Fidelity to the Flames
Longtime Liberty faculty member Ben Gutierrez appointed to new position
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Liberty University announced March 21 the appointment of longtime faculty member Ben Gutierrez as Co-Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
According to a statement made by President Jerry Falwell, the newly created role was designed to help maintain and enhance the school’s online academic programs in both scope and quality.
Gutierrez will work in collaboration with Provost and Chief Academic Officer Ron Hawkins, executing changes while meeting the standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
“I’m working hand-in-glove, arm-in-arm with the provost,” Gutierrez said. “Every single decision made by the provost will maintain compliance with our accreditor and maintain academic integrity.”
Gutierrez has been tasked to be intentionally focused on online academic instruction.
“My laser-focused responsibility right now is our online division,” Gutierrez said. “I will eat, drink, sleep and breathe online academics, academic offerings and academic services.”
His ultimate goal with Liberty University Online (LUO) is to increase efficiency while remaining competitive without compromising academic excellence.
A primary facet of this will be examining each online course and carving out anything that unnecessarily burdens students. The school’s transfer policies may also be altered and subsequently allow students from other schools to transfer more credits.
Other changes to the program may involve the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), which allows students to receive academic credit for previous professional experience. Gutierrez said revisions to the PLA, which can satisfy certain degree requirements based on experiential education, could broaden the range of professional learning accepted.
According to Gutierrez, these changes will be executed as early as within the next few weeks.
“It’s a preemptive move to make sure that we never lose our status as a world-class institution,” Gutierrez said.
The school’s desire for an excellent online program is imperative as Liberty owes much of its booming growth to LUO, according to Gutierrez. Though the school has been pioneering distance education since 1985, the program picked up momentum in 2006 when the number of LUO students surpassed 20,000. More than a decade later, LUO now offers its 284 online programs to 94,000 students around the globe.
The American Federation of Teachers reports that online enrollment now comprises three-fourths of all undergraduates and 97 percent of all graduate students at Liberty.
While Gutierrez began his teaching career at Liberty in 2001, he began to serve the school in 1996 as a teacher’s assistant to the associate dean of the school of divinity. Since then, Gutierrez has served the school in many academic and administrative capacities and has taught on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He was also named the 2006 School of Religion Teacher of the Year and 2014 Faculty Member of the Year by the Center for Multicultural Enrichment.
“The chance to serve the president and Liberty University in this capacity is a tremendous honor,” Gutierrez said.
“I was here as a student,” Gutierrez said. “I met my wife here. I love Liberty University. I approached the role with great sobriety and humility.”
While no one has yet been chosen to fill his previous position as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Gutierrez said he and Hawkins are currently deliberating over a few potential candidates they believe could serve the university with excellence in that role.
VENCE is a news reporter.