SGA holds Town Hall for students to discuss university-related concerns
Why the Jerry Falwell Center? Who picks Convocation speakers? What’s going on with the MK scholarships?
These are just a few of the questions answered at the town hall event held by the Student Government Association on Thursday, April 13. Those in attendance had the opportunity to hear from upper-level administration from nine different departments across campus on a variety of topics relevant to students today.
The evening consisted of a time of administration updates, a prepared Q&A session and an open mic to ask any questions not submitted prior to the event. The discussion spanned a wide range of topics, including the Jerry Falwell Center, Convocation guests, meal plans and housing.
The panel of administrators included Mark Hine (Student Affairs), Greg Dowell (Office of Equity and Inclusion), Ron Sloan (Office of Security and Public Safety), Ashley Reich (Office of Equity and Compliance), Josh Rutledge (Office of Spiritual Development), Louis Cambeletta (Auxiliary Services), Dustin DuBose (Student Life), Brian Yates (CASAS) and Mark Hyde (Dean of Students). Hyde acted as the emcee of the event, directing the flow of the discussion.
Throughout the evening, administrators emphasized their desire to listen to students and serve the school well.
“I love this place, and I’m passionate about keeping it a life-transforming place,” Hine said.
The town hall began with a time for updates from the different offices on campus. Administrators discussed OEC’s move from Green Hall to DeMoss Hall 1232, plans for a new bus stop, better lighting at Slim Chickens and upgrades to the new dining hall.
During the Q&A portion of the event, administrators addressed questions that had been submitted via a link given out at Convocation the week prior. The most prominent question submitted by students concerned the construction of the Jerry Falwell Center. Several questions had expressed concern about why school resources are going to something that appears to hold little academic value.
Hine addressed these concerns by giving insight about the Board’s position. As people who knew Jerry Falwell Sr., they want the current students who never experienced the school under his leadership to understand more about the school’s history, according to Hine.
“It’s to honor him, certainly, but it’s really to help people understand how this place even exists,” Hine said.
Dowell and Hyde also chimed in to affirm Hine’s explanation and assure students that the Board did not decide to build the Jerry Falwell Center without considering the many people it would affect.
“It’s not just for you now. It’s for the generations that follow you and the ones who came before to remind them of where they’ve been,” Hyde said.
In addition to questions about housing and meal plan protocols and the Office of Equity and Inclusion, one of the questions addressed how Convocation guests are chosen. As Convocation is mandatory for residential students, the guest choices impact a large percentage of Liberty’s student body. Rutledge gave some insight into the process of choosing guests for Convocation and asserted that students can significantly contribute to that process.
“I think most students would be really surprised about how much influence they have when it comes to who speaks at Convo,” Rutledge said. “I think students underestimate how much your voice counts and is heard.”
During the open mic portion at the end of the event, students had the opportunity to address the administrators directly with questions that had not yet been answered. People lined up to ask questions about room renewals, curfew checks, the MK Scholarship program, Starbucks on campus and Liberty Way updates before time constraints brought the evening to a close.
Wrapping up the evening’s event, Hyde assured the attendees that all questions would be answered eventually through a Town Hall website, which is in development.
Campbell is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion