Quote:Obama’s College Classmate: ‘The Obama Scandal Is at Columbia’
Posted on August 6, 2012 at 10:28am
Wayne Allyn Root

I am President Obama’s classmate at Columbia University, Class of ’83. I am also one of the most accurate Las Vegas oddsmakers and prognosticators. Accurate enough that I was awarded my own star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. And I smell something rotten in Denmark. Obama has a big skeleton in his closet. It’s his college records. Call it “gut instinct” but my gut is almost always right. Obama has a secret hidden at Columbia--and it’s a bad one that threatens to bring down his presidency. Gut instinct is how I’ve made my living for 29 years since graduating Columbia.

Obama and his infamous strategist David Axelrod understand how to play political hardball, the best it’s ever been played. Team Obama has decided to distract America’s voters by condemning Mitt Romney for not releasing enough years of his tax returns. It’s the perfect cover. Obama knows the best defense is a bold offense. Just keep attacking Mitt and blaming him for secrecy and evasion, while accusing him of having a scandal that doesn’t exist. Then ask followers like Senator Harry Reid to chase the lead. The U.S. Senate Majority Leader appears to now be making up stories out of thin air, about tax returns he knows nothing about. It’s a cynical, brilliant, and vicious strategy. Make Romney defend, so he can’t attack the real Obama scandal.

This is classic Axelrod. Obama has won several elections in his career by slandering his opponents and leaking sealed documents. Not only do these insinuations and leaks ruin the credibility and reputation of Obama’s opponents, they keep them on the defensive and off Obama’s trail of sealed documents.

By attacking Romney’s tax records, Obama’s socialist cabal creates a problem that doesn’t exist. Is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader making up stories out of thin air? You decide. But the reason for this baseless attack is clear--make Romney defend, so not only is he “off message” but it helps the media ignore the real Obama scandal.

My answer for Romney? Call Obama’s bluff.

Romney should call a press conference and issue a challenge in front of the nation. He should agree to release more of his tax returns, only if Obama unseals his college records. Simple and straight-forward. Mitt should ask “What could possibly be so embarrassing in your college records from 29 years ago that you are afraid to let America’s voters see? If it’s THAT bad, maybe it’s something the voters ought to see.” Suddenly the tables are turned. Now Obama is on the defensive.

My bet is that Obama will never unseal his records because they contain information that could destroy his chances for re-election. Once this challenge is made public, my prediction is you’ll never hear about Mitt’s tax returns ever again.

Why are the college records, of a 51-year-old President of the United States, so important to keep secret? I think I know the answer.

If anyone should have questions about Obama’s record at Columbia University, it’s me. We both graduated (according to Obama) Columbia University, Class of ’83. We were both (according to Obama) Pre-Law and Political Science majors. And I thought I knew most everyone at Columbia. I certainly thought I’d heard of all of my fellow Political Science majors. But not Obama (or as he was known then--Barry Soetoro). I never met him. Never saw him. Never even heard of him. And none of the classmates that I knew at Columbia have ever met him, saw him, or heard of him.

But don’t take my word for it. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2008 that Fox News randomly called 400 of our Columbia classmates and never found one who had ever met Obama.

Now all of this mystery could be easily and instantly dismissed if Obama released his Columbia transcripts to the media. But even after serving as President for 3 1/2 years he refuses to unseal his college records. Shouldn’t the media be as relentless in pursuit of Obama’s records as Romney’s? Shouldn’t they be digging into Obama’s past–-beyond what he has written about himself–-with the same boundless enthusiasm as Mitt’s?

The first question I’d ask is, if you had great grades, why would you seal your records? So let’s assume Obama got poor grades. Why not release the records? He’s president of the free world, for gosh sakes. He’s commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. Who’d care about some poor grades from three decades ago, right? So then what’s the problem? Doesn’t that make the media suspicious? Something doesn’t add up.

Secondly, if he had poor grades at Occidental, how did he get admitted to an Ivy League university in the first place? And if his grades at Columbia were awful, how’d he ever get into Harvard Law School? So again those grades must have been great, right? So why spend millions to keep them sealed?

Third, how did Obama pay for all these fancy schools without coming from a wealthy background? If he had student loans or scholarships, would he not have to maintain good grades?

I can only think of one answer that would explain this mystery.

Here’s my gut belief: Obama got a leg up by being admitted to both Occidental and Columbia as a foreign exchange student. He was raised as a young boy in Indonesia. But did his mother ever change him back to a U.S. citizen? When he returned to live with his grandparents in Hawaii or as he neared college-age preparing to apply to schools, did he ever change his citizenship back? I’m betting not.

If you could unseal Obama’s Columbia University records I believe you’d find that:

A) He rarely ever attended class.

B) His grades were not those typical of what we understand it takes to get into Harvard Law School.

C) He attended Columbia as a foreign exchange student.

D) He paid little for either undergraduate college or Harvard Law School because of foreign aid and scholarships given to a poor foreign students like this kid Barry Soetoro from Indonesia.

If you think I’m “fishing” then prove me wrong. Open up your records Mr. President. What are you afraid of?

If it’s okay for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to go on a fishing expedition about Romney’s taxes (even though he knows absolutely nothing about them nor will release his own), then I think I can do the same thing. But as Obama’s Columbia Class of ’83 classmate, at least I have more standing to make educated guesses.

It’s time for Mitt to go on the attack and call Obama’s bluff.

Apparently tired of promoting Asian brothels, world famous massage parlor expert Gregg DesElms is now touting a pointless 1,450 mile walk by some guy named Stephen Millhouse.

Billed as a "One Man March," the allegedly "formerly-homeless vet" walked from Montana to a soup kitchen in Los Angeles, for the stated purpose of raising awareness of the homeless.

Something tells me that anyone in the vicinity of downtown Los Angeles is already well aware of the homeless and wishes Millhouse would walk a few dozen of the stinking winos back to Montana with him.

Quote:
Stephen Millhouse
top: Stephen, left, chats with Gregg DesElms, an advocate for homeless veterans in the Vallejo, Calif., area.

No visa? No green card? No problem!

No accreditation? Only a problem if you have the wrong political, religious or ethnic affiliation.

Quote:DREAM Act College: UCLA Professors Create National Dream University, Online School For Undocumented Immigrants
By Alyssa Creamer
Posted: 08/01/2012 4:44 pm Updated: 08/01/2012 4:54 pm

With help from professors in California, undocumented immigrants are closer to accessing an affordable college education.

University of California, Los Angeles professors formed a collective they call "National Dream University," which aims to allow American Dream Act-eligible students to enroll in online courses at $65 per credit, according to LA Weekly.

The effort was organized by the UCLA Center for Labor Research and the National Labor College. National Dream University would allow Dreamers -- those undocumented students who can pay in-state tuition and qualify for federal financial aid -- to take as many as six courses in 2013.

At the start of their lessons, approximately 30-35 students will travel to Maryland's National Labor College, the AP reported. Then coursework is completed primarily online with a trip to UCLA at the semester's end.

According to the AP, the year's coursework will cost $2,490. Applications are due Oct. 5.

Applications became publicly available July 30. While the program hopes to expand and offer associates or bachelors degrees, UCLA will accept credits from NDU for now.

The National Dream University is similar to a program called Freedom University, which was set up by Georgia professors after state legislation threatened to extend barriers to undocumented immigrants' educational pursuits.

He's dangerous! He's the Gold Standard!


Note to deranged mental cases: when planning murder sprees try to avoid sending emails describing your plot.

Quote:Posted: Tue, Jul. 31, 2012, 7:48 PM
No bail for UC Irvine professor charged with arson
The Associated Press


This image provided by the Orange County District Attorney's Office shows a booking photo of Rainer Reinscheid, 48, a professor at the [regionally accredited] University of California, Irvine, who was arrested July 24, 2012 and charged with numerous felony arson charges. Bail has been denied for a college professor charged with arson for allegedly setting a series of fires at an Orange County high school his son once attended before committing suicide. District attorney's spokeswoman Farrah Emami says a judge ordered Reinscheid held without bail at a hearing Tuesday, and postponed his arraignment until Aug. 8. (AP Photo/Orange County District Attorney's Office)

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A [regionally accredited] University of California professor was held without bail Tuesday after prosecutors said they found evidence he plotted to kill students and administrators at a high school where his son was disciplined before committing suicide.

Rainer Reinscheid, 48, an associate professor of pharmaceuticals at the [regionally accredited] University of California, Irvine, is charged with arson for a series of five fires set earlier this month at University High School, a school administrator's house, and a nearby park, where his son killed himself in the spring.

After Reinscheid's arrest last week, authorities found emails on his cell phone describing a plot to burn down the high school, commit sexual assaults and purchase weapons to murder school officials and students there before killing himself, said Orange County district attorney spokeswoman Farrah Emami.

"I can only at this point tell you, he laid out in sufficient detail plans to purchase guns and murder lots of people," Deputy District Attorney Andrew Katz told The Associated Press.

At a hearing Tuesday, a judge denied Reinscheid bail and postponed his arraignment until Aug. 8 after he was charged with five counts of arson, one count of attempted arson and a misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing a police officer. If convicted, he could get nearly 13 years in prison.

Phone messages left for Reinscheid's attorney Ron Cordova and at a home number listed in Reinscheid's name were not immediately returned.

His 14-year-old son had been a student there and had been disciplined this past spring before he committed suicide at a park preserve.

Prosecutors believe Reinscheid was acting alone but it wasn't clear if he was targeting anyone specifically.

After the emails were discovered, Emami said Reinscheid, who was free on bail, was arrested again.

"The emails by themselves do not support a criminal charge but they do support our argument that he should be denied bail because he's dangerous" Emami said.

Reinscheid has been a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at [regionally accredited] UC Irvine, and has been there for about 12 years, said a university spokeswoman, who referred further comment to authorities.

Authorities said Reinscheid is believed to have set five fires and tried to set another, using newspapers, fireplace logs, a book and other items to ignite them.

They said the fires were set on the high school campus, in the Mason Park Preserve, where his son had died, and at the school administrator's home.

He was arrested at the park preserve on July 24 when Irvine police, who had stepped up patrols in the area because of the fires, said they saw him trying to ignite another one.

Irvine Unified School District Superintendent Terry Walker expressed gratitude to the city's police department for making the arrest. He said district officials would cooperate in any way they could.

"These are extremely disturbing allegations, particularly as they involve the potential safety of both students and employees," Walker said in a statement.

Ian Hanigan, a spokesman for the Irvine Unified School District, said Reinscheid's son, whose name has not been released, was disciplined in March for a theft in the student store, and was punished with trash pick-up duties at lunch.

"It was a relatively minor offense that didn't rise to suspension or expulsion," Hanigan said.

The teen committed suicide shortly thereafter at the park, which is adjacent to the high school.

According to [regionally accredited] UC Irvine's website, Reinscheid's research included studying molecular pharmacology and psychiatric disorders, including studies of schizophrenia, stress, emotional behavior and sleep.

Neighbors say Reinscheid was a comparative newcomer to the tree-lined cul-de-sac of cookie-cutter houses where a number of [regionally accredited] UC Irvine faculty members, current and retired, live within walking distance of campus.

Neighbor and retired math professor George Miller said Tuesday that he only spoke to Reinscheid once, and other neighbors still refer to Reinscheid's Spanish-tiled home as "the Reines house."

That's because the home was previously owned by Frederick Reines, [regionally accredited] UC Irvine's physics professor who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1995 for his work with Clyde Cowan in detecting the neutrino, Miller said.

Located about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, Irvine is home to more than 223,000 people. Its top employer is the [regionally accredited] University of California campus that was founded there in 1965.

Quote:Exodus Out of Tax-Funded Schools in Major Cities
Written by Gary North on July 25, 2012


Parents are pulling their children out of the government schools. This is happening across the USA.

In city after city, enrollment is declining. This is not a recent development. It has been going on for a half a decade. It has taken place in half of the nation’s largest districts.

The trend looks irreversible.

As the Web offers better programs free of charge, the public schools cannot compete. The inner city schools are catastrophic. They are getting worse. As whites and Asians flee the cities, the inner-city schools get worse.

The tax base shrinks. The teachers union demands more pay and smaller classes. The city governments are trapped. Solution: cut programs, fire teachers, and enlarge classes back to (horror!) 1959′s 33 students.

Nobody is supposed to talk about this. It is time to talk about it. Public education will not recover. The longer the decline takes place, the more parents will conclude that there is only one solution: pull their kids out.

At some point, voters will not pass any more bond issues. They will not consent to higher property taxes. They will let the public schools sink.

The only established church in the USA will find fewer members. The only kids will be those whose parents do not have the money to pull them out.

The New York Times reports: “Urban districts like Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio, are facing an exodus even as the school-age population has increased.”

The exodus has begun. “Let my people go!”

School financing is on a per-pupil basis. This dooms districts whose student enrollment is falling.

Teachers will be fired. Courses like art, music, dance, and other classes that will not get an inner-city kid a job will be cut.

Quote:The rise of charter schools has accelerated some enrollment declines. The number of students fell about 5 percent in traditional public school districts between 2005 and 2010; by comparison, the number of students in all-charter districts soared by close to 60 percent, according to the Department of Education data. Thousands of students have moved into charter schools in districts with both traditional public and charter schools.

Although the total number of students in charter schools is just 5 percent of all public school children, it has had a striking effect in some cities. In Columbus, Ohio, for example, enrollment in city schools declined by more than 10 percent — or about 6,150 students — between 2005 and 2010, even as charter schools gained close to 9,000 students.

Charter schools are not under the thumb of school boards, politicians, and the teachers union.

The old model for schools is dying.

Quote:In Los Angeles, the district has dismissed more than 8,500 teachers and other education workers in the last four years as enrollment fell by about 56,000 students. The Mesa Unified District, which lost 7,155 students between 2005 and 2010, has closed four middle schools in the last three years, delayed new textbook purchases, and laid off librarians.

The students left behind in some of these large districts are increasingly children with disabilities, in poverty or learning English as a second language.

Their parents have little political clout. They do not pay taxes. They rent. They are on welfare.

Parents with money will no longer pay for these schools. The districts will have to find ways to get into wallets in the suburbs. That will not be easy. Judges will be the tools of this wealth redistribution.

Quote:Such trends alarm those who worry about the increasing inequity in schools. “I see greater stratification and greater segregation,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

You’ve got it, Randy. And your union is doomed. Your members will not get pay raises, smaller classes, and retirement benefits. Cities will declare bankruptcy and thereby escape these huge obligations.

Quote:Educators are concerned that a vicious cycle will set in. Some of the largest public school systems in the country are in danger of becoming “the schools that nobody wants,” said Jeffrey Mirel, an education historian at the University of Michigan.

You’ve got it, Jeff. Nobody wants these schools. They have failed. The era of public education is going the way of all flesh.

Who needs public schools when there is the Khan Academy?

Quote:A. Duane Arbogast, acting deputy superintendent for academics in Prince George’s County, said he recognized the challenge of persuading families to send their children to public schools.

“We simply have to get better and provide an education that people of all social classes would be proud of,” said Mr. Arbogast, who cited a new health sciences academy and a planned performing arts high school in his district.

But you can’t provide decent education, Duane. Education is not about new buildings. It’s about vision, self-discipline, future-orientation, and a curriculum that is held together by a deeply religious view. The public schools used to have such a view: the messianic transformation of mankind through public education. No one believes it any more. The money is running out.

Quote:Before the Mesa district closed Brimhall Junior High School this year, the school lost teachers in art, music and technology in part because of a declining student head count. That made it harder for the school, which faces competition from many charter schools, to attract students.

“Education has gotten to be almost a sales job,” said Susan Chard, who taught seventh grade math at Brimhall for 18 years. “You want to provide reasons for parents to bring their children to your school.”

You do, indeed. Brimhall Junior High could not come up with enough of them.

Many more Brimhalls will follow.

Quote:Enrollment Off in Big Districts, Forcing Layoffs
By MOTOKO RICH
Published: July 23, 2012

Enrollment in nearly half of the nation’s largest school districts has dropped steadily over the last five years, triggering school closings that have destabilized neighborhoods, caused layoffs of essential staff and concerns in many cities that the students who remain are some of the neediest and most difficult to educate.

While the losses have been especially steep in long-battered cities like Cleveland and Detroit, enrollment has also fallen significantly in places suffering through the recent economic downturn, like Broward County, Fla., San Bernardino, Calif., and Tucson, according to the latest available data from the Department of Education, analyzed for The New York Times. Urban districts like Philadelphia and Columbus, Ohio, are facing an exodus even as the school-age population has increased.

Enrollment in the New York City schools, the largest district in the country, was flat from 2005 to 2010, but both Chicago and Los Angeles lost students, with declining birthrates and competition from charter schools cited as among the reasons.

Because school financing is often allocated on a per-pupil basis, plummeting enrollment can mean fewer teachers will be needed. But it can also affect the depth of a district’s curriculum, jeopardizing programs in foreign languages, music or art.

While large districts lost students in the 1970s as middle class families left big cities for the suburbs, districts are losing students now for a variety of reasons. The economy and home foreclosure crisis drove some families from one school system into another. Hundreds of children from immigrant families have left districts in Arizona and California as their parents have lost jobs. Legal crackdowns have also prompted many families to return to their home countries.

In some cases, the collapse of housing prices has led homeowners to stay put, making it difficult for new families — and new prospective students — to move in and take their place.

But some say the schools are partly to blame. “We have record-low confidence in our public schools,” said Kevin Johnson, the mayor of Sacramento and head of education policy for the United States Conference of Mayors. (He is married to Michelle Rhee, the lightning rod former chancellor of the Washington public schools and now an advocate for data-driven reform). “If we have high-quality choices in all neighborhoods, you don’t have that exodus taking place,” he said.

The rise of charter schools has accelerated some enrollment declines. The number of students fell about 5 percent in traditional public school districts between 2005 and 2010; by comparison, the number of students in all-charter districts soared by close to 60 percent, according to the Department of Education data. Thousands of students have moved into charter schools in districts with both traditional public and charter schools.

Although the total number of students in charter schools is just 5 percent of all public school children, it has had a striking effect in some cities. In Columbus, Ohio, for example, enrollment in city schools declined by more than 10 percent — or about 6,150 students — between 2005 and 2010, even as charter schools gained close to 9,000 students.

A year ago, Tanya Moton withdrew her daughter, Dy’Mon Starks, 12, from a public school and signed her up for Graham Expeditionary Middle School, a nearby charter school.

“The classes were too big, the kids were unruly and didn’t pay attention to the teachers,” Ms. Moton said of the former school.

She said she sought help for her daughter’s dyslexia at her former school, but officials “claimed that she didn’t need it.” After transferring to Graham, Ms. Moton said, “one of the teachers stayed after school every Friday to help her.”

During the recession and weak recovery, pinched state financing and dwindling property taxes forced many public schools to shed teachers and cut programs.

“The fewer students we have, the fewer dollars we’re getting” from the state and federal government, said Matthew E. Stanski, chief financial officer of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, where enrollment has fallen by almost 5 percent in five years, despite sharp gains in nearby counties.

Officials have laid off about 100 teachers and district employees, cut prekindergarten to half days and canceled some athletic programs, Mr. Stanski said.

In Los Angeles, the district has dismissed more than 8,500 teachers and other education workers in the last four years as enrollment fell by about 56,000 students. The Mesa Unified District, which lost 7,155 students between 2005 and 2010, has closed four middle schools in the last three years, delayed new textbook purchases, and laid off librarians.

The students left behind in some of these large districts are increasingly children with disabilities, in poverty or learning English as a second language.

Jeff Warner, a spokesman for the Columbus City Schools, said that enrollment appears to be stabilizing, but it can be difficult to compete against suburban and charter schools because of the district’s higher proportion of students requiring special education services.

In Cleveland, where enrollment fell by nearly a fifth between 2005 and 2010, the number of students requiring special education services has risen from 17 percent of the student body to 23 percent, up from just under 14 percent a decade ago, according to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Such trends alarm those who worry about the increasing inequity in schools. “I see greater stratification and greater segregation,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Educators are concerned that a vicious cycle will set in. Some of the largest public school systems in the country are in danger of becoming “the schools that nobody wants,” said Jeffrey Mirel, an education historian at the University of Michigan.

Jeanmarie Hedges, a mother of two teenage sons, moved her family out of Prince George’s County two years ago because the proportion of students passing standardized tests was much lower than in neighboring Charles County, Md.

Ms. Hedges said she was also driven by fear of violence in the school. “Some of our friends went there and they were beaten up a lot,” she said.

A. Duane Arbogast, acting deputy superintendent for academics in Prince George’s County, said he recognized the challenge of persuading families to send their children to public schools.

“We simply have to get better and provide an education that people of all social classes would be proud of,” said Mr. Arbogast, who cited a new health sciences academy and a planned performing arts high school in his district.

But declining enrollment can force tough trade-offs. “If you want to offer Spanish but you only have 80 kids taking Spanish, then your cost per pupil” is larger than if you have 500 in Spanish classes, said Jonathan Travers, director at Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit consulting group that helps school systems adjust to changes in enrollment.

Before the Mesa district closed Brimhall Junior High School this year, the school lost teachers in art, music and technology in part because of a declining student head count. That made it harder for the school, which faces competition from many charter schools, to attract students.

“Education has gotten to be almost a sales job,” said Susan Chard, who taught seventh grade math at Brimhall for 18 years. “You want to provide reasons for parents to bring their children to your school.”

Quote:Liberty University online students nearly tripled in five years

By: Liz Barry | The News & Advance
Published: July 22, 2012 Updated: July 22, 2012 - 2:19 PM

From morning to night, the Liberty University Online call center in Lynchburg buzzes as an army of about 220 workers fields queries from prospective students across the U.S. and overseas.

Housed in Green Hall on Liberty's main campus, the call center rivals the size of a football field and is packed with gray cubicles. It's the nerve center for Liberty's rapidly growing online program, and for countless students, it's the first contact they'll have with the university.

Among Virginia's brick-and-mortar institutions, Liberty has emerged as a pioneer in distance education.

Enrollment at Liberty University Online surpassed 82,000 students this year, bringing the university's combined residential and online headcount to more than 100,000. The number of students taking online classes is nearly triple the enrollment of 27,500 just five years ago.

Many of LU's residential and online students also receive federal financial aid, like those at most colleges and universities. LU students received about $445 million in federal financial aid money for fiscal 2009-2010, for example, helping fuel the growth.

The online success has bolstered Liberty's finances and powered a sharp revenue increase. Liberty reported a surplus of $203 million in 2010-11, according to the university's most recently available IRS 990 tax form.

Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said that surplus continues to rise.

"Liberty is operating like a for-profit school -- but without some of the pitfalls," he said, pointing to LU's comparatively high graduation rates and low student loan default rates.

"That's sort of the secret as to why Liberty's finances have done what they've done."

A longtime proponent of distance education, Liberty revamped its online program in 2003 when it began emphasizing degree programs instead of individual courses, LU officials said.

It currently offers more than 160 online degree programs, ranging from aeronautics to nursing.

"I know that has tremendously increased our retention and our students continuing to re-enroll to get a degree," said Neal Askew, LU's executive vice president.

Shortly before 2007, LU Online reached a critical mass of 20,000 students, and began to generate more revenue for the university.

With the infrastructure in place, Liberty was poised for rapid enrollment growth. Compared to its residential program, which requires additional dormitory and classroom space to accommodate more students, distance learning proved much more cost-efficient to expand.

"Now all you have to do is add a phone, a laptop and a person and you can pick up another 500 students," Askew said.

LU Online caters to non-traditional students. The average age is about 35; many already have college credits but need to complete their degree, Falwell said.

"There are so many people who weren't successful the first time around, whether it was finances or family health problems. Now they're 35 years old, they've gotten stabilized -- they want to get that degree and they want a better job," Falwell said.

"It's just a huge market"

Liberty's online programs are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Southeast's main accrediting body. To maintain its accreditation, Liberty must meet standards that cover everything from academic quality to financial stability.

This summer, SACS reaffirmed Liberty's accreditation during a five-year interim review.

Most students can complete their degree program entirely through the Internet, without stepping foot on Liberty's campus or meeting a professor face-to-face.

The average online student completes about 15 credit hours, or a semester's worth of classes, in one year. Each class is eight weeks long, and students can complete coursework on their own schedules.

Currently, about 50 percent of LU Online students are pursuing undergraduate degrees. The other half are in graduate programs ranging from business to theology, said Ron Godwin, LU's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. For example, LU Online currently has more than 1,000 doctoral candidates in education.

"The graduate programs are currently growing faster," Godwin said.

Liberty Online maintains an average class size of 25 students. One-on-one help is encouraged and even monitored through software that tracks the number of contacts a professor has with students each week, said Godwin.

Liberty currently employs about 1,800 online professors, the majority of whom are part-time and hold teaching jobs at other schools, said Godwin. On-campus, Liberty employs about 500 professors, and more than half also teach online.

Liberty's online instructors are not required to have terminal degrees in their fields, but must meet accrediting standards, Godwin said.

Having a campus is a major draw for Liberty"s online students who want the convenience of studying from home while taking part in a larger community. On a student"s diploma, Liberty makes no distinction between degrees earned through online or residential programs.

"The online program wouldn't have grown so much if it weren't for a burgeoning residential program," Falwell said. "That's one of the things that attracts students to Liberty -- It's a real place where they can say, 'I got my degree from that school.'"

Tuition for LU Online is less expensive than the residential program. For example, it costs about $4,900 to take a semester of courses through LU Online, and about $9,000 on campus.

Each year, the administration sets target enrollment numbers for its online programs. For now, the growth shows no signs of stopping.

"There will come a year when we say, 'OK, let's shoot for fewer students,'" Falwell said. "Because the market has changed. . . and there just aren't that many people interested."

Godwin chimed in: "But through a recession, it hasn't happened so far."

Quote:Liberty University's net assets headed for $1 billion, thanks to online
Liz Barry | The News & Advance
Published: July 22, 2012 Updated: July 22, 2012 - 2:15 PM

Liberty University's net assets have sustained a fivefold increase -- from $150 million to $860 million -- over the past six years, driven by the rapid expansion of Liberty's online programs.

While colleges across the country have struggled to make ends meet during the economic downturn, Liberty's financial picture has grown stronger by the year, according to an examination of Liberty's IRS 990 tax forms by The News & Advance.

In a nutshell, Liberty's net assets show how much the university in Lynchburg is worth after subtracting its debt and other liabilities.

In 2006-07, the university's net assets were $150 million, according to the 990 tax form, which non-profits must file annually with the IRS. Driven by a growing student body and influx of tuition dollars, Liberty's net assets grew to $637 million by 2010-11, the most recent 990 available from the IRS.

As of June, Liberty officials said the school had about $860 million in net assets and expects that number to exceed $1 billion by year's end -- a major milestone for the university.

"We've grown so fast that we can't spend it fast enough," LU Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said.

Since Liberty is a non-profit, any surplus it generates must be invested back into the school. However, Falwell said there is no strict timeline about when Liberty must use the money; part of Liberty's strategy is to build an endowment that will secure the long-term stability of the school.

""We want to continue to improve the university and stay on the cutting edge, but we also want to put money away for the future," Falwell said.

For now, Liberty is focused on revitalizing campus and improving its academic programs, Falwell said.

Over past year, Liberty began pouring more than $220 million into construction projects that promise to transform campus over the next decade. Old buildings are being torn down and replaced with Jeffersonian architecture; makeshift dorms will be replaced with high-rise residence halls.

This summer, the campus is a full-fledged construction zone.

Behind Williams Stadium, a fleet of bulldozers is paving the way for a new baseball stadium. By DeMoss Hall, Liberty's main academic building, crews are building the foundation of the $50 million Jerry Falwell Library.

Across the border in Campbell County, construction has begun on a medical school.

Liberty's recent growth was tempered by years of financial struggle. During those years, university leaders resolved to run the school like a business -- an approach Falwell said is partly responsible for LU's current success.

"We had no choice but to be frugal for a long time," said Falwell, LU's vice chancellor until the death of his father, Jerry Falwell Sr., in 2007. "Those years...forced us to treat students like customers because we know the school's survival depended on whether those students showed up the next year. And so we did treat them like customers and we still do."

The turning point came around 2006-07, when Liberty's online enrollment first surpassed 20,000, Falwell said.

In 2007, Liberty also benefitted from $29 million in proceeds from the life insurance policy of Falwell Sr.

"Building the online program was expensive, but once we reached a certain enrollment number, it actually began to make money for the university," Falwell said.

Online enrollment surpassed 82,000 this year, bringing the university's total headcount to more than 100,000 students. The residential program has experienced more modest gains, expanding from about 9,500 in 2006-07 to 12,500 this year.

This growth in both programs has caused a spike in revenue from tuition and fees, which account for the largest chunk of Liberty's revenue. In 2010-11, for example, Liberty earned more than $535 million in tuition and fees, which in turn comprised about 85 percent of Liberty's total revenue, according to the 990 tax form. The rest comes from sources like room and board, campus concessions and student fees.

A key part of Liberty's strategy to attract students is keeping tuition affordable.

"We've kept our tuition in the lower 25 percent for all private schools for residential. Online, we're lower than most of the for-profit," Falwell said. The cost for a semester of online courses is about $4,900, and for on-campus, $9,000.

Liberty's workforce has more than doubled from about 2,700 in 2006-07 to 6,100 today. The current workforce includes about 1,700 who live outside the Lynchburg region. Many are professors for LU Online.

The growth has allowed Liberty to take on big projects, such as building a school of health sciences and an osteopathic medical school.

In January, Liberty completed its second bond sale on Wall Street to help fund these projects. The university received an "AA" bond rating from Standard & Poor's and an "A1" rating from Moody's Investors Service, its fifth-highest grade.

By building its financial standing, Liberty is working to guarantee its future and stability, Falwell said.

"Back when we were having a hard time, financially, it was also hard to get accreditation reaffirmed. It was hard to keep our programs. It was hard to attract top-quality students because they weren't sure if we were going to be here the next year," Falwell said.

Until recently, Liberty's assets were mostly sitting in cash reserves.

Over the past year, Liberty has worked with an assets management firm in New York City, Permanens Capital, to lay the groundwork for converting those cash reserves into low-risk investments. Permanens chief investment officer John Regan said that since Liberty is a young school, the administration is not bound to a "legacy way of doing things."

"Falwell is a very prudent chancellor of the university and he's very aware that with the growth Liberty's had, you really have to protect it," Regan said.

Since 2008, Regan has specialized in helping universities manage their assets. He previously managed Cornell University's endowment in the role of senior investment officer, and is now reaching out to other schools.

In a climate where universities are struggling to make ends meet, Regan said Liberty appears to be a pioneer in combining residential and online education.

"I'm fascinated with Liberty's model. . ." Regan said. "I will tell you that even the top universities are still trying to figure out this online thing. It's amazing that Liberty is this far along."

Liberty leaders are optimistic about the university's future, and don't foresee enrollment numbers slowing anytime soon, especially with online programs.

"I think the only thing that would ever cause us to decrease in numbers...is if education becomes downgraded, where people don't want to receive higher education," said Neal Askew, LU's executive vice president. "I don't think that's going to happen. I think our market is totally growing and not subsiding worldwide. I don't think we can saturate the market."

Falwell said there"s a balance between spending money to grow the university and saving for less prosperous times.

"You need a big reserve to operate a university because we may go through years where we've got no surplus in the future," Falwell said.

"You don't go out and spend it all, but that doesn't mean you've made a profit. It means you've guaranteed the future of the university."

Stand up against the pervert agenda, as personified by adjudicated anti-Christian bigot and civil rights violator Alan Contreras.

Quote:Support "National Eat at Chick-fil-A Day": July 25th
posted on July 24, 2012 by Gary DeMar



In response to attacks by the powerful and offensive homosexual lobby, friends of Chick-fil-A are promoting National Eat at Chick-fil-A Day on July 25th and August 1st. I'll be there on both days. In fact, all the employees at our various businesses will be eating at Chick-fil-A the next two Wednesdays.

As is typical of the homosexual lobby, many angry messages were left on Chick-fil-A's Facebook page, including:

"Hate mongers! Never again! Not another $ from me."

"Goodbye Chikkk-fil-a! Your food was delicious, but I can no longer eat nuggets filled with hate!"

Of course, it's not about hate. It's about morality and common sense. No one is denied service at a Chick-fil-A restaurant. All types of sinners eat at Chick-fil-A as they do at other restaurants. No one asks what kind of sex they're engaged in when an order is taken.

The folks at Chick-fil-A don't support divorce, but they don't refuse service to divorced couples. Divorced couples don't boycott the restaurant because of the company's views on biblical marriage and their support of biblical marriage seminars.

Support for Chik-fil-A is getting national attention:

"In response to the boycott threats against Chick-fil-A, Mike Huckabee, who was a 2008 presidential candidate, last week called on his radio show listeners to support the Cathy family by making July 25th National Eat at Chick-fil-A Day.

"Imagine how clearly that message would be heard across the nation if Chick-fil-A reported record sales this Wednesday!" said [National Organization for Marriage's [Brian] Brown, who has joined Huckabee in supporting Chick-fil-A day. "Please join me this Wednesday in supporting this courageous company, while at the same time sending a powerful message of support to every individual and every company with the courage to stand for marriage."

It's amazing how it's OK to support liberal causes, but just try to support a conservative moral cause. "Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant," Huckabee wrote.

I've started my diet to lose about ten pounds, but I"m going to break the diet on the next two Wednesdays with a chicken sandwich and some waffle fries. And I"m going to enjoy every Chick-fil-A calorie.

We are starting a class action lawsuit against Grand Canyon University online using this yahoo email address: GCUclassactionlawsuit

Any former employees and former students who have been ripped off
by GCU can contact us at that email address.

Quote:Details Emerge About Suspect in Movie Theater Massacre
Friday, 20 Jul 2012 03:14 PM

Those who knew the 24-year-old man in custody for the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater describe him as a shy, intelligent person who grew up in San Diego with parents who were active in their well-to-do suburban neighborhood.

James Holmes, who was studying neuroscience in a [regionally accredited] Ph.D. program in Colorado, grew up in San Diego, where his parents still live on a quiet, street of two-story homes with red tile roofs. He played soccer at Westview High School and ran cross country before going to college to study neuroscience.


James Holmes in an undated photo provided by the [regionally accredited] University of Colorado. (AP Photo)

Neighbors say the family belonged to a Presbyterian church and hosted a Christmas party for residents.

"Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved," Holmes' family said in a written statement Friday. "We ask that the media respect our privacy during this difficult time.

"Our family is cooperating with authorities in both San Diego, Calif., and Aurora, Colo. We are still trying to process this information and we appreciate that people will respect our privacy."

There have been no indications so far that Holmes had any run-ins with the law before Friday. San Diego Superior Court spokeswoman Karen Dalton said there were no records found under his name, not even for a traffic ticket. Riverside County prosecutors also have no criminal record for him, said John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office.

Police in Colorado said Holmes fired into a crowded movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora while wearing a gas mask, killing 12 people and wounding 59 others. He was in police custody in Colorado and the FBI said there was no indication the attack was tied to any terrorist groups.

A furniture mover who lives several blocks from the suspect's apartment building said he shared a beer with him Tuesday at a neighborhood bar where they talked about new Denver Bronco quarterback Peyton Manning.

Jackie Mitchell, the Aurora neighbor, said he recognized Holmes' photo on television and he described the suspect as smart with a "swagger."

"We just talked about football. He had a backpack and geeky classes and seemed like a real intelligent guy and I figured he was one of the college students," he said.

There was no reference made to a planned shooting, Mitchell said.

On Friday morning, police escorted the suspect's father, a manager of a software company, from their San Diego home. The mother stayed inside the home, receiving family visitors who came to offer support.

San Diego police spokeswoman Lt. Andra Brown, spoke to reporters in the driveway of the Holmes' home, on behalf of the family.

"As you can understand, the Holmes family is very upset about all of this," she said. "It's a tragic event and it's taken everyone by surprise. They are definitely trying to work through this."

Anthony Mai, a 16-year-old who grew up next door to Holmes, described the suspect as "solitary" person who largely kept to himself but his behavior was nothing out of the ordinary.

"He felt a little bit concealed, but it wasn't too much. It was all right" he said. "This is just a feeling in my gut, but I felt like he had something, like he was being picked on or something."

His father, Tom Mai, a retired electrical engineer, said Holmes was quiet.

"I said hello to him once in a while. He seemed to be a shy guy," he told reporters.

He said the Holmes have lived at the San Diego home about 10 years and they were a "very, very nice family." Holmes mother is a nurse. The suspect also has a younger sister.

Mai said the mother told him the suspect couldn't find a job after earning a master's degree from a [regionally accredited] University of California school and so went back for another degree.

Holmes graduated from [regionally accredited] University of California, Riverside, in the spring of 2010 with a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience, said university spokesman Sean Nealon. No other details were immediately available about his life on campus, Nealon said.

In 2011, Holmes enrolled in the Ph.D. neuroscience program at the [regionally accredited] University of Colorado-Denver but was in the process of withdrawing, said spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery. University officials earlier said he was a student at the university's medical school.