Union Adventist University

Union Adventist University (formerly Union College) is a private college in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Known as Union College from 1891 to MayTemplate:Nbsp5, 2024, it is owned and operated by the Mid-America Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is accredited by the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA) and the Higher Learning Commission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world's second largest Christian school system.<ref>https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/1115/For-real-education-reform-take-a-cue-from-the-Adventists"the second largest Christian school system in the world has been steadily outperforming the national average – across all demographics."</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

L. A. Hoopes and a committee of church leaders, including influential Adventist scholar and administrator W. W. Prescott, came to Lincoln, Nebraska, in search of land to establish a college in the Midwest. In September 1891,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Union College opened its doors to students with Prescott serving as its first president. The present-day community of College View grew around the college campus. During the 1920s, the college experienced a difficult period due to the shrinking enrollment and budget deficits.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1939, former mayor of Lincoln Don Lathrop Love donated money for the college to build an industrial building and established a life annuity with the college a year later.

The 1970s saw major expansion of the college, including the construction of the iconic 100-foot clock tower, Everett Dick Administration Building, the college's lab school George Stone School and College View Church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The radio station KUCV was also operated by the college from its 1974 sign-on until it was sold in 1989.

In 1981, Union held its first annual service day, cancelling classes to allow students and staff to volunteer at local service projects. This collegiate service day, initially named Project Brush and later Project Impact, is the longest-running event of its kind in the United states.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2004, Union began offering the unique International Rescue and Relief program, a bachelor's degree training students in disaster response, emergency management, and international development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Teams from this program respond to regional and international disasters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2024, due to the increasing number of graduate programs offered and confusion with other institutions named "Union College", the name of the institution was changed to Union Adventist University.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Campus

The Template:Convert campus is located in southeastern Lincoln, surrounded by residential areas and small businesses. Major campus buildings include the Clocktower, Everett Dick Administration Building; the Don Love Building housing library and auditorium, Ortner Center with cafeteria and conference facilities; Krueger Center for science and mathematics, AdventHealth Center with exercise facilities and nursing, Engel Hall with music and fine arts, the Thunderdome gymnasium, Prescott Hall men's residence, and Rees Hall women's residence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The campus is also the location of the Joshua C. Turner Arboretum, a site of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, hosting over 100 species of plants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Academics

The college is organized into eight divisions:

• Business and Computer Science
• Emergency Management and Exercise Science
• Fine Arts
• Human Development
• Humanities
• Nursing
• Religion
• Science & Math

In addition to undergraduate degrees, the college offers Masters programs in Leadership, Occupational Therapy, Public Health, and Physician Assistant Studies.<ref>Physician Assistant Studies</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Athletics

In athletics, Union plays as the Warriors and fields a limited number of sports, but is not a member of a major college sports association but rather the Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA). As such, their teams tend to play against bible colleges, community colleges, and JV teams. The university also hosts three tournaments each year (one for basketball, soccer, and volleyball) for Seventh-day Adventist high school teams.

Notable people

Alumni

• Laura Fenton, racquetball athlete
• Wayne Hooper, gospel music composer
• T. R. M. Howard, civil rights leader, entrepreneur, hospital owner
• Rukebai Inabo, Senator of Palau
• Milton E. Kern, educator
• Sandra Pierantozzi, former Vice President of Palau
• Chester Wickwire, chaplain, civil rights and peace activist

Faculty

• Jonathan M. Butler, historian
• Frank Lewis Marsh, biologist, educator
• John G. Matteson, minister who brought the Seventh-day Adventist Church to Denmark<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Mike Mennard, recording artist, current literature and communications lecturer

See also

• List of Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities
• Seventh-day Adventist education

External links

• Template:Official website
• Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists entry for Union College (Nebraska).
• Template:Cite news