Posted on 11/23/2010 8:27:27 AM PST by wmfights
One of the largest Christian universities in the world is planning a major expansion for its campus and facilities over the next two years.
Liberty University, located in on a 6,000-acre campus in Lynchburg, Va., will undergo renovation and construction efforts, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said last week.
An overview of the expansion was first reported by Liberty Champion, the university's student newspaper.
Falwell presented some of the capital improvement projects to the university's board of directors Friday.
The evangelical Christian university plans to open a 100,000 sq. ft. health sciences building on its East Campus by Fall 2012 that would house the university’s current health sciences programs.
Other projects include an intramural complex with a NCAA softball field, a seminary building on North Campus, a 6,000-8,000-seat amphitheater, a new visitors center, and renovations to the DeMoss Hall.
“The look of the campus is going to change again over the next two years,” said Falwell, according to Liberty Champion. “The campus will change almost as much in the next two years as it has over the last eight.”
Liberty University is believed to be the largest Christian university, with a student enrollment of over 62,000. The school has over 50,000 online students and 12,200 on-campus students.
"We're growing really, really fast," Liberty University spokesperson Johnnie Moore told The Christian Post on Monday. "Liberty's vision was to be for evangelicals what Notre Dame is for Catholics, or Brigham Young is for Mormons."
"Many of the major improvements over the next few years will be academic, others will involve new construction, and the renovation of existing facilities. Some will be involve the student life infrastructure of the university," said Moore.
Besides a growing student body, Falwell has given another reason for why the timing of the expansion projects made sense.
“Construction will never be cheaper, because right now the economy is so weak,” said Falwell.
Moore added that especially during a "season of recession" the construction work would also be a good way to provide employment to people in the community.
The university spokesperson said Liberty still needs to get approval from city officials and go through a number of steps before the plans can be finalized and construction can actually begin.
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I just had a friend tell me their kid wanted to go to school there, but they couldn’t afford it...so I looked up the costs, around $27,000 per year (tuition, fees, room, etc.)
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg03_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1531
Private colleges don’t get public dollars, I would like to see the true cost of state universities.
Private colleges don’t get public dollars, I would like to see the true cost of state universities.
My wife completed her Master’s from there - have your friend talk to the finacial aid department as they have many sources of scholarships and grants available.
Almost all private colleges - including Liberty - get LOADS of public dollars (and have to follow the pervasive federal rules and regs). Rare exceptions include Hillsdale and Grove City.
When a student gets federal student loans (all are subsidized in some way), Pell grants, ROTC scholarships, etc., that is all public dollars.
Someone I know recently completed their masters via one of Liberty’s online programs. He’s pleased. It was a rigorous and challenging program.
LU has had an occasionally bumpy relationship with Lynchburg in the past, but still, any expansion is good news for both the university and the city.
Although I still laugh when I hear references to the “north campus”...if it’s what I think it is, the “north campus” started off years ago as an empty factory building about five miles from the main campus. I guess they’ve added a bunch of stuff in around it since then.
By the way, LU has grown from nothing to 12,000 on-campus and 50,000 online students in a mere forty years. It was founded in 1971. Rev. Falwell and his staff did an amazing job laying the foundations for it.
}:-)4
Actually that's pretty reasonable today. Often what Universities will do is give scholarships based on the students GPA and/or ACT score which brings down the price. Unfortunately the cost of sending a child to college is somewhat like buying a car. The initial price (sticker on the window) is just the starting point.
I love reading about various ways (in this case education) that Christians are taking The Gospel to the world.
started off years ago as an empty factory building about five miles from the main campus
Try more like half a mile away.
I thought the “north campus” was that old Craddock-Terry factory at the Expressway and Odd Fellows Road. That’s more than a half-mile from the main campus.
}:-)4
It was the old “Erickson” building/factory almost right next to the old campus pre-2005/2006 buyout/construction.
(I was an on-campus student when they started this project).
J.S.
Ah! Now I remember, that’s right, the old GE Mobile Radio complex that Ericsson took over, and then LU bought when Ericsson shut it down. I’m sorry, I totally forgot about that, I haven’t been back to Lynchburg all that often since 1995. They did have a building at the Expressway and Odd Fellows that was labeled “North Campus” for a while, but I don’t know if they still do or not. Sorry about that!
}:-)4
I saw Liberty play football two weeks ago when they came to Coastal Carolina. They have some monsters!!!!! Don’t know what they are feeding those boys but its working. Coastal, however beat the pants off of them (despite at the time Liberty was leading the Big South conference).
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