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Doctrinal Statement, Statement of Professional Ethics,
& Harassment and Discrimination Avoidance Policy
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
We affirm our belief in one God, infinite Spirit, creator, and sustainer of all things, who exists eternally in three persons, God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. These three are one in essence but distinct in person and function.
We affirm that the Father is the first person of the Trinity and the source of all that God is and does. From Him the Son is eternally generated and
from Them the Spirit eternally proceeds. He is the designer of creation, the speaker of revelation, the author of redemption, and the sovereign of
history.
We affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. Eternally begotten from the Father, He is God. He was conceived by the virgin
Mary through a miracle of the Holy Spirit. He lives forever as perfect God and perfect man: two distinct natures inseparably united in one person.
We affirm that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son and equal in deity. He is the giver of all life,
active in the creating and ordering of the universe; He is the agent of inspiration and the new birth; He restrains sin and Satan; and He indwells and
sanctifies all believers.
We affirm that all things were created by God. Angels were created as ministering agents, though some, under the leadership of Satan, fell from their
sinless state to become agents of evil. The universe was created in six historical days and is continuously sustained by God; thus it both reflects His
glory and reveals His truth. Human beings were directly created, not evolved, in the very image of God, as either biologically male or female from the
womb. As reasoning moral agents, they are responsible under God for understanding and governing themselves and the world.
We affirm that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, though written by men, was supernaturally inspired by God so that all its words are the
written true revelation of God; it is therefore inerrant in the originals and authoritative in all matters. It is to be understood by all through the
illumination of the Holy Spirit, its meaning determined by the historical, grammatical, and literary use of the author’s language, comparing Scripture
with Scripture.
We affirm that Adam, the first man, willfully disobeyed God, bringing sin and death into the world. As a result, all persons are sinners from conception,
which is evidenced in their willful acts of sin; and they are therefore subject to eternal punishment, under the just condemnation of a holy God.
We affirm that Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice by the appointment of the Father. He fulfilled the demands of God by His obedient life, died
on the cross in full substitution and payment for the sins of all people, was buried, and on the third day He arose physically and bodily from the dead.
He ascended into heaven where He now intercedes for all believers.
We affirm that each person can be saved only through the work of Jesus Christ, through repentance of sin and by faith alone in Him as Savior. The
believer is declared righteous, born again by the Holy Spirit, turned from sin, and assured of heaven.
We affirm that the Holy Spirit indwells all who are born again, conforming them to the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is a process completed only in
Heaven. Every believer is responsible to live in obedience to the Word of God in separation from sin. Doing so produces a distinctly Christian lifestyle
of practicing virtues and avoiding sin. Among other virtues, followers of Jesus Christ will: show evidence of the Holy Spirit living within them such as
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience,
forgiveness and supremely, love; seek righteousness, mercy and justice, particularly for the helpless and oppressed; love and side with what is good
in God’s eyes and abhor what is evil in God’s eyes; uphold the God-given worth of all human beings, from conception to death, as the unique image-
bearers of God; treat all people impartially, seeing them as equals before God and worthy of salvation; pursue unity and embrace people of all tribes
and tongues as part of God’s design for humanity; uphold chastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between one natural-born man
and one natural-born woman; be people of integrity whose word can be fully trusted; give faithful witness to the Gospel; practice good works toward
all; and live lives of prayer and thanksgiving. Sinful acts are prohibited by God and include but are not limited to: worship of idols or gods other than
the Lord God of the Bible; denying Jesus Christ as eternal, as God’s son in flesh, as resurrected, as Creator, as Lord or as Messiah who died for the
sins of all people; rejection of Jesus Christ or rebellion against God; blasphemy; participation in devil worship, practice of the occult, astrology,
fortune-telling, sorcery, or witchcraft; taking of innocent life; denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender; married persons sexually
or romantically coupling with a person other than their spouse; sexual relations outside of marriage between one natural-born man and one natural-
born woman; romantic coupling among persons of the same sex; prostitution; orgies; rape; drunkenness; use of profanity and vulgarity; injustice;
making false statements; dishonest sales and exchanges of money; thievery; fits of rage; and illegal activity.
We affirm that God ordained three institutions with unique purposes in society: marriage, government and the church. God established marriage as
a covenantal bond between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman to populate the earth, to raise and spiritually train children within a
family, to provide the couple with intimate companionship, loving help and joy, and to serve as an illustration of the relationship of Jesus Christ to
the church. God established civil government to protect its citizens, punish evil and reward good. God established the church as the entire body of
believers with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone and the apostles as its foundation to evangelize, baptize and disciple people of all nations.
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We affirm that a church is a local assembly of baptized believers, under the discipline of the Word of God and the lordship of Christ, organized to
carry out the commission to evangelize, to teach, and to administer the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s table. Its offices are pastors
and deacons, and it is self-governing. It functions through the ministry of gifts given by the Holy Spirit to each believer.
We affirm that the return of Christ for all believers is imminent. It will be followed by seven years of great tribulation, and then the coming of Christ
to establish His earthly kingdom for a thousand years. The unsaved will then be raised and judged according to their works and separated forever
from God in hell. The saved, having been raised, will live forever in heaven in fellowship with God.
STATEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Liberty University is part of the heritage and community of evangelical Christians and is so defined by its doctrinal statement and statement of
purpose its academic and social program, the conduct and performance of its students, staff and faculty and the success of its alumni. Part of this
tradition is the development of ethical standards for professional life. These are consistent with standards found in the Scriptures. This reflects the
fact that as an employee of Liberty University, we are responsible to the standards of God’s revelation found in the Scriptures as well as those of our
professional peers.
As an employee of Liberty University we are committed to the following ethical standards:
A) Professional
1) To provide materials necessary for periodic employee evaluations.
2) Where applicable, to hold membership in and participate in our respective professional associations.
3) To hold regular office hours.
4) To avoid any inappropriate or preferential relationship with any student apart from that of mentor and role model.
B) Service
1) To model and encourage spiritual maturity in students and to be available for spiritual counsel.
2) To maintain regular hours to service our customers.
3) To carry out the business of the department and the University by serving on committees as needed.
4) To attend regular and called meetings.
C) Personal Behavior in the Work Place
1) To be a model of biblical lifestyle, character and relationship in every aspect of our lives.
2) To display respect equally for all persons.
3) To maintain responsible standards of speech, avoiding profanity and vulgarity.
4) To uphold the sanctity of permanent marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman, avoiding any sexual misconduct,
including harassment and abuse.
5) To model a disciplined approach to personal health, abstaining from the use of tobacco, vapor cigarettes, alcoholic beverages or illegal
drugs.
PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT, AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Liberty University is committed to providing a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living, and working environment for all members of the University
community. The Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy (the Policy) is a key component of effectuating the University’s mission
and its obligations under the law. A copy of the Policy may be found in full here: https://www.liberty.edu/title-ix/
In accordance with Liberty’s Christian values and its role as an educational institution, the university condemns the following which are collectively
defined as Prohibited Conduct, as well as individually defined, in the Policy:
• Discrimination
• Harassment (Non-Sexual)
• Sexual Harassment
o Quid Pro Quo
o Unwelcome Conduct
o Sexual Assault
o Dating Violence
o Domestic Violence
o Stalking
o Sexual Exploitation
• Other Civil Rights Offenses
o Threats/Harm
o Hazing
o Bullying
o Intimidation
o Complicity
• Retaliation
• False Reporting
The Policy is enforced by the Office of Equity & Compliance. For Formal Complaints of Sexual Harassment, the Executive Vice President for Human
Resources will appoint a trained Hearing Officer to conduct a hearing to determine whether Sexual Harassment occurred. For Formal Complaints of
Prohibited Conduct that do not involve Sexual Harassment, determinations of responsibility and sanctions will be made by the assigned Investigator.
Please see the Policy for the full list of procedures for resolving Reports and Formal Complaints of Prohibited Conduct.
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Mandatory Reporting
All employees are responsible for knowing and following the Policy. In addition, all Residential Faculty and Deans, Online Faculty and Deans, Athletic
Coaches (NCAA & Club Sports), Residential Assistants, Residential Directors, LUPD, Office of Community Life staff are Responsible Employees who
are required to report immediately any information they know about known or suspected Prohibited Conduct. Responsible Employees must
immediately report all known information, including the identities of the Parties; the date, time and location; and other details about known or
suspected Prohibited Conduct to the OEC. The OEC may share its Reports and Formal Complaints with LUPD and the Review Committee to ensure a
coordinated institutional response. Consistent with applicable law, Responsible Employees may also provide support and assistance to a
Complainant, Witness, or Respondent; but they cannot promise confidentiality or withhold information about Prohibited Conduct from the OEC.
Responsible Employees are not required to report information disclosed (1) at public awareness events (e.g., “Take Back the Night,” candlelight vigils,
protests, “survivor speak-outs,” or other public forums in which students may disclose Prohibited Conduct (collectively, public awareness events));
or (2) during a person’s participation as a subject in an Institutional Review Board-approved human subjects research protocol (“IRB Research”). The
University may provide information about a person’s rights under this Policy and about available University and community resources and support
at public awareness events, however, and Institutional Review Boards may, in appropriate cases, require researchers to provide such information to
subjects of IRB Research who report Prohibited Conduct.
Reporting Prohibited Conduct
Any person may report Prohibited Conduct (whether or not the person reporting is the alleged victim). Reports of Prohibited Conduct, including
Discrimination and Harassment, can be submitted or received through the following University channels: Liberty University SpeakUP! Form; a Beacon
Incident Report; Walk-In/Appointment with the Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator, an Investigator, or a Deputy Coordinator; an email from a
Responsible Employee to the OEC, the Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator, an Investigator, or a Deputy Coordinator on the Complainant’s behalf;
an email, letter, or telephone call to the OEC, the Executive Director/Title IX Coordinator, an Investigator, or a Deputy Coordinator. Reports and
Formal Complaints of Prohibited Conduct may be made at any time (including non-business hours). Reports of Prohibited Conduct can also be made
to LUPD or to local law enforcement at the contact information above, but such reports will be handled pursuant to law enforcement procedures
and not necessarily pursuant to this Policy.
No person will suffer Retaliation as a result of engaging in protected activity under the Policy. Protected activity generally includes filing a complaint
of Prohibited Conduct, participating in any related process or otherwise opposing unlawful discriminatory conduct. See Section 5.5 of the Policy for
the full definition of Retaliation, including examples of protected activities.
For more information, please refer to the Policy at the link above or contact the Executive Director of OEC / Title IX Coordinator at the information
provided below:
Nathan Hopkins
Executive Director / Title IX Coordinator
1971 University Blvd.
Green Hall 1845K
434-592-7446
To file a report or complaint, you may do so online at https://www.liberty.edu/title-ix/speak-up/
I HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE that Liberty University has provided me a copy of the University Doctrinal Statement, the Statement of Professional
Ethics, as well as the procedures for reporting discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct.
I also hereby acknowledge that Liberty University has made available to me a copy of the Employee Handbook and Faculty Handbook by visiting the
following web page; http://www.liberty.edu/academics/index.cfm?pid=2343. I also acknowledge that I am responsible for the information
contained in the Employee Handbook and Faculty Handbook, as applicable. In addition, I have been made aware that a hard copy is available for
my review upon my request through my supervisor or in the Human Resources office.
Employee’s Signature
Date
Employee’s Name (Typed or Printed)
Department
