Liberty University has cost me employment and given me a five year headache.
I "graduated" from college in December of having completed all 120 credits my degree required and all else entailed to obtain a degree. However, it was not until three years later that it was brought to my attention by my employer that my transcripts were not complete. I worked for the city of Lynchburg at the time working with troubled youth and families, and was in danger of losing my employment since I had not completed my degree... Except I had.
I went down to Liberty to find out why I was having this problem. I then went to the third office of the day (Liberty is not really known for their problem solving abilities... Having gone there for four years, I can say it takes about five offices to get something "taken care of" or "looked into") where I was told I was missing two semesters of "Christian Service" (a form of community service, which 20 hours a semester is required - amazingly, Liberty allows you to work for their organizations which make profit, but they do not allow you to volunteer for outside organizations that make profit... Sounds like LU requires you to fulfull a requirement that often benefits them... I would be less cynical if they would exclude themselves from the options of requirement fulfillment, but Liberty does not hold themselves to a high level of standards) I, however NEVER missed a Christian Service and handed in all of my credits.
The gentleman I spoke with at the school was coarse at first and gave me the same rhetoric I expected to hear. I however was not easily persuaded to leave, and instead told the circumstances where I was about to get fired for this oversight and did not have the abiltiy to even come up with 40 hours worth of make up Christian Service before I would get fired. It was at this point that the second in command in the Christian Service Office (I will update his name later... His "honesty" deserves to be highlighted in here) told me to not worry about it, and he would take care of the issue. This should NOT be confused with "looking into" the matter, because he followed with saying that the Registrar would update my corrected files within 48 hours and my new transcripts would be ready for my employer.
Fast forward four months down the line... I get a call from my supervisor that my transcripts STILL were not complete and the head of HR was not happy. I ended up leaving that job rather then get fired which was definate within the near future.
At this point yes I could "make up" my "missed" credits but it was more about the principal of getting screwed over by the college I've paid thousands to. I could even make up a fake Christian Service, but this is not what I am about... Possibly the only thing Liberty has going for them is the teachings of morals. It is however too bad they do not practice what they preach - I was lied to by the #2 man in charge in the Christian Service Office.
It is now FIVE years later, and "dean wu" (whom I remember being a condescending nazi when he was a mere RD) wants nothing to do with the situation other then to say its my fault and they simply could not be at fault... Oh and by the way, I changed my name mid-way through college, but I am told that would have nothing to do with the loss since they file according to student number. YET they did not even have a file AT ALL for my new name, only under my previous name... Doesnt sound like they have their filings straight.
EXPECT HEADACHES at this school... It is a good school as far as teachers and students go, and would recommend it that far, HOWEVER, if you ever ever ever have to deal with the administration... Good luck...
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