by Charissa Ricker and Carly Reams | Feb 13, 2019 | News Slider
Lipscomb University held three sessions on sexual health and spirituality during the first few weeks of the 2019 spring semester. This two-part article recaps the last two sessions. Charissa Ricker covered the second session, and Carly Reams covered the third. Second session Lipscomb held a panel discussion on Jan. 24 during a breakout chapel to address students’ questions about sexual health and spirituality. After a campus-wide survey about sexual health was sent out last semester, the Student Health Advisory Committee introduced a series on sexual health. Director of Health Services Erin Keckley spent the first session discussing the results of the survey. The second session panel consisted of Keckley, Kathy Hargis (director of Risk Management and Title IX), Pieter Valk (counselor), Josh Roberts (dean of Student Development) and Prentice Ashford (dean of Office of Intercultural Development). Students were able to submit questions anonymously for the panel to answer ranging from the different health services on campus to Lipscomb’s policies on sexual health. “We believe that if you read the Bible, and you read Christ’s teachings, that sexuality is designed for the context of marriage,” Roberts said. “And so for that reason our policies expect that students who are not married refrain from sexual activity.” The Health Center, the Counseling Center and the Title IX office are three places students can get help on-campus without having to worry about the consequences of Lipscomb’s policies. Roberts stressed the complete confidentiality between those offices and the code of conduct and the disciplinary office. Title IX and the amnesty clause were explained deeper by Hargis, who shared how students who have broken Lipscomb’s...
by Jamin Craig | Mar 5, 2015 | News Slider
Student Life dove into sexual purity from a Biblical viewpoint at Wednesday night’s “Unfiltered” series – a study that allows students to discuss difficult topics. Sam Smith, Dean of Student Life, came up with this series from a conversation he had with Josh Roberts, Dean of Student Development. “Josh Roberts and I went to a conference with some of our sister-school deans, and we were talking about what our campuses should look like, what our students are struggling with and how we can address those issues,” Smith said. “We realized there was this void on our campus when it came to these types of discussions, and instead of trying to avoid it, we’re going to do our best to address it.” “Unfiltered” is a four-part series, and each meeting covers a different topic. The topics include: online identity in social media, pornography and faith, sexual purity and substance abuse. Smith and Roberts decided to purposely not make the series available for chapel credit or a requirement for any Bible classes. They didn’t want students to feel forced in any way to attend the meetings because they knew they were difficult topics to confront. This week, the topic was sexual purity. Dr. Earl Lavender, a bible professor, led the discussion for the evening. He focused on maintaining a Christ-centered identity in a world focused on self-interest and sexual pleasure. “[Students need to] believe that God wills for you to flourish,” Lavender said. “He’s not giving you laws to frustrate you and tell you what you can’t do. He’s created you for His glory, and His teachings on appropriate sexual behavior are...
by Erin Turner | Jan 1, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
Happy New Year, Lumination readers! Now that the new year’s resolutions have been made and the first day of 2015 is here, we want to take a hop back in time to look at some of Lipscomb’s biggest moments of 2014. Before we get to the top 10 stories, we want to take a moment to honor those we lost in 2014. Alumni Andrew Nash, Anastasia Sloan, Meghan Day and Jacob Akers, and associate professor of pharmacy practice Kim Barker and longtime faculty member Earl Dennis all passed away. As we begin a new year, we would like to keep those listed and their families in our thoughts and prayers. Quite a few stories made it close to the top 10. They include a few annual events, special guests and people in new positions of leadership. In December, Amy Grant hosted the tenth annual Lighting of the Green in Allen Arena. This year, a scholarship was created in Grant’s honor. During the spring, the fifth annual Charlie Daniels’ Scholarship for Heroes concert brought country music stars and fundraising to Allen Arena once again. Also in 2014, the Dove Awards returned to Lipscomb for its 46th ceremony. In November, the Lipscomb community came together at one of Nashville’s premier venues: The Ryman. Nashville’s Charles Esten joined the program “Lipscomb: On a New Stage,” and even performed a few tunes, too. Also in 2014, Lipscomb welcomed Darrin Bellows as the new director of security and safety and Josh Roberts as the new dean of student development. In April, Drew Watson was elected as the new SGA president. 10. Dana Carpenter wins national award In October, Dana Carpenter took home...
by Erika Thornsberry | Dec 10, 2014 | News Slider
Students who have to stay on campus over the winter break will pay a $15 fee per day to live in a dorm. Some international students have the option to buy a plane ticket home, or stay with friends or classmates. But international student junior Lorena Djuknic will not be traveling home for the holidays because of the high cost of a plane ticket. “As an international athlete, I’m really disappointed in this rule because it’s really sad when it comes to holidays, and you’re so far away from your friends and your family,” said Djuknic. Djuknic, along with international student sophomore Laura Kent, will be spending the break in a dorm due to the NCAA restrictions on athletes. “Paying $15 a day is kind of a slap in the face; I mean we can’t go home to be with our families over Christmas, and then we’re paying to be in a dorm room by ourselves,” said Kent. “Being international, I don’t have a car, and I don’t know a lot of people in the country that I could even stay with.” Dean of Student Development Josh Roberts said the fee would not be a financial burden to students who need a place to stay. “If students were in situations where they are international or domestic, to partner with roommates, friends, and classmates and spend the holidays with them would be very ideal,” said...
by Cory Woodroof | Aug 13, 2014 | News Slider
Attorney Josh Roberts will be joining the Office of Student Life as the new dean of student development, per the university. Roberts will be taking an active role in providing guidance for various student organizations and serving as the student life liaison for Lipscomb’s counseling center. Senior Vice President for Student Life Scott McDowell said he champions Roberts’ addition to the Lipscomb community. “Josh brings a great deal of passion and expertise to this role of developing students in a holistic way,” McDowell said to Lipscomb’s website. “His legal background will also be an invaluable resource as we navigate an increasingly complex higher education landscape where government regulations continually proliferate. “He will dedicate himself to mentoring a new generation of leaders as Lipscomb continues its commitment to equipping students to discover their created purpose and to embrace their place in the kingdom.” Originally from Nashville, Roberts received his undergraduate education at George Washington University and his law degree at the University of Memphis School of Law. Roberts said he plans to use his new role to help Lipscomb’s student leaders grow. “I am overjoyed to be joining the Lipscomb family at this remarkable time,” Roberts told Lipscomb’s website. “There’s not another university in the country that has more fully dedicated itself to developing students into leaders. As the dean of student development, it is my privilege to leverage the full weight of Lipscomb’s vast resources in a manner that carefully stretches, challenges and nurtures our student leaders.” For more on Roberts, visit Lipscomb’s website. Photo courtesy of...
