Welcoming Liberty families
Liberty University’s Parent and Family Connections will be hosting its fourth annual Spring Family Weekend on March 2-4, where students’ families can come and enjoy a fun weekend full of events.
Family — Liberty families get a treat by enjoying campus activities. Photo credit: Caleb Atkins, Office of Promotional Publications
For the Spring Family Weekend, an estimated 700 parents will come and join their students in classes and convocation Friday, March 2.
Activities planned for the weekend are: touring the campus, family ice skating, family skiing and snowboarding at Snowflex, baseball game, basketball game, theatre production, family luncheon, coffee bar meet and greet and family movie night.
“I loved every minute—It was wonderful being able to do things with my Liberty student and the family,” the parent of a freshman student said in a survey about last year’s event.
Liberty’s Fall Family Weekend is much larger with an attendance of 3,000 family members. Parents drive and fly in from all over North America to attend, including Canada and California.
Parents were so happy about Fall Family Weekend that Spring Family Weekend began after multiple requests from parents in a survey.
Family Weekend is not just an eventful weekend that allows students and their parents to have fun, but it is a family investment.
“We had an awesome time. Our two younger daughters, ages 10 and 12, are still talking about seeing Candace Cameron at convocation and being able to attend classes with their sister. They also loved snowboarding for the first time. The highlight, though, was probably spending the night with her in her dorm. They really miss her,” the parent of a freshman student said in a survey.
A couple that attended family day nine years ago for their eldest of four children now has their youngest attending Liberty University. They have shared their experience with friends and now eight other church families have students attending Liberty.
“It’s a wonderful recruitment opportunity as well,” Parent and Family Connections Director Theresa Dunbar said.
Most children whose parents come to Liberty’s Family Weekend for their child’s freshmen year are the oldest. Because of this, Liberty allows siblings to stay on the halls.
Siblings staying on the halls must be at least 10 years old and of the same gender.
“Parents … love coming, especially during the Fall Family Weekend, and going to the football game. It has the American apple pie feel. They want to come see the campus, go to the bookstore and buy their Liberty sweatshirts … It’s a good way to get the family connected and make them a part of the Liberty family,” Dunbar said.
Family weekend brings the biggest revenue to the bookstore. Parents love to come and buy Liberty souvenirs to keep from their visit, according to Dunbar.
Liberty’s Parent and Family Connections Office began in 2005 after an overwhelming turnout for parent’s day, which began in 2001 and was sponsored by admissions.
The first parent’s day had 400 in attendance. The next year, the number doubled. By 2003, 1,200 parents on average were attending parent’s day.
“We started to provide this because we recognized how involved families were,” Dunbar said.
To register for the event, visit the Parents and Family Connections page at www.liberty.edu. For more information, contact the office by phone at (434) 582-2339.