The Faculty Support Center (FSC) is located in 271 JSB and is open from 7:30 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The purpose of the FSC is to assist faculty with secretarial and research needs beyond those of their student employees, to provide copying services (through the JSB Copy Center), to assist with larger projects when cleared through the deans’ office, and to provide library and audiovisual services for use in teaching and research.

The FSC is unique on the BYU campus, as no other college has such a facility. Employing between eight and ten student employees—one part-time, nonstudent employee and one full-time employee, the center has grown and developed as the needs of Religious Education have changed through the years.

Student employees assist with two major conferences: the annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium on the scriptures and the annual Religious Education Student Symposium, serving as hosts and hostesses during sessions. They also assist the faculty with research and writing projects, including transcription of interviews.

Working in the Faculty Support Center gives the student employees opportunities unique to the BYU campus. The following comments are from student employees.

Caroline Boone, a senior in early childhood education, from Provo, Utah, writes, “Working in the Faculty Support Office has been an amazing opportunity for me. I have gained many practical skills that will aid me in real-life situations. Some of these skills are time management, exposure to various types of technology, developing and maintaining relationships with faculty, staff, and students—and the list could go on. I have also had the powerful opportunity to work closely with ecclesiastical leaders from various positions in the Church as I work closely with the professors in Religious Education. As my graduation approaches, I will soon be entering the field of education. Working with the professors and teachers in Religious Education has given me a real-life perspective on some of the challenges I may face with my own students. It has given me the chance to fine-tune my problem solving skills and have meaningful interpersonal relationships with those I work with, and it has taught me a thing or two about patience. I have also seen and assisted in the great efforts that each teacher goes to for preparation for their classes. To say the least, my experience working in this office will have a long-lasting and far-reaching impact on my future career.”

David Wall, from South Jordan, Utah, is a senior majoring in Middle East studies/Arabic. He says, “My experiences at the Faculty Support Center, although not related to my major, have made me a better student and a better researcher. For example, in transcribing many interviews, I’ve been able to learn how to conduct an interview, what kind of questions to ask, and how to phrase the questions so as to invite the person being interviewed to express the answer in a concise and understandable form. I’ve also learned a lot about researching, how to organize research papers and materials, as well as the proper way to cite references, and so on. Working at ‘Facsupp’ has also helped me strengthen my testimony and increase my knowledge of the gospel. Just being around the religion professors, and hearing them talk about their projects, their lessons, and their gospel discussions, has helped me to feel the spirit every day at work. It’s kind of like being in a Sunday School class and getting paid to be there.”

With “Support” being our middle name, the center finds many and varied ways to fulfill its mission statement, with never a dull moment and always something new to learn or try. Bringing souls to Christ is our ultimate goal, and surrounding ourselves with kind, loving, and supportive people, like those in the Joseph Smith Building striving to accomplish that goal, makes the center a special place.