1050 U.U. Drive

• Union launches new academic journal
• Shuttlesworth keynotes Black History Month program
• Mitchell called to testify on Captiol Hill
• Dockery to edit book series
• Spring '12 Graduation sees milestones
• Campbell and Ross win TSWA honors
• Prestigious survey names Union among nation's best
• Hendersonville campus nears completion

News Briefs

Union 2015 plan approved

Union University trustees have approved a new strategic plan called “Illuminating Minds: Union 2015.” The plan establishes seven major priorities:

Priority 1: Union University will cultivate continued and thorough commitment to its Mission and Core Values.

Priority 2: Union University will evaluate, strengthen and expand its academic and co-curricular programs.

Priority 3: Union University will develop plans to expand and renovate its physical plant.

Priority 4: Union University will develop its vision for regional, national and global engagement.

Priority 5: Union University will review, enhance, and strengthen its major operations and procedures.

Priority 6: Union University will ensure its continued health through ongoing evaluation and support of its human and financial resources.

Priority 7: Union University will adopt strategies for technology that provide appropriate integration and utilization of existing tools and innovations.

Each of the priorities has a number of sub-points that will serve as a framework for the university’s growth during the next three years.

Union 2015 is the fifth such strategic plan in the tenure of President David S. Dockery. In December, trustees celebrated the completion of Union 2012, which included the completion of Providence Hall and Hope Residence Complex, a renewed priority on the importance of the liberal arts and a heightened emphasis on the Christian intellectual tradition.

Executive Vice President for Academic Administration Gene Fant and Senior Vice President for Enrollment Services Rich Grimm led the planning effort.

“The board affirmed all aspects of the Union 2015 Plan,” Dockery said. “In doing so, they expressed deep appreciation for the leadership of Gene Fant and Rich Grimm in this planning process.”

Scroggins leads Faith in Practice week

Florida pastor Jimmy Scroggins led Union’s annual Faith in Practice week with a series of chapel addresses focused on recovering from brokenness.

“You can sing the songs about Christ (being a gracious Savior), and yet there is just something about the deep effects of sin that, no matter how much you love Jesus, you just cannot put Humpty Dumpty back together again,” said Scroggins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church West Palm Beach.

Scroggins said the gospel allows people to “recover and pursue God’s design” for their lives. He said the book of Genesis shows what relationships were like before the fall, when man and woman lived in God’s will, while the book of Revelation paints a picture of Christ redeeming Christians from pain and sorrow when he returns to earth. Audio from each address is available on our audio project.

MSW program receives accreditation

The Council on Social Work Education, the only accrediting body of social work education in the country, has accredited the Master of Social Work degree program.

Janet Furness, associate dean of the School of Social Work and MSW program director, received the notification in February.

“We’re delighted that Union is on the cutting edge of some pretty exciting opportunities for social work practice in West Tennessee,” Furness said. “Our graduates are prepared to serve individuals, families, groups, organizations, to do agency administration and grant writing — a whole range of service provision.”

Union’s is now the only accredited MSW degree in West Tennessee. The accreditation applies retroactively to all who have already completed the program, and Furness said those graduates can now complete their licensing requirements from the state of Tennessee.

For more information about Union’s MSW program, visit uu.edu/msw.

Ashby estate contributes to student scholarships

Union University received a check in November for $1.8 million from the estate of Robert and Dera Ashby.

Gary Grisham, president of BancorpSouth in Jackson, and Doug Roth, senior vice president and regional manager of BancorpSouth, delivered the check to Union University President David S. Dockery. The money will be used for student scholarships.

Dera Ashby died in 2009, and her husband passed away several years earlier. For many years, they ran Ashby Lumber in Jackson. Mrs. Ashby was a 1966 Union graduate in nursing.

“We are deeply grateful to the Ashby family and the leaders of BancorpSouth for this generous gift that will support Union students for many years to come,” Dockery said.

National rankings favor Union

In its 2012 listings, U.S.News & World Report ranks Union 15th in its “Best Regional Universities – South” category. The publication defines a regional university as an institution that provides a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s degree programs, along with a few doctoral programs.

Also significant: the U.S.News & World Report recognition of Union’s faculty and its status as an “up-and- coming” school.

Only 56 schools nationally were chosen to represent “an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” Union ranked among the top five such schools in the South, alongside such schools as Elon University, Rollins College, James Madison University and the College of Charleston.

An even more select group – 46 schools – was identified as “up-and-coming.” Union ranked third in the South among regional universities for this distinction.

Other national recognitions include a seventh consecutive inclusion in “America’s 100 Best College Buys,” an annual list compiled by an independent research and consulting organization that measures academic quality vs. cost; a ranking by StateUniversity.com as one of the four best colleges in Tennessee; a listing among Princeton Review’s “Best in the Southeast” ratings for colleges and universities; and continued association with the Colleges of Distinction, which requires a school to demonstrate its engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes.

Veneman recognized as outstanding journalism educator

Jim Veneman, assistant professor of communication arts and director of visual communications, has received the Robin F. Garland Educator Award from the National Press Photographers Association, one of the leading photojournalism organizations in the world.

According to NPPA, the award is given for outstanding service as a photojournalism educator. NPPA has given the award annually since 1974. “This award speaks to the incredible influence Mr. Veneman has on Union students each and every day on our campus,” Union President David S. Dockery said. “The award represents the marvelous team spirit he has with and among his colleagues, and it signifies the far-reaching impact of his work beyond the Union campus, touching lives and shaping the work of others in numerous other contexts.”

Shackelford elected TBC president

Fred Shackelford, (’99) pastor of Springhill Baptist Church in Paris, Tenn., was elected president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention during the TBC annual meeting at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville.

Shackelford previously served as the TBC vice president.

“I want to encourage pastors and I want to encourage churches to be about taking the gospel to the ends of the earth,” Shackelford said. “To me, that’s why we cooperate. That’s why we’re together. We don’t cooperate to maintain clubs or to maintain the status quo in our own comfort. We cooperate together so that we might reach the nations with the gospel.”

Shackelford will serve as TBC president over the next year and will preside over next year’s annual meeting at Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn. He said the TBC presidency is not something he sought, but that he was willing to serve when others asked him to consider it.

Corey Cain, pastor of Maplewood Baptist Church in Paris, Tenn., and also a Union alumnus, nominated Shackelford for the position. Shackelford was unopposed.

He and his wife, Jennifer (‘00), have three sons.

Hansen receives Craig Service Award

Lloyd Hansen received the Robert E. Craig Service Award at Union’s fall graduation ceremony at West Jackson Baptist Church.

The award is named after Union’s 13th president, who led the university for more than two decades and was responsible for reestablishing Union with the churches of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Craig was also responsible for relocating the university campus to north Jackson.

President David S. Dockery said Hansen has served Union as an adviser to the engineering and international study programs, and has helped open doors for Union in Norway and in Asia. He has also served on Union’s Board of Regents.

“While he has been supportive of the university on multiple levels, Mr. Hansen was especially generous to Union following the tornado in 2008,” Dockery said. “As an academic community, we are truly grateful for the friendship of Lloyd Hansen.”

Through Hansen’s help and initiative, Union has established an official partnership with the Ansgar School of Theology and Mission in Kristiansand, Norway. Professors from that school have taught at Union, and Union’s Greg Thornbury, Carla Sanderson and Cynthia Jayne have taught there.

“Lloyd Hansen is one of those essential friends who truly sees Christian higher education, and the work of Union University in particular, as integral to the advancement of the gospel and the kingdom of God on earth,” Thornbury said.

Union students take third consecutive Best Delegation award

For a third consecutive year, delegates from Union University to the General Assembly of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature earned the Best Delegation award for their role in the proceedings at the State Capitol in Nashville.

TISL is a statewide organization formed in 1966 to give college students a voice in state government. The nonpartisan organization convenes a General Assembly each year, held in the Tennessee General Assembly’s chambers, for students to introduce debate and vote on legislation about state issues.

Seventeen Union University students participated in the 42nd annual event, held in mid-November.

The Best Delegation designation is given to the group that distinguishes itself by being active during debates, presenting good bills and overall involvement in the proceedings. At the end of the session, the members of the executive council select the recipient of the Best Delegation from among the 40 colleges and universities represented at the assembly.

“We were involved in every area of TISL, from the House, to the Senate, to the lobbying program, to the Supreme Court,” said Karl Magnuson, president of Union’s Student Government Association and leader of Union’s TISL delegation. “Union is really respected.”

Union junior Shelly Ezell served as speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives for this year’s meeting, while Magnuson was the House’s chief clerk. Union freshman Michael Adkisson was elected speaker pro tempore of the Senate for next year’s meeting after staging a successful write-in campaign.

Junior Kirby Lewis was chosen this summer as a Supreme Court justice for next year’s General Assembly, and will serve as the court’s chief justice.

Career Services changes name to Vocatio Center

To better reflect the nature of the services it provides to students, Union’s career services office has changed its name to the Vocatio Center for Life Calling and Career.

“Vocatio” is the Latin word for “calling,” and the new name will communicate to students a component of the “Union 2012” long-range plan that was designed to help students think about their work as a calling, and not just a job.

In addition to the name change, the office will seek to expand its services in the future. The center will offer additional discipline-specific initiatives — such as career expos, lectures and comprehensive gifts assessments — that will focus on the goals of servant leadership. “Our true hope is to instill in our students the necessity for pursuing God’s call through a transformed and renewed mind in service to others,” said Jacqueline Taylor, assistant dean of students and director of the Vocatio Center.

iPad technology integrated with revamped M.Ed. program

Union University’s School of Education is offering two new concentrations for its Master of Education degree, both of which integrate the newest iPad technology.

“We are on the cutting edge of some wonderful innovations in teacher education,” said Tom Rosebrough, executive dean of Union’s College of Education and Human Studies. All M.Ed. students will be provided with the new iPad, which will function as a “driving component of the new curriculum,” according to Carren Gallaher, director of the M.Ed. program in Hendersonville. Students in the degree program will now be able to choose between an “Instructional Leadership” concentration for the licensure of principals and supervisors, and a “Teaching and Learning” concentration for experienced classroom teachers.

As part of the revamped degree program, the School of Education has created a series of instructional videos that will be posted on iTunes U. The videos provide instruction on the basics of iPad operation, as well as how teachers can effectively use iPads to improve learning in the classroom. Rosebrough comments, “Graduate students can access an entire course in one app, reading books and viewing presentations, including their own,” Rosebrough said. “It is amazing technology wedded to quality professional development.”

Stephen Marvin, assistant professor of education and director of the Master of Education program in Germantown, said one of the ways students can use the iPad is to create reflective teaching lessons.

“We want our students to be able to have a clinical teaching experience and then reflect on that,” Marvin said. “So they’ll video themselves teaching, go back and watch that video and then create either a video or audio reflection, rather than just writing that out.”

In addition to the iPad, the Master of Education program now offers an increased number of interactive online class periods as an integral part of class scheduling.

Union student journalists “Best of the South”

Union journalism students captured 14 awards in the “Best of the South” competition at this year’s Southeast Journalism Conference — more than any other school in attendance.

SEJC includes 68 member universities in eight states from North Carolina to Arkansas. The university with the second highest number of awards was East Carolina with nine, followed by Ole Miss and the University of Alabama with eight each.

“It is quite an achievement to win 14 awards, and it is truly a testimony to the outstanding work of our students and to the strength of our journalism program,” said Michael Chute, a journalism professor and adviser for Union’s student newspaper, Cardinal & Cream.

Union students Margaret Brinson and Alex Brown were named two of the top five College Journalists of the Year. Cardinal & Cream was named the third best college newspaper in the South, trailing only Auburn and East Carolina.

Smith shares business vision

Through four different careers in business, Harry Smith learned many different principles that allowed him to lead others with humility, fairness and integrity.

He shared those lessons with more than 200 in attendance at Union University’s Business Through the Eyes of Faith luncheon April 10 in the Carl Grant Events Center. Sponsored by the McAfee School of Business Administration, the event is designed to encourage and equip members of the West Tennessee business community to integrate their Christian faith into their workplaces.

“It’s good to be transparent with your people,” Smith said. “Let them know you’re not perfect.”

Smith, former president of Schilling Enterprises in Memphis and past chairman of Union’s Board of Trustees, began his career in business as a newspaper carrier, a job he held for 11 years in his hometown of Florence, Ala. After college he moved into public accounting for 16 years before taking the reins at Schilling Enterprises, a Memphis-based business that was heavily involved buying and selling car dealerships.

His fourth career — serving on non-profit boards — is where Smith has focused his energies since selling the last of his companies in 2005.

Smith is the author of the book Driven to Deliver: 9 Keys for Going the Distance in Life and Business.

When he began at Schilling, the company had more than 1,000 employees, and Smith acknowledged that he was overwhelmed by the responsibility.

“That’s when I really learned to pray,” he said.

Union authors release new books

Union authors have released some key books during the past academic year, including a series on faith and learning, a biography of J.R. Graves and new information on the spiritual struggles of Edgar Allan Poe.

President David S. Dockery is editor of the new volume Faith and Learning: A Handbook for Christian Higher Education, (B&H Academic) with chapters from several Union University faculty members writing about how the Christian faith should inform learning in a variety of fields, from the traditional arts and sciences to health care, engineering, social work, business and education.

Some of the contributors from Union include Gene C. Fant Jr., vice president for academic administration; Hunter Baker, dean of instruction; Gregory Alan Thornbury, dean of the School of Theology and Missions; Jeannette Russ, professor of engineering; Emily Lean, assistant professor of business; Mary Anne Poe, professor of social work; and C. Ben Mitchell, Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy.

Hal Poe, the Charles Colson Professor of Faith and Culture at Union, released Evermore: Edgar Allan Poe and the Mystery of the Universe, (Baylor University Press) which examines one of the lesser-known works of his ancestor Edgar Allan Poe and shows that the infamous fiction writer dealt with deep spiritual questions.

“The conclusion of his book was that therefore the universe must have a creator (because of its creation),” Hal Poe said. “This amazed me because I had never heard of this book before.”

Associate Dean of the School of Theology and Missions James Patterson released a biography in February entitled James Robinson Graves: Staking the Boundaries of Southern Baptist Identity (B&H Academic) that explores the life of what the author calls “a major shaper of Southern Baptist life in the 19th century.”

Patterson says Graves was especially concerned with identifying the boundaries of what it means to be a Baptist.

“I think that’s a legitimate enterprise,” Patterson said. “I think Baptists should know who they are and what the boundaries are. I’m not convinced that he staked the right boundaries.

Trustees approve budget, elect chairman

At their April meeting, Union University trustees approved a $92 million budget and elected new officers, with Norm Hill selected as chairman, Paul Priddy as vice chairman and James Ross as secretary. The new budget represents a $3 million increase over the previous year.

“I am confident that Norm Hill will offer superb leadership as our new chairman, in the same way that Rod Parker has done over the past three years,” President David S. Dockery said. “Union trustees work and serve together in a remarkable way that is a joy to behold.”

Trustees also attended a banquet to honor Union donors and the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new library during their time on campus.

Union student wins top varsity debate award

Abby Williams (left) gets help from teammate Kylie McDonald in preparing for the final round in the 2012 International Public Debate Association championship tournament

Union University sophomore Abby Williams won the International Public Debate Association national championship in the “varsity debate” category at the IPDA national tournament April 12-15 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.

In the final round, Williams defeated Nathan Johnston from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. The two debated the resolution, “Hydraulic fracturing is worth the risk,” with Williams debating the negative side.

The IPDA national tournament included more than 200 competitors in three divisions (77 in varsity). Students came from 24 schools in eight states.

Williams, from Springdale, Ark., is a double major in music and English.

Aldridge wins national award

Steven Aldridge (’98 and ’08), sports information director at Union University, has been named the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Clarence “Ike” Pearson Award winner for 2012.

The Ike Pearson Award, first given in 1977 and named for the former statistical crew chief for the NAIA men’s basketball national championship, is presented annually to an outstanding NAIA sports information director.

Aldridge, a native of Myrtle, Miss., is in his 12th year of serving as the sports information director at Union. During his tenure at Union, Aldridge has won five of six TranSouth Athletic Conference Sports Information Director of the Year awards, including back-to-back honors in 2006-2007 and 2010-2011.

“Those who have worked with him know that his character and the manner in which he conducts himself with others is what sets him apart.” said E.L. Hutton, former commissioner of the TranSouth Athletic Conference and NAIA Hall of Famer, in his recommendation letter. “He was a champion of character long before the idea became part of the NAIA’s plan.”

All three spring sports win championships

Union’s baseball, men’s golf and softball teams each won TranSouth conference championships in the spring.

The baseball team hosted and won the tournament championship, finishing the regular season and tournament winning 19 of 23 games. In the first round Hardeeville bracket of the NAIA tournament, they won their first two games — including an upset of fifth-ranked Faulkner (Ala.) — before being eliminated by eventual bracket champion University of South Carolina-Beaufort. They finished with a season record of 39-19-1.

The softball team finished with a 46-12 record, with Lady Bulldogs winning four of the five major conference individual awards and six players qualifying for the all-conference team. They made their seventh appearance in the national tournament. Only three other schools in the national tournament field have made more appearances.

Men’s golf claimed a fifth conference championship in seven years and received an automatic bid to the national tournament in Salem, Ore., where they finished 21st.

Dockery receives NAACP award

President David S. Dockery received the William D. Smart Jr. Race Relations Award during the West Tennessee NAACP annual meeting May 27 in Jackson.

The award is presented to a person in the West Tennessee community who has made the most significant contribution to race relations and racial harmony. Dockery says he accepted the award on behalf of the entire Union community and its efforts to foster racial reconciliation.

“Unfortunately, we have to deal with race issues in our society today,” said President Harrell Carter of the Jackson-Madison County branch of NAACP. “Dr. Dockery has quietly gone about the business of a man of faith and has created a culture at Union and in this city that allows for diversity and respect for people.”

Senior engineering students capstone projects

Senior engineering students Aaron Porterfield, Jeff Maharrey and Rachel Quinn presented their capstone project, a robotic drain cleaning system, on May 9. These projects frequently involve partnerships with corporations who pose challenges from their workplaces. This system grew from a need at the Jackson Pringles plant, and representatives from the Kellogg Co. (which now owns Pringles) attended the presentation. Another team of seniors proposed a roasting system for rural cashew growers, who typically lose out on profits because their harvested product is not “shelf-ready” for consumers. A third project presented this year was a lightweight, foot-powered car for possible use by Union Safety and Security officers.