongoing activity programs are
implemented.
• Ongoing activity programs should be structured to encourage and allow widespread
participation rather than restricting participants to a select group. This may mean several groups would need to be formed to accommodate those with different levels of ability.
• Performances should be limited in number and should not involve extensive travel.
Performance venues and schedules are to be approved by the S&I Performance Committee and by the S&I Administrative Council.
• Music, costumes, and routines should be modest and appropriate for groups who represent
the Church.
• Care should be taken that ongoing activity programs do not negatively impact relationships
with the neighboring university who sponsors similar programs.
• Participants in such groups should be enrolled concurrently in a regular institute of religion
class.
• Except for choral programs (Religion 010R, 110R), these ongoing activity programs are not to
be offered for credit.
• All ongoing activity programs should receive an annual review and evaluation by the S&I
Performance Committee.
Proposals for new ongoing activity programs (such as choral, dance, drama, and so forth) require prior written approval from the area director and the S&I Administrative Council.
Institute Choir Courses (May 26, 2014)
The primary purpose of institute choir courses is to fulfill the objective of S&I. As institute choirs rehearse choral music, choir instructors teach students the doctrines and principles of the gospel as found in the scriptures and the words of the prophets, supported by the lyrics of the choir’s musical repertoire. Hymn arrangements and other sacred music are the primary musical resource for institute choirs; occasionally, other uplifting music may also be appropriate.
Institute 5-19
Choir performances fulfill the S&I objective most directly and powerfully when audiences are 1) edified and taught the doctrines and principles of the gospel, 2) principally comprised of youth and young adults, and 3) invited into the institute environment. Performances given at other local venues and events should be consistent with S&I purposes.
All performances are to be approved by the Institute of Religion Advisory Council (or the Stake Young Single Adult Committee) as part of the institute activity calendar. Performances at Church-sponsored or community functions should be based on host invitation, not choir solicitation—although institutes may make Church and civic leaders generally aware that a choir is available to perform away from the institute. With additional approval from the area director(s), a choir may travel to a performance outside its S&I area if choir members can safely return home the same day. Performances and retreats requiring overnight travel are not
approved for institute choirs.
Where there is sufficient interest from students and administration and where an instructor is available institutes are encouraged to offer one or more institute choir courses in addition to the scripture courses already offered. Instructors of choir courses may be S&I employees or stake teachers. Approved institute choir courses include:
Course Name Additional Information
Institute Choir (010R/010QR) • • Non-auditioned Meets 50–80 minutes each week Institute Choir (110R/110QR) • • Non-auditioned Meets 90 or more minutes each week
Advanced Institute Choir (190R/190QR) • • Auditioned (may be offered only at institutes where a non-auditioned choir also meets) Meets 90 or more minutes each week Financial guidelines regarding institute choirs are as follows:
1. Expenses for campus institute choirs should be budgeted in advance as part of the annual institute budget submission process. Choirs affiliated with stake institute programs receive funds through the stake. All institute choir expenses should minimize the need for student financial participation.
2. Choirs are encouraged to use music from their collection and also borrow from other institute choirs. Some new music may be included in the annual operating budget request. 3. To the extent possible, institutes are encouraged to hold concerts at the institute or at other
Church facilities to minimize costs. If renting a facility is required for a performance, institutes may charge a modest admission fee; however, students currently enrolled in institute are to be allowed to attend at no charge. Admission fees should be conservatively priced with the intent to offset, but not exceed, the cost of renting the facility. Admission fees should be deposited to account 4500 CECHTS, and the facility rental charged to account 5862.
4. Institute choirs are not to participate in public or private events of a commercial nature (those designed to generate revenue for the sponsoring individual/organization or a third party).
5. To minimize the financial burden placed on students, choirs are encouraged to perform wearing regular Church-appropriate clothing. If necessary, with institute director approval,
students may be charged a modest concert dress fee to offset the cost of an inexpensive matching tie or other accessory. If an institute decides to charge a concert dress fee, the income should be deposited to account 4500 CECHCF and the expenditures charged to account 5225.
6. Choir performances and socials are to be approved by the Institute of Religion Advisory Council (or the Stake Young Single Adult Committee where that is the committee providing priesthood leadership) as part of the institute activity calendar and funded from the student activity allowance.
7. Necessary replacement or new equipment for choirs should be included in the area’s annual RE-8 Equipment Purchases Budget Request and charged to the area office 5700 account. 8. Travel for choirs that are assigned to sing for “Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults: An
Evening with [name of speaker],” general conference, and so forth is preapproved by the Associate Administrator. With this approval, expenses will be paid from a central office account.
9. Institutes which consistently enroll more than 100 students in choir courses should budget and account for income and expenditures as specified in the help topic “Budgeting and Accounting for Large Institute Choirs” on the S&I website.
Young Single Adult and Institutes Activities (October 2, 2009)
Institute directors are to coordinate closely with local priesthood leaders regarding Young Single Adult (YSA) activities so that institute activities do not compete with YSA activities. In metropolitan areas, it has been helpful to have an Area Seventy appointed as a contact for S&I employees in order to facilitate these coordination efforts.
With the anticipated increase in stake and multi-stake YSA activities, we assume there will be an overall decrease in institute activities.
YSA activities are funded through the local unit budget allowance and occasionally minimal charges to participants. Institute activities are funded through a student activity budget allocated to each institute based on enrollment. When an activity is sponsored by the institute, the activity is paid for by student activity funds. When an activity is sponsored by a stake, multi-stake group, or local priesthood leaders, the ward and stake budgets will pay the costs. Institute funds are not to be used to subsidize YSA activities, and YSA funds are not to be used to subsidize institute activities.
S&I employees have been instructed that all single adults are welcome in the institute program. However, the main focus in institute recruitment is the young single adult population that is pursuing post-secondary schooling. Priesthood leaders and parents may encourage young single adults to attend institute.
Institute Student Activity Funding (November 13, 2009)
Funding for student activities comes from the operating budget (account 5530). These funds are for student activities, publicity and advertising of activities, related supplies (paper plates, paper cups, plastic ware, and so forth), and other such expenses. Expenditures should be within the approved budget. As with all other operating budgets, there will be no year-end carryover.
Institute 5-21
New funding will be available 1 January of each year. Information on how to prepare the budget for student activities is sent to each area office with the annual budget request
instructions. If an institute has a need for additional accounts to track student activities, please work with the area office and S&I Financial Services.
Equipment over $200 should never be purchased from account 5530—Student Programs and Activities. Non-Facilities Management supplied equipment should be charged to account 5700—Equipment Purchases. Please refer to the Purchasing Reference Guide to determine what equipment should be purchased with S&I funds and what should be purchased with Facilities Management funds.
Collection of Fees for Dances and Other Activities (June 17, 2013)
No money should be collected for dances, merchandise (such as t-shirts), or other activities that are sponsored by the institute of religion, with the exception of the meals and food items described below.
Food Items for Sale (June 17, 2013)
An institute may collect money from students to help cover the costs of food provided for students. When food is purchased by the institute and sold to students, the institute may charge at or below cost. Money collected should be receipted and deposited following the “Collecting, Receipting, and Despositing Money” policy. Food and supplies should not be purchased directly from the proceeds of the sale. Food purchases and sales should be charged to student activities (account 5530).
Acceptance of Donations (March 30, 2006)
No financial donations should be accepted, including from wards and stakes. In-kind donations and donations for scholarships may be considered according to current policies and procedures (see “Donations” in the Finance section).
Acceptance of Allocations from a College or University (March 30, 2006)
Allocations may be accepted when offered as long as there are no stipulations on the use of the funds that would preclude the institute from following approved policies.
Student Travel Reimbursement (April 8, 2009)
Students are generally not eligible for travel reimbursement. Where substantial travel is required of student leadership or student participants in ongoing activity programs such as choirs, area directors may authorize mileage reimbursement at the current IRS volunteer (not employee) rate. Student reimbursements are made using the form—Reimbursement Request for Stake Teachers, Missionaries, and Students (003255SI).
Church Publications at the Institute (March 12, 2012)
Subscriptions to the Ensign, New Era, and Church News come from the subscription account. A limited number of other subscriptions may be approved by the area director. These Church publications should be placed in visible places where students gather to visit or study, and not just in teachers’ offices. (See “Subscription & Dues” in the Chart of Accounts.)