JACKSON, Tenn. — Sept. 11, 2020 — 51社区 trustees extended the university鈥檚 strategic plan for two years, approved one professor for emeritus status and elected officers during their Sept. 11 meeting on the Union campus.
鈥淥ur trustees provide consistently strong leadership, and they have continued to do so in the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted so many lives, plans and activities,鈥� 51社区 President Samuel W. 鈥淒ub鈥� Oliver said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for these men and women who serve the university so faithfully and provide a model of Christ-centered leadership.鈥�
Originally adopted by trustees in 2015, Union鈥檚 鈥淯nited in Spirit. Grounded in Truth.鈥� plan emphasizes seven strategic themes that have guided the work of the university over the past five years: bearing witness to the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, expanding enrollment across the university, enhancing operational effectiveness and efficiency to advance the mission, revising the liberal arts core curriculum, supporting meaningful research among faculty and students, developing leaders for the future and bolstering student life and building community.
The plan was originally supposed to end Dec. 31, 2020, but Oliver said the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented university leaders from developing another strategic plan for the future. The two-year extension will allow Union to continue to pursue the themes in the current plan as it assesses current realities and considers strategies for the future.
Trustees approved Thomas R. Rosebrough, who retired in 2017 as executive dean of the College of Education and Human Studies after 21 years of service, as professor emeritus. Rosebrough has continued to teach at Union in a part-time role over the past three years.
In officer elections, trustees reelected Chad Wilson as chair and Robyn Hari as vice chair. Joshua Dougan was chosen as secretary, replacing Peggy Graves who has served in that role since 2015.
In his report to trustees, Oliver updated trustees on the university鈥檚 response to COVID-19. The fall semester has been in session for almost a month with students meeting on campus for face-to-face instruction, and Oliver said the university鈥檚 efforts have helped Union contain and mitigate the virus鈥� spread.
Oliver also reported on Union鈥檚 fall enrollment, with the university reaching 98.5 percent of its goal for traditional undergraduate students and 101 percent of its goal for graduate students. Total enrollment for the fall semester is 3,058 students.
鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for the Lord鈥檚 continuing provision for Union, even as we鈥檝e faced unexpected challenges over the past several months,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淲e finished the 2019-2020 fiscal year in a positive way with revenues exceeding expenses, and Union鈥檚 enrollment for the fall is strong given the circumstances. We look forward to seeing how God will continue to use Union to transform students by the renewing of their minds in the days ahead as we remain committed to pursuing our mission.鈥�