Union University
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| Union University | |
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| Motto: | Religio et Eruditio |
| Established: | 1823 |
| Type: | Private |
| Faculty: | 227 |
| Undergraduates: | 3,100 |
| Postgraduates: | 752 |
| Location: | Jackson, Tennessee, USA |
| Campus: | Urban, 290 acres |
| Nickname: | Bulldogs |
| Colors: | Cardinal & Cream |
| Website: | www.uu.edu |
Union University is a four year institution in Jackson, Tennessee, with an additional campus in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention and relates to the Southern Baptist Convention.
Union University is the heir of some of the oldest universities in the country and is notable in the sports world as the place where Bear Bryant began his football coaching career. The school is a union of several different schools: West Tennessee College formerly known as Jackson Male Academy, Union University of Murfreesboro, Southwestern Baptist University, and Hall-Moody Junior College of Martin, Tennessee.
Union is one of the top tier institutions in the South, listed for each of the past eleven years by U.S. News and World Report. In 2008, U.S. News ranked Union in the top 10 in five subcategories and 20th of 574 in the “Southern Universities-Master’s: Top Schools” category. It has been recognized by Peterson’s Competitive College Guide, the Time/Princeton Review, and Templeton’s Colleges that Encourage Character Development. Union is a recipient of the President's Higher Education Community Service Award and has been listed among America's Colleges of Distinction and as one of America's Top 100 College Buys.
The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and it is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
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[edit] Rankings
Union University has ranked as one of the South’s top tier universities for the 11th 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
[edit] Early History
Jackson Male Academy was founded in 1823 just after West Tennessee was opened for settlement [1]. Only five years earlier in 1818 was the land purchased from the Chickasaw Indians.
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.
[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.
From the early 1950s to the early 1970s, 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, Miller Tower, Jennings Hall, Hammons Hall, Fesmire Field House and the new White Hall science building;
- 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);
- SACS 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.
- Implemented the $110 million "Union 2010" plan that includes the future addition of new tennis courts, new intramural fields, and an amphitheatre, which has already included the completion of a second soccer field,the Fesmire Fieldhouse, and the state-of-the-art science building, White Hall [2].
- a Doctor of Pharmacy program, with classes scheduled to begin as soon as the fall of 2008.
[edit] Tornado outbreak - February 5, 2008
On February 5, 2008, the university was struck by an EF4 tornado, with winds between 166–200 miles per hour. The school dormitories suffered a direct hit rendering almost 80% unlivable, although none of the approximately 1,800 students on campus at the time were killed. 51 students were taken to Jackson-Madison General Hospital. While most students were released after being treated, nine were kept overnight. Some students were trapped for hours while emergency crews worked to rescue them. A total of 31 buildings received damage of varying degrees.[3] The devastation captured nation wide attention and was featured by CNN, Fox News, the New York Times [4] and numerous regional news outlets. Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, FEMA Director, R. David Paulison and Governor Phil Bredesen all visited the campus after the disaster. More information is available at the Union University Official Blog.[5]
The Commercial Appeal has reported that due to extensive damage, the campus will not reopen until February 18th.[6] Lambuth University, a rival area university, reportedly offered to open its dormitories to displaced Union students. The congregation of Englewood Baptist Church, which owns the Old English Inn in Jackson, voted unanimously to open the Inn to Union students. The church's move will accommodate almost three hundred students until December of 2008. The University also expected that around 200 students would be housed in the private homes of Union faculty, staff and friends.
The Board of Trustees announced a special fund created for the disaster, which can be reached at: Union University Disaster Relief Fund, 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.
It was the second time in just over 5 years that the campus was hit by a tornado. On the evening of November 10, 2002, during the Veterans Day Weekend tornado outbreak, the school was struck by an F1 tornado, with winds of approximately 100 miles per hour, which did approximately 2 million dollars worth of damage to the school. There were no serious injuries. [7] Union president David Dockery stated that the February 5, 2008 tornado was about fifteen times as bad at the 2002 tornado. The damage caused by the February 5th tornado is currently estimated at $40 million.[8]
[edit] Presidents
| President | Tenure | Institution | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Joseph H. Eaton | –1859 | Union University (Murfreesboro) |
| 2 | – | (Union University (Jackson) | |
| 3 | – | (Union University (Jackson)) | |
| 4 | – | (Union University (Jackson) | |
| 5 | – | (Union University (Jackson) | |
| 6 | – | (Union University (Jackson) | |
| 7 | – | (Union University (Jackson) | |
| 8 | – | (Union University (Jackson) | |
| 9 | Henry Eugene Watters | 1918–1931 | (Union University (Jackson) |
| 10 | John Jeter Hurt | 1932–1945 | (Union University (Jackson) |
| 11 | Warren F. Jones | 1945–1963 | (Union University (Jackson) |
| 12 | F. E. Wright | 1963–1967 | (Union University (Jackson) |
| 13 | Robert Craig | 1967–1985 | (Union University (Jackson) |
| 14 | Hyran Barefoot | 1987–1996 | (Union University (Jackson) |
| 15 | David S. Dockery | 1995–present | (Union University (Jackson) |
[edit] Campus
[edit] Jackson facilities
The campus is 290 acres and includes a 2,200-seat gymnasium, 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, two soccer fields, an indoor swimming pool, and wellness center.
[edit] Germantown facilities
Union also has a 35-acre campus in Germantown, Tennessee, (suburban Memphis) offering graduate degrees in business, education, Christian studies & nursing.
[edit] Olford Ministries International
In early 2007, it was announced that Olford Ministries would be merged into Union University. Olford is an institution that focuses on pastors' training and theological courses. The Olford campus is a 25-acre, wooded retreat setting in Memphis, Tennessee.
[edit] Housing
In Jackson, Union has apartment-style living. Each student has a separate private bedroom that shares a common living space with three roommates. All apartments feature a high-speed Internet connection, as well as kitchen unit. Some apartments feature private phone lines or a washer and dryer. All private living spaces have a window and the common areas have cable access. There is no student housing at the Germantown campus. Temporary off campus housing was at The Jett (the former Old English Inn) for the majority of the spring 2008 semester. The new dorms are planed to be ready by the fall 2008 semester.
[edit] Sports
The school sponsors intercollegiate sports teams that participate in the NAIA's TranSouth Athletic Conference. Its men's sports are soccer, cross country, basketball, baseball, and golf. Its women's sports are soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball, softball, and cheerleading.
The women's basketball team won national championships during the 1998, 2005, and 2006 seasons.
[edit] Greek system
There are six social fraternities on campus, two music fraternities and numerous academic fraternities.
[edit] Fraternities
The fraternities represented on campus are:
| Fraternity | Chapter | Chartered locally |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Tau Omega | Tennessee Beta Tau | February 28, 1894 |
| Lambda Chi Alpha | Lambda-Zeta Zeta | December 5, 1964 |
| Sigma Alpha Epsilon | Tennessee Eta | July 4, 1857 |
[edit] Sororities
The sororities represented on campus are:
| Sorority | Chapter | Chartered locally |
|---|---|---|
| Chi Omega | Upsilon | |
| Kappa Delta | Zeta Beta | February 10, 1990 |
| Zeta Tau Alpha | Beta Omega |
[edit] Academic
The academic fraternities are:
| Fraternity | Discipline |
|---|---|
| Pi Gamma Mu | Social Sciences |
| Alpha Psi Omega | Theater |
| Phi Alpha Theta | History |
| Sigma Tau Delta | English |
| Phi Beta Lambda | Business |
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.
The school also has chapters of the two largest fraternities in music which are not affiliated with the school's Interfraternity or Panhellenic councils: Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity for women and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity for men.
[edit] Publications
- The Cardinal and Cream is the campus newspaper
- The Torch is the English Department's award winning literary and arts publication
[edit] Guest Lecture Events
[edit] Annual Scholarship Banquet
Union's Scholarship Banquet has brought prominent national and international figures to Union including: former president George H.W. Bush, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Russian president and Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former Senator Bob Dole, presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, former British Prime Minister John Major and Winston S. Churchill, Grandson of the former British Prime Minister.
[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,Juan Williams, and Margaret Carlson.
[edit] Notable alumni
[edit] Academic
- Dr. Bob Agee, Executive Director for the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities, and President Emeritus, Oklahoma Baptist University.
- Dr. Joshua F. Drake - Musicologist and hymnist at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
- Dr. George H. Guthrie - Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible and chair of the School of Christian Studies , Union University; one of the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible Translation Review Scholars. An expert in Greek Exegesis and writer known for his analysis and expertise on the Epistle to the Hebrews.
- Charles N. Millican - founding President for the University of Central Florida.
- Dr. L. Thomas Strong III - Dean of Leavell College and Professor of New Testament and Greek in Leavell College at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
- Dr. William E. Troutt - President, Rhodes College
[edit] Clergy
- Dr. Steve Gaines - Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Dr. Monroe E. Dodd -- Pastor of First Baptist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana, 1912-1950; founder of Dodd College for Girls; and radio minister.
[edit] Government
- Milton Brown (politician) (W) - U.S. Representative and co-founder of Southwestern University (now Union University) and Lambuth University both located in Jackson, Tennessee.
- Pauline LaFon Gore - mother of United States Vice President Albert Gore, attended Union and was awarded an honorary degree.
- Tom J. Murray (D) - U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1943 to 1966.
- Herron C. Pearson (D) - U.S. Representative from Tennessee.
- John May Taylor (D) - U.S. Representative from Tennessee.
- Joshua Trent - Associate Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fellow at the C. S. Lewis Institute, and 2006 Lincoln Fellow of the Claremont Institute.
[edit] Musical
- Chris Rice - Christian recording artist
[edit] Professional
- John Dancy - Former NBC News Correspondent.
- J. Thomas McAfee - president of Hallmark Systems, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Dr. Timothy Tucker - President-Elect of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). 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. Winner of the Lambda Chi Alpha Order or Merit.
[edit] Sports
- Gaylon Moore - American professional basketball player.
[edit] Notable faculty - past and present
- Steve Beverly - professor of broadcasting and expert on British and American gameshows.
- Ed Bryant (R) - politician.
- David Gushee - ethicist, author of Kingdom Ethics
- George H. Guthrie - expert on the Epistle to the Hebrews.
[edit] References
- ^ History | Union University
- ^ Union 2010
- ^ Union University Recovery, http://www.uurecovery.com/
- ^ Toll of Deadly Tornadoes in South Climbs Past 50 - New York Times
- ^ UUEmergency
- ^ Devastated Union University won't reopen till Feb. 18
- ^ Union University News Release - 11/12/02
- ^ Union's damage estimates may reach $40M | jacksonsun.com |
[edit] External links
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