SGA Town Hall: Upcoming campus projects unveiled to students

Student Government Association (SGA) hosted a town hall with a panel of administrators from different offices who shared new announcements and answered questions on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in the School of Business Towns Auditorium.

The event was opened by Daniel Hostetter, student body president, and Braden Daniels, student body vice president. They introduced President Dondi Costin for opening remarks and prayer.

“These events are held to allow students to directly speak with their leaders,” Hostetter said. “It can be so much more meaningful when we get to fulfill our mission to be the bridge between students and administration by being that bridge — by creating an event where they can talk directly to each other.”

Mark Hyde, dean of students, talked about the history of the event. He then allowed all the panelists to have a brief time to update students on new projects and work being done in their individual offices.

Louis Cambeletta, vice president of Auxiliary Services, announced a second Shake Smart location opening to replace Argo Tea due to supply issues with the corporation. Shake Smart is also one of the most popular dining locations on campus, which is another reason a second location will be added.

Dustin DuBose, executive director of Residence Life, also made a significant announcement. Starting in Fall of 2024, students will tap into Convocation with their Flames pass instead of checking in with their RAs, and there will not be designated residence hall seating.

Hyde also gave more detail on the revised Liberty Way. The changes that will be made will be focused on the rules and prioritizing “values over violations,” Hyde said.

Brian Yates, vice provost of residential programs, discussed the accomplishments of academic teams, including the quiz bowl team beating all of the other teams at their last competition and the School of Law winning the national negotiation competition.

Marcus Tinsley, vice president of Security and Public Safety, discussed the Champion Safe app and that it will be heavily used during commencement.

Mark Hine, executive vice president of Student Affairs, shared that the new strategic plan for the next five to 10 years is currently being worked on.

Greg Dowell, vice president of LU ONE, mentioned that the International Student Center had a 100 percent retention rate from the Fall 2023 semester to the Spring 2024.

Lew Weider, executive director of LU Serve, talked about the new CSER 100 class and its benefits. In addition, he spoke about how LU Serve Now will be serving in Kentucky during spring break and Serve Lynchburg in April.

Senior Vice President of Planning and Construction Daniel Deter gave an update on Commons IV construction with the completion of the ninth floor and the roof finishing. The parking garage’s cornerstone was laid as well. Deter plans to have the garage completed by the first home football game in the fall of 2024. 

Deter also gave an update on future construction projects. He said that the strategic plan will determine the future plans for construction. Currently, there are no concrete construction plans for the old Reber-Thomas Dining Hall. It is currently being used as a mail center and to store materials for construction projects.

In addition, the Jerry Falwell Center was discussed. Deter emphasized that it is not only a museum, but that it will also be used for recruiting and as a meeting place.

“The importance of this event is for administrators to hear from students, and we want to hear from students,” Costin said. “We are thankful for SGA and all the students’ comments. It is obvious that they love Liberty as much as we do.”

Twitchell is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion