HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — Dec. 6, 2018 — In the fall of 2008, Union University began offering classes in the Hendersonville, Tennessee, area when it set up Master of Christian Studies classes at First Baptist Hendersonville. Ten years later, the Union University Hendersonville campus has graduated more than 800 students.
“Our mission at Union University Hendersonville is a branch of Union’s broader mission: to provide our students a Christ-centered, excellent education,” said Renee Dauer, director for the Hendersonville campus. “With our adult programs, we want to create the same Christian community you would find at the Jackson campus in a way that fits the context of adult students.”
Union University Hendersonville will hold a celebration and holiday open house on its campus today from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. marking the 10th anniversary of the campus.
Union University Hendersonville offers graduate degrees in business, Christian studies, education and nursing as well as adult degree completion programs. Dauer said the entire Hendersonville campus is dedicated to meeting the needs of those adult students
“Adult students have busy lives, and most have jobs and families to tend to on top of going to classes,” Dauer said. “So instead of saying, ‘Come fit into our model,’ we ask what works for you. We want to complement, not complicate, your life.”
Jordan Simpkins, a Doctor of Education student at the Hendersonville campus, said he was nervous about committing to a program that he knew would require a lot of him, but his professors helped him find a balance between rigor and practicality.
“The professors and staff make a very intentional effort to accommodate each one of our individual needs while still maintaining a high standard of instruction and performance,” Simpkins said.
Union’s Hendersonville campus has been growing since it was established in 2008. Soon after the first Christian studies class was offered, the campus added classes for an education graduate program and adult degree completion. It soon outgrew the space provided by First Baptist Hendersonville, and in May of 2012, it moved into a brand new 24,000-square-foot building on Indian Lake Boulevard, equipped with classrooms, office space and a common area.
The new building also included a second floor largely devoted to nursing simulation labs and equipment, which allowed Union to begin offering Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs for nurses in the area.
Jenna Bunner, simulation specialist for the Hendersonville campus, said the labs – which include state-of-the-art equipment and lifelike dummies -- give nursing students a chance to get hands-on practice in a safe environment.
“Labs like this are expensive to operate, but they’re vital for giving the students something like a real-world experience,” she said. “You can learn a lot in a classroom, but once you’re working with a patient, everything can change in a second. With these facilities, we can simulate that.”
In 2015, the Hendersonville campus began a dual enrollment program called University Experience that allows high school seniors to complete their senior year in a college environment and earn credits toward college degrees. Dauer said students from each class have ended up at Union’s Jackson campus for their undergraduate studies.
“We’re giving them more than college credit,” Dauer said. “We’re giving them a taste of the Union experience.”
Dauer said University Experience is just one way Union University Hendersonville has connected with the broader community of Hendersonville. The campus has partnered with local organizations and ministries to offer career and wellness fairs as well as regular workshops for local educators and ministers.
“One of the components to being a vibrant city is having higher education opportunities,” Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary said. “Union checks that box in a big way for Hendersonville.”
Dauer said with more graduate programs going online and requiring minimal interaction, Union University Hendersonville stands out as a campus that works tirelessly to support its students. She said the faculty goes above and beyond to develop them both academically and spiritually.
“We are equipping them to do well in their careers, but also to be Christ-centered in those careers,” she said. “That’s something that will carry over from those careers to their families and community.”