Adding fuel to the flames
Liberty becomes the largest school in Virginia, fifth largest in the nation
IT’S PACKED — Liberty students crowded the student section Sept. 10, 2016 during the football game against Jacksonville University.
Photo Credit: Caroline Cummings
As Liberty University continues to grow its reputation as the largest Christian university in the world, others outside of the evangelical sphere are beginning to recognize Liberty’s place in higher education.
An article published by Virginia Business Magazine in October 2016 highlighted some of the factors that have contributed to Liberty’s growth in recent years.
According to “A Vision Comes To Pass” by Heather B. Hayes, Liberty is now the fifth-largest university in the nation and the largest
university in Virginia.
Dean of Students Robert Mullen believes Liberty’s financial position has given the university the ability to fulfill the vision of its founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.
“Liberty is fortunate to be in a position to have the resources and things that we need to fulfill our vision,” Mullen said.
“Not every university or college today can say that. Some of them are very constrained financially.”
Liberty’s economic strength is demonstrated in its endowment of more than $1 billion.
According to an article written by Jack Stripling in the Chronicle of Higher Education, the university succeeded in creating a strong financial foundation by tapping into the market of online education.
“There is no denying that the university has carved out a distinct online identity in a relatively new market and created an internet education machine that generates revenues any college would welcome,” Stripling wrote in “How Liberty University Became an Unexpected Model for the Future of Higher Ed.”
Mullen said the university’s leadership has taken steps to ensure Liberty has a strong financial position for decades to come.
“The university and the administration have developed a plan for not just long-term growth but also long term stability,” Mullen said.
“There’s been some very good strategic planning about how to establish Liberty long-term that’s not solely dependent upon a strong income stream from the online world.”
Liberty’s $500 million construction project has been a visual demonstration of its recent growth.
Through the construction of state-of-the-art facilities that support Liberty’s various departments, organizations such as club sports have been able to expand their programs.
Tatiana Payne, assistant director of club sports, said the construction of new facilities such as the indoor track complex and the upcoming shooting range created the possibility for new teams.
“Every time we’ve added a team, it’s because we have a facility already or a facility is being built, which is kind of unheard of,” Payne said.
“We’ve actually had quite a few other schools come in and meet with us and try to mimic what we’re doing just because we’ve had so much success.”
As Liberty’s undergraduate and graduate populations have grown, many of the university’s services and recreational opportunities have expanded to support the steady stream of new students.
Lee Beaumont, vice president of auxiliary services, said other universities come to visit the campus having heard how successfully Liberty implements these services.
Liberty’s model for everything from dining services to club sports has caused other schools to take notice.
COMMUNITY — Students lounged and walked through the Argo Tea Cafe in the Mountview Student Union the first day of the spring semester 2017.
Photo Credit: Jessie Rogers
“The answer always seems to be the same to, ‘Why are you coming here?’” Beaumont said.
“They say, ‘We’ve heard such great things about your program, and we want to know what you’re doing.’”
Mullen said he believes the most important growth happening at Liberty is the development of a serious academic institution.
“I think the outside world looks in and says, ‘Wow, what a financial model, what great buildings, what a great athletic program,’” Mullen said.
“But flying under the radar, we’re building a very powerful and a very significant academic institution.”
One recent indication of Liberty’s academic growth was its classification as a doctoral institute by the Carnegie Foundation.
In addition, Mullen said incoming freshmen classes continually have higher grades.
“We just continue hitting our goals in recruiting students,” Mullen said.
“We’re seeing GPAs and SAT scores always moving up.”
Ultimately, Mullen believes that Liberty’s commitment to its core values as a Christian university has contributed to its steady growth.
“We are different because of our biblical Christian worldview, and I think that sets us apart,” Mullen said.
“That is appealing and attractive to many people, even those that don’t necessarily hold that same worldview.”