BuryYourDuke wrote:What people say to your face, and what they say behind closed doors are entirely different in many cases...
Bingo, BYD hit it on the nail!
Posters on this board that feel that we are not being held back by our academic, political, and comments made by JF SR have their head buried in the sand. Our lack of success on the field amd lack thereof postseason success, mainly in football and basketball field is also hurting us. Yes we have money, upgraded facilities, and fully funded and fully staffed athletic department, and yes are all pluses. If we cannot be viewed as a peer academic institution, we will not be invited. Unless, there is more significant realignment movement that happens soon, then the SBC might take a good and hard look and willing to invites us. And that's after JMU, Jax ST,MO ST, SHSU, and Larmar decline or not voted in, or blocked by other members.
It is general knowledge that JLF JR and JB are attempting to lead us in positive direction and I feel that are doing the best they can. Academic institutions and the rest of the world don't have a short memory It not about our religious views, it's how and what we've delivered to the public and in what context we've delivered in, and depending on what situation we have applied it to.
I know that LU is making improvements to our academic programs, but I want to see Liberty to become a premiere and prestigious institution of higher learning. Not a research university, but focused and grounded on a higher level of academic success and further extending our research focus our academic programs, and raising our admissions standards, and recruiting higher caliber students to LU. We can do this without compromising our mission, standards and morals. There a re plenty of instructions of higher learning that have been able to accomplish this. Look at BYU, we are obviously not aligned with them theologically and look at their success as a Mormon University.
I am from California and currently reside here as well and I have been to many Christian and catholic colleges here. These institutions have been able to reach a considerable level of academic success without compromising their mission, morals, and theology; and are still respected and successful universities and colleges. Two schools that come to mind that remind me of Liberty from a Chistian environment perspective is Biola and Westmont college. They have a very intimate, inviting, and supportive environment like LU, but LU has an NCAA DIV I athletics and larger institution by enrollment. Biola and Westmont are also academically accomplished schools, I feel that Liberty has the resources to be similarly accomplished from an academic perspective.
Many students that are not even Christian apply to these schools because, they have a lot to offer them, such as considerable opportunities after college because they attended a great school, now imagine if you added a large enrollment with NCAA DIV I athletic department. We need to work on polishing our rep and work on being more inviting, tolerant, and serving our fellow man. So we are at least viewed in that manner, because perception is everything and viewed as reality. I am not saying to become liberal or secular, just more academically respected , less inflammatory, and viewed more as a tolerant school. And definitley disassociate with people that hurt our image as an institution. These are my views as a fellow alum with concerns on Liberty's growth and direction.
(End Rant)
Whew!
- By thecomeback
- By cruzan_flame13