New website gives all students a chance to experience campus life

Liberty University launched a new interactive website today designed to engage its online and residential students in campus events.

At www.liberty.edu/communities, students can watch live streaming events of Convocation (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m.) and Campus Church (Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.). Recorded streaming events will be played throughout the day. Students can participate in a live-chat feature, submit private prayer requests to the Campus Pastors office, take notes, and get connected with a counselor at Liberty. There is also a map of churches and Facebook and Twitter integration. Students will have an opportunity to volunteer for Christian Service to help moderate the live chat.

With more than 80,000 online students, Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. has led the effort to find ways to make the online experience similar to what is offered residential students.

Ted Whitney, director of the Online Communities site, said the new website “makes use of the latest technology to engage our students studying from all areas of the world.”

Campus Pastor Johnnie Moore has been involved in the jump-start of the website. Last year he sponsored a test event when Liberty held “Church on Facebook” with about an estimated 40,000 viewers.

“Naturally we thought that this technological innovation provided a platform upon which we can deliver more of the community components that make the spiritual atmosphere here so strong—so much of our trademark,” he said.

With the launching of this site, the dream “to replicate the community experience from the resident campus to the online side of the university” can become a reality, Moore said. “It’s the beauty of the 21st century.”