“Come experience all that Liberty has to offer YOU.” – Liberty University web site
This is the first in a series of posts where I talk about some of the universities I decided not to attend. I figure that’s as important to understanding my final decision as an explanation of the place I did choose. Besides, just because I didn’t choose them doesn’t mean that they’re not attractive, or that they wouldn’t be the right choice for someone else.
Liberty University is based in Lynchburg, Virginia. As I’ve remarked, I work in higher education in Virginia, and that gives me some insight as to how well-regarded Liberty University is by its peers. The good news is that it’s thought of relatively highly. I wasn’t concerned that my degree wouldn’t be accepted by my peers if I decided to do a doctorate through them.
The program of theirs that I considered was the Doctor of Education program. The description showed that unlike some EdD programs it had a track meant for those interested in higher education, not just K-12. The cost was reasonable too; at $425 per semester-hour with sixty semester-hours required, the total would be $25,500, a bargain for private doctoral programs in the U.S.
They also had an interesting offer that thirty credits would be waived for those applying with a Specialist degree, which is an advanced degree between the Master’s and doctoral level that’s only available in the field of Education. I was aware that Northwestern State University of Louisiana had a very inexpensive online Specialist in Education program in Educational Technology, and since an EdS would probably be thirty semester-hours, it occurred to me that I could get two degrees for less than the price of one.
Ultimately, however, there were two important factors that pulled me away from Liberty University. The first was that the program required residencies on campus. I know from doing my Master’s online that it’s extremely challenging to balance work, family, school, and other aspects of life. I knew that if I were to do a doctoral program I’d have to be able to spend all my vacation time with my family. Having to use it on residencies would be really tough to explain to my wife and kids, and rightly so.
The second factor was the evangelical nature of the school. I have nothing at all against religious institutions; I come from a religious family and indeed work for a faith-based school. But Liberty University’s founder, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Sr., said some things I find seriously objectionable, both historically about the civil rights movement, and nowadays about current events, and I was wary of becoming permanently professionally tied to an institution so closely associated with him. It wasn’t a deal breaker, but neither was it trivial to me.
As you can see, I find there’s a lot to like about Liberty University, and I certainly believe that for those in a different work-life or faith-based situation that they might be absolutely perfect. Ultimately, however, I simply decided that A.T. Still University and its doctoral program in Health Education would be a better match for my situation and my goals.
Up next, I start thinking about graduation!