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Union College is a small, spirited, independent liberal arts college in the Appalachian Mountain range. The College, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, was founded in 1879 - a time when simple survival, not higher education, was the top priority of most of the country. But for the citizens of Barbourville, a town of 450 souls and three brick buildings, establishing a college for their children was essential. The name they chose reflected the unity of purpose they felt: To a man (and woman), they believed education was the path to leadership.
Union's 600-plus undergraduates and over 1,000 graduate students represent 24 states and 14 countries. The College's academic program fulfills the goal of a liberal arts education. It also provides students with the skills necessary to complete in a diverse job market. The undergraduate liberal arts curriculum makes available a body of knowledge drawn from the applied sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Majors and areas of study in pre-professional, technical, and skills-oriented fields enhance postgraduate employment opportunities. The graduate program, celebrating its 45th year, offers advanced degrees in education and psychology.
Union's 100-acre campus is on the edge of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains in southeastern Kentucky. The newest of the College's 20 buildings include a state-of-the-art technology center, academic center, and student apartment building. Approximately one-half of Union’s undergraduate students live in three residence halls and the apartments on campus. Dozens of student organizations offer many opportunities for participation in a wide range of extracurricular activities. Union's full-time College minister organizes various activities related to spiritual growth.
Intercollegiate sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, cycling, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field for men and women. Women’s sports include softball and volleyball. Baseball and football are additional men’s sports. Union has a coed varsity cheerleading squad, as well as junior varsity teams for baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s soccer. Intramural sports vary according to student request. The College recently added new tennis courts and a softball field, refurbished the baseball and soccer fields, updated facilities in Robsion Arena, home to men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. Synthetic turf has been installed Burch/Nau Field. This turf has changed campus and it allows several athletic programs to take advantage of the field.
Location
Just 17 miles east of Interstate 75, the town of Barbourville sits in the Appalachian Mountains surrounded by four state parks filled with falls, lakes, and streams. The campus itself includes more than 100 gently rolling acres covered in overhanging elms, mountain laurel, and Georgian architecture. The famous Wilderness Road spans the east side of the campus, and Cumberland Gap National Historic Park is just 30 miles away. The air is clean and fresh, and the people are friendly and down to earth.
Majors and Degrees
Union College offers the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees. Majors are available in accounting, biology, business administration, chemistry, Christian ministries, computer information technology, criminal justice, education (elementary, middles grades, and secondary), educational studies (non-teaching), English/communication, health, history, history/political science, human performance, management, marketing, mathematics, physical education, psychology, recreation management, religious studies, sociology, social work, special education, sports management, and theatre.
Students who have an interest in professional programs or allied health fields such as dentistry, forensics, law, medical technology, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, or veterinary medicine may fulfill entrance requirements for these schools while pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Union. Since admission requirements to professional schools vary considerably, students having interest in these fields work with their advisor, who assists with the admission process into professional school and helps select an appropriate program of study.
The Academic Program
Union College helps students make learning connections. Students are given opportunities for practical applications through an academically rigorous liberal arts curriculum. Upon admission to the College, students begin a process whereby career counselors and academic advisors help them articulate career goals, select academic courses of study appropriate to those goals, and achieve suitable placement upon completion of their studies.
The College operates on a two-semester calendar, with a May interim session and two summer terms. Students must successfully complete a total of 128 semester hours to earn a bachelor's degree, including 43 hours of required core classes from the four major divisions of study.
Study Abroad
Union College is a cooperating member of the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS). The College joins with a number of other Kentucky colleges and universities to provide summer study opportunities in ten different locations. The programs in France, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Ecuador are open to all Union College students, who may earn credits toward their degree at Union.
Academic Facilities
The Weeks-Townsend Memorial Library contains more than 160,000 books, periodicals, government documents, media materials, and on-line reference and full-text databases. Library functions, including the online public access catalog (OPAC), circulation, and reserves are fully automated through the Innovative Millennium Integrated Library System. The Library is a participant in the Appalachian College Association (ACA) shared catalog, unifying catalogs from 20+ college and university libraries. The 20-seat Library Lab is a teaching lab and the center of campus access to the Internet, including email and the World Wide Web. The Library also has additional desktop computers and wireless laptop computers accessible to students, several for overnight checkout. The Library supports the College curriculum through its resources, Bibliographic Instruction (BI), and service.
The Academic Resource Center (ARC) provides free services to Union College students in several academic support areas. Individual tutoring is available in a variety of subject areas in both upper and lower division classes. Students may work with a tutor to review for classes, refresh study skills, or prepare for professional examinations such as GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE, and NTE. Each semester, courses that have been deemed academically challenging are selected for Supplemental Instruction (SI). Students attend group study sessions, held a minimum of three times a week, with a student leader who has already excelled in that particular course. The SI leaders model good study strategies and encourage collaborative learning.
Accreditation
Union College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate and masters degrees. Union College is approved by the Kentucky State Department of Education to offer teacher-education programs on the elementary, middle and secondary levels. The Department of Business has been accredited for all of its degree programs by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. The new Social Work program is seeking accreditation with the Council on Social Work Education and is currently accepting students. The new Graduate Psychology program will seek accreditation with the Masters in Psychology Accreditation Council in the 2008-09 academic year.
Costs
Tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $16,820; room and board is $5,250. Books and supplies are estimated at $900 per year.
Financial Aid
In 2008-09, 98% of Union's undergraduate students received financial assistance. Students wishing to be considered for aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 15. The Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work-Study programs of the federal government are sources of aid. Non-need-based academic scholarships range from $1,000 to full tuition. Kentucky residents may apply for the Kentucky State Tuition Grant.
Faculty
Union's faculty is intensely committed to the adventure of learning as well as the greater adventure of life. One faculty member here had the adventure of a lifetime on a trek in the Amazon; another is one of today's foremost authorities on one of the richest cultures in America - our own Appalachia. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:12.
Union College Student Government
Union College students have a vital role and a distinct responsibility in the governance of the College. Union College students, through the Student Government Association (SGA), have the responsibility to be self-governing, seek representation from all sectors of the campus community, create fair representative government, project the best aspirations of the community, provide support to the administration for effective enrichment of College life, and assure the welfare of the student community by identifying important community projects, needs, problems, and solutions. Governance shared with the students, faculty, staff and administration is how Union College succeeds in its commitment to being student-centered.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission, a student must submit a completed application, a $20 application fee, ACT or SAT I scores, and official high school transcripts. The following high school academic units are required: 4 in English, 3 in mathematics, 2 in social studies, and 2 in science. Foreign language study is recommended but not required. Applicants must have maintained a minimum average of C in their secondary school work. References and student activities are also considered.
Transfer students must submit a completed application, a $10 application fee, and official transcripts from any college or university previously attended. Official high school transcripts are required if the student is transferring fewer than 31 semester hours. Transfer students must be eligible to return to the institution last attended and may be admitted to Union in any semester or summer session.
At Union College, the doors are open to anyone who wants a more fulfilling life, regardless of race, color, sex, disability, and national or ethnic origin.
Application and Information
Application forms may be obtained by writing to the Admission Office, or you may apply online. Applications are processed on a rolling admission basis. Students must present ACT or SAT I scores and official high school transcripts. Upon acceptance, students must complete the health form provided by the College.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting:
Admission Office
Union College
310 College Street
Barbourville, KY 40906
Telephone: 606-546-4151 Ext. 1657
800-489-8646 (toll-free)
Email: enroll@unionky.edu
URL: www.unionky.edu