[Flamesfanva]

The impending retirement of a key Liberty University official will likely result in a shake-up of the structure of the school’s administrative staff.

Executive Vice President David L. Young announced last week that he will be stepping down effective July 1 to accept a teaching position in the school’s aviation program.

Young announced his retirement at a meeting of LU’s Board of Trustees.

Young’s departure will force a redistribution of his administrative duties, which include overseeing the school’s budget and managing the day-to-day operation of the campus.

“This is a good time for institutional change,” Young said. “We need to structure the organization to meet the future needs of the university.”

When he was named the school’s chief operations officer two years ago, Young, a retired Air Force general, said he planned to stay on the job just a couple of years.

“It’s been fun actually,” he said. “But I love to fly.”



The reorganization

One point of emphasis in the reorganization will be to promote the growth of the university’s distance-learning program, which will have between 13,000 and 14,000 students enrolled this year.

Under a proposed plan, distance-learning recruiting will be overseen by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the school’s chancellor, and Ron Godwin, who will have the title of executive vice president.

Falwell and Godwin, who has a Ph.D in higher education planning and management, have led a residential recruitment effort that has seen the school’s on-campus student population grow dramatically in the past several years.

At the current growth rate, the school’s on-campus population could top 10,000 students within two years.

Falwell has a stated goal of having 25,000 residential students and 25,000 distance-learning students at the end of 10 years.

Distance-learning students complete the bulk of their course work either online or via DVDs without attending classes on the Lynchburg campus.

Young was a pivotal figure in giving the school’s distance-learning program new life several years ago.

When he began developing a recruiting plan in 2000, the school had about 3,000 distance-learning students or 10,000 less than it now has.

“I think there is an exciting future for the distance-learning program,” he said.

One possible change will be the use of LU recruiters to bolster enrollment efforts for distance-learning programs.

In the past, marketing of the distance-learning program has been handled by an outside vendor, which promoted the program on a fee basis.

“We have written a check to them once a year for their services,” said Jerry Falwell Jr., LU’s vice chancellor.

Godwin and Falwell Sr. believe growth could be accelerated by a more hands-on approach by university staff.

The reshuffling of personnel to meet the needs of the distance-learning program has already begun.

Ron Kennedy, who has been the No. 2 man in the school’s successful residential recruitment program, has been tapped as the head of distance-learning recruiting. He now manages 146 employees.

There has also been discussions about using the current Thomas Road Baptist Church as a distance-learning headquarters once the church moves into its new building on the LU campus in July.

While the details of the administrative flow chart are still being worked out, Falwell Sr.’s role in bolstering distance-learning enrollment has pretty well been set.

“We want the chancellor to be directly involved with DLP recruitment,” Godwin said. “What we have learned is that what Dr. Falwell is involved in enjoys the greatest growth. He is one of the most creative recruiters of young people in the country.”

Godwin said LU could become the Christian equivalent of the University of Phoenix, an online school that boasts a 300,000 student enrollment.

The University of Phoenix student body increased by 85,000 students just last year.

One drawback to having an outside firm promote LU’s distance-learning program is that the company has not emphasized the school’s Christian roots.

“We’ve been enjoying a steady growth in distance-learning,” Godwin said. “We believe the potential for growth is unlimited.”

Falwell Jr. said the distance-learning program could become an important component in the university’s overall revenue stream.

While distance-learning students pay either the same or more than residential students in tuition, they do not require attendant expenditures, such as the construction of residential halls, academic buildings, convocation buildings or dining halls.

With a lower overhead, distance-learning programs have the potential to be more profitable for the school.

“As the school grows, we have to build more buildings,” Falwell Jr. said. “We hope DLP will help us pay for those buildings.”

The timing for LU’s emphasis on its distance-learning programs couldn’t be better.

Congress recently removed a cap on the number of distance-learning students an university can serve. Previously, the number of distance-learning students could not exceed the number of residential students.

“Now, there is no legal limit on growth,” Falwell Jr. said.

Isn't LU still in need of a president? Wasn't Dr. Borek the last one?

[A.G.]

When they reorganized 5 mins ago, Young and Rist took over much of Borek's duties. Rist is in charge, as Provost, of all things academic. This should be interesting.

[El Scorcho]

Isn't LU still in need of a president? Wasn't Dr. Borek the last one?

No. When Borek left, the executives were restructured. Dr. Falwell is Chancellor and President. Then there are many VP's under him, each with their own duties. General Young was the VP over the business side, while Rist was made VP on the Academic side. All other VP's report to them, more or less. Also of note from the previous re-organization is that Jerry Falwell, Jr. was named Vice Chancellor, which puts him squarely in line to be Chancellor and President at the moment his dad leaves those duties behind. (We all know when that will happen.)

[TallyW]

"5 mins ago" LOL

It shall be interesting... and what the heck was that line about Thomas Road becoming home to Distance Learning??????

Who in the world at Thomas Road can lead the Distance Learning Department? I know Jonathan is over there but I wouldn't think he'd even want that role.... Unless Doc wants his sons to oversee each arm of it... JR on campus and Jonathan DLP ???

That line was a very quick line in the midst of the story that actually carries a lot of implications.

[A.G.]

Perhaps they are talking about the old TRBC site??

[TallyW]

"There has also been discussions about using the current Thomas Road Baptist Church as a distance-learning headquarters once the church moves into its new building on the LU campus in July. "




AND I STAND CORRECTED... A.G. you are correct... Looking back... that does seem to be what they mean. Using the facility, not the staff. I first read that to mean that they would use the church as a "home" thereby mixing it's leadership. When the Doc talks about his vision of putting LU back under the leadership of the local church this sentence frightened me but it all makes sense now. Thanks for pointing that out A.G.