Liberty's DBA program?

I was just wondering if anyone has any experiences that they can share with Liberty's online DBA program or with their programs in general. I'm kicking the tires on their DBA with a forthcoming announcement that they will be offering an Information Systems cognate in the Fall. Thanks in advance to anyone contributing to the discussion.

 

I have no experience with it, but I have noticed that they lowered the GMAT requirement for admission. When the program was first introduced, a GMAT score of 600 was required. Now they only require a 470. They probably figured out that having a GMAT requirement that is typical of AACSB DBA programs was a non-starter for a program that does not have this accreditation.

 

That's another thing, most schools have a 5-year limit of taking GMAT scores but they lack this. Said they would take mine from 7 years ago for this requirement. The admissions dept also waived my application fee through today so I will probably just apply to see what happens, and continue to seek feedback in the meantime.

 

I applied to work as an adjunct at Liberty once. My biggest problem was that, as a business adjunct, they wanted me to adhere to their statement of faith.

I like the school. I like how their marketing machine works. But I'm not giving my money to a school that discriminates against faculty in their non-theological programs.

If I was applying for a job in their seminary, sure. But saying that a human resources adjunct needs to subscribe to their brand of religion is just odd. It's offensive enough that they are using my tax dollars to discriminate. They aren't getting a cent from me.

 

I'm referring to financial aid given to students.

I think if you want a religious education then that's great. I think that schools should have the freedom to hire faculty who share in their religious views.

But when that school receives federal financial aid I don't think they should be permitted to discriminate against faculty particularly faculty in non-religious departments.

My agnosticism shouldn't impact my ability to teach Human Resources subjects at a school. And another professor's christianity shouldn't impact their ability to teach the same subject.

 

Why not? There are tons of religious schools that do this...Liberty isn't the only one. Secular schools discriminate all the time by not allowing a professor's religious views to work their way into class. I'm totally ok with that. Why shouldn't religious schools, no matter the particular brand of religion, have the same right?

 

Telling a business professor not to bring his/her religious beliefs into the classroom isn't discrimination. It would be discrimination if a secular university required all of its business professors to be atheists. Liberty isn't saying I have to leave my Buddhism/Hinduism/Judaism at the door, they are saying I cannot be hired because I am of a different religion despite that in no way impacting my ability to teach the subject at hand.

Religious schools should enjoy the freedom to do whatever gets their jollies off. However, if they are going to be receiving public funds, they should be required to play by the same rules as a public institution with regards to discrimination. Don't like it? Don't accept federal or state financial aid. I'm sure there are plenty of people, of any particular religious denomination, who would love to pony up full tuition just to keep the government out of the school's affairs.

Hey, spend money wherever you want. But Liberty could offer a $1 MBA tomorrow and I wouldn't sign up. They shall not get a cent from me.

 

But that's their draw, Neuhaus. To begin hiring professors that do not agree with their statement-of-faith dilutes their brand -- and sends students who want it, elsewhere.

 

Having a religion (or not) does constitute holding a certain worldview, and thus will impact the way you teach, consciously or subconsciously.

 

And that's fine, but I don't want my tax dollars going to organizations that employ discriminatory hiring practices.

Bull. If I'm teaching human resources the content and subject matter is the same regardless of my religion (or lack thereof). I've taken business courses taught by Christians, Muslims and Jews and you would never know those religious affiliations unless you took the time to get to know them outside the classroom. If your religion is impacting the way you teach business then you should consider teaching religion because you really have no place in business.*

*Obvious exceptions to this rule would be if you are teaching religious specific business concepts like Islamic Banking, Jewish Business Ethics, Church Management etc.

 

And I would disagree with you based on my experience--just as you're disagreeing with me based on yours.

 

No, I'm disagreeing with you based on your assertion being asinine.

Please, tell me how a Jewish professor would teach an Accounting course at Liberty University in a manner that was inconsistent with Liberty University's mission? I'm not talking about the outright insertion of religion into an inappropriate context. But how would the subtlety of that professors faith color the course?

GAAP is GAAP whether you are Jewish or Christian (or even Buddhist, or Hindu, or Muslim or Shinto or if you never practiced a religion in your life).

 

*Snort* Your tax dollars go to all kinds of organizations that employ discriminatory hiring practices. If you discover a way to guide your tax dollars through our system and pick and choose where they go, to whom they go to and what they fund please let me know.

 

Neuhaus,
I'm not going to answer your asinine question. Worldviews do matter, whether one realizes it or not. This will be a never ending "who get's the last word" thing, and I have no energy for that.

But let me say this- I experience you as being very bitter, angry, upset about not being hired-- but do you have to let your negative emotions spill all over your posts? If I see it in your posts, most likely others will see it too. Maybe even your future employers.
People don't like working with those who are angry. Also your negative emotions maybe leaking all over the place in your daily life as well. Maybe you just weren't a right fit with Liberty. Get over it and move on in life rather than being angry about it.

 

I think it far more likely that you cannot, in fact, substantiate your claim that a non-Christian accounting professor's religious background would, in any meaningful manner, spill over into their teaching life.

Try re-reading my original post. I wasn't hired because I ceased the application process upon seeing the requirement. I'm disgusted that Liberty University accepts federal money while being permitted to discriminate, this is true. But I'm not bitter, angry or upset about not having the opportunity to teach there. I am currently an adjunct at a community college which does not discriminate. I was really just exploring my options.

There appears to be some confusion, you seem to think that I'm allowing emotion to "spill over" or that I'm angry. I'm not. I called your assertion asinine because it is asinine and you refuse to even attempt to substantiate it. You have misunderstood the tone of my post.

Yes, I'm sure that future employers will google my name and see that I called your ridiculous assertions "asinine" and immediately cast my resume to the side. I have my career well in hand, thank you.

Boy, you really do take things too personally. I'm not sure why you feel the need to project all over me. If you think that the word "asinine" conveys such uncontrollable rage then why did you parrot it back to me in your post? Are you very angry, bitter and upset by the fact that someone refused to accept your assertion at face value? Because the moment I challenged what you said you immediately launched into an ad hominem attack against me and refused to defend your statement in any manner.

 

So...because your tax dollars go to stuff that you don't like you should just be OK with it? I never said I found a way to divert my individual tax dollars. I merely expressed disappointment that tax payer dollars were used to fund this particular school.

I also object to my tax dollars funding a trillion dollar war machine, most farm subsidies and corporate welfare but, at the moment, I'm talking about Liberty University.

 

Six years ago I wanted to do a master of accounting. At that time liberty was my best choice based on price and flexibility. I knew it was religious school. Even though I am not religious, the school was no problem to me. I actually enjoyed searching for religious verses to support an argument. Except for one prof all profs were great in their subject matter. There were no tax dollars or entitlement, liberty was offering a product that I wanted and I paid from my savings.
I may do a doctorate at al medina, a Muslim school. The price is right and it has flexibility. I think we may be making too much of a school religiousness.

 

Hit the nail on the head.