All Hail CSER: A change in CSER requirement for freshman and first-year transfer students
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- Religion 105 replaces Biblical Worldview 101 and 102 to allow freshman and first-year transfer students to complete CSER.
- Changes allow students to complete Christian service separate from academic credits.
Residential freshmen and transfer students now join the ranks of upper classmen in taking Christian Service credit their first year on campus starting this semester.
According to Dr. Lew Weider, executive director of LU Serve, the development of Religion 105 is responsible for the change. First year students at Liberty previously earned CSER credit by taking Biblical Worldview 101 and 102 their first two semesters. Now, the biblical worldview classes have been combined into one class called Religion 105, which does not count for CSER.
“Two one-credit-hour classes became one two-credit-hour class, which creates the opportunity and requirement for students to enroll in CSER their first semester and get credit for it,” Weider said.
According to Weider, having one class in place of two benefits the students.
“This was designed to eliminate one-credit-hour classes to provide students the opportunity to graduate in an efficient manner,” Weider said. “If they can complete that requirement in one semester, that frees up the time in the next semester to take a different class.”
Weider added that part of the reason Religion 105 does not count for CSER is to distinguish CSER from academic courses. He pointed out that CSER is designed to teach students community service, which he said is a skill that they will need in all spheres and stages of life.
Weider specified that all undergraduate students with a residential Degree Completion Plan must serve a minimum of 20 hours each semester they are at Liberty for up to eight semesters. Weider also stated students must remember to get their CSER approved and registered before they complete their service, and they must fill out the CSER evaluation form after they complete their service.
Additionally, Weider stressed the flexibility of the CSER requirement. He said students can serve their 20 hours in the spring, summer, fall or winter terms or serve double or triple CSER hours in any given term. This means that a student can catch up on CSER if they did not fulfill the requirement in a previous term, or they can get ahead if they know they will not have time to do it in a future term.
Weider said the CSER registration deadline for this semester is Oct. 2. He recommended that students with questions about CSER ask student leadership on their halls, visit the LU Serve page on Liberty’s website or email LU Serve.
LU Serve Local Engagement and International Engagement provides more resources to students searching for an organization to serve. Cassie Marroquin, campus impact coordinator for LU Serve, said students can come to their office, which is on the south side of Dorm 20 in the Hill residential area, or call their office number if they need help getting connected with an organization.
“We love students serving, and we want to help get them connected,” Marroquin said.
Marroquin also mentioned a series of monthly workshops that LU Serve has coordinated. The first one, entitled “Poverty to Progress,” is Sept. 19.
Marroquin said that these workshops are an excellent way to connect with an organization that could give CSER hours. For more information, students can visit the LU Serve website.