Chancellor Falwell addresses university faculty

Faculty members were welcomed back to the Liberty University campus Monday, Aug. 17, by Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. and other members of Liberty’s administration. Falwell updated the faculty on the many campus improvements that have taken place over the summer.

“Just this summer we spent $5 million on facility and academic program upgrades,” Falwell said.

These upgrades and expansions have been necessary thanks to an increase in the student population. Currently around 11,500 residential students will be attending Liberty for the 2009-10 academic year.

“This year we have a good problem; we have more students than we know what to do with,” Falwell said.

The School of Education, the School of Law, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, DeMoss Hall and the Career Center are just a few of the many programs and facilities that received upgrades.

A Barnes & Noble LU Bookstore and the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre were two of the largest undertakings in the past few months. The bookstore offers text books and leisure reading, as well as Liberty clothing and a café. The Snowflex Centre is the first of its kind in North America and allows students and the general public the opportunity to ski, snowboard and tube year-round on a synthetic snow-like surface. An anonymous donor paid for the construction of the Snowflex Centre.

After updating faculty on the campus improvements, Falwell opened up the floor for a question-and-answer session. Faculty members asked questions about the honor code policy, enrollment numbers and several proposed building projects. Following the session all new faculty were introduced by the dean of their schools.