Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA ?

[msdznyduck]

OP here:
Well, everyones opinions are ...um.....interesting. We will be going down in about a month to look at the college and see if this is what she is looking for. If she doesn't fall in love with it, so be it, we will look elsewhere. She has no problems with the rules of the college, since she is really a good kid. I think we may also look at Messiah in PA. since it is closer, but I know nothing about that one as well. Still researching............

 

[kt_mom]

OP I hope that your daughter finds a school that will suit all her needs whether its LU or somewhere else. Either way, I hope you enjoy your trip to Lynchburg, it is a nice city. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

 

[northcapemaymom]

I graduated from Messiah in '92 - it is an excellent school with a beautiful campus. It would be more "liberal" than Liberty, although it still leans to the right. When I toured there my junior year in HS I knew right away it was the college I wanted to go to. No regrets at all. Good luck with your search!

 

[Aisling]

Is this the school where students aren't allowed to date outside of their race, and take pledges of chastity?
If so, I know I wouldn't want my child going there, just because I don't agree with any college making rules like that.

But also if so, I can respect those that would choose to go there to be in a like-minded religious environment. My son goes to a Catholic college, but there are no rules imposed on students personal lives, besides the obvious, such as on campus drug use, etc. Part of the decision to go to Liberty is if you want to have a school do more than teach you your courses of study, but also prohibit you from making certain personal decisions.

Good luck to your daughter. She sounds like a lovely young lady.

 

[Princess_Michelle]

OP here:
Well, everyones opinions are ...um.....interesting. We will be going down in about a month to look at the college and see if this is what she is looking for. If she doesn't fall in love with it, so be it, we will look elsewhere. She has no problems with the rules of the college, since she is really a good kid. I think we may also look at Messiah in PA. since it is closer, but I know nothing about that one as well. Still researching............

OP, my SIL goes to Philadelphia Biblical College. It's in Langhorne, PA...which is a little ways outside of Philly. She loves it there. It's very small, and it was really easy for her to adjust. They have certain rules, b/c it is a Christian School, but I don't think they are as strict as Liberty. They have a very good Social Work program, and that's waht she is going for. I don't know what your DD is planning to study and whether or not they have it. We drove her up there her first year, it's a beautiful campus.....

Also, DH's cousin and his wife got their Bachelors at Liberty. They are now working on their Masters there and both have jobs in the school as well, they love it

 

[Dr Pepsi]

I would advise anyone who was a hard science major not to attend Liberty if s/he was going to pursue graduate or research positions.

I would also advise anyone who's not from a conservative protestant background not to attend.

I can actually see that some employers might be hesitant to hire someone from Liberty University. A lot of people think hardcore conservative christians are a bit weird. It may not be right, but what is "right" and what "is" are often two seperate things.

 

[tar heel]

For some reason my middle DS was recruited by Liberty. After we looked at the website, which was fun, I told him we couldn't afford to send him there b/c he would need a whole new wardrobe. In all seriousness, since the bulk of his education is being paid for by a 529 plan funded by his grandfather, Liberty was not an option.

 

[MassJester]

I've met several graduates from Liberty, and from what I can tell they got a fine education in a reinforcing (if a bit homogenous) environment.

I suppose (but certainly do not know for a fact) that if a candidate was considering graduate work in the hard sciences, it would be good to get some advice from a smattering of employers via informational interviews before committing to such a course of study at Liberty. The creation thing may be a bit too quaint for some folks.

Save for that, if that sort of educational environment speaks to your personal preferences, why not Liberty?

 

[jenfur]

If they teach creationism as SCIENCE, well, then enough said.

The Creation class was called "Creation Studies", it is not part of the science program. There were actually many people in my class that did not believe in Biblical creation. It was not a problem. In fact, the student population may be mostly Christian, but you do realize that there is still a LOT of diversity within the Christian religion right? As far as the "real" science classes- they are pretty tough and really go out of their way to teach people who may have been wary of science before (a lot of Christians are) that it is a good thing. I am majoring in psychology and you wouldn't believe how many Christians think psychology is nearly blasphemy. (As a side note...I just got my membership into PSI CHI )

As for the "worthiness" of the degree, my DH snagged a pretty good job and gets paid well above most people in my area. Still not much compared to other areas, but pretty darn good around here. I think most people are just assuming what employers would think about a degree from Liberty because of their own opinions. I mean, somehow my mother still gets offering VERY high paying nursing jobs; and she went to community college.

 

[jenfur]

Is this the school where students aren't allowed to date outside of their race, and take pledges of chastity?
If so, I know I wouldn't want my child going there, just because I don't agree with any college making rules like that.

No, that was Bob Jones U.

 

[Aisling]

No, that was Bob Jones U.

Oops, got the schools mixed up.

 

[Crankyshank]

OT: sorry
My dad brought this up the other day, he read about it in our local newspaper, I told him not to get his hopes up. While I'm a good student, the closest I'm getting to an Ivy is UVA or William and Mary(and those are probably reach schools). Out of curiosity, have other Ivy league schools, besides the ones you've mentioned, taken up the same financial policies?

Brown is in the process right now for next year

 

[ZPT1022]

but I think a potential student there needs to fully understand what would be expected of him/her.

I got this from wikipedia, which I will grant you is not always perfect, but still. This is a bit too controlling to me.

Behavior

The university has a code of student conduct, documented in "The Liberty Way", including possible reprimands (and with the accumulation of reprimands, fines) for attending dances, violating curfew, viewing R-rated movies (on or off campus), drinking, smoking, viewing sexually explicit material, entering the bedroom of a member of the opposite sex (on or off campus), and participating in unauthorized petitions.[8] The phrase "That's not the Liberty Way," is commonly heard across campus, used by students and professors alike as a good-natured "poke" at the school's rules. On several occasions Falwell described the school as 'Bible Boot Camp.' He exhorted Liberty's students to burn it down if it 'ever turned 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.

[edit] Faculty

Using "non-tenured teaching faculty" was a matter of pride to Falwell, as it allows the administration to keep a firm grip on the behavior of the academic community.[9] 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."[10]

OP here:
Well, everyones opinions are ...um.....interesting. We will be going down in about a month to look at the college and see if this is what she is looking for. If she doesn't fall in love with it, so be it, we will look elsewhere. She has no problems with the rules of the college, since she is really a good kid. I think we may also look at Messiah in PA. since it is closer, but I know nothing about that one as well. Still researching............

I know a girl who went to Messiah in PA and loved it!

 

[ZPT1022]

This may be an interesting tool- it came up when I googled Liberty University. Apparently college students themselves rate their schools


http://www.studentsreview.com/VA/Liberty_University.html

 

[JennyMominRI]

I've visited the University twice within the last 4 years, and can tell you from being there and reading the rules section of their handbook that within those years things have been relaxed.

Boys as of only a couple years ago had to go to class in khakis, dress shirt, and a tie. I'm not sure what the girls were allowed to wear honestly, I know they had to follow the khakis rule though. Now they are more concerned about modesty than looking professional (couldn't think of a better word). Jeans and t-shirts are now the normal dress for in class. Outside of class modest tank tops and shorts are perfectly acceptable.

As far as touching goes, boys and girls are allowed to touch nowadays. Basically kissing on campus isn't allowed. When I asked students about if they could do so off campus the answer I got from pretty much everyone was " they just don't want you to do it on campus". I never asked an employee, so I don't know the official answer.

Rated R movies aren't allowed on campus, and your not allowed to watch rated R movies at the local theaters.

I know, these rules are still strict to many. Considering what wasn't allowed even 4 years ago, I don't think they're that bad. It is a Christian University, so they're going to be more strict than mainstream colleges. If anyone wants to see a list of their rules in their entirety, you can find them on Liberty's website.

These are rediculous restrictions to place on adults..

 

[JennyMominRI]

Boy it sounds like a bunch of Pharisees.

?

Within Judaism Pharasees are good guys and were the founders of Rabbinical Judaism... It's a shame the name has become synonomous with "bad"

 

[JennyMominRI]

I just needed to chime back in. A degree from Liberty is just as good as a degree from anywhere else. They are fully accredited in every subject they teach. I have completed BIO 101 and the Creation Studies class and I now know alot more about evolution than I ever had before. The difference is that they actually present both sides. Anyone that questions the qualifications of the teachers should read their bio's on the website. They are not Liberty graduates teaching Liberty students.

Saying that you wouldn't hire a Liberty graduate is simply religious discrimination.

Sorry, but I wouldn't hire someone who was taught creationism as an academic, scientific principal..If it's taught in a religious context that's fine.. I mean I might hire someone for a physical job, but not anything else

 

[JennyMominRI]

The Creation class was called "Creation Studies", it is not part of the science program. There were actually many people in my class that did not believe in Biblical creation. .

OK, I take back what I said then..Thanks for the education

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

I just needed to chime back in. A degree from Liberty is just as good as a degree from anywhere else. They are fully accredited in every subject they teach. *** Anyone that questions the qualifications of the teachers should read their bio's on the website. They are not Liberty graduates teaching Liberty students.

Saying that you wouldn't hire a Liberty graduate is simply religious discrimination.

I'm sorry, but a degree from Liberty is not just as good as a degree from anywhere else. You may love the education that you are receiving there. You may be receiving an excellent education there, but that does not make your Liberty degree as good as degrees from any other institution. Your degree is as good as a degree from another institution with a similar academic reputation.

As far as the credentials of the faculty are concerned, I'm sure there are many highly intelligent individuals teaching on campus. But any institution that does not value academic freedom and censors what subjects faculty may research and publish on is not going to draw the best faculty available. It will also draw a fair amount of skepticism from the rest of the academy.

As for religious discrimination, Liberty does its own fair amount of discriminating on the basis of religion and other criteria when it comes to hiring its faculty and staff. It's rather disingenuous to cry foul when the discrimination is pointed back at the institution and its supporters.

 

[Green Tea]

I remember when Victoria's Secret was opening in the Lynchburg Mall there was a lot of chatter that the students would not be allowed in the store, that Falwell himself was trying to keep it out of town, and that the store would be watched for girls buying underwear there.

The campus itself, while improving, is no picture postcard. Corrugated metal prefab dorms used to be the norm. Those featured such idyllic names as Building A, Building B. Now they chopped off the whole top of a mountain for a logo.

There was a guard gate. Trying to leave campus shortly before chapel began required some explaining. Don't know know. But I suspect a lot more decisions are made for the students than they actually have to decide on their own.

They charge for the weekend visitation for high school students. Falwell was always about making money, imo.