Liberty University

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Liberty University

Motto Knowledge Aflame
Established 1971
Type Private
Religious
affiliation
Southern Baptist Conservatives
of Virginia
Endowment $58,646,614
[1]

Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr.
Academic staff 1,838
Undergraduates 12,600
[2]
and 90,000+ online
[3]

Postgraduates 5,814
Location Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Campus Suburban
Former names
Lynchburg Baptist College
Liberty Baptist College
Colors
navy, white, and red

Nickname Flames
Mascot Sparky
Affiliations Big South Conference
Website liberty.edu
Liberty University is a private, Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia, United
States. Liberty's annual enrollment includes 12,600 residential students and over 90,000 online
students as of May 2013.
[4][5][6]
When including the number of people taking its online courses,
LU is the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world, the nation's largest private
nonprofit university and 7th largest four-year university, and the largest university in
Virginia.
[7][8][9]

Liberty's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the
Liberty Flames. They compete in the Big South Conference.
Contents
1 History
2 Campus
o 2.1 Main, East and North campuses
o 2.2 Libraries & Museums
2.2.1 Integrated Learning Resource Center
2.2.2 Jerry Falwell Library
2.2.3 National Civil War Chaplains Museum
2.2.4 Carter Glass Mansion
3 Academics
o 3.1 Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
3.1.1 Center for Ministry Training
o 3.2 Zaki Gordon Cinematic Arts Center
o 3.3 College of Osteopathic Medicine
o 3.4 School of Music
o 3.5 Accreditation
o 3.6 Enrollment Profile
o 3.7 Liberty University Online
o 3.8 Rankings
4 Student Life
o 4.1 Convocation
o 4.2 Athletics
o 4.3 The Center for Global Engagement
o 4.4 Clubs and organizations
o 4.5 Debate
5 Finances
6 Controversy
o 6.1 1989 bond issue
o 6.2 1994 debt buy-out
o 6.3 Biology
o 6.4 Political clubs
7 Notable alumni and associates
8 References
9 External links
History
The university was founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 by Jerry Falwell, who was
also Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church. The name was changed to Liberty Baptist
College in 1976 before settling on its current name, Liberty University, in 1984, when it obtained
university status.
Liberty University describes itself as a Christian academic community. Its stated mission and
aims emphasize both the intellectual and spiritual development of the institution's students.
[10]

Students are held to The Liberty Way, a code of behavioral conduct.
Campus


DeMoss Learning Center at Liberty University


Liberty University Vines Center
Main, East and North campuses
Liberty University's Campus East housing complex consists of 30 multi-story apartment style
dormitories, the last six of which were completed in 2007. Rooms in these dormitories have their
own kitchens, living room and private baths. A clubhouse offers a swimming pool, billiards
room, computer lab, private theater, and a convenience store. A tunnel connecting the east and
west ends of the campus was completed in 2004. A second tunnel was completed January 2012,
and provides pedestrian passage under the Norfolk Southern Railway and access to nearby
shopping opportunities. In addition, a campus bus/shuttle system was added in the fall of 2006,
providing transportation both on and off campus until midnight most evenings.
The 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m
2
) LaHaye Student Center, has a lounge, basketball courts,
cardio and weight rooms, cafe, multi-purpose rooms, aerobic rooms and other amenities.
[11]
The
adjacent Tilley Center has TV lounges, game tables, pool room, and social areas, as well as a
stage for student performances, bands and small concerts. Other projects include a 60-mile
(97 km) mountain bike trail system, a motorcross facility, paintball fields, 3D archery range,
intramural sports program and club sports, including lacrosse and ice hockey, which plays in an
ice rink donated by Drs. Tim and Beverly LaHaye, and a new indoor soccer facility.
During the spring of 2007, a secondary practice facility for the Liberty volleyball program was
opened as part of a new, on-campus training complex. The existing $750,000 facility on Campus
East houses the volleyball coaches offices and a team room, and serves as the teams practice
facility whenever the Vines Center and Schilling Center are unavailable.
[12]



Top of the Snowflex synthetic ski slope overlooking Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre
Construction was completed in August 2009 on the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, a
synthetic ski slope featuring Snowflex; the Centre was designed by Englands Briton
Engineering. It includes beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes, and is the first of its kind in
the United States.
[13]

On September 24, 2010, Liberty opened the new Tower Theater, with seating for up to 640
people. For the 2010-11 theater season, The Theater Department opened with Hairspray, and
closed in Spring 2011 with The Phantom of the Opera. The theatre includes balcony seating, an
orchestra pit, catwalks, a fly tower, a box office and 12,000 square feet (1,100 m
2
) of support
area.
[14]
The tower was originally part of a cell phone plant. BCWH Architects, which designed
the adaptation of the tower as a theatre, won first place at the ASID's annual IDEAs for the
Contract Institutional Category.
[15]

In August 2011, Liberty announced a 120 million dollar campus expansion. The expansion
includes more dorms, greener space, and more academic buildings allowing the campus to hold
20,000 resident students.
[16]

In January 2012, Liberty University's Department of Theatre Arts announced the formation of a
professional theater company to occupy the Tower Theater. The Alluvion Stage Company will
hire professional actors to perform alongside the students, and the sets and costumes will be meet
professional standards. Department Chair Linda Nell Cooper said about the new company:
"Alluvion, meaning overflow, will aim to enrich, educate and entertain the community by
providing a superior theater experience in a wholesome family environment."
[17]

Liberty University is scheduled to open a new Observatory Center in the Spring of 2013 next to
Liberty's Equestrian Center. Lee Beaumont, Vice President of Auxiliary Services, says this dome
will be a classroom that can fit up to 20 people. It will house a 20-inch (510 mm) RC Optical
Systems Truss Ritchey-Chrtien high-quality research telescope and several Celestron CPC 800
8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes that will be on pedestal, able to roll out under a roof.
Astronomy Professor Van Eaton says new observatory serves three purposes: instruction, public
nights and research. Student Activities will control the use of the observatory, and all students
are welcome to use this building.
[18]

Libraries & Museums
Integrated Learning Resource Center
The Integrated Learning Resource Center (ILRC) has three components: the Curriculum Library,
Computer Labs, and Media Services. The library contains the following: around 250,000 paper
volumes, over 150,000 e-books, more than 97,000 unique electronic and print periodical titles,
and more than 200 electronic databases.
[19]
Students have access to the ILRC. Freshmen have a
mandatory session in the Curriculum Library to assess basic research skills.
[19]
Education
students can make use of textbooks and teaching material. DVDs, CDs, and videos are available
for audio visual use.
[20]
Sixteen classroom labs contain more than 470 computers, with more than
350 computers in open spaces, and over 250 computers throughout the campus. All of these
computers have a high-speed internet connection.
[19]
Specific tutor sessions are available and
posted at the ILRC.
[21]
Media Services includes classroom technical support, Smart Board
support, basic video duplication, and equipment for classroom projects.
[22]

Liberty University students are provided academic counseling and support services through the
Center for Academic Support and Advising Services (CASAS). CASAS contains new student
orientation support, professional academic advising, continuing education counseling, tutoring
and testing services, and career placement services.
[23]
A component of CASAS is the Bruckner
Learning Center, which seeks to "provide University-wide academic support services for all
students and faculty in general and special needs students in particular".
[24]
The Bruckner
Learning Center offers courses in transitioning from high school to college, college learning
strategies, advanced reading and vocabulary development, and developmental math to help
students succeed in the college environment. Additionally, in 2010, Liberty University opened
the Osborne Assistive Learning Technology Center in the A. Pierre Guillermin Library, which is
a learning and testing center for special needs students. The lab works in with the Bruckner
Learning Center and contains assistive software, such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text
programs for visually impaired or reading disabled students.
[25]

Jerry Falwell Library
In the spring of 2012, Liberty University began construction of the Jerry Falwell Library. To be
located behind the Vines Center, the $50 million library will overlook a new commons area and
lake. The 170,000-square-foot building will hold more than 500,000 books in addition to
electronic collections. A robot-assisted storage system will allow for electronic browsing of titles
as well as previewing text prior to selection of print material. Liberty University estimates that
the book storage and robotic retrieval system will occupy 7% of the library, while 67% will be
reserved for collaborative meeting areas and student study spaces. The remaining 26% will
include a four-story atrium, a two-story food court and a museum. The Jerry Falwell Library will
be the most expensive building on campus and is expected to be completed by December
2013.
[26][27]

National Civil War Chaplains Museum
The National Civil War Chaplains Museum contains exhibits of clergy members and religious
activity during the Civil War era. It is the only museum in the nation devoted to this purpose.
The mission of the museum is to educate the public about the role of chaplains, priests, and
rabbis and religious organizations in the Civil War; to promote the continuing study of the many
methods of dissemination of religious doctrine and moral teachings during the War; to preserve
religious artifacts, and to present interpretive programs that show the influence of religion on the
lives of political and military personnel.
[28]
A 501(c)(3) organization, the museum rents space
from Liberty Universitys DeMoss Center. It has 10,000 square feet, with a 50-seat video theatre,
archive displays, a research library, and book store.
The museum features Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and African American chaplains,
publications, and artifacts from both the Union and Confederate militaries. There are several
areas in the museum that are given special attention including:
The role of the United States Christian Commission, which is the forerunner to todays
USO and Red Cross.
[29]

The relationship of religion to political and military leaders, common soldiers, and the
public in the North and South.
[30]

Two new exhibits have been added to the museum as of 2012: "a mourning room with period
furniture and decorations (including a cross formed from the woven hair of dead Confederate
soldiers), and an exhibit on Civil War sharpshooters featuring Rev. Lorenzo Barbour, chaplain to
the Confederate Berdans Sharpshooters."
[31]

In September 2012, Liberty University hosted the 16th annual Civil War Seminar. Titled "1862-
The Rise of Lee and Grant", the seminar featured presentations on many different Civil War
issues, highlighted by lectures on Grant's Mississippi and Vicksburg Campaigns and Lee's Seven
Days' Campaign. The event also featured an online simulation of the Battle of Antietam.
[32]

Carter Glass Mansion
The Carter Glass Mansion is a historic home originally built in 1923 by U.S. Senator Carter
Glass, a newspaper publisher, politician and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President
Woodrow Wilson as well as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and President
Pro Tempore of the Senate during President Roosevelt's era.
[33]
Also known as Montview, the
mansion is part of the National Register of Historic Places and is a state landmark. The 1.7 acre
estate consists of a 1 1/2 story main building flanked by slightly smaller ells. The 18 inch walls
are constructed of quartz fieldstone quarried from the property and the mansion is covered with a
grey gambrel roof.
[33]
The estate was purchased by Liberty University in the late 1970s as the
headquarters of the university administration, including the main office of university founder
Jerry Falwell. One of the many reasons for the estates continued fame is that Falwell died at his
desk at the Carter Glass Mansion on May 15, 2007, and his office has been preserved in the same
condition ever since. Falwell was buried on the lawn of the mansion and a memorial to Falwell
was placed there, overlooking the rest of the campus. The estate now serves mostly as a tourist
site for the historically restored mansion as well as the Falwell office, while the upstairs portion
of the mansion has been converted to a bed and breakfast for Liberty University guests.
[34]

Academics


Liberty's DeMoss Hall, the campus's main academic building exhibiting Jeffersonian
architecture.
As of August 2011, Liberty offers 148 residential and online undergraduate programs and among
those offered are Aeronautics,
[35]
Philosophy of Religion, English, Worship & Music Studies,
Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Nursing, School of Engineering and Computational
Sciences, and Theological Seminary. Liberty also offers 87 graduate programs and 11 doctoral
programs within the residential and online programs.
[36]

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Likely the most notable of Liberty University's schools is the Liberty Baptist Theological
Seminary (LBTS). It was founded in 1973, and now offers various degrees for both academic
and vocational endeavors. The degrees available are the Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of
Religious Education (including Military Chaplaincy), Master of Theology (Th.M.), Master of
Arts in Marketplace Chaplaincy, Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling, Master of Arts in
Religion (M.A.R.), Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Worship Studies,
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), Doctor of Philosophy in Theology and Apologetics(Ph.D.). Some
of the degrees are available to be completed online, others require residential study, while some
are available in both formats.
[37]

Center for Ministry Training
The Center for Ministry Training is the practical experience requirement for LBTS students. The
requirements are much like internships for other programs with a religious aspect involved in the
experience. Specifically, the CMT includes Ministry Impact and Supervised Field Ministry
Experience (SFME). Ministry Impact asks a Ministry Specialist to speak on practical aspects of
ministry in the world today. Additionally, "[t]he main requirement for completing SFME is
completing a minimum of 40 hours of field ministry during each semester."
[38][39][40]

Zaki Gordon Cinematic Arts Center
Liberty University now offers a Bachelor of Science in Cinematic Arts Degree. This program is
offered in the new Zaki Gordon Cinematic Arts Center.
[41]
"The B.S. in Communication Studies
with a concentration in Cinematic Arts is a 2-year cohort program that students enter in their
junior year." A minor is also offered.
[42]
The disciplines taught include the following: Producing,
Directing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Production Design, Post-Production, General
Production, Documentary, Narrative. Around 1.5 million dollars was spent on professional
equipment.
[43]
The filmmaking equipment available for student training includes: Red Epic, Red
Scarlet, Red Primes, Audio Technica Shotgun Microphones, Lectro Sonic Wireless
Microphones, Matthews Round D Round Dolly, JL Fisher 11 Dolly, Chapman Leonard Super
Pee Wee, Chimera Soft Boxes, Arri Light, DeSisti Lights, Kino Flo, Steadi Cam, Jimmy Jib
Extreme Crane, GearNex Gear Heads, System 5 Avid audio mixing console, Avid Artist, Color
and Mix Series, HP Z800 Workstation, Intel Mac Pro, and Black Magic-Design.
[44]
Guest
speakers come to offer their experience to the students in the classrooms as well as in a
workshop to the public. Examples of speakers that were featured in 2012 include Dan Gordon
(Screenwriter), Randall Wallace (screenwriter), Sterling Anderson (Screenwriter), and Shawn
Nelson (Acting Coach).
[45]

In the fall semester of 2012, 40 students will be accepted as the inaugural class to major in
Cinematic Arts, eventually expanding the number of accepted students to 160. "During the first
year, students will produce and direct a short film and write a full-length screenplay. They also
will learn how to produce films for non-conventional and emerging platforms, such as cell
phones and YouTube."
[43]
The executive director of the Zaki Gordon Cinematic Arts Center is
Stephan Schultze, a Hollywood veteran who is known for movies such as Far and Away.
[43]

"Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said the decision was spurred by the interest shown by current
School of Communication students and is inline with Libertys commitment to future expansion
of academic offerings and academic facilities."
[46]

The second year culminates in a large-scale theatrical project and a film festival. Students also
will be required to write a business and fundraising plan for producing their own screenplay.
College of Osteopathic Medicine
On October 3, 2011, a 12 million dollar grant was sanctioned by the Virginia Tobacco
Commission to build a college of osteopathic medicine and expand the health sciences school.
[47]

According to the grant, Liberty University must match the 12 million dollars for construction and
equipment.
[48]
This grant is the second largest ever authorized to a medical school by the Virginia
Tobacco Commission.
[47]
The cost of building the school will be around 40 million dollars.
Liberty University plans to enroll the first class in the Fall of 2014.
[49]
"The new facilities are
located in Campbell County near the intersection of US-460 and US-29 near the Lynchburg
Airport."
[47]
The college currently holds provisional accreditation from the American Osteopathic
Association through the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College
Accreditation, with opportunity for full accreditation in 2018.
[50]

School of Music
In September 2012, Liberty University announced that it will be combining the Department of
Music and Humanities with the Department of Worship and Music Studies to form a new School
of Music. The school of music will have 32 full-time and 24 adjunct faculty members separated
into two distinct centers. The Center for Music and Performing Arts will focus on music
education and performance technique, while the Center for Music and Worship will seek to train
skilled musicians as worship leaders and specialists within the Christian music industry. The
School of Music will be located in a new building being constructed across from the Arthur S.
DeMoss Learning Center. The faculty from the School of Music are collaborating with the
construction team to optimize the building to their needs. The building will include a new fine
arts auditorium for university and community use, and is part of Liberty University's campus
transformation initiative.
[51][52][53]

In the Fall of 2014, Liberty University The School of Music will be adding several new degree
programs, including Bachelor's degree concentrations in both Jazz Studies and Film Scoring
(B.M.), and a 36 credit hour Master's degree in Music Education (M.A.). It has also been
announced that the department is currently working on a new 45 credit hour Doctor of Worship
Studies degree program (D.W.S.).
Accreditation
Liberty was founded in 1971 and received Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS) accreditation in 1980,
[54]
which was most recently reaffirmed in 2006.
[55]
In addition, it
was accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) in
September 1984, but resigned its TRACS accreditation on November 6, 2008.
[56][57]
Liberty has
60 accredited degree granting programs.
[58]
The law school, which opened in August 2004,
gained provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2006 and was granted
full accreditation in 2010.
[59]
On December 9, 2009, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. announced that
"Liberty University has received Level VI accreditation from the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACS). This is the highest classification from SACS and is reserved for
colleges and universities that offer four or more doctoral degrees.
[60]
Liberty is also accredited
by: American Bar Association (ABA)
[61]
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET)
[61]
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
[61]
Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
[61]
Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI)
[62]
National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
[63]
Commission on Accreditation of
Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
[61]
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
(CAAHEP),
[61]
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
[64]

Enrollment Profile
The acceptance rate for new first-time, full-time students entering Libertys resident program in
2012 was 24.6%.
[65]

Liberty University Online
Liberty University has an internet education component which is called LU Online, previously
the Distance Learning Program (DLP). This service provides degrees from Associates level to
Doctorate. The online school runs unilaterally with the semester program offered at Liberty
University's campus. One difference with LU Online is that students take 16-week (full
semester) classes for a few of their cataloged courses while the remainder are taken in 8-week
subterms which are titled B, C, and D. These subterms provide the student with scheduling
flexibility through shorter, slightly overlapping sessions. There is a separation at the 600-level
and above at which courses are only offered in the B and D terms.
[66]
LU Online promotes
teacher/student discourse through interactive online discussions and class size limits (capped at
25 students).
[67]
Liberty University reports that enrollment for their online program is six times
greater than their residential enrollment, with about 80,000 of their 92,500 total students enrolled
online.
[68]

Rankings
Liberty University is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in several categories for 2013:
Regional Universities (South) - 89th
Best Colleges for Veterans - 23rd
Best Online Bachelor's Programs - 141st
Best Online Graduate Business Programs - 122nd
Best Online Graduate Education Programs - 97th
Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs - 75th
[69]

Furthermore, Liberty has been ranked in the Top-10 most conservative colleges in the U.S. by
Young America's Foundation.
[70]

In 2005, Barron's Profiles of American Colleges ranked LU as a "competitive" college, its
fourth-highest of six ranks, indicating that it accepts students in the top 65% of their graduating
class.
[71][72]

In 2012 The U.S. News & World Report ranked Liberty University 65th Best Colleges of
Regional Universities in the South.
[73]

In 2012, Forbes' list of America's Top Colleges ranked Liberty University 584 overall.
[74]

Center of Worship has been ranked the best in the world for the 2nd time in a row by the
Worship Leader Magazine.
[75]

Student Life
Convocation


Convocation at the Vines Center
Students who live on campus are required to attend convocation at the Vines Center three times
per week. At these convocations, they attend presentations by speakers from various professions,
see performers and musicians, and participate in live praise and worship. Past convocation
speakers have included Presidential candidate John McCain, President Ronald Reagan, President
George H. W. Bush, Senator Ted Kennedy, Rev. Billy Graham, Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas, Lt. Col. Oliver North, Steve Forbes, Leonard Davidson, former US Senator Jesse
Helms, Sam Donaldson, John R. Rice, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, CEO William S. Simon, Elisabeth
Elliot (wife of the late missionary Jim Elliot), Skip Erickson, Freddie Gage, Adrian Rogers,
governor Tim Kaine, Sean Hannity, Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Pastors; Mel White, Mark
Driscoll, Josh Mcdowell, Miles McPherson, Rick Warren, Steven Furtick, John Piper, David
Platt, John F. MacArthur and Francis Chan, Entertainers/Athletes in pro-wrestler Lex Luger and
rapper Lecrae, Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, Carrie Prejean, Allan Houston, Tim Tebow and
Candace Cameron Bure, Douglas Gresham, Gianna Jessen, Clint Hubbard and 2008 Presidential
candidates Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. Jerry Falwell regularly spoke at chapel, giving his
"Never Give Up" speech in the first semester.
Athletics
Main article: Liberty Flames


Liberty University Flames stadium
In May 2012, Liberty University Chancellor and President Jerry Falwell Jr announced the
school's intention to pursue NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference
affiliation for all 20 varsity sports. This announcement followed several university developments
supporting the push for conference re-alignment including a 6-month feasibility study, hiring
Turner Gill as football coach (formerly head coach of the University of Kansas)
[76]
and
renovation of the football facilities. In order to complete the move to FBS competition, Liberty
must receive an invitation from one of the 11 FBS conferences.
[77]

For now, the Liberty Flames are a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championships
Subdivision (FCS) in football (formerly Division I-AA) and NCAA Division I sports level in
other competition. Liberty is a member of the Big South Conference for 18 sports. Women's
Lacrosse competes in the National Lacrosse Conference, while Women's Swimming will join the
Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association, bringing the university total of scholarship-eligible
varsity sports to 20.
[77]
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 ten times, placing it first in cup titles in the Big
South.
[78]
In 2012 Liberty became the first Big South school to win 5 consecutive Sasser
Cups.
[79][80]

Newly renovated Williams Stadium is home of the Liberty Flames football program. Started in
1973, the Liberty Flames Football team originally used Lynchburg's City Stadium as their home
stadium until October 21, 1989, when the Flames played their first home game on-campus at
Williams Stadium in front of 12,750 fans.
[81]
Recent upgrades to the stadium include increased
capacity from 12,000 to 19,200 attendees, luxury suites, a Club level and a new media area.
Additional phases of stadium expansion will increase seating to 30,000 by 2015.
[82]

Liberty University is also notable for its basketball programs and its venue, the Vines Center,
that can house up to 8,085 spectators for its games.
[83]
Several members of the Liberty men's
basketball (Liberty Flames Basketball) team have been recruited to the NBA.
[84][85]
The women's
basketball team (Lady Flames Basketball) was honored by the Big South "with the Top 25 'Best
of the Best' moments in League history from 1983-2008, with Liberty University's 10-year
women's basketball championship run from 1996-2007 being crowned the No. 1 moment in the
Big South's first 25 years."
[86]

Liberty University supports mens and womens club hockey teams. Mens hockey started in
1985
[87]
when students at Liberty self-organized a team to compete against surrounding colleges
and clubs
[88]
but has since become a competitive club team competing against much larger
schools such as Oklahoma University, University of Delaware, and Penn State University.
[89]
In
2006, Liberty University opened the 3000-seat LaHaye Ice Center, which was a gift from Drs.
Timothy and Beverly LaHaye.
[90]
Also in 2006, Liberty became the only school in the state of
Virginia to host a mens Division I American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) club
hockey team
[88]
Currently, Liberty University has Division I, II and III mens teams and Division
I and II womens teams, making it the only school in the ACHA to host 5 club hockey teams.
[87]

The mens Division I team is coached by Kirk Handy
[88]
while the womens Division I team is
coached by Paul Bloomfield.
[91]

Liberty University is also proud of its Quiz Bowl team. Called the "varsity sport of the mind,"
Liberty's Quiz Bowl team has won Big South Conference Championship six out of seven years
(2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 & 2012). Liberty also placed 3rd in the National Academic Quiz
Tournament's (NAQT) Regional Competition in 2012.
[92]

The Center for Global Engagement
The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) offers "academic programs, cross-cultural internships,
short-term teams and a variety of other resources and mentorship opportunities" for students
interested in service and learning opportunities abroad.
[93]
Internships arranged through the CGE
may be tailored to a variety of skill sets so that the experience will fulfill internship requirements
for any major.
[94]
"Global Teams" are short term service trips that offer cultural immersion and
the possibility of academic credit.
[95]
For students with a Teaching English as a Second Language
(TESL) certificate, the CGE has partnerships with several other countries to encourage post-
graduation job placement.
[96]

Clubs and organizations


Liberty University LaHaye Student Union building
According to Liberty's website,
[97]
there are over 100 registered clubs on campus. This number
includes a wide variety of clubs, each of which is led by students with the aid of a Faculty
Advisor. After the university's revocation of the recognition of the College Democrats provoked
controversy (see "Political clubs", below), the university removed official recognition from all
political clubs on campus.
Debate
Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program, formerly led by Brett O'Donnell, was number
one in the overall rankings Championships in the National Debate Tournament for 2005, 2006,
2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
[98][99][100][101][102][103]
The overall rankings include varsity, junior
varsity, and novice results. In varsity rankings, Liberty finished 20th in 2005, 17th in 2006, 24th
in 2007, 12th in 2008, 9th in 2009, 4th in 2010 and 4th in 2011. Liberty also hosts the Virginia
High School League's annual Debate State Championships every April.
Finances
In May 2012, Liberty University Chancellor and President Jerry Falwell Jr announced that the
school's net assets are worth $1 billion, in part from the success of its online learning program
and from accelerated facility expansion.
[67][77]
This valuation is a 10-fold increase since 2006 and
underscores the rapid expansion the university has recently experienced.
[67]

In December 2010, Liberty sold $120 million in facilities bonds, with the proceeds to be used to
finance future expansion.
[104]
An additional $100 million in taxable bonds were sold in January
2012, with the proceeds used to help finance $225.2 million of planned capital projects around
the campus over the next five years.
[105]
The bond offering is part of Liberty University's campus
transformation plan
[16]
which will include several renovations and additions to academic
buildings and student housing, as well as fund the new Jerry Falwell Library and formation of a
medical school. The bonds received a rating of "AA" from Standard & Poor's and in 2013
received an upgraded rating of "Aa3" along with a "stable outlook" projection from Moody's
Investors Services based on "...the increasing scope of the University's activity", "...its large pool
of financial reserves". "...uncommonly strong operating performance", and "...discipline around
building and maintaining reserves".
[106][107]

The students at Liberty University received approximately $445 million in federal financial aid
money in 2010, the highest total of any school in Virginia and one of the highest in the
country.
[108][109]
The total, a 56 percent increase over the prior year, was mostly in the form of
student loans, but also included some grants and other forms of aid.
[108]
Campus officials
estimated the total received in 2013 at $775 million.
[110]

Controversy


The initials of Liberty University, on Candlers Mountain, as viewed from near campus.
1989 bond issue

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section
by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (November 2013)
In 1989, Liberty University applied for $60 million in low interest bonds through the Lynchburg
Industrial Development Authority. After the required public hearing period the bond issue was
voted upon by the IDA and approved. Shortly thereafter litigation was brought against the IDA
and Liberty University by Americans United (AU) and a decision (Habel vs. Lynchburg
Industrial Development Authority) was handed down in 1991 denying Liberty the bond issuance.
It was ruled that Liberty was too pervasively religious and therefore was not eligible for the
bonds.
This case dealt a severe financial blow to the university which was unable to fund its
construction projects needed to sustain its rapid growth. A subsequent case a few years later
involving Regent University was decided in a similar manner, but was later overturned. The
Virginia Supreme Court reviewed the case and based its decision on a more recent US Supreme
Court ruling concerning issues of Separation and Sectarianism. Since then, Regent has received
approval for bond funding with the stipulation that it may not fund the Divinity School.
1994 debt buy-out
Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church and the Washington Times, and his wife
Hak Ja Han helped to financially stabilize the university through two of his organizations: News
World Communications (an international media firm which publishes the Washington Times and
other news media), which provided a $400,000 loan to the university at 6% interest; and the
Women's Federation for World Peace, which indirectly contributed $3.5 million toward the
school's debt.
[111]
Liberty University spokesman Mark DeMoss said the school was not aware of
News World's connection to Moon when it obtained the loan through a broker. "I'm not going to
be pious and tell you we would have turned it down," DeMoss said. "Because it was a business
transaction, we probably would have moved forward even if Falwell or somebody in the
organization knew who News World Communications was."
[111]
Liberty University founder Jerry
Falwell stated that the source of the funds does not influence his ministry: "If the American
Atheists Society or Saddam Hussein himself ever sent an unrestricted gift to any of my
ministries, be assured I will operate on Billy Sunday's philosophy: The Devil's had it long
enough, and quickly cash the check."
[112]

Biology
Liberty University teaches young Earth creationism as an explanation for the appearance of life
on earth. The university works with young Earth creationist organizations including Answers in
Genesis.
[113][114][115][116]
In biology classes students are taught both creationism and evolution and
that creationism offers a better explanation of biological diversity than evolution.
[117][118]
In
October, 2006 the university published an advertisement in The Chronicle of Higher Education
in an attempt to recruit staff to its biology department. The advertisement stated that the
university was "seeking faculty who can demonstrate a personal faith commitment to its
evangelical Christian purpose" and specified that "compatibility with a young-earth creationist
philosophy [is] required."
[119]

In the same month, prominent biologist Richard Dawkins was quoted saying the following about
Liberty University: "If it's really true that the museum at Liberty University has dinosaur fossils
which are labeled as being 3,000 years old, then that is an educational disgrace. It is debauching
the whole idea of a university, and I would strongly encourage any members of Liberty
University who may be here, to leave and go to a proper university."
[120]
In December, 1991
Creation reported, Arlton C. Murray "excavated a dinosaur for Liberty Universitys museum",
which proclaimed "this dinosaur was the first of its kind in any creationist museum."
[121]

Political clubs
On May 15, 2009, vice president of student affairs Mark Hine sent an e-mail to the president of
LU's College Democrats, Brian Diaz, revoking the university's recognition of the club. "The
Democratic Party platform is contrary to the mission of Liberty University and to Christian
doctrine", Hine's e-mail stated, citing the party's positions on abortion and federal funding
thereof, same-sex marriage, hate crimes, LGBT rights, and socialism as justification for the
dissolution. While the club can still meet on campus, it cannot use the university's name or
reserve university facilities.
[122]

At a meeting with administration officials, the group was asked to apologize publicly for
statements they had made to the media about this controversy. Diaz said he was baffled by the
administration's decision, saying, "I want to be able to share the love of Christ, but I guess I can't
do that on campus because I'm a Democrat as well."
[123]

Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic ex-governor Tim Kaine and
2009 Democratic gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe, Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds
called on the college to rescind the ban.
[124][125]

Liberty University President and Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr.,
[126]
subsequently stated that the
university had not banned Democrats from campus nor had the club been banned from meeting
and that neither the university nor its officials said that a person cannot be both a Christian and a
Democrat.
[127]
On May 28, 2009, members of the club met with LU administration members
again, and Falwell stated that he was "optimistic that if the university can work directly with the
students that a compromise can be reached".
[128]
Hine said that while the email was not clear, he
did explain to the College Democrats leadership at the time he sent the email that the group
could continue to meet in common areas on campus.
[129]

Liberty's decision led some to question the university's tax-exempt status, and Americans United
for Separation of Church and State filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service, asking
for a review of the university's tax status. Liberty University in turn filed a complaint with the
IRS regarding the tax-exempt status of Americans United for Separation of Church and
State.
[130][131][132]

In late June 2009, Liberty University announced a new policy dealing with all political clubs on
campus. The new policy removed official recognition from all political clubs on campus,
relegating them to unofficial status. President Falwell said the previously suspended College
Democrats "wouldnt have to do anything" to be recognized under the new policy. Along with
other stipulations, the policy allows unofficial clubs to use the university's name, but they will
not receive any funding from the university.
[133]
In response, Kaine said Liberty University
solved the controversy "perfectly".
[134][dead