Still not sure how I feel about this. Will LU take a UOPX approach and put a satellite school in a shopping strip or some sort shared business office building? Or will they build a brand new/renovated standalone building and give it a real college feel. Link to news article is below.

http://t.co/BfIqUUnrE7

I don't know any details, but I'm overall not in favor of a satilite campus. It does nothing to help our image that many think of Liberty as being an online school. I also know you can't bite the hand that feeds you. Liberty if where it is today due to the online program and the hundreds of millions it's brought to the LU coffers. I'll take a wait and see approach.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

This is the type of thing that has so many conferences scratching their head about LU. It certainly gives the appearance that Liberty would prefer to have the Phoenix University as a peer rather than Appalachian State. We all know it takes a lot of money to run a university, but it cannot be about the money, it has to be about a student's education.

I'll be perfectly honest with you, as much as I wanted to have a home game in the first round of the playoffs, I do not believe JMU acted responsible in bidding over $200k. I only ask for us to be competitive in all that we do, and if that means losing a reasonable bid then so be it. In 2012, we were not responsible when we bid less than $50k. We know how much it cost to put on an event and there is nothing wrong with saying something is too rich for my blood. Certainly, a school stands to make significant gains in exposure by being the host, and I don't mind tossing some money into the bid and considering it marketing.

Its the same as on the gridiron, sure, its fun to win, but for me its about competing and being competitive, that game was set to be just that, whether in Lynchburg or Harrisonburg. What message did this bid send to our young students, "if you have enough money, you can buy anything." You know as well as I, this is far from the truth. I encourage Liberty to resist the temptation of the dollar.

(02-20-2015 08:18 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  This is the type of thing that has so many conferences scratching their head about LU. It certainly gives the appearance that Liberty would prefer to have the Phoenix University as a peer rather than Appalachian State. We all know it takes a lot of money to run a university, but it cannot be about the money, it has to be about a student's education.

I'll be perfectly honest with you, as much as I wanted to have a home game in the first round of the playoffs, I do not believe JMU acted responsible in bidding over $200k. I only ask for us to be competitive in all that we do, and if that means losing a reasonable bid then so be it. In 2012, we were not responsible when we bid less than $50k. We know how much it cost to put on an event and there is nothing wrong with saying something is too rich for my blood. Certainly, a school stands to make significant gains in exposure by being the host, and I don't mind tossing some money into the bid and considering it marketing.

Its the same as on the gridiron, sure, its fun to win, but for me its about competing and being competitive, that game was set to be just that, whether in Lynchburg or Harrisonburg. What message did this bid send to our young students, "if you have enough money, you can buy anything." You know as well as I, this is far from the truth. I encourage Liberty to resist the temptation of the dollar.

I couldn't agree more.

(02-20-2015 08:18 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  This is the type of thing that has so many conferences scratching their head about LU.

Distance learning is here to stay. Lots of schools are getting onboard ASAP.

(02-20-2015 08:42 AM)Liberty Fan Wrote:  

(02-20-2015 08:18 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  This is the type of thing that has so many conferences scratching their head about LU.

Distance learning is here to stay. Lots of schools are getting onboard ASAP.

It is but there is a fine line between what UOPX does and what LU wants to do. Time will tell how this really looks but it does feel very UOPX'ish and that gives me a bad feeling. Even Grand Canyon U doesn't have a satellite campus and they are for-profit and play D-1 ball in the WAC.

Lots of folks in Texas have never heard of LU and are surprised they play D-1 sports after they find out of LU's existence. The thing about Texas it feels like where one gets their degree has a good ole boy system influence. If someone went to any Texas school that looks great on a resume. All unknown outside schools don't really move the needle unless it's a well known one. My fear is folks in Texas will find out of LU's existence when they see it in Dallas. So when I say I graduated from LU their reply will be "oh you mean that school in the shopping strip by the airport in Dallas"....yeah that's pretty embarrassing. Since it's not a Texas school it will automatically be seen as a UOPX type school.

It depends how it's done. I like many of the recent decisions that have been made so I'm ready to wait it out and see what the plan is. Purple, I agree with you overall, but to a school like liberty that has seen some incredibly hard financial woes, how do you say no to making sure the school never sees those days again? It's a tough call for sure. As liberty fan stated, the online program isn't going anywhere so they need to do the best they can with it.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

(02-20-2015 08:18 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  This is the type of thing that has so many conferences scratching their head about LU. It certainly gives the appearance that Liberty would prefer to have the Phoenix University as a peer rather than Appalachian State. We all know it takes a lot of money to run a university, but it cannot be about the money, it has to be about a student's education.

I'll be perfectly honest with you, as much as I wanted to have a home game in the first round of the playoffs, I do not believe JMU acted responsible in bidding over $200k. I only ask for us to be competitive in all that we do, and if that means losing a reasonable bid then so be it. In 2012, we were not responsible when we bid less than $50k. We know how much it cost to put on an event and there is nothing wrong with saying something is too rich for my blood. Certainly, a school stands to make significant gains in exposure by being the host, and I don't mind tossing some money into the bid and considering it marketing.

Its the same as on the gridiron, sure, its fun to win, but for me its about competing and being competitive, that game was set to be just that, whether in Lynchburg or Harrisonburg. What message did this bid send to our young students, "if you have enough money, you can buy anything." You know as well as I, this is far from the truth. I encourage Liberty to resist the temptation of the dollar.

BP, as a LU fan, not affiliated with the university, church or high school, or having never attended any event at LU except athletic events, I also am scratching my head with this one. One would thought that they could have waited for this decision after they got an FBS invite. When former Bob McDonald was hired as a professor, after having felony charges filed against him, and with all his and his wife's baggage, many also wondered what was the wisdom and logic associated with this move.

It's decisions like this, which fortunately have been fewer in the recent past, that creates a situation, to justifiably to poke fun at LU. All any LU fan has to do is go to any board and make a post, and the satirical comments come about the online presence of LU. With administration educators in my family for Radford University, they envy the online presence of LU. It is a very progressive way for higher education, whether it is liked or not, to evolve in the future. The management of online education is another matter.

In the 30+years that I have supported LU athletics, I have forgiven them for the many short sighted blunders on positions on gay rights, 911, Bob McDonald hiring, and Staver as LU Law Dean and more. I've been able to justify the forgiveness by statements and changes made by the university. It's timing mistakes like this that really makes one wonder if LU, at times is it's own worst enemy. Those that drink the LU cool aid will accept without questioning what the school is doing.

Those who support the athletics of the university that don't endorse or participate in the non-athletic activities have to wonder what is going on. We can expect the Phoenix, DeVery, Kaplan jokes to accelerate. In a twist of irony, here's an article listing the 30 best online colleges, http://www.thebestschools.org/rankings/3...eges-2014/ from a Harvard professor from Texas. Penn State, Florida, Boston College, Drexel and Liberty are listed. Talk about online mismanagement. Go figure.

(02-20-2015 09:59 AM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  It depends how it's done. I like many of the recent decisions that have been made so I'm ready to wait it out and see what the plan is. Purple, I agree with you overall, but to a school like liberty that has seen some incredibly hard financial woes, how do you say no to making sure the school never sees those days again? It's a tough call for sure. As liberty fan stated, the online program isn't going anywhere so they need to do the best they can with it.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

There is a huge difference in setting up a satellite campus on or near a Military base, or allowing the opportunity for military or other government employees to have a means to obtain an education, but when your market is the general population, you are asking for insolence from those you want to consider LU a peer. Wake Forest, Villanova and many others offer satellite campuses, but they are very careful who their target market is.

I bet this map has a little bit to do with it .... https://www.google.com/maps/search/how+m...6930535,8z

(02-20-2015 10:26 AM)Liberty Fan Wrote:  I bet this map has a little bit to do with it .... https://www.google.com/maps/search/how+m...6930535,8z

That definitely sheds some light on the subject and lends some credibility to the venture.

(02-20-2015 10:56 AM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(02-20-2015 10:26 AM)Liberty Fan Wrote:  I bet this map has a little bit to do with it .... https://www.google.com/maps/search/how+m...6930535,8z

That definitely sheds some light on the subject and lends some credibility to the venture.

Maybe credible in explanation, is it wise in action?

WGU Texas has pretty much cornered the online market it Texas. the State of Texas pretty much treats it like a State school. I hear ads for it on the radio all the time. WGU Texas is dirt dirt cheap, LU is not by comparison. I really don't see LU coming in and doing much more than making itself look like UOPX or some other low life school. The upside in my opinion just isn't there.

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! This decision is about as good as our basketball program right now.

(02-20-2015 01:07 AM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  I don't know any details, but I'm overall not in favor of a satilite campus. It does nothing to help our image that many think of Liberty as being an online school. I also know you can't bite the hand that feeds you. Liberty if where it is today due to the online program and the hundreds of millions it's brought to the LU coffers. I'll take a wait and see approach.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

This is pretty much where I'm at too. Is Liberty at the forefront of a new trend or are they going to be digging themselves a hole? It looks like a questionable at best decision for Liberty's academic prestige and a worst case is it ruining any goodwill they were building.

(02-20-2015 08:24 PM)GE and MTS Wrote:  

(02-20-2015 01:07 AM)Libertygrad01 Wrote:  I don't know any details, but I'm overall not in favor of a satilite campus. It does nothing to help our image that many think of Liberty as being an online school. I also know you can't bite the hand that feeds you. Liberty if where it is today due to the online program and the hundreds of millions it's brought to the LU coffers. I'll take a wait and see approach.

Posted from my mobile device using the CSNbbs App

This is pretty much where I'm at too. Is Liberty at the forefront of a new trend or are they going to be digging themselves a hole? It looks like a questionable at best decision for Liberty's academic prestige and a worst case is it ruining any goodwill they were building.

1+

Nothing screams professional well respected distinguished institute of higher education than placing your Distance Learning HQ in an old Sears building in a mall either. Sheesh!

It's one thing to have extension branches that serve military personnel (i.e. Austin Peay at Ft. Campbell, and University of Louisville at Ft. Knox) but even those are in the same state. I think maybe Troy might have extension offices or buildings out of state. And I understand extension offices in underserved areas or large urban areas... within your own state.

Then I ask myself, why must it be within your own state? Isn't Liberty doing what others do, but on a grander scale?

I am still very uncomfortable with the idea. It feels like my degree is cheapened some, though it isn't. I just really don't want to be seen as a joke like UOPX. Maybe that's just pride talking though.

(02-21-2015 08:58 AM)army56mike Wrote:  Nothing screams professional well respected distinguished institute of higher education than placing your Distance Learning HQ in an old Sears building in a mall either. Sheesh!

It's one thing to have extension branches that serve military personnel (i.e. Austin Peay at Ft. Campbell, and University of Louisville at Ft. Knox) but even those are in the same state. I think maybe Troy might have extension offices or buildings out of state. And I understand extension offices in underserved areas or large urban areas... within your own state.

Then I ask myself, why must it be within your own state? Isn't Liberty doing what others do, but on a grander scale?

I am still very uncomfortable with the idea. It feels like my degree is cheapened some, though it isn't. I just really don't want to be seen as a joke like UOPX. Maybe that's just pride talking though.

All legit concerns AM. It's about perception. Why LU would do this now when seeking an FBS invite is baffling? Doesn't the school have enough challenges to be accepted seriously without creating this timing misstep?

Maybe Liberty is trying a long shot to potentially help go FBS. If Liberty can get some brand recognition and positive exposure in Texas, that could be huge for someone like the Sun Belt who only currently has Texas State as a football member (UT-Arlington as non-football member). I don't think it is probable, or even likely, that this helps Liberty go FBS but they haven't gotten an invite yet and without changing anything then they probably wouldn't get an invite moving forward either. This Dallas based satellite campus may have something to do with the Baylor and North Texas games that have been scheduled in football and what Sly had to say.