Liberty University

Liberty University is a Christian liberal arts university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 by conservative Christian Jerry Falwell, who is also the Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Religious foundation

Rev. Falwell's vision is to build a university as large as Notre Dame and Brigham Young University, with 25,000 students on campus and another 25,000 in Distance Learning Program. The institution has faced a series of financial crises over the years, but total enrollment has increased by 8000 students (undergraduate, graduate, and distance learning) in the past 5 years — a 74% increase.^* With approximately 9,000 students on campus and 10,000 in the Distance Learning Program, Liberty has found alternative ways to balance its budget. In 2005, Liberty University finally put the financial woes of the 1980s and 90s behind them, and, according to a recent IRS 990 filing, now pulls in $12 million of surplus revenue annually. In 1992, Liberty University had over $83 million dollars of debt, which has been reduced by the combined efforts of Jimmy Thomas and Dan Reber, businessmen from Forest, Virginia, and insurance tycoon Art Williams, who forgave around 50 million dollars of Liberty’s debt. A number of other benefactors reduced the debt an additional 10 million. The remaining debt was whittled away through the installment of a financial management team, the reduction of in-house scholarships, and an increase in tuition. In the past five years, residential student tuition has increased by $5,000.

Campus life

Students who live on campus are required to attend convocation three times per week where they hear from speakers in all walks of professional life. Past speakers have included Leonard Davidson, Sam Donaldson, George H. W. Bush, John R. Rice, Ronald Reagan, Oliver North, Jesse Jackson, Skip Erickson, Freddie Gage, Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham, John McCain and Sean Hannity.

Liberty University continues to invest, with 19 new dormitory buildings and a tunnel connecting the east and west ends of the campus completed for the fall semester of 2004. For the 2006 school year, Liberty University is building 5 new dormitory buildings on Campus East. Other projects include the completion of the new LaHaye Student Center, the moving of Thomas Road Church and Lynchburg Christian Academy (now Liberty Christian Academy) to a property adjacent to the Main Campus, the expansion of student activity facilities, and a new Law School and Library, and a brand new ice hockey rink which was donated by Drs. Tim and Beverly LaHaye. The University has official ties with Thomas Road Baptist Church, the church that founded the University. Rev. Falwell has repeatedly emphasized the important partnership between the two institutions.

Behavior

Despite its name, the university has a strict code of student behavior, documented in "The Liberty Way", including possible reprimands (and with the accumulation of reprimands, fines) for attending dances, viewing R-rated movies, drinking, and participating in unauthorized petitions^*. On several occasions Falwell has described it as 'Bible Boot Camp.' He still exhorts Liberty's students to burn it down if it 'ever turns liberal'. In the summer of 2005, the university announced that it was slightly relaxing its class dress code to allow flip-flops, capri pants, jeans, and other casual articles of clothing (but not shorts) to be worn in the classroom. Faculty members work under a contract requiring them to abide by similar behavioral codes.

Faculty

Utilizing 'non-tenured teaching faculty' is a matter of pride to Falwell as it allows the Administration to keep a firm grip on the behavior of the academic community. As Falwell once stated, 'When we ask a faculty member be dismissed when he's teaching something wrong, our president understands and it's good to do that - because your paycheck may not be coming along next week if you don't' (sic). [Quoted in Michael L. Bentley, Creationism through the Back Door', Science, Technology, & Human Values, 9:4 (Autumn, 1984), pp. 49-53

Accreditation

Controversy arose when Liberty University applied for accreditation in 1991 and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) gave "immediate accreditation" to the universityConsequently, two years later in 1993, Steve Levicoff published a book "condemning" the questionable practices of TRACS ^*

When Liberty was founded it was approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accrediting body. However, when the school received approval from TRACS, it lost its "accreditation with the Southern Association of Christian Colleges and Schools"Currently, the university is accredited by SACS and TRACS.[http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=7650

Academics and rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranked Liberty University in the 4th tier of Southern Master's Universities. The magazine ranked its selectivity as "Less Selective." With tuition and annual fees of over $14,000, excluding room and board, it is the most expensive university in its class, costing over twice the average of other universities in its ranking. ^* Liberty University started a law program in the academic year of 2005, and received provisional acredidation in early 2006.

Criticism and controversy

1972 SEC investigation

Jerry Falwell started the school by selling bonds to a small group of private investors. However, in 1972, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigated the bonds alleging Falwell's church committed "fraud and deceit" in the issuance of $6.5 million in unsecured church bonds.The case went to trial and Liberty won in 1973, but Liberty University filed for bankruptcy and reorganized, losing millions in church investors’ money.Sun Myung Moon, owner of the Washington Times. Moon helped to financially stabilize the University through one of his organizations which contributed $3.5 million to the Reber-Thomas Christian Heritage Foundation, the non-profit organization that had purchased the school's debt.[http://www.zmag.org/ZMag/articles/apr01berkowitz.htm" target="_blank" >^*^*

2005 Equality Ride

Liberty made news in 2005 when students from the Equality Ride visited the university and spoke informally with Liberty students.^* But according to organizers, they were turned away from the library when they tried to donate books about gay people. The organizers were also unable to turn over to Rev. Jerry Falwell, the founder and chancellor of the university, anonymous letters from current students at Liberty who are gay. They were, however, able to speak with some of the students who attend the school. In March of 2006, the Equality Ride returned, resulting in 24 arrests when they attempted to symbolically cross into campus property. The Ride charges that Liberty University discriminates against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students.

Don Egle, director of public relations at Liberty, said, “we don’t feel that this situation warrants a comment.”Asked about the university’s policies toward gay students, he said only “we follow Scripture.” Falwell reiterated the University's stance when confronted with the issue, "We do not believe in gay marriage or polygamy or any other family form than a man marrying a woman singly."^*," target="_blank" >citing legal protections for gay couples. "You oppose gay marriage while we believe in legal protection for gay couples. We understand your reading of the Biblical texts, even if we read those texts in a different way." Falwell said Yoffie's tone was as important as his message. "He came across in a loving, respectful way." Students were also responsive, and expressed interest in common ground[http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid30397.asp.

Extracurricular activities

Sports

The University is a member of the NCAA Division I level Big South Conference for 18 sports. The other eight members include Virginia Military Institute and Winthrop University. The University regularly competes for the Sasser Cup which is the Big South's trophy for the university which has the best sports program among the member institutions. Liberty has won the Sasser Cup five times, second only to Coastal Carolina University, which has won it seven times. [http://www.bigsouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4800&KEY=&ATCLID=131062

The University gained some media attention in the winter of 2005 when their women's basketball team, the Lady Flames, made the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and were labelled a "Cinderella Team", led by Katie Feenstra. After defeating fourth-seeded Penn State University and fifth-seeded DePaul University, the Flames' winning streak was halted by top-seeded Louisiana State University. Feenstra was later drafted by the San Antonio Silver Stars of the Women's National Basketball Association, a professional league. Volleyball and both Men and Women's Basketball are played inside the 10,000 seat Vines Center, which is also hosts special events and concerts, such as WinterFest.

2006 marks an important event in Liberty athletics, as the Flames will return to wrestling competition for the first time since 1994. Former Flames’ wrestler Jesse Castro has been hired as Liberty’s new head wrestling coach; he graduated from the program in 1981 after earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education. Wrestling is no stranger to Liberty University as the school sponsored the sport from 1974 to 1994. The reinstatement of the wrestling program will be aided by the support of the Liberty University Wrestling Foundation, which is a group of alumni and supporters of the former program, who have been raising funds to help facilitate the return of wrestling to Liberty University.

Debate

Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program, led by Brett O'Donnell, was ranked number one overall in the National Debate Tournament in the fall of 2005. ^* has sparked anger in other debate leagues, including the two parliamentary leagues.

As reported by ABC News blogger Ed Brayton [http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2006/01/liberty_university_1_in_debate.php#more and others, the Liberty Debate team accumulates points by sending lots of teams to small tournaments while avoiding known debate champions like Michigan State, Berkeley, Dartmouth and Harvard, instead favoring lesser ranked opponents like Kings College, Army and Richmond.

Criticism of the debate program extends to the Christian community as well. John Lofton of The American View Christian radio show accused Liberty University of not being "a truly Christian college" when Jerry Falwell gave permission for the debate team to debate in favor of abortion when required to.A Truly Christian College Would Teach Biblical Defense Of The Faith Not "Debate" As A Game John Lofton, The American View, 2006 The issue arose when they would have to argue for abortion or give up the debate program for that year.

Mock trial

Liberty University recently went 3-1 in the American College Mock Trial Competition in Gettysburg, PA, after going 0-4 the year before. Turned around in part by their new coach Grant Rost, they also won the AMTA integrity award, losing both ballots only to the Ivy League Cornell University.

Quiz bowl

Liberty has also recently begun to participate in the Big South Conference Quiz Bowl competition. In their first tournament at VMI in February of 2006, the Liberty team swept the tournament, and won the competition 8-0 against the other major schools in the Big South Conference. The Liberty team was made up of students from the large Honors Program.

Notable alumni and associates

Sid Bream - former MLB player
Katie Feenstra - current WNBA player
Samkon Gado - current NFL player
Eric Green - former NFL player
Chris Harper (Expelled) - Founder, Landover Baptist Church
Jason Jones - 2004 New York Yankees draft pick
Barry Minkow - Former zzzz Best fraudster
Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max, the members of dc Talk, a Christian rock band.
Mark Lowry - Christian comedian and vocalist
Tony Perkins - Family Research Council President and former Louisiana State Representative
Jeff Coleman - Former Pennsylvania State Representative
Jody McBrayer - Member of Christian vocal group Avalon
Dwayne Carswell - current NFL player
Lee Guetterman - former MLB player
Randy Tomlin - former MLB player
Angela Elwell Hunt - Author of Numerous Award Winning Books of Fiction
Daniel Henderson - Senior Pastor of Grace Church, a mega church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Author of multiple books
Brian Bloye - Senior Pastor of West Ridge Church, a mega church in Hiram, Georgia

Honorary Doctorates awarded by Liberty

Ken Ham (2004) ^*
Sean Hannity (2005) ^*
Karl Rove (2004)^*

External links