A message from Bryan Carrier, Assistant Dean of Students
Welcome and thank you for visiting this site! I serve Union University as the Assistant Dean of Students. In this role I provide vision, direction and oversight to Residence Life, Safety and Security, Campus Reservations and Chapel Facilitation. In my role as the Assistant Dean of Students I also serve as the Chief Judicial Officer for the University. My aim is to assist students in their discovery of what it means to live in Christian community, to seek justice, to resolve conflict, to appreciate and celebrate culture and to practice leadership at Union University.
It is vital for students to be immersed in community living. A significant part of a students' education takes place outside of the classroom. To this end, it is my desire to create a seamless learning environment in which both curricular and co-curricular learning prepares Union students to become Excellence Driven, Christ Centered, People Focused and Future Directed.
The philosophy of discipline at Union is redemptive and restorative in nature. The intent is to encourage thought and action while promoting greater commitment to Jesus Christ and promoting healthy habits of lifelong learning. In the book of Colossians the Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Colossae. These believers lived in a cultural center with a vast variety of new ideas and doctrines. None the less, Paul instructs Christians with the following words from Colossians 3:12-17: "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him".
Soli Deo Gloria,
Bryan Carrier, Assistant Dean of Students
A message from Jacqueline S. Taylor, Assistant Dean of Students
Welcome to Union University and to the Division of Student Services! As Assistant Dean of Students for Union University, I provide leadership and administrative oversight for three critical areas for student development including: (1) the Vocatio Center for Life Calling and Career, which focuses on life calling and career planning, (2) Minority Student Support Services, which provides a welcoming and unified community for all students, while focusing on the transition to college faced by racial/ethnic minority students in particular and (3) Hundley Center for Academic Enrichment, which exists to provide excellent academic support and enrichment to the undergraduate student population.
With 21 years of experience in higher education in the areas of student services, academics, continuing education, and communications services, I fully embrace the mission and purpose of Union University and Christian higher education in particular. Working with college students is my joy and life's calling, and thus, it is my sincere belief that all students who enter through our doors must be intentionally pursued and encouraged to be excellence driven, Christ centered, people focused, and future directed. I embrace the University's commitment to Great Commandment thinking and action and work diligently to ensure that each student with whom I come in contact understands what it means to fully embrace Matthew 22:37-40 and Revelation 7:9.
My higher education philosophy embodies a holistic approach to developing students for the greater good. Thus, in my role as Assistant Dean of Students, I seek to develop leaders who explore, understand, and embrace the calling God has on their lives. This means that all students are genuinely supported in their academic achievement, their life calling and career development, and their cultural appreciation and understanding so that they can walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called (Ephesians 4:1).
In Christ,
Jacqueline S. Taylor, Assistant Dean of Students
A message from Jason Castles, Assistant Dean of Students
Welcome to Union University, and thank you for taking time to find out more about Student Services. I am blessed with the opportunity to serve as Assistant Dean of Students. In this position, I oversee New Student Orientation, Greek Life, Student Organizations, Student Government Association, Student Activities Council, Leadership Programs, Wellness Services, and Intramurals. Additionally, I am the Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement.
The areas in which I work seek to develop student leaders who are well prepared to integrate their faith and knowledge in leadership opportunities on our campus and in the community. My staff strives to facilitate student involvement in campus life through a variety of programs, workshops, and organizations where they can further develop and enhance their leadership potential. We seek to promote health and wellness for the campus community. Also, we desire for Union students to establish long-term relationships with non-profit organizations to utilize the skills and abilities God has given them.
Over the course of my 10+ years in higher education, I have worked at a large, state university and a nonsectarian private university. While I enjoyed those experiences, I am thankful to be at Union where we have the opportunity to help students develop every dimension of their lives as they prepare to leave Union and be a change agent in the world as Matthew 5:13-16 calls us to. My desire is that students take advantage of the numerous opportunities for involvement on campus through leadership positions, student organizations, intramurals, and various activities across campus. When a student is engaged inside and outside the classroom, then true learning will occur. I want to assist students as they translate what they are learning in the classroom to their place of involvement on campus and in the community.
God bless,
Jason Castles, Assistant Dean of Students
