Winter 2017 Employee Newsletter
A Word from the President
Just over a week ago, we were all celebrating Thanksgiving Break with family and friends and praising God for His many blessings. I hope you returned to campus as excited as I did for what the end of the fall semester will bring and for the continued blessings that will come as we celebrate our Savior’s birth together.
Some of you joined our students at the annual Christmas in Lights tree lighting ceremony last Monday, and I hope you will continue to attend the many holiday festivities around campus. The School of Music will showcase some wonderful music of the season in a series of Christmas concerts this week. But before you leave campus to celebrate Christmas with your own family, please join your Liberty family here for the annual employee Christmas reception on Thursday, Dec. 21. It is always a great time of fellowship, and I look forward to seeing everyone there.
The holiday season is known for gift giving, where we turn our attention to others and bless them in a special way. But at Liberty, our students have been modeling this all year long. Earlier this semester, students gave to multiple fundraisers for hurricane recovery efforts, and our LU Send Now teams were dispatched to the Caribbean to lend help during this difficult time of reconstruction. Finally, close to 900 students have signed up to sponsor a child in Rwanda through Compassion International. What a gift their sponsorship will be to a child this Christmas.
Let’s build on our students’ example as we continue in this season of giving. Read more below about how you can be involved in our employee giving campaign and directly impact the lives of your co-workers. You can also read more about the ongoing We The Champions project and how you can help us tell the world about our mission of Training Champions for Christ.
May God bless you and your family this holiday season,
Jerry Falwell
President
You’re Invited to the President’s Christmas Reception!
Get in the Christmas spirit with food and fellowship at the President’s Christmas Reception! Join us at The Food Court at Reber-Thomas on Thursday, Dec. 21, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and enjoy an array of delicious entrees and desserts, including allergen-friendly options. This year’s reception will also feature LED photo walls and an appearance from Santa Claus.
Transportation to and from the reception will be provided via shuttles. Please see the announcement for information.
We The Champions
Following its Aug. 30 launch, the We The Champions project continues to move forward. Homecoming 2017 featured a We The Champions Experience tent that included a Declaration wall to sign, vintage photos of Liberty’s past, the full-length We The Champions video, and promotional items for visitors.
As the project continues, we want to hear stories from the Liberty community of people whose lives display what it means to be a Champion for Christ. If you have a Champion Story, submit it at Liberty.edu/Champions. We will be choosing Champion Award winners every month!
Get Home Faster — Use the New Bridge
Liberty Mountain Drive is now open! This road will help relieve campus traffic and provide you with another option to get home.
As campus grows and traffic increases, we want to keep you up-to-date on new campus routes. See the list below for some of the best options for exiting and entering campus:
- South Campus Bridge
– Follow Liberty Mountain Drive past the East Campus Athletic Complex to University Blvd. via bridge, then to the U.S. 460 West on-ramp to access Wards Road as an alternative to the Wards Road tunnel. - Candlers Mountain Road
– Follow Candlers Mountain Road past Applebee’s to the on-ramp. - Liberty Mountain Drive
– Follow Liberty Mountain Drive past the East Campus Athletic Complex and auxiliary parking lots to access Wards Road by Chili’s. - U.S. 460 East
– Follow the Liberty University Drive bridge to the on-ramp by Doc’s or Candlers Mountain Road past Thomas Road Baptist Church to the on-ramp. - U.S. 460 West
– Follow University Blvd. past the Indoor Practice Facility or the Residential Commons. - Wards Road
– Follow Liberty University Drive to the Wards Road tunnel.
Campus Construction Update
As Liberty’s nearly $1 billion campus upgrade continues, more buildings are opening their doors, and plans are being set in motion.
A recent addition was the Liberty Athletics Center. The facility integrates educational facilities with rehabilitation and strength and conditioning facilities to provide Liberty student-athletes with optimal resources for academic and athletic success. The Liberty Athletics Center features academic offices, tutoring centers, study halls, an Olympic weight room and sports medicine area with exam rooms, an X-ray room, treatment and taping tables, and trainer offices, as well as an athlete fueling station offering performance drinks, smoothies, and nutritious foods.
The Liberty Natatorium is nearing completion and is expected to be completed in January 2018. Located next to the Indoor Track Complex, the 75,000-square-foot Liberty Natatorium will feature an eight-lane, 50-meter pool and a separate 17-foot-deep diving well with a full tower that will include 1- and 3-meter springboards and 1-, 3-, 5-, 7.5-, and 10-meter platforms.
Scheduled to be completed in Winter 2017/Spring 2018 is Freedom Tower. At 275 feet, it will be the tallest structure in the city of Lynchburg. Serving as the focal point of campus, Freedom Tower and its expansive base will be home to the Rawlings School of Divinity, the world’s largest accredited school for religious and ministerial training. The tower will include an observation floor with expansive views, an event space, and a 25-bell carillon. The tower will also feature a scriptorium, housing a collection of some of the rarest Bibles and a life-size replica of the Gutenberg Press.
In October, plans for an expansion of Williams Stadium were announced. As Liberty transitions to the FBS level of college football competition, Williams Stadium will undergo a major upgrade prior to the start of the 2019 season. This expansion will bring seating capacity up to 25,000 and will also include a new scoreboard, more dining options, and road improvements, as well as new bus loading and unloading areas to improve road and foot traffic.
Fall Sports Recap
Football
Liberty began its transition to the FBS in historic fashion, defeating Baylor 48-45 on the road and recording its first-ever win against a Power Five school. The Flames’ 2017 season included big wins over Morehead State and Presbyterian and a last-second victory against Indiana State on a blocked field goal.
Soccer
Men’s soccer finished the 2017 season with an 11-6-1 record. The Flames reached the postseason and defeated Gardner-Webb 3-0 in the Big South Quarterfinals before falling to No. 1 seed High Point in the semifinals, 3-1. The Flames were impressive in Osborne Stadium, where they notched an 8-2 record, including five shutouts.
The Lady Flames found similar success in 2017 and finished 10-7-3, including a 7-1-1 conference record and a 5-1-1 home record. Their season came to end in the Big South Semifinals with a 2-0 loss to Longwood. 2017 was the Lady Flames’ seventh consecutive winning season, and they will look to continue their success next year.
Field Hockey
In their second season of BIG EAST competition, the Lady Flames once again reached the postseason as the runner-up in the conference championship. After defeating Old Dominion 3-1 in the BIG EAST Semifinals, Liberty fell to Connecticut 3-0 in the championship game. The Lady Flames finished the regular season ranked No. 23 in the nation, the second time in 2017 that the team had been ranked.
William Byron Wins NASCAR XFINITY Series Championship
Sophomore William Byron, driver of the No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro, clinched the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship with a third-place finish at the Ford EcoBoost 300 Saturday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Coming off his JR Motorsports rookie-record fourth win of the year last Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, Byron passed and held off Elliott Sadler to edge his teammate in the final points standings, 4,034 to 4,029.
“I don’t think I breathed the last 20 laps,” Byron told NASCAR.com in a post-race interview. “(Sadler) raced me clean and we just raced hard for it. I can’t believe this. That was incredible. This is awesome. I’ve just got to thank God for giving me this platform to perform. It was an unbelievable crowd.”
Byron will move up to NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup Series in 2018 as part of the Hendrick Motorsports team. Liberty will continue to be a primary sponsor in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
2017-18 Liberty Basketball Preview
The Vines Center is heating up this winter with Flames Men’s and Women’s Basketball action!
The men’s team is aiming to build upon last season’s school record 14 wins in the Big South. Head Coach Ritchie McKay’s team features a combination of youth and experience as the Flames return four of five starters. Liberty began the 2017-18 season with an impressive 79-66 victory on the road against Wake Forest. Preseason publications forecast the Flames to contend for the Big South title. The Flames face two opponents at home this month: Maryland Eastern Shore (Friday, Dec. 8) and Kentucky Christian (Saturday, Dec. 16). Their first home game against a Big South school will be on Tuesday, Jan. 2, when they play Charleston Southern.
The Lady Flames return seven of their top eight scorers from the 2016-17 season this year, headlined by Big South Freshman of the Year Keyen Green. After starting the 2017-18 season with its fifth invitation to the Preseason WNIT tournament, Liberty will face six out-of-conference teams this month before facing Big South competition at Presbyterian.
Tickets for men’s and women’s basketball are available now — get yours today.
Help Your Co-workers in Need — Join the Employee Giving Campaign
Financial generosity is one of the most effective ways to meet others’ needs and show the love of Christ. Accidents, health issues, and natural disasters can affect the lives of your co-workers, and the Employee Benevolence Fund is one way that you can champion their needs.
If you have been faithfully giving to the Employee Benevolence Fund, thank you. Your continued generosity is changing the lives of the people that you work with. Recently, we were able to provide financial assistance to a family dealing with the loss of a newborn, a woman who needed hospice care, and a family whose child underwent treatment at a leading research hospital. These are just a few examples of how your giving blesses others.
Please visit the Employee Giving Campaign online to learn more about the Employee Benevolence Fund and how you can give. Your generosity will change lives.
Winterfest 2017
The biggest Christian New Year’s Eve party is almost here — get your tickets today!
Ring in 2018 with thousands of believers, live music, and awesome activities. Winterfest 2017 will feature Switchfoot, Crowder, Skillet, and Andy Mineo, as well as Liberty faculty members Dr. David Wheeler and Dr. Ben Gutierrez. Additional events include student breakout sessions, a Sunday worship service, and access to Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre and the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center.
Visit Liberty.edu/Winterfest for more information, including ticket pricing and a full schedule of events.
Employees of the Month
Congratulations to our Employees of the Month. You are a tremendous blessing to this university, and we are thankful for you. This recognition is proof that you go above and beyond expectations to consistently produce excellent work with a Christlike attitude and spirit. Thank you for all you do to make Liberty a shining light.
October Employees of the Month were: Chris Bettez, Nancy Chartschlaa, Amanda Collins, Rachel Dugan, Lucas Farmer, Dianne Foutz, Darlene Jenkins, Michelo Lully, Ben Nicholes, Brandy Sermons, Phillip Smith, and Katlyn Whitney.
November Employees of the Month were: Sheerah Allison, Debra Beale, Patrice Braxton, Josh Bryant, Scotty Curlee, Tilly Evans, Karen Guthrie, Kerry Hogan, Anna Hutchinson, Jamison Jones, Ashley Lison, Jodi Mayo, Jamie Owen, Andrew Rose, Jessica Schneider, Wayne Shupe, Bret Unbehagen, Grace Whitcomb, and Ronnie Young.
December Employees of the Month are: Diane Austin, Erin Bass, Nathan Coffey, Stephanie Driskill, Julie Elms, Shawn Furman, Beverly Mahoney, Amy Matthews, Micki McKisic, Morgan Hanson, Jennifer Siver, Josh Spradlin, Matt Staton, Steve Tozier, and Jason Wood.
You Stand Out
Senior university leadership has been looking for staff members who exemplify exceptional commitment to Liberty’s customer service standards. Last month, tickets* were handed out as our way of thanking those whose hard work and dedication (often behind the scenes) make a difference.
Congratulations to You Stand Out recipients: Owen Baker, Marc Boucher, Heather Cihak, Abby Faber, Vickey Jaynes, Jonathan Jeffery, Hannah Lacey, Steve Lambert, Steve Mathwin, Theresa McNabb, Ryan Phelps, Jonathan Ramsey, Kristian Stevenson, Keith Waller, Anna Chekashkina, Lynette Whorley, Joy Federico, David Morgan, Aaron Roach, Summer Fabrizi, Brennon Carlson, Jenna Parisen, Alexandra Ferrara, Brayden Shambley, Heather Amberg, Matthew Glass, Donald Hawkins, Roland Parris, Jeremy Olachea, Leah Seavers, Mackenzie Kern, Candace Kingrea, Douglas Perry, and Mary Franklin.
*Remember, these tickets are redeemable for a Barnes & Noble gift card. Be on the lookout — you never know when someone might notice that You Stand Out!