Ecclesiastical Endorsement
As part of our commitment to excellence, you must be in good standing with the Honor Code to be admitted to, attend and graduate from Ensign College. This means your conduct must be consistent with the Honor Code and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Annual Ecclesiastical Endorsement is one of the requirements to maintain good standing.
LDS and non-LDS student endorsements
LDS Students: All enrolled, continuing students at Ensign College need to annually submit a continuing endorsement from the bishop of the ward in which they live and that holds their current Church membership record. Students attending wards on or off campus can obtain a form at the Registration Office, or Download the Ecclesiastical Endorsement form and follow directions for submission.
The Registration office will begin accepting continuing student Ecclesiastical Endorsements beginning on March 1st of each academic year. Your new Ecclesiastical Endorsement form must be submitted before you can register for Fall semester.
Other Students: Non-LDS students can be endorsed annually by any local bishop or branch president. Students who need to talk to an LDS bishop may contact the Honor Code Office. Please see apply.lds.org if you are applying as a new student.
Whether on or off campus, all students are expected to follow the Honor Code, which includes the (1) Academic Honesty Policy, (2) Dress and Grooming Standards and (3) Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement.
Withdrawn or Denied Ecclesiastical Endorsement
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 If an endorsement is withdrawn or if a Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement is denied, no confessional information is exchanged without authorization from the student.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 must discontinue enrollment. Also, they are not eligible for graduation, even if they have otherwise 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 removal of an individual's name from the official records of the Church.
The decision to withdraw an ecclesiastical endorsement or to deny a Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement may be appealed through appropriate ecclesiastical leaders only. As a matter of practice, Ensign College does not intervene in ecclesiastical matters or endorsements. In unusual circumstances, however, a student may petition the Dean of Students’ Office to allow an exception to the Ecclesiastical Endorsement requirement. As part of the petition, the student must (i) complete an Application for Exception to Policy (this form may be obtained from the Dean of Students Office); (ii) prepare a written statement outlining the reasons why the college should allow an exception; and (iii) within ten business days of receiving notice that the ecclesiastical endorsement has been withdrawn or that a Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement has been denied, submit the completed application and relevant statements to the Dean of Students Office for consideration.
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 college’s ecclesiastical endorsement requirement. The dean of students will not review the ecclesiastical leader’s decision to withdraw or deny endorsement or the process for reaching that decision. The dean of students and other college officials will not discuss confidential matters with the student's present or former ecclesiastical leaders unless the student voluntarily signs a release 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 Services if requested by the student. The decision by the Vice President of Student Services is final.