UNION COLLEGE
Barbourville, Kentucky
The College
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. However, for the citizens of Barbourville, a town of 450 people and three brick buildings, establishing a college for their children was essential. The name they chose reflected the unity of purpose they felt; they believed education was the path to leadership.
Union's nearly 600 undergraduates and 316 graduate students represent twenty-four states and several countries. The College's academic program fulfills the goal of a liberal arts education. It also provides students with the skills necessary to compete 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 preprofessional, technical, and skills-oriented fields enhance postgraduate employment opportunities.
Union's 100-acre campus is on the edge of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains in southeastern Kentucky. Approximately 44 percent of the students live in three dormitories or apartments on campus, all of which provide Internet, e-mail, and cable access. Dozens of student organizations offer many opportunities for participation in a wide range of extracurricular activities. Union's full-time campus minister organizes various religious activities.
Intercollegiate sports include basketball, cross-country, cycling, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track for men and women; softball and volleyball for women; and baseball and football for men. Intramural sports vary according to student request.
Location
Just 17 miles east of Interstate 75 and about an hour south of Lexington, the town of Barbourville sits in the Appalachian Mountains and is surrounded by four state parks filled with waterfalls, lakes, and streams. While it has the typical warmth and charm of a small community, Barbourville has also been designated as one of America's best-wired small towns by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. The campus itself includes more than 100 gently rolling acres that are 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 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Majors are available in accounting, biology, business administration, chemistry, computer information systems, criminal justice, education (elementary, middle grades, music, physical, secondary, and special), English/communications, health, history, history and political science, mathematics, psychology, recreation management, religious studies, sociology, sports management, and theater.
In addition to programs in the pure disciplines of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics and their education counterparts, Union has programs in place for professional and health science careers. These programs combine the advantages of the small private college and those of the large university and include dentistry, engineering, medical technology, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine. Some of the programs have cooperative agreements; some are based on competition, while others give preference to Union students.
Academic Programs
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 advisers 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. The College strives for a more interdisciplinary, integrated approach to creating an environment where student learning is modeled, facilitated, and enhanced.
Off-Campus Programs
Union College is a cooperating member of the Kentucky Institute of 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 Austria, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Spain are open to all Union College students, who may earn credits toward their degree at Union.
Academic Facilities
The Weeks-Townsend Memorial Library, with seating for 300, contains more than 150,000 books, bound periodicals, government documents, microforms, and media materials. Numerous online reference and full-text periodical databases enhance student research capabilities. Special collections include the Lincoln-Civil War Collection, the Kentucky Collection, and the Curriculum Collection of teaching materials. Library functions, including the public access catalog, circulation, and academic reserves, are fully automated. The main campus computer lab in the library and two additional computer labs in the Centennial Hall classroom building are open a variety of hours each week to support the academic programs of the College and to provide access, through the campus network, to e-mail and the Internet.
The Sharp Academic Center, a teaching and administrative facility completed in 2000, includes a video conference room available for use by students, faculty, and the surrounding community. Union's newest facility, the Edward H. Black Technology Center, opened in spring 2003. The two-story tech center includes a training/computer lab and a state-of-the-art audio/video studio, which will house a College-operated cable channel as well as extensive multimedia hardware and software.
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, which are 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.
Costs
Tuition for the 200506 academic year is $14,420, and room and board are $4400, for a total of $18,820. Books are estimated at $600 per year. Personal expenses are estimated at $500 per year, depending upon the individual.
Financial Aid
In 200506, 98 percent of Union's undergraduate students are receiving financial assistance. Students wishing to be considered for aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March15. The Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work-Study programs are sources of aid. Kentucky residents may apply for the Kentucky State Tuition Grant.
Faculty
Union's faculty members are intensely committed to the adventure of learning as well as the greater adventure of life. One faculty member had the adventure of a lifetime on a trek in the Amazon, and another is one of today's foremost authorities on one of the richer cultures in America, Appalachia. The faculty-student ratio is 1:12.
Student Government
Union College Community Government provides an opportunity to examine and seek solutions for quality-of-life issues of the campus. The Campus Activities Board seeks to design, sponsor, and produce a broad range of activities on campus. The Commuter Council seeks to examine the needs and interests of nonresidential students and to provide programs to meet those needs.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission, a student must submit a completed application, a $10 application fee, ACT or SAT 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 $20 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, the doors are open to anyone who wants a more fulfilling life, regardless of race, color, sex, disability, or national or ethnic origin.
Application and Information
Application forms may be obtained by writing to the Admission Office or may be completed online. Applications are processed on a rolling admission basis. Students must present ACT or SAT 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:
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