Union College (Kentucky)


Union College is a private college in Barbourville, Kentucky. The college was founded in 1879 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Union's approximately 825 undergraduate students represent 27 states and 9 countries.
Union's campus is in southeastern Kentucky. Approximately 44 percent of the students live in three residence halls and the apartments on campus. Union's teams are known as the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs. The college offers 21 varsity sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Location

Approximately east of Interstate 75, the city 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 Wilderness Road spans the east side of the campus, and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is approximately away.

Academics

Union College offers the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees. The college also offers Master of Arts in Psychology and Education. Additionally, new programs at the Master's level include Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Administration, and Master of Science in Athletic Administration.
The college operates on a two-semester calendar, with a May interim session and two summer terms. Students must successfully complete a total of 120 semester hours to earn a bachelor's degree, including 35 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. The college joins with a number of other Kentucky colleges and universities to provide summer study opportunities in ten different locations. The programs in Argentina, 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 public catalog access, circulation and reserves are fully automated through the Sirsi Unicorn Collection Management System. The 20-seat computer lab is the center of campus access to the Internet, including email and the World Wide Web. The college also has a variety of computers accessible to students. The library and Centennial computer labs each contain 20 workstations and a laser printer connected to the campus network. A third lab, the Hensley lab, provides the same type of access with 17 computers. The labs are open a variety of hours each week to support the academic programs and provide student access to the campus network.
The Academic Resource Center 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. 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.
The Sharp Academic Center is one of the primary classroom facilities on campus. Named for alumnus and Nobel Laureate Phillip Allen Sharp, the Sharp Academic Center was added to a remodeled dormitory, providing classroom and office space. Currently, the offices include the Office of the President, Office of the Academic Vice President, Student Support Services, the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Department of History.
The Ramsey Center is an additional classroom and laboratory space on campus. Named for Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, the Center was remodeled from the former Knox County Hospital. This building houses the Department of Natural Sciences, the Psychology Department, and the Edna Jenkins Mann School of Nursing.

Financial aid

In 2014–15, 96% of Union's undergraduate students received financial assistance. Students wishing to be considered for aid must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 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

The faculty numbers 104 and the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1.

Athletics

Union College men's and women's teams are known as the Bulldogs. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, primarily competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, while competing in the Mid-South Conference for football. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, swimming, track & field and lacrosse; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball; coed sports include cheerleading, cycling, and dance. Intramural sports vary according to student request. The college recently completed new tennis courts, a softball field, and refurbished the baseball, soccer and football fields.
Union College men's basketball also recently won their first NAIA division II national title in the 2016–17 season. This marked the schools third team national championship, the first two were earned by the cycling team in 2002 and 2012.

Other student groups

There are 23 registered non-athletic student organizations that encompass the following: