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Liberty U.'s Direction?
- Thread starter John of Japan
- Start date
quantumfaith
Active Member
Ashleysdad
Just curious....why the selection of a distance education as opposed to a more traditional brick and mortar just 40 minutes up the road from you (Florida Baptist Theological College)?
ashleysdad
Member
Honestly, this may sound silly but it came down to time and convenience. I really thought about going to Florida Baptist, loved all their programs and degree choices but ultimately I needed a little more flexibility to be able to work (the special needs school I teach at is expanding to offer an ABA clinic and we are swamped with that). I really enjoy being able to log into my classes and do the work online. If Florida Baptist had a more thorough online program I would have enrolled there.
Thanks for the link. This is the one: http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7Jk1/liberty-university-on-your-time
Thank you. This is helpful to the thread.
quantumfaith
Active Member
Thanks for responding, sorry for my curiosity.
The issue of unsaved students has always been an issue among those who are part of the Liberty community. I've never been a fan of allowing acknowledged non-Christians attend a distinctively Christian university. The idea of such an institution is not evangelism but equipping. But I digress.
Having graduated from Liberty years and years ago, I am always interested in the direction of the school.
Liberty is in a golden era right now. A massive campus masterplan is underway and being aggressively pursued. Enrollment is up both on campus and through their online programs. Even out where I live I see an occassional LU bilboard. Lots of amazing things happening (even though the mens basketball has been...politely...horrid.)
There are some growing concerns among alumni and many folks in Lynchburg. Aside from the idiocy of allowing a Mormon to preach in convocation, there have been a number of theological missteps over the past several years. Jerry Falwell Jr is a good leader, though lacks the discernment and theological care of his father. That is dangerous for a theological institution. Thankfully there seems to be a season of correction underway. Part of that began with some leaders in the administration leaving.
I am hopeful for Liberty and think there are greater days ahead. There needs to be a revival on that campus to renew the spiritual vision of the founders. With the explosion of their online studies and greatly enhanced oncampus facilities, the institution is ready for these great things.
Every time I go to Liberty I am amazed at what is going on there.
Having graduated from Liberty years and years ago, I am always interested in the direction of the school.
Liberty is in a golden era right now. A massive campus masterplan is underway and being aggressively pursued. Enrollment is up both on campus and through their online programs. Even out where I live I see an occassional LU bilboard. Lots of amazing things happening (even though the mens basketball has been...politely...horrid.)
There are some growing concerns among alumni and many folks in Lynchburg. Aside from the idiocy of allowing a Mormon to preach in convocation, there have been a number of theological missteps over the past several years. Jerry Falwell Jr is a good leader, though lacks the discernment and theological care of his father. That is dangerous for a theological institution. Thankfully there seems to be a season of correction underway. Part of that began with some leaders in the administration leaving.
I am hopeful for Liberty and think there are greater days ahead. There needs to be a revival on that campus to renew the spiritual vision of the founders. With the explosion of their online studies and greatly enhanced oncampus facilities, the institution is ready for these great things.
Every time I go to Liberty I am amazed at what is going on there.
I'm just quoting part, but thanks for your whole post. It was informative.
I agree with your concern here. A dear friend of mine from college days sent his son to an evangelical school (not LU). The young man there was sold marijuana, dropped out and is now addicted to hard drugs. Seems like a school designed for Christian kids should carefully protect the young people sent there by sincere parents.
jonathan.borland
Active Member
Tim, you're so funny! Thanks for the laugh. My dad gave me a tour of the campus last year when I was home. It's so massive and "advanced" now that it hardly resembles what it did when I did my undergrad there in the 90s. My dad's now fully teaching in the online program and loves the freedom it offers him to travel and do other things, now that he's 70. He especially likes not having to attend staff meetings every week.
Greektim
Well-Known Member
They have made advances. But I think they are building too many buildings in a confined space.
AND
Their new library, as cool and state of the art as it is, lacks a great deal in biblical studies and theology. You'd think they would do better in that area. I know this b/c I wrote my thesis over the summer, much of the time in their library. However, SEBTS library had much more to offer me. I almost had to go to Duke's library at one time. I just can't figure how they can spend millions of dollars on that facility and not equip it with the necessary resources to give it quality holdings.
:thumbsup:
I only had a short tour of the facility when I last visited (as much as my wife would tolerate) and had the same feeling.
My comment to her was that the theology library had some of the basic stuff but wasn't up to the standards of the building that housed it.
I hoped the portion hidden from me (the electronic delivery area) had the more up to date material. I guess I was wrong.
Well they have room for expansion and growth...
Rob
I took your dad for a couple of classes while at Liberty. He was a great blessing to me personally. I am glad he's enjoying his time in the Burg still.
I actually think that the masterplan for the campus is pretty solid. Creating a commons like they are with the library at the head is smart.
AND
Greektim said:
Several colleagues on faculty have lamented about the library. They invested a ton in the structure and have a great building. However, the actual texts are very lacking. There's almost zero depth in the theological literature and they're missing significant texts in many fields. It has been said this is a slow process of finding and procuring these books, but it is taking a long time.
I like the library very much and really enjoyed the scholars commons last time I was there. But you can tell this has all the marks of a Liberty program: high gloss, shallow depth.
nypastor29
New Member
I have been attending Liberty Online for almost 3 years now. Their theology is very conservative, but their practice otherwise. Very much a Christian university (considered the Holiest of Seminaries, in the evangelical world anyway) and all the professors are very much Christian worldview. I love attending LU Online, it is a great institution. And I am an Independent Baptist! Haha!
The flaw that I think we are seeing is that they have become extremely ecumenical lately. Inviting Mormons to speak at convos and becoming extremely friendly to inviting even un-Christians to become students. (This is fact. Example: If you are not a Christian and do not agree with the assignments that would have you defend a Christian position, you can turn in your assignments telling why you disagree with the Christian perspective.) So to be certain, you DO NOT have to be a Christian to attend LU Online. I don't know about having to be a Christian if you attend as a resident student. My guess is no.
Hope this helps.
-Liberty Student
The flaw that I think we are seeing is that they have become extremely ecumenical lately. Inviting Mormons to speak at convos and becoming extremely friendly to inviting even un-Christians to become students. (This is fact. Example: If you are not a Christian and do not agree with the assignments that would have you defend a Christian position, you can turn in your assignments telling why you disagree with the Christian perspective.) So to be certain, you DO NOT have to be a Christian to attend LU Online. I don't know about having to be a Christian if you attend as a resident student. My guess is no.
Hope this helps.
-Liberty Student
Liberty has far to many adjunct profs who are not engaged with their students and act more as a proctor than a teacher.
Kevin
Active Member
I went there several years ago, I lasted one day, well part of one day. Nothing wrong with the school, just being there I could tell it was not where God wanted me. I do understand He got me there to change the situation I was in, and things worked out good
I have relatives that graduated from there, and a couple more about to graduate, and they all say it was/is a great school to go to
I have relatives that graduated from there, and a couple more about to graduate, and they all say it was/is a great school to go to
I believe that would be Jerry Falwell Jr. I don't think that the image was meant to convey "mirror these men."
I transferred to Liberty as a undergraduate. Even in the religion classes there was no statement of belief for admission (atheists can obtain a degree in religion) - but that was only for undergrad students.....for seminary a statement of belief and recommendation from a pastor was required.
I don't know how it is now, but at one time they were pretty strict....we always seemed to lose a good percent of our class during the first half. I remember a professor threatening to kick three of us out. (I had turned a paper with a paraphrased "quote." I credited the author - in the body of the paper and as a reference - but the Prof. thought the paraphrase too much like the actual quote and considered it plagiarism. He said I should have changed it more or quoted it exactly). He turned out to be one of my favorite profs. and I learned a lot from him.
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