Union University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the Union University in Tennessee. For other institutions of this or a similar name, see Union College (disambiguation).
|
|
| Motto | Religio et Eruditio |
|---|---|
| Established | 1823 |
| Type | Private |
| David S. Dockery | |
| Faculty | 227 |
| Undergraduates | 3,000 |
| Postgraduates | 752 |
| Location | Jackson, Tennessee, USA |
| Campus | Urban, 290 acres |
| Mascot | Bulldogs |
| Colors | Cardinal & Cream |
| Website | www.uu.edu |
Union University is a four year institution located in Jackson, Tennessee. The University is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention and relates to the Southern Baptist Convention.
Union University has the distinction of being one of the oldest universities in the country. As the name implies the school is a union of several different schools: West Tennessee College formerly known as Jackson Male Academy, Union University of Murfreesburo, Southwestern Baptist University, and Hall-Moody Junior College of Martin, Tennessee.
Jackson Male Academy was founded in 1823 just after the state of Tennessee was opened for settlement[1]. Only five years earlier in 1818 was the land purchased from the Chickasaw Indians.
Contents |
[edit] Rankings
Union University has ranked as one of the South’s top tier universities for the 10th straight year by U.S.News & World Report.
Union also ranked in 6 subcategories:
- 3rd in “faculty resources” category (includes classes with fewer than 20 students, faculty salary and the proportion of professors with the highest degree in the field).
- 4th in the “percent of classes with fewer than 20 students” category - 73%.
- 4th (tied) for SAT/ACT score category.
- 5th (tied) for the “student/faculty ratio” category (ratio of 12/1), placing Union in the top 18 southern universities in this category.
- 7th (tied) in “selectivity rank,” which includes test scores and class rank for incoming students.
- 9th (tied) for “freshmen in top 25 percent of high school class"; 66 percent of freshmen meet that description.
Union is also recognized in:
- Peterson's Guide to Competitive Colleges;
- The Templeton Foundation Guide for Colleges That Encourage Chartacter Development;
- America's Best College Buys and
- America's Best College Scholarships.
[edit] History
Template:Citation needed for this section
[edit] Early History
In 1907, Dr. T. T. Eaton, a trustee of Southwestern Baptist University, left his 6,000 volume library to the college. Eaton was a former professor of Union University at Murfreesboro, where his father, Dr. Joseph H. Eaton, was a former president.
Southwestern soon changed its name to Union University in honor of the Eatons and others from Union at Murfreesboro who had impacted Southwestern as faculty, administrators, trustees, and contributors.
In 1925 the Tennessee Baptist Convention secured a charter that vested the rights, authority, and property of Union University in the Tennessee Convention. This charter included the election of the University’s trustees. Two years later, the Convention consolidated Hall-Moody Junior College at Martin (1900-1927) with Union University.
In 1948 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Union University accreditation.
In 1962 Union developed a nursing program with the assistance of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital at the request of local physicians.
In 1975 Union moved from downtown Jackson, Tennessee to a new campus located near the Highway 45-Bypass in north Jackson. In recent years this area has seen a dramatic growth in economic development with the addition of numerous shopping malls, restaurants, a Wal-Mart, SAMS, and movie theater all within five minutes of campus.
[edit] The Craig and Barefoot Administrations
During President Robert Craig (1967-85) and President Hyran Barefoot's (1987-1996) administrations:
- enrollment increased from fewer than 1,000 students to more than 2,000;
- the Penick Academic Complex was enlarged several times;
- additional housing units were erected;
- and the Blasingame Academic Complex (1986) and the Hyran E. Barefoot Student Union Building (1994) were constructed.
During the early 1950’s to the early 1970’s, Union operated an Extension Center in the Memphis area. From 1987-95, Union offered the degree completion program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN track) in Memphis. At that time there were over 300 graduates of this program.
[edit] David S. Dockery's Administration
David S. Dockery was elected as the fifteenth president of Union University in December 1995. Dockery brought a desire to take Union to a regional and national prominence in Christian higher education. Thus far he has realized:
- headcount increase from 2200 (in 1996) to more than 3500 (in 2004);
- increased giving to Union, including ten of the largest commitments in Union history;
- construction of two residence halls, the Miller Tower, Jennings Hall, Hammons Hall, and new Fesmire athletic facilities;
- successful completion of the $60 million comprehensive “Building a Future” campaign (1998-2005) (now at $69 million);
- renewed commitment to scholarship and research among Union faculty-part of Union's new Center for Faculty Development;
- new undergraduate majors in political science, physics, theology, digital media studies, church history, ethics, sports management, sports medicine, engineering; and graduate programs in education (M.Ed., Ed.S., and Ed.D.), nursing (MSN with tracks in education, administration, and nurse anesthesia), and intercultural studies (MAIS);
- SAACS Level V accreditation was achieved;
- added programs in undergraduate research;
- Addition of LIFE group programs, student retention programs, student mission involvement, giftedness assessment program for freshman students;
- the establishment of an extension campus in Germantown, TN, which now has almost 700 students;
- the establishment of the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Christian Leadership;
- the establishment of the Charles Colson Chair for Faith and Culture;
- the establishment of the annual Scholarship Banquet (1997-2004);
- achieving top tier recognition in U.S. News and World Report and other important listings.
[edit] Campus
[edit] Facilities
The new campus is 290-acres and includes a 2,200 seat fieldhouse, dormitories for men and women including a married housing complex, separate lodges for the fraternities and sororities, academic halls, an administration center, baseball and softball parks, a soccer field, tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, and Wellness Center.
[edit] Housing
Union has apartment-style living. Each student has a separate private bedroom that shares a common living space with as many as four to five roommates. Apartments feature private phone lines and high-speed Internet connection, and many of the apartment living spaces are equipped with a kitchen unit. All private living spaces have a window and the common areas have cable access.
[edit] Sports
The school sponsors intercollegiate sports teams that participate in the NAIA's TranSouth Athletic Conference.
[edit] Greek System
Union has a Greek system which consists of three men's fraternities:
Union also has three women's fraternities/sororities:
Each of these groups is relatively large in size relative to the size of the institution and consistently contributes to philanthropies, both regionally and globally.
[edit] Publications
[edit] The Cardinal and Cream - Campus Newspaper
[edit] The Torch - Award Winning Literary and Arts Publication
[edit] Guest Lecture Events
[edit] The Union Forum - Union's Annual Speaker Series
Union's Forum has brought several national figures to Union including:
- Peggy Wehmeyer,
- William Kristol,
- Michael Medved,
- Robert Novak,
- Stephen Carter,
- Morton Kondracke,
- Clarence Page,
- Margaret Carlson.
[edit] Annual Scholarship Banquet
Union's Scholarship Banquet has also brought prominent national figures to Union including:
- George H.W. Bush,
- Colin Powell,
- Mikhail Gorbachev,
- Margaret Thatcher,
- Bob Dole,
- Rudy Giuliani,
- John Major
- Winston S. Churchill, Grandson of the Former British Prime Minister.
[edit] The Germantown Campus
In recent years the institution has opened a branch campus in Germantown, Tennessee (suburban Memphis) aimed primarily at "adult" students (those over 24 years of age and working full-time).
[edit] Notable Alumni
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Academic
- Joshua F. Drake - Assistant Professor of Music and Humanities at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Former member of Lambda Chi Alpha at Union University.
- Dr. George H. Guthrie - Associate Professor of Christian Studies, Union University; one of the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible Translation Review Scholars. An expert in Greek Exegesis and the biblical book Epistle to the Hebrews.
- Dr. L. Thomas Strong III - Dean of Leavell College and Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek in Leavell College at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
[edit] Clergy
- Dr. Steve Gaines - Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN.
[edit] Professional
- John Dancy - Former NBC News Correspondent.
- Timothy Tucker - President-Elect of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and former member of Lambda Chi Alpha at Union University. Former president of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA), president of the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, and Speaker of the House for TPA for more than 10 years.
[edit] Musical
- Chris Rice - Christian recording artist
[edit] External links
| TranSouth Athletic Conference |
|---|
| Bethel • Blue Mountain • Crichton • Cumberland • Freed–Hardeman • Lambuth • Lyon • Martin Methodist • Mid–Continent • Trevecca • Union |
