LIBERTY STUDENT NEWS

Lynchburg planners got a bird’s eye view of Liberty University on Tuesday, heading up Candlers Mountain as part of a four-hour presentation on the school’s expansion plans.

LU is seeking to rezone 237 acres along the mountain’s base as part of its goal of growing to 15,000 students within the next five years.

The Lynchburg Planning Commission, which is currently reviewing the request, asked to get a first-hand look at the targeted development site as part of its deliberations.

The presentation started with nearly two hours of discussion between the two sides on many of the plan’s details, including traffic alleviation and environmental protection.

LU administrators outlined the multi-tiered approach being taken to reduce the number of students driving to and around campus. Those included expanding the school’s partnership with the public bus system, implementing a carpool program and moving forward with vehicular tunnels that will allow university-bound cars to circumvent Wards Road.

That latter project will likely be complete by this time next year.

The school then offered a tour of some of its project sites, including Candlers Mountain, where it hopes to build athletic fields, new dormitories and a ski slope.

The project will likely be taken to at least one more work session before any recommendation is made to City Council.

LU officials themselves remain in opposition to a higher standard on waterway protection proposed by city planners.

The school has been asked to mitigate any waterway damage inflicted during construction by paying for equivalent improvements within the same watershed.

Mitigation is a requirement of both state and federal law, but the university is not obligated to stick to the same watershed.

Twoo players from Liberty University’s Football team will be getting free agent looks: Offensive tackle Stephen Sene (Rams) and linebacker Vince Redd (Patriots) were signed to free-agent deals.

One of Gov. Kaine’s amendments to the state budget would expand a prisoner-education program suggested by Liberty University.

Kaine’s change to the budget bill would allow every college in the state to sponsor inside-the-prison classrooms equipped with computers.

When the General Assembly approved the budget bill, it contained language sponsored by Del. Kathy Byron, R-Campbell County, that specified only Liberty University would offer the program, and only at the new Green Run Correctional Center near Chatham.

Kaine’s amendment would extend the program statewide, to about 30 correctional centers and all public and private colleges.

Liberty intends to set up a model classroom to provide post-secondary education at its own expense. About a third of the Green Run center’s anticipated 2,000 inmates would qualify for the computer-based education program.

Godwin said Liberty’s computer-based, distance-learning program grew by 43 percent during the current academic year. Many of its students are at military bases around the world.

The concepts of that distance program would be applied to the prison classroom, but with one major difference: the prison computers would not be connected to the Internet. The computers could not be used to communicate with anyone outside the prison and could not connect with other computers.

The computers would operate from a server inside the prison classroom that contained nothing except course material loaded into it by the teacher, who would be a Liberty employee.

Although the legal language to set up college classrooms in prisons is part of the state budget bill, no state money would be used for the program Liberty proposes.

Liberty University would fund the program out of its own budget, Godwin said. The teacher, computers, and classroom furniture all would be provided by Liberty.

The Green Run Correctional Center was built with classrooms that are ideal for the program.

The university is considering adding a roller coaster on campus as part of a plan to increase recreational options for their students.

A new climbing wall is already under construction, part of a plan to spend more than $10 million over the next few years to expand recreational activities.

Liberty anticipates 5,000 new students over the next five years.