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111-686: Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other Liberty University ( LU ), known simply as Liberty , is a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia . It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia ( Southern Baptist Convention ). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns as Lynchburg Baptist College , Liberty

222-600: A Bachelor of Arts in history and religious studies in 1984, and the University of Virginia School of Law , where he obtained a Juris Doctor in 1987. From 1987 until 2007, Falwell served in private practice in Virginia and as the lawyer for Liberty University and its related organizations. He joined the Board of Trustees of the university in 2000. As part of a succession plan the elder Falwell laid out before his death, Jerry Jr.

333-571: A 60% increase since the establishment of HEC in 2002. The HEC digital library now provides access to over 20,000 leading research journals, covering about 75% of the world's peer-reviewed scientific journals. Until 1991, there were only two recognized private universities in Pakistan: Aga Khan University , established in 1983, and Lahore University of Management Sciences , established in 1985. By 1997, there were 10 private universities. From 2001–2002, this number had doubled to 20. Among

444-546: A car ride about a decade ago with a senior university official who has since left Liberty, "all he wanted to talk about was how he would nail his wife, how she couldn't handle [his penis size], and stuff of that sort," this former official recalled. Falwell did not respond to questions about this incident. In March 2012, Falwell, his wife, and children stayed at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach luxury hotel, where Falwell's wife met and became friends with Giancarlo Granda,

555-542: A crowd of about two hundred people. Student leaders also created an online petition to force Liberty to shut down the school's think tank, the Falkirk Center, named after Jerry Falwell Jr. and conservative activist Charlie Kirk . The petition garnered about 400 signatures. In 2020, the university's former president Jerry Falwell Jr. was accused of nepotism , racism, and alcohol use contravening Baptist teaching on teetotalism . Falwell and his wife Rebecca were involved in

666-667: A delay in negotiations. On August 25, Falwell confirmed that he had resigned. In October 2020, Falwell sued Liberty University for damaging his reputation, but in December 2020 dropped the lawsuit. On April 15, 2021, Liberty University sued him for $ 40 million for breach of contract and fiduciary duty . The suit also alleged that Falwell failed to disclose to the university's board of trustees his scandalous affair and "personal impairment by alcohol". In January 2022, Falwell Jr. and his wife, Becki Tilley, spoke about their scandal in an interview with Vanity Fair . Tilley admitted to

777-451: A demand that she strip and submit to being photographed naked by the chief of police—which she refused to do. She later was not taken to the hospital but the police later pestered her until she agreed to be photographed naked by a female debate coach. In a written response to the lawsuit, Liberty University officials said "The allegations are deeply troubling, if they turn out to be true", and said that would look into each allegation detailed in

888-430: A denial more heavily than an allegation; and that the school retaliates against women who report sexual violence. In one of the alleged incidents, a 15-year-old who was allegedly attacked by Jesse Matthew (Matthew later confessed to murdering Hannah Graham ), was told she would be criminally charged with filing a false report, before they began an "investigation" into her claim. The investigation allegedly only consisted of

999-621: A distinction between free institutions (as in free from the State), which are recognized and funded by the Communities of Belgium (the State until 1990) and follow the same rules and laws as fully public universities, and fully private institutions, which are not recognized nor funded by the authorities, and thus do not issue valid degrees. Private ( free ) institutions are predominantly Catholic: UCLouvain , KU Leuven or Saint-Louis University, Brussels . On

1110-460: A fine of up to $ 37.5 million for Clery Act violations. An alumna who says Liberty pressured her to retract a report of sexual assault told USA Today of potential fines, "A little fine is not going to make them change their ways. They can make back any amount of money with a snap of fingers". In March 2024, Liberty University was fined $ 14 million for the Clery Act violations. As described by NPR ,

1221-399: A larger adult population. After Falwell Sr. died in 2007, his son Jerry Falwell Jr. became the university's second chancellor and fourth president. At the time, the university listed $ 259 million in assets. Liberty University Online Academy was formed in 2007, serving 23 students. In 2009, Liberty University withdrew official recognition of the student Young Democrats club , saying that

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1332-437: A man and a woman. In August 2013, Falwell announced that if the federal government forced recipients of its aid to comply with LGBTQ discrimination protections , he would forgo the money. In March 2019, Falwell again caused controversy among LGBT advocates at Liberty University when he said his granddaughter would be "raised according to her God-given gender". Speaking of the 2015 San Bernardino attack , Falwell stated during

1443-475: A number of sex scandals. These eventually led to his resignation on August 24, 2020. The following year, the university sued Falwell Jr. for $ 40 million in damages for breach of contract and violation of fiduciary duty. In the same month, the Liberty University board of trustees replaced acting chairman Allen McFarland, the first African American board chair, with Tim Lee, "a pro-Trump pastor". In July 2021,

1554-482: A photo he had posted on social media, which showed him with his pants unzipped and his arm around the waist of a woman whose shorts were similarly unzipped. On August 23, Falwell made a public statement that his wife had had an affair and that they had been targets of blackmail. The next day Reuters published a story in which the man with whom Falwell's wife had an affair claimed that Falwell regularly watched him engaging in sexual activities with Falwell's wife. Later in

1665-530: A picture of Virginia's then-governor Ralph Northam 's black face in a tweet that many found racist. Some staff resigned in protest; some black students pursued transfers, many contending that the tweet was a symptom of a larger problem at the university. In response to internal and external criticism, Liberty University officials hired Kelvin Edwards , an alumnus and former NFL player, to lead diversity initiatives on campus, then fired him three months later. Edwards sued

1776-492: A police report alleging a rape by an unnamed former university president, re-promoting an employee who was demoted after accusations of drugging and assaulting a colleague, and allowing a football player to remain on the team from 2018 to 2022 despite accusations of rape and of stalking a university employee during that time. The report states that the university's culture of "substantially and systematically underreported" crime statistics might trace back as far to 1992. Liberty faces

1887-537: A policy requiring any student who returned to school to self-quarantine for 14 days. An anonymous student filed suit against Liberty University in April, stating in the lawsuit, "Liberty's decision to tell its students that they could remain on campus to continue to use their housing, meal plans, parking, and the benefits of the services and activities for which their fees paid, was not only illusory and empty – because there were no more on-campus classes -- but it

1998-761: A private institution to be called " université ", and most of the universities in France are public. In France, grandes écoles are part of an alternative educational system that operates alongside the mainstream French public university system . Grandes écoles can be public , semi-private or private, but the most prestigious ones are public. These institutions operate mostly in engineering studies and business administration. The best-known semi-private grandes écoles are generally business, engineering, and humanities schools; they are generally managed by chambers of commerce and industry, with capital open to other private companies. Other grandes écoles are entirely private, but this

2109-492: A professor at Liberty University, protested against Falwell's reopening of the university in an op-ed published by The Washington Post and Religion News Service . Prior to the school's reopening on March 23, Liberty University's lead physician Thomas W. Eppes Jr. informed Falwell that, "We've lost the ability to corral this thing." Of Liberty University's 15,000 on-campus students, 1,900 students initially returned, with 800 of those subsequently leaving again. Falwell said that

2220-447: A real estate deal in 2016 that transferred the university's sports facilities to his personal trainer, who did not put down any money for the deal. The publication reported that instead, Liberty immediately paid almost $ 650,000 to the trainer, who now owned the property, to lease the property for nine years. On August 7, 2020, Falwell took an indefinite leave of absence from his positions at Liberty University following controversy around

2331-457: A requirement for all foreign institutions endeavoring to operate businesses in the country. Almost all the private universities in Ghana focus on similar areas of academic study, including business administration, human resources, accounting, information technology, and related fields, which are offered by universities like Ashesi , Regent , Valley View , and Ghana Telecom , among others. In addition,

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2442-655: A seat in the US House of Representatives, making him the first Liberty graduate to be in the House. On March 31, 2023, Dondi Costin was named president of Liberty University. Liberty University is a member of the advisory board of Project 2025 , a collection of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation to reshape the United States federal government and consolidate executive power should

2553-551: A sexual assault victims to undercut the victims' accounts, eventually expelling one such witness. Additionally, the school neglected to report every case to the Title IX office or to inform students of their option of reporting incidents to law enforcement. Sexual assault victims shared accounts of university staff erroneously telling them that speaking to law enforcement would compromise a Title IX investigation and of being made to sign documents agreeing not to report their sexual assault to

2664-420: A symptom of a nation coming under the judgement of God." In October 1999, at the invitation of his longstanding friend, Soulforce founder Mel White , Falwell hosted a meeting of 200 gays and lesbians and 200 members of his own congregation in Lynchburg , in a debate over gay rights. Falwell said during the meeting that his views about homosexuality were unchanged, but that he would moderate his rhetoric. In

2775-652: A twenty year old man who worked there as a pool attendant . The Falwells financially backed their son, Jerry "Trey" Falwell III, and Granda in a 2013 purchase of a South Beach hostel called the Alton Hostel, which operates under the name the Miami Hostel. A lawsuit was filed against the Falwells and the man in 2015, dismissed, and then refiled in August 2017. The plaintiffs, a man and his son, claimed they had helped to think of

2886-692: A years-long affair with the pool attendant, Giancarlo Granda, starting in March 2012 and continuing through 2014. She said they met when Granda was working at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach , and that they had made sex tapes with each other. Falwell said that he once walked in on his wife and the pool attendant having sex; he called it "traumatizing." Tilley said that Granda pressured her into sex on one occasion in 2018 although she "kept saying no", and she realized later it could be considered assault. Granda denied

2997-521: Is a personal friend of Falwell's, gave the commencement address in 2017 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, a city which has been described by The New York Times as "the heart of pro-Trump evangelical Christianity". In August 2017, following a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville , Falwell defended President Trump, saying that he didn't have "a racist bone in his body," adding that the president

3108-684: Is among the world's largest Christian universities and one of the largest private non-profit universities in the United States by total student enrollment. Liberty University consists of 17 colleges, including the Helms School of Government and the Rawlings School of Divinity. Most of its enrollment is in online courses ; in 2020, the university enrolled about 15,000 in its residential program and 80,000 online. Its high number of students can be explained in particular by its tuition fees, which are among

3219-1056: Is due to the form of testing in schools in Taiwan, in which students take a national entrance exam to determine their university qualifications. The most well known private university is Fu Jen Catholic University , and the oldest is Tunghai University . Since the 1990s, several private universities have opened in Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh City Open University being one of the first. Some characteristics of Vietnamese private universities as of 2010 are high (very high in some cases) tuition fees, poor infrastructure, limited faculty, and human resources. Private universities are often named after scholars ( Fulbright University Vietnam, Vo Truong Toan University, Nguyen Trai University, Luong The Vinh University, Chu Van An University, Yersin University, Phan Chau Trinh University), or heroes/legends ( Hung Vuong University, Quang Trung University); although there are exceptions such as FPT University , named after

3330-401: Is glad to be part of supporting the only democracy that's a close ally of the United States [in an area] that is in such turmoil right now." In April 2017, Falwell referred to Trump as the "dream president" for evangelicals and cited "reuniting Israel with America" and Trump's appointment of "people of faith" in his administration as the reasons why evangelicals support Trump. In March 2020,

3441-528: Is home to several private universities, including Sohar University , the University of Nizwa , Middle East College , and the German University of Technology in Oman . These universities offer a range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in fields such as business, engineering, and information technology. Private universities in Oman offer a more personalized and interactive learning experience, as

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3552-697: Is one private university in Madaba city, the American University of Madaba (AUM) . There are 11 private universities and colleges in Kuwait . There are 19 private universities in Lebanon. Among these, the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University are internationally acknowledged. The languages used for teaching in private universities are mainly French and English ; Arabic

3663-406: Is rarer, and they sometimes establish partnerships with public universities. Jerry Falwell Jr. Jerry Lamon Falwell Jr. ( / ˈ f ɔː l w ɛ l / ; born June 17, 1962) is an American attorney, former academic administrator , and evangelical . Starting with his 2007 appointment upon the death of his father, televangelist and conservative activist Jerry Falwell , Falwell served as

3774-504: Is responsible for the accreditation of these institutes and degrees. These mostly provide undergraduate degrees with a few providing postgraduate degrees. The Informatics Institute of Sri Lanka (IIT), NSBM Green University (NSBM), Horizon Campus and Sri Lanka Institute for Information Technology (SLIIT) are examples. Some foreign universities franchise parts of their degree courses in Sri Lanka with local institutes. Students are charged for

3885-459: Is the tallest building in Lynchburg. The tower holds a 25-bell carillon that includes a replica of the Liberty Bell . The Hancock Welcome Center celebrated its ribbon cutting ceremony on December 7, 2012. It is a three-level, 33,000-square-foot Jeffersonian-style building featuring an atrium, boardroom, theater, lounges, a banquet hall, several smaller counseling rooms, and a patio with a view of

3996-702: Is widely used in religious universities and Armenian is used in the Armenian university. The first university opened in Lebanon was the Syrian Protestant College in 1866 (which became the American University of Beirut in 1921). It was founded by Daniel Bliss, a Protestant missionary. The second university opened in Lebanon was the Université Saint-Joseph , founded by the Jesuits in 1875. Oman

4107-672: The American University in Cairo , the German University in Cairo , The British University in Egypt , the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport , Misr University for Science and Technology , Misr International University , Future University in Egypt and the Modern Sciences and Arts University . In addition to the state-funded national and private universities in Egypt , international university institutions were founded in

4218-747: The Blue Ridge Mountains . The Jerry Falwell Sr. Center: Inspiring Champions for Christ, opening in 2023, will be attached to the Hancock Welcome Center. Private university Across the world, different countries have different regulations regarding accreditation for private universities and as such, private universities are more common in some countries than in others. Some countries do not have any private universities at all. Egypt currently has 21 public universities with about two million students and 23 private universities with 60,000 students. Egypt has many private universities including

4329-518: The COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty allowed some students to return to campus after spring break over the objections of the city's mayor and contrary to the practices of most U.S. colleges and universities. When a ProPublica reporter and The New York Times photographer investigated why the university remained partially open, the university pushed the local district attorney to charge them with trespassing. A few months later, then-president Falwell Jr. posted

4440-464: The Clery Act , the federal law that requires such disclosures by schools that receive federal funding. Crimes the report finds were covered up include sexual assault, stalking, and intimate partner violence. Specific acts by Liberty employees detailed in the report include tasking IT with wiping specific hard drives, failing to secure and potentially shredding incident reports, failing to log or follow up on

4551-799: The FPT Corporation and Tan Tao University in Tan Tao Group . In Vietnam, there are also "semi-private university"; schools in this category which can receive partial financial support from the government. Almost all private universities have to invite professors and lecturers from state universities. Many lecturers from state-owned universities take up positions in private universities after their retirement. There are numerous private universities and independent faculties in Armenia , mostly in Yerevan . As of 2022, there are 31 private higher education institutions in

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4662-605: The International University Vienna , whose accreditation was withdrawn in 2003 due to academic misconduct; Imadec University , whose first accreditation period ended in January 2006 and was not renewed; TCM Privatuniversität Li Shi Zhen in Vienna , whose accreditation period ended 2009 without renewal students; and PEF Private University of Management Vienna , which closed for economic reasons in March 2012. Belgium makes

4773-524: The New Administrative Capital and are hosting branches of Universities from abroad. The Knowledge Hub (TKH) and European Universities in Egypt (EUE) are among these institutions. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church doctrine embraces traditional higher institutions in Ethiopia . Modern higher education could be traced back to the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie , with the first university,

4884-523: The Private Universities Act, 1992 was instituted, consolidated, and re-enacted as the Private Universities Act, 2010 . All private universities must be approved by University Grants Commission (UGC) before they are given a permit to operate. As of April 2018, there were 97 private universities in Bangladesh . Private institutions must confer the students with external programs such as BDTVEC,

4995-660: The Republican nominee win the 2024 presidential election . In 2019, Will E. Young, a former editor-in-chief of Liberty's Champion student newspaper, described the "culture of fear" at Liberty University, noting that the school "founded on principles of fundamental Christianity, is now a place that has zero tolerance for new questions and ideas. Those who harbor them must remain silent, or leave." Young later argued that Liberty must address its racist past, beginning with Jerry Falwell Sr. and that it must include people of color and LGBTQ people as it makes decisions. In spring 2020, during

5106-696: The UGC (Establishment and Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities) Regulations, 2003 . Per the UGC act and these regulations, private universities are established by acts of state legislative assemblies and listed by the UGC in the Gazette upon receiving the relevant act. As confirmed by the ruling of the Supreme Court of India , recognition by the UGC is required for the university to operate. Also, per

5217-458: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began to spread quickly in the United States, leading to the widespread closures of schools and universities . By March 13, most universities in Virginia announced that they were moving their classes to online-only, discontinuing in-person instruction. Falwell announced on March 13 that in-person classes at Liberty University would resume following spring break (March 14–22, 2020) in defiance of those throughout

5328-716: The 2003 regulations, the UGC sends committees to inspect the private universities and publishes their inspection report. The UGC publishes and regularly updates the lists of private universities. As of 23 August 2022 , the UGC lists 421 private universities. As of 2010 , Japan had 597 private universities, 86 national universities , and 95 public universities . Private universities thus account for over 75% of all universities in Japan. A large number of junior colleges in Japan are private and like public and national universities, many private universities use National Center Test for University Admissions as an entrance exam . There

5439-450: The 21st century. However, since then, Ghana has seen a flood of private universities and colleges established – a reflection of the country's stable governance and the pace of economic growth. Most of these universities are not known to be sponsored by foreign corporate organizations or government universities and the aim is to avoid the Ghanaian government's excessive payment of bonds, which is

5550-501: The Auston Institute of Management, Singapore. The Sri Lanka campus was established in 2010 and is a Board of Investment or (BOI) company. It retains a similar focus to the home campus and occupies a prime spot along Colombo's famous Galle Road. In Taiwan , private universities are typically not as prestigious as some public (national) universities. They are not ranked as high as public institutions and cost nearly twice as much. This

5661-459: The Constitution. Liberty University's doctrinal statement lists "denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender" is an example of "sinful acts prohibited by God." Falwell Jr. was placed on indefinite leave on August 7, 2020, after media began reporting allegations, including photographs, of personal and professional impropriety. A few weeks later, he resigned. He claimed that he

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5772-583: The Lynchburg campus to go online-only for two weeks. More than 400 students and 50 staff members tested positive for the virus. The campus did not require COVID-19 vaccinations , masks, or social distancing. Outdoor events, including a convocation and football game, were scheduled to continue. In fall 2023, a preliminary report by the U.S. Department of Education alleged that school officials had failed to report campus crime and safety statistics, had destroyed evidence of assaults, and had retaliated against at least one employee who raised concerns about violations of

5883-615: The Miami Hostel) in Miami's South Beach . In 2019, Reuters reported that Falwell asked Trump fixer Michael Cohen for a personal favor: to help get rid of photos described by Cohen as being the kind that would typically be kept "between husband and wife." At least three of the photos were later discovered to be of Falwell's wife. According to Brandon Ambrosino, writing in Politico in 2019: Longtime Liberty officials close to Falwell told me

5994-451: The Miss USA pageant: Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I think I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and I believe that it should be between

6105-644: The University College of Addis Ababa (now called the Addis Ababa University or AAU) formed in 1950. In 1954, the Haramaya University opened. As of 2022, there are 83 private universities, 42 public universities, and more than 35 institutions of higher learning. There are 16,305 students enrolled in higher education as a whole. There were a few private universities in Ghana before the beginning of

6216-631: The University Grant Commission (UGC), is the primary regulator of higher education in Pakistan . It also facilitates the development of the higher educational system in Pakistan. Its main purpose is to upgrade the schools to be world-class centers of education, research, and development. It also plays a leading role in building a knowledge-based economy in Pakistan by giving out hundreds of doctoral scholarships for education abroad every year. Despite

6327-732: The University in an attempt to receive $ 8.5 million in retirement funds, claiming that he met every requirement agreed upon in the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan to receive payment. He would go on to sue the school again for the alleged exploitation of the trademark and image of his father, Jerry Falwell Sr., without consulting the Falwell family or "authorization of the Dr. Jerry L. Falwell Family Trust." In November 2016, Falwell said that President-elect Donald Trump had offered him

6438-481: The black community. In late August, Reuters contacted Falwell and his wife with their initial reporting on his wife's alleged affair with the pool attendant they had met in 2012. Shortly after, on August 23, 2020, Falwell announced in a public statement that his wife had an "improper relationship" several years earlier with a man who later threatened to reveal the affair "unless we agreed to pay him substantial monies". On August 24, Reuters published their report that

6549-581: The campus despite calls for the campus to stay closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Falwell then claimed that the mortality rate among young people was low. He also blamed the media for exaggerating the threat of COVID-19, saying, "They are willing to destroy the economy just to hurt Trump." Lynchburg mayor Treney Tweedy criticized Falwell's decision to reopen Liberty University. Virginia's governor, Ralph Northam , criticized Falwell's decision to reopen Liberty University, citing scripture ( 1 Corinthians 4:2 ) to support his statement. Marybeth Davis Baggett,

6660-683: The candidate he felt most likely to defend the "right to bear arms," "stop Iran...from becoming a nuclear power," and "appoint conservative pro-life justices to the Supreme Court". In an August 19, 2016 editorial in The Washington Post , Falwell compared Trump to Winston Churchill . A group called the Red Letter Christians criticized Falwell for the pivotal role he played in "forging the alliance between white evangelicals and Donald J. Trump, who won 81 percent of their vote." Trump, who

6771-479: The change aimed to distance the school from the name Lynchburg, which is often mistakenly associated with lynching ; co-founder Towns also said that Falwell Sr., wanted to use the name "Liberty" to ride the enthusiasm for the Bicentennial of the United States . The name changed again in 1984, to Liberty University . In 1985, the university launched a distance-learning program by mailing VHS tapes to students; this

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6882-399: The club's political positions, including support of abortion rights , conflicted with the school's. The school's College Republicans club remains officially recognized. In 2010, Liberty students received about $ 445 million in federal financial aid money, the highest total of any school in Virginia and one of the highest in the country. A 56 percent increase over the previous year, the money

6993-480: The contrary, the Free University of Brussels (nowadays split into ULB and VUB ) was founded by masonic individuals. All of these institutions began to be recognized by the State from 1891 onwards. It is forbidden by law to call a fully private institution "university" or "faculty", meaning fully private (non- free ) 'universities' have limited visibility. Bulgaria has many private universities, among which

7104-508: The country who called for schools to be required to close. Also on March 13, Falwell promoted a conspiracy theory that North Korea and China had collaborated to create the coronavirus. He also said that people were overreacting to the coronavirus outbreak and that Democrats were trying to use the situation to harm President Trump. After Liberty University's spring break, without the knowledge of city officials, Falwell reopened Liberty University on March 23 to students to physically return to

7215-443: The country, most notably the American University of Armenia and the Eurasia International University . In Austria , educational institutions must be authorized by the country to legally grant academic degrees . All state-run universities are governed by the 2002 Austrian Universities' and University Degree Programmes' Organisation Act (Federal Law Gazette No. 120/2002). In 1999, a federal law ( Universitäts-Akkreditierungsgesetz )

7326-409: The criticism of the HEC, its creation had a positive impact on higher education in Pakistan. Its two-year report for 2004 to 2006 states that according to the Institute of Scientific Information, the total number of publications appearing in the 8,000 leading journals indexed in the Web of Science arising out of Pakistan in 2005 was 1,259 articles, representing a 41% increase over the past two years and

7437-504: The day, on August 24, Falwell agreed to resign from Liberty University. Falwell immediately denied this, while the university claimed that negotiations were ongoing. On August 25, both Falwell and Liberty University confirmed that he had resigned. Because he is leaving his position without a formal accusation or admission of wrongdoing, Falwell will receive a $ 10.5   million severance package . After his departure, Liberty opened an investigation into his past personal entanglement in

7548-438: The departures of Edwards, board chair Allen McFarland, and pastor David Nasser. Jonathan Falwell , a son of Jerry Falwell Sr., replaced Nasser. In late 2020, three reform efforts took place. A group of Liberty University alumni called Save71 was organized in an effort to reform the school. Three Liberty University athletes, Kennedi Williams, Dee Brown, and TreShaun Clark, organized a Black Lives Matter protest on campus, drawing

7659-413: The first to gain degree awarding status was Hajvery University, Lahore (HU), established in 1990. From 2003–2004, Pakistan had a total of 83 private degree granting institutions. There are nine private universities in Saudi Arabia . In Sri Lanka , state-recognized private institutes are allowed to award degrees under Section 25A of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. The University Grants Commission

7770-404: The follow-up Frontline interview, Falwell echoed views declared by his father that homosexuality was a sin "forbidden by the Bible", and said that " ex-gays " had said, "They believe that they chose in and they chose out." In April 2009, following the Miss USA same-sex marriage controversy , Falwell offered a full scholarship to Carrie Prejean , a beauty pageant contestant who stated during

7881-424: The hostel business idea but had then been wrongfully left out of the venture. In May 2020, after Virginia governor Ralph Northam implemented a mask mandate amid the COVID-19 pandemic , Falwell criticized the mandate and tweeted a picture of a custom mask with Northam wearing blackface . Falwell apologized for the tweet in early June after being widely criticized by African-American alumni for being insensitive to

7992-497: The investigators' final 105-page report documents "serious, persistent, and systemic violations" by officials who "discouraged students from reporting crimes, did not adequately respond to incidents of sexual violence, failed to tell the campus about criminal activities or dangerous situations (such as gas leaks), and did not maintain an accurate or complete list of crimes". The 17-story, 245-foot Freedom Tower, completed in February 2018,

8103-616: The largest awarding body in the country, BTEC , and Cambridge International Examinations pathways. Accreditation by the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council (BDNAC) is crucial to establish a private institution. Private universities have been established in Cambodia since 1997. Since 2003, joint-partnership private universities have been established in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Typically,

8214-722: The lawsuit. Ten of the women settled in a confidential agreement. Also in July 2021, Liberty University diversity retention officer LeeQuan McLaurin, a black gay man, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the school, claiming that his supervisor's view that Christianity condemns homosexuality forced him to quit. An October 2021, a ProPublica investigative report found that Liberty University discouraged and dismissed students coming forward about sexual assault; former students said they were threatened with punishment after coming forward with accusations of sexual assault. Multiple witnesses said school officials manipulated their statements in support of

8325-614: The lowest in the United States. Liberty's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the Liberty Flames . Their athletics program joined Conference USA as a full member in 2023. The university requires undergraduate students to take three Evangelical Bible-studies classes. Its honor code , called the "Liberty Way", prohibits premarital sex , cohabitation , any kind of romantic relationship between members of

8436-402: The man was the pool attendant with whom Falwell had invested in the hostel. The man, now 29 years old, said he began a sexual relationship with the Falwells when he was 20. He claimed that the affair started the same month he met the couple, in March 2012, and continued into 2018. He claimed to have had "frequent" sexual encounters with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell Jr. looked on, sometimes in

8547-477: The most renowned are New Bulgarian University , located in the capital city Sofia ; Burgas Free University ; Varna Free University and American University in Bulgaria . Finland does not officially recognize private universities but does not explicitly forbid them either. Helsinki School of Business is an example of one such educational institution operating in this market. Since 1880, it has been illegal for

8658-686: The partners may include a Chinese university and a non-Chinese institution. English is often the only language of instruction at such universities and many focus on providing a comprehensive liberal arts education modeled after research universities in the United States and Europe. Universities in India are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 . Private universities in India are regulated under

8769-464: The police. According to a Liberty alumna who spoke to ProPublica , after she reported her rape to the university's Title IX office, a school official listed the potential infractions she could be disciplined for in the incident, including having premarital sex. Politico also reported that a former Liberty University official, Scott Lamb, also accused Liberty University of violating its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Politico had previously reported that

8880-605: The position of United States secretary of education , but that he had turned down the offer citing personal reasons and because he did not want to leave Liberty University for more than two years. In January 2017, Falwell said that he had been asked by President Trump to head a task force on reforms for the United States Department of Education . In June 2017, Falwell confirmed to the Chronicle of Higher Education that he would be one of 15 college presidents participating in

8991-453: The president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia , until resigning in August 2020 amid a sex scandal. Jerry Falwell Jr. was born on June 17, 1962, the eldest son of Jerry Sr. and Macel Falwell (née Pate). He attended private schools in the Lynchburg area, including Lynchburg Christian Academy (later renamed as Liberty Christian Academy ), from where he graduated in 1980. He then attended Liberty University , where he obtained

9102-637: The recent discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities has influenced the development of oil and gas management courses within the private universities' curricula. Libya has several recognized private education institutions and universities that have been approved by the Ministry of Higher Education. They are ranked and qualified to specialize in academic programs in Business Administration, Computer Science, Law, Medicine, and Humanitarianism. The National Universities Commission of Nigeria holds

9213-785: The responsibility to approve private universities and accredit their courses. This ensures a minimum standard in curriculum and teaching. There are currently 60 approved private universities in Nigeria and many applications are being processed. In South Africa , there are many distinctions between public universities and what are officially termed private higher education institutions. Recognized private higher education institutions include Akademia ( af ), Regent Business School , Eduvos , Varsity College , Vega School , Milpark , Midrand Graduate Institute , and Regenesys Business School . Numerous private universities were established in Bangladesh after

9324-428: The same privileges including social security, foreign law, and state scholarships as students at state universities. Educational services of private universities are not subject to value added tax , and donations are tax-deductible. Accreditations must be renewed regularly and can be withdrawn, e.g., in the case of repeated academic misconduct as happened in 2003 when the accreditation of International University Vienna

9435-402: The same room and sometimes remotely via camera. The man shared audiotape, emails, and texts with Reuters as evidence for the veracity of his assertions about the relationship. Later in the day on August 24, it was reported that Falwell had agreed to resign from Liberty University, though Falwell denied the report. An anonymous university official told The Washington Post that there had been

9546-456: The same sex, and alcohol use. The code was alleged to make it difficult to report sexual violence in a 2021 lawsuit. Liberty University is perceived as a "bastion of the Christian right ", playing a prominent role in Republican politics under Falwell and his son and successor Jerry Falwell Jr. Falwell Jr. left in 2020 amid allegations of personal and professional impropriety and was later sued by

9657-526: The school had invested in "Republican causes and efforts to promote the Trump administration". Lamb told ProPublica that he was fired on Oct. 6, 2021, for telling school officials about staff members' failure to report sexual assaults appropriately. He characterized the tendency of university leaders to ignore sexual assault reports once they made their way up the chain of command as "a conspiracy of silence". In fall 2021, an outbreak of COVID-19 forced all classes on

9768-503: The school's finances and real estate. Transactions that personally benefit an individual could jeopardize Liberty's tax-exempt status. In October 2020, Falwell sued Liberty University for damaging his reputation, but in December 2020 dropped the lawsuit. On April 15, 2021, Liberty University sued Falwell for $ 40 million in damages for breach of contract and violation of fiduciary duty. In November 2021, Falwell revived his defamation lawsuit against Liberty University. Falwell has also sued

9879-420: The school's investments, and increasing influence of Falwell's wife Becki in school affairs. Beginning in 2001, Falwell had established two companies for the purpose of making property deals with Liberty-affiliated nonprofits, and his two sons and their wives were on Liberty's payroll. A 2019 Politico article described the university as a "dictatorship" in which Falwell ruled through fear; it also reported that

9990-677: The student-teacher ratio is typically lower and there are more opportunities for hands-on learning. Additionally, private universities in Oman often have more flexible curriculums and can respond quickly to changing labor markets and global trends.   All private universities in Oman must be recognized by the Omani Ministry of Higher Education to offer degree programs and receive approval for new degrees. The Ministry has procedures and standards that all universities must meet to receive accreditation and recognition as an institution of higher education. The Higher Education Commission (HEC), formerly

10101-403: The study (some of these institutes are state-funded institutions of their home countries) and these charges are often a fraction of the cost of studying in the home countries of these institutions. Efforts to establish private universities have been blocked due to protests from state universities' undergraduates and leftist political parties. Many private colleges have sprung up since, including

10212-402: The task force. The task force was never formed. In 1981, in a letter asking for support in keeping his " Old-Time Gospel Hour " television program on the air, Falwell spoke out against the "Homosexual Revolution", saying "With God as my witness, I pledge that I’ll continue to expose the sin of homosexuality to the people of this nation. I believe that the massive homosexual revolution is always

10323-721: The term "university" as opposed to "private university" in their advertisements in all languages except German while still complying with Austrian law. While the legal definition of "private university" prohibits funding by the federal government of Austria, funding by other public bodies is not prohibited. Consequently, some of Austria's private universities are partly or wholly funded by provincial governments, while others are fully privately funded. Accreditation of private universities began in 2001. As of 2020 , Austria has 16 private universities. Most are small (fewer than 1000 students) and specialize in only one or two fields of study. Four former private universities are not accredited anymore:

10434-408: The university administration had "no idea" how many other students had returned to off-campus housing. By March 30, according to a report by Eppes, almost a dozen returning students had symptoms of COVID-19, eight students had been told to self-isolate, three had been tested, and one student (who lived off campus) had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. By March 30, the school implemented

10545-552: The university had sold merchandise promoting Donald Trump 's presidential campaign, and that Falwell Jr. had crude discussions about his sex life at work and had shown other Liberty employees provocative photos of his wife. Falwell's leadership also came under fire in a letter signed by members of Congress , Andy Levin and Jamie Raskin , to Betsy DeVos , which claimed that Falwell personally blocked students from writing student columns critical of Trump. A Reuters investigation, published in August 2019, alleged that Falwell signed

10656-406: The university president has shown or texted his male confidants – including at least one employee who worked for him at Liberty – photos of his wife in provocative and sexual poses. At Liberty, Falwell is "very, very vocal" about his "sex life," in the words of one Liberty official – a characterization multiple current and former university officials and employees interviewed for this story support. In

10767-493: The university was sued by twelve anonymous women, including two employees, who alleged that the university created an environment that increased the likelihood of sexual assault and rape in violation of federal Title IX law. The lawsuit alleged that the school's student honor code makes it difficult to report sexual violence because it does not clearly shield students; that the university had a tacit policy that condoned sexual violence, especially by male student athletes, by weighing

10878-532: The university's 2015 convocation that if "some of those people had got what I have in my back pocket right now," the attack would not have happened. He said that he was astounded that Barack Obama believed more gun control was the best response to the attack. Falwell said that he'd "always thought that, if more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed them." His comments were criticized by both Christians and Muslims. According to one report, Falwell

10989-559: The university's debt totaled $ 110 million; in 1996, it totaled $ 40   million. In 1994, Sun Myung Moon's Women's Federation for World Peace funneled $ 3.5 million to Liberty University. In 2004, Liberty University named its School of Government after Falwell family friend Senator Jesse Helms . In 2005, Barron 's Profiles of American Colleges ranked undergraduate admission to LU as "competitive", its fourth-highest of six ranks. When high-speed Internet connections became more widespread around 2005, Liberty began to offer online courses to

11100-554: The university, alleging a breach of contract. In July 2024, Liberty was sued for $ 300,000 by Ellenor Zinski, whose lawsuit alleges that the university violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it fired Zinski, who is transgender, since the university explicitly cited Zinski's gender as the reason for her firing. Liberty University contends that Zinski's contract was violated by knowingly breaking LU's policies that are based in their religious beliefs and thus protected by

11211-496: The university. The school was founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971 by televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns . Falwell, already a pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church , served as the first chancellor of the school. From 1979 to the late 1980s, Falwell Sr. also headed the Moral Majority , a right-wing political organization. The school changed its name to Liberty Baptist College in 1976. Officials said

11322-470: Was also extremely dangerous and irresponsible." Jerry Falwell Jr. is married to Becki Tilley and lives on a farm in Bedford County, Virginia . The couple have three children, including businessman Jerry "Trey" Falwell III. Before being let go by the university in 2021, Jerry Falwell Jr. was the president of university operations at Liberty University. Falwell Jr. also owns the Alton Hostel (also called

11433-745: Was being attacked by "thin-skinned Americans": "You know, he's a little abrasive sometimes in the way he says things, and we have some thin-skinned Americans sometimes who ignore the substance of what he's saying because they're put off by his demeanor," Falwell said. "And I think we need to grow up as a people and stop being so easily offended." Asked in a January 2019 interview, "Is there anything President Trump could do that would endanger that support from you or other evangelical leaders?", Falwell answered, "No." In June 2016, Falwell expressed support for Israel when Liberty University moved to invest $ 5   million of its endowment in Israel. Falwell stated, "Liberty

11544-447: Was entitled to $ 10.5 million in compensation from the university because he resigned without either admitting to wrongdoing or having formal accusations opened against him. At the end of Falwell Jr.'s presidency in 2020, the university listed over $ 2.5 billion in assets. Following Falwell's resignation, Times Higher Education reported that Liberty University was "facing growing criticism over perceived resistance to diversity" following

11655-513: Was later revealed, in a secretly recorded conversation with comedian Tom Arnold that Trump's personal lawyer and "fixer" Michael Cohen, had helped Falwell recover compromising photos prior to securing his endorsement. On July 21, 2016, at the RNC convention in Cleveland, Ohio , Falwell Jr. called Trump "America's blue collar billionaire" and "one of the greatest visionaries of our time" in his endorsement of

11766-637: Was mostly in the form of student loans, but also included some grants and other forms of aid. In 2011, Liberty blocked campus access to a local Lynchburg newspaper, the News & Advocate , after the newspaper reported on the school's dependence on federal financial aid. Falwell Jr. said that the decision to block the newspaper was unrelated to content published in the paper. As of 2017, the university's endowment stood at more than $ 1   billion and gross assets exceeded $ 2   billion. In November 2020, Liberty University graduate and athletics booster Bob Good won

11877-537: Was only heard saying, "then we could end those Muslims before they walked in", with the "and killed them" part drowned out by applause. Falwell later said he was referring to Muslims committing terrorist attacks and not Muslims in general. On January 26, 2016, Falwell endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election, causing some Liberty University alumni and other evangelicals to express concern that Falwell had "sold his soul." It

11988-603: Was passed to allow the accreditation of private universities. The Akkreditierungsrat (Accreditation Council) evaluates applicants and issues recommendations to the responsible Austrian accreditation authority (the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science & Research). Accreditation by the council yields a couple of privileges: degrees issued by accredited private universities have the same legal status as those issued by state-run universities. Private universities can appoint or promote professors . Their students enjoy

12099-516: Was the forerunner to Liberty University's current online program. Two years later, Liberty University's 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status was formally recognized by the IRS. In its early decades, the university was held afloat financially by major donors. The university was placed on probation multiple times in the 1990s by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools due to heavy debt loads. In 1990,

12210-548: Was to be entrusted with Liberty University while Jerry Sr.'s other son, Jonathan Falwell , inherited the ministry at Thomas Road Baptist Church . The decisions were rooted in each's personality: Jerry Jr. had aggressive business instincts, and Jonathan was more charismatic and interested in ministry. This succession plan took effect when Jerry Sr. died in 2007. Under Falwell Jr., Liberty University came under scrutiny for its alleged authoritarian control over employees and students, nepotism toward Falwell family-owned businesses in

12321-527: Was withdrawn. In 2006, when the accreditation of Imadec University expired, the Accreditation Council rejected any renewal requests. Austrian law provides that private universities in Austria must use the term Privatuniversität ("private university") in their German names, although their formal names in other languages are not regulated. Thus, there is the possibility of private institutions employing

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