Summer 2017 Employee Newsletter
A Word From The President
Commencement 2017 was historic in many ways. It was President Donald Trump’s first Commencement speech as president of the United States, and it marked the second time that Liberty has hosted a sitting U.S. president as the keynote speaker. Our 44th Commencement, including all of the related events over the weekend, was the largest we have ever held on campus.
I am so proud of our teams that went far above their job requirements to ensure that our graduates and their families had one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. The hard work did not go unnoticed. During the weekend, people repeatedly told me about the warm welcome they received here and commented on how professional our staff was. At Liberty, we have become experts in hosting large events. From concerts and sporting events, to Convocations and conferences — and even our first televised political debate this year — our teams execute full-fledged productions and at the same time provide exceptional service to our students, faculty, and guests. Our staff not only fulfill the task at hand, they also add those special touches that make people want to return to Liberty again and again.
Commencement was successful because of the cooperation between every one of you who has invested in the lives of our students as an employee at Liberty. All across the nation, people were tuning in to watch something that you made possible. I take great pride in being part of an institution whose employees set the highest standard. I thank you for your year-round commitment to serve alongside me as we send Champions for Christ out into the world.
Jerry Falwell
President
Commencement 2017
May 13 was a monumental day for Liberty University, as the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, delivered Liberty’s 44th Commencement speech. President Trump addressed a crowd of over 50,000 guests and 6,100 attending graduates, encouraging them to follow their dreams and never give up.
The 18,000 graduates ranged in age from 16 to 88, and their most popular programs were human services counseling, psychology, interdisciplinary studies, business, and business administration.
What a blessing it was to see these men and women boldly launched into their callings! Liberty’s faculty and staff look forward to seeing how this class of Liberty alumni will impact the world for Christ. See the recap video here.
A Whole New Level of Football
Liberty’s football program is rising to a whole new level of competition, and you won’t want to miss the action.
The Flames are beginning their transition to the FBS by lining up games against some of the most elite football programs in the country, like Auburn and Ole Miss from the SEC and Virginia Tech and Wake Forest from the ACC. You can also look forward to matchups against Big 12 powerhouse Baylor and Big 10 standout Rutgers, as well as showdowns against BYU and Syracuse in Williams Stadium.
Experience this historic rise from the beginning — order your season tickets now for as low as $45!
Employee Appreciation
Impacting lives has been, and always will be, the heartbeat of this university. The You Matter initiative was founded on this principle. Thank you for the difference you and your team are making in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff.
In the spirit of gratitude, Liberty Dining Services by Sodexo hosted its annual employee appreciation luncheon on May 11, and 2,100 employees enjoyed a complimentary lunch at The Food Court at Reber-Thomas.
The university would also like to congratulate our Years of Service Award recipients. Employees are eligible for the award when they have served at Liberty for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40-plus years.
Thank you for all you do to further the mission of Liberty University. Your efforts to Train Champions for Christ are making an eternal difference!
Get Fit This Summer — For Free!
From now until Aug. 22, faculty and staff can use the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center for free! Faculty and staff can also participate in all summer Group Exercise Classes, as well as the Summer Weight Loss Training Program, from May 30-July 25. Registration for the Summer Weight Loss Training Program is $50 and due by May 25. For summer hours of operation, a schedule of classes, registration information, and more, visit the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center website.
The following memberships are available for faculty and staff:
Bowling Memberships (Montview Student Union)
- $30/month
Summer Swim Pass
- $10/day
- $20/week
- $60/month
- $150 — all summer (May 22-Aug. 22)
LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center Membership (Faculty/Staff Spouse Membership)
- $15/week
- $30/month
- $75 — all summer (May 22-Aug. 22)
Family Recreation Pass (LaHaye and David’s Place)
- $40/week
- $120/month
- $300 — all summer (May 22-Aug. 22)
Liberty’s Rashad Jennings Wins “Dancing with the Stars”
Former LU star football player and NFL free agent Rashad Jennings and his partner, Emma Slater, danced their way to victory on May 23, winning season 24 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Liberty hosted a watch party for the season finale in the LaHaye Event Space, and the live broadcast cut to the party during the episode. Jennings’ parents, Albert and Deborah, along with President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki, joined a large crowd to see Jennings and Slater win “Dancing with the Stars.”
In April, Liberty flew Jennings’ parents, brother, and sister-in-law in a private jet to Los Angeles to see him perform live in the show’s “Most Memorable Year” episode. President Jerry Falwell saw them off, and his wife, Becki, and daughter, Caroline, joined the Jennings family and attended the live event. A pre-filmed video shown during the episode revealed how Jennings overcame a strained relationship with his father and learned the value of unconditional love. Read the full story.
Provost Introduces Two New Schools
Beginning in July, the School of Communication & Creative Arts will be divided into the School of Communication & Digital Content (SCDC) and the School of Visual & Performing Arts (SVPA). SCDC will be led by Bruce Kirk and consist of the Department of Strategic & Personal Communication as well as the Department of Digital Content & Journalism. SVPA, under the direction of Scott Hayes, will house the departments of cinema, theatre, and studio & digital arts.
Campus Construction Continues
Liberty’s nearly $1 billion campus upgrade continues to reshape the landscape, with several buildings nearing completion and others just beginning. Construction on the upcoming School of Business will start this summer, replacing Elmer Towns Religion Hall. The building will provide business students with a state-of-the-art learning facility, including meeting, conference, and executive boardrooms, a 500-seat auditorium, and a number of innovative spaces, from information technology labs to networking and data centers. More information about the upcoming School of Business building can be found here.
Both the Liberty Indoor Football Practice Facility and the Liberty Natatorium are expected to be completed this summer, bringing exciting upgrades to Liberty’s athletics facilities. Construction on both the Academic and Performance Center and Freedom Tower continues to progress, and both structures are expected to be completed in Fall 2017.
Located five miles from campus on Liberty Mountain, the 380-acre Equestrian Center recently underwent an expansion that added two new riding rings (one outdoor and one indoor), a new barn featuring 24 stalls (bringing the total on-site to 60), and a team room and a locker room for Liberty’s 33 Hunt Seat and Western student riders. Read more about the center’s expansion here.
2017 Summer Camps
Summertime at Liberty University bustles with young students having a blast at one of our many academic or athletic summer camps. Would your kids enjoy attending? Sign them up!
Whether it’s music, lacrosse, soccer, skateboarding, theatre, basketball, or another pursuit, summer camp at Liberty is unforgettable. Campers will sharpen their talents and learn new skills from experienced instructors in a fun, safe environment.
Space is limited, so don’t wait! Visit Liberty.edu/SummerCamps for more information and a full list of available camps.
Spring Sports Recap
The Flames found success in Spring 2017, highlighted by the men’s and women’s track & field teams winning the 2017 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships for a second consecutive year.
Golf
The team finished as runner-up at the 2017 Big South Men’s Golf Championship. Liberty has now placed inside the top three teams in eight of the last nine years, winning titles in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Softball
Under the guidance of Olympic gold medalist Dot Richardson (head coach), Liberty Softball finished this season with a 16-5 conference record and 35-20 overall record. The energized team looks to shine in the conference tournament in 2017.
Baseball
D.J. Artis (2016 Big South Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American, and VaSID Rookie of the Year) and Will Shepherd headline Liberty’s returning players and talented base of recruits looking to claim the Flames’ eighth Big South title. The Flames entered the season ranked No. 3 in the Big South and so far have knocked out nationally ranked opponents, No. 9 St. John’s and No. 3 North Carolina.
Lacrosse
The 2017 season provided an opportunity for the women’s lacrosse team to test itself against a challenging schedule as it made a push for another conference championship appearance. The team posted a regular season 4-3 conference record and won their Big South Championship opening round matchup against Longwood.
Track & Field
For the second straight season, Liberty swept the men’s and women’s team titles at the 2017 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships. The team looks to also repeat its sweep of the Big South Outdoor Championships. The program is now competing in its new facility, which was completed in January. The 169,000-square-foot Liberty University Indoor Track Complex includes a six-lane, hydraulically banked 200-meter oval track.
Men’s Tennis
The men’s tennis team closed out the challenging season with a 7-15 overall record and is looking forward to next year. Freshman Chase Burton was named to the Big South Conference First Team All-Conference Singles list.
Women’s Tennis
Women’s tennis finished the regular season with a 7-1 conference record, as well as a share of the Big South Conference regular season title for the second straight season. The team also made a Big South Championship title match appearance.
Mark Your Calendars for the Virginia Commonwealth Games
The Virginia Commonwealth Games will be back this summer at Liberty University, July 21-23!
Sign up to compete in the games or come cheer on your friends and co-workers. Visit CommonwealthGames.org for a list of games, registration information, and more.
Pick Up Your Copy of the Summer 2017 Liberty Journal!
The Summer 2017 edition of the Liberty Journal is now available! Visit Liberty.edu/Journal today or pick up a free copy on campus. This issue’s featured stories include a recap of Commencement 2017 — highlighted by guest speaker President Donald J. Trump, a focus on LU Send service projects, Liberty’s approval to start the FBS reclassification process, and more!
Employee Giving Sees a 186 Percent Increase!
Your contributions continue to change lives! Since April, 401 employees have given to the Employee Giving Campaign, an increase of 200 participants. The top giving departments are the Office of Development, the Office of Spiritual Development, Liberty Athletics, and Student Financial Services. The designations that have received the most gifts are the Employee Benevolence Fund, LU Send, LU Serve, Flames Club, The Journey FM, Parent Loss Scholarship, School of Nursing Scholarship, and the Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine Outreach. In 2017 alone, employees have given to 78 different designations.
However, your help is still needed to reach the Office of Development’s goal of 100 percent participation. It doesn’t matter how much you give — every gift counts. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit the Employee Giving Campaign website.
Employees Of The Month
Congratulations to our Employees of the Month. You are a tremendous blessing to this university, and we are thankful for you. This recognition is proof that you go above and beyond expectations to consistently produce excellent work with a Christlike attitude and spirit. Thank you for all you do to make Liberty a shining light.
April Employees of the Month were: Kerry Bridges, Lindsay Burgess, Jason Byrd, Randy Campbell, Mary Dowell, Josh Eble, Victoria Hyden, Cheryl Job, Glenn Loving, Amanda Melton, Steve Nelson, Mikayla Parlos, Bethany Scott, Kathy Shaibani, and Jarrod Stillings.
May Employees of the Month were: Tammy Austin, Kari Barton, K.J. Chambers, Jared Conner, Owen Davenport, Cheryl Gray, Mickey Guridy, Caron Miltier, Bradley Moore, Julie Ocampo, Leah Trent, Ethan Wright, and Julia Yoda.
June Employees of the Month are: Chelsea Bevins, Jerry Childress, Kelly Davis, Stacy Dawson, Ellen Feild, Ryan Helm, Lauren Janiec, John “Hank” Jett, Jason Lewis, Randy Long, Richard Martin, Jim Peper, Shiree Thompson, David Thornton, Brant Tolsma, Emily Watkins, Todd Williams, and Robbie Young.
You Stand Out
Senior university leadership has been looking for staff members who exemplify exceptional commitment to Liberty’s customer service standards. Last month, tickets* were handed out as our way of thanking those whose hard work and dedication (often behind the scenes) made a difference.
Congratulations to You Stand Out recipients: Bailey Anderson, Owen Baker, Kyle Breen, Brooke Campbell, Mark Cheatham, Jonathan Chung, Courtney Cox, Julie Glover, Mariah Herring, Anne Howerton, William Ketron, Mary Long, Michaelle McCarthy, Amy Milano, David Morgan, Debbie Naylor, Nicholas Pavlovic, Beth Perez, Chad Ritchie, Maureen Robinson, Erica Shahinian-Miller, Emily Shaw, Aaron Sparkman, Nathan Spencer, Matthew Staton, Mariah Swinson, Jerry Truax, Jaime Velastegui, Hannah Womack, and Ronnie Young.
*Remember, these tickets are redeemable for a Barnes & Noble gift card. Be on the lookout — you never know when someone might notice that You Stand Out!