Liberty University

Liberty University
(LU), also referred to as Liberty, is a private, non-profit Christian research university located in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States.[7] It is classified as a doctoral research university by the Carnegie Classification.[8]

In terms of student enrollment, Liberty is the largest Christian university in the world and the largest private non-profit university in the United States.[9][10] As of 2017, the university enrolls more than 15,000 students[11] at its Lynchburg campus and 110,000 students including online courses. The school consists of 17 colleges, including a school of medicine and a school of law. It offers over 290 bachelors, 315 masters, and 32 doctoral areas of study.

Liberty's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the Liberty Flames. Their college football team is an NCAA Division I Independent, while their other sports teams compete in either the Big South Conference or Big East Conference. Liberty's athletes have won a total of six individual national championships.[5]
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.[12] Students are held to The Liberty Way, a code of conduct.[13] Since 1999, Liberty has had an informal relationship with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia by way of having two members from that organization on the university board of trustees.[14][15] The Thomas Road Baptist Church, its founding church, is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention; however, officially the university is non-denominational.

In 1990, 41st U.S President George H.W. Bush was the first sitting U.S. president to speak at Liberty's commencement.[16][17]


President Donald Trump Speaks at Liberty University Commencement Ceremony
In 2017, 45th President Donald J. Trump gave his first college commencement speech as sitting president at Liberty University.[18][19]

2015 concealed handguns remarks
In a December 5, 2015 convocation speech, President Jerry Falwell Jr. encouraged the student body to obtain concealed handgun permits.[20] Falwell discussed the 2015 San Bernardino attack and said, "If more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in."[20] This was met with public condemnation for singling out the Muslim religion rather than the act of terrorism. Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe called the statement "repugnant". Falwell later stated that he was referring to the Muslim shooters in the San Bernandino attack, not all Muslims.[20][21]

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, and a private theater. A tunnel connecting the east and west ends of the campus was completed in 2004. A second tunnel was completed in May 2014, and provides pedestrian passage under the Norfolk Southern Railway and access to nearby businesses.

The 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m2) LaHaye Student Center, has a lounge, cafe, multi-purpose rooms, and athletic facilities.[22] The adjacent Tilley Center has various social and recreational facilities. Other projects include a 60-mile (97 km) mountain bike trail system, a motocross 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 Dr. 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 team’s practice facility whenever the Vines Center and Schilling Center are unavailable.[23]


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 England’s Briton Engineering. It includes beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes, and is the first of its kind in the United States.[24]

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 m2) of support area.[25] 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.[26]

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.[27]

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 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."[28]

Liberty University opened 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 consists of a classroom that can fit up to 20 people. It houses a 20-inch (510 mm) RC Optical Systems Truss Ritchey-Chrétien 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 the observatory serves three purposes: instruction, public nights and research. Student Activities controls the use of the observatory and is open to all students.[29]

As of Summer 2016, two new dorm buildings were completed on Main Campus.[30] The rooms include a mini-fridge and microwave, as well as a private bathroom. There is a laundry room and common (or lounge) room on each floor.[31] Student Housing currently resides in Commons II.[32]