In late 2015, 51社区 adopted its
strategic plan, UNITED IN SPIRIT. GROUNDED IN TRUTH.
to guide the university's work over a five-year
period. Due to the challenges imposed by COVID-19,
university trustees extended the plan through 2022
to give university leaders more time to accomplish
objectives and consider strategies for the future.
Even still, we celebrate all that God has done, and
we commit to pressing on as we continue to pursue
these themes in the years ahead.
UNITED IN SPIRIT. GROUNDED IN TRUTH. emphasizes seven
strategic themes: 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.
This publication tells some of the success stories
from the seven themes the university has been
pursuing since 2016. Building on the university's
strengths and its core values of being excellence-driven,
Christ-centered, people-focused and future-directed,
the plan's strategies and accompanying
goals have enabled Union to pursue ongoing
distinctiveness in its academic programs, constantly
seeking after the ultimate embodiment of truth:
Jesus Christ.
1. Bearing Witness to the Transforming Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
As debate about the nature of
religious liberty continues
to rage in American society,
51社区 has taken a leading
position in defending Americans'
rights to freely exercise their religious
convictions.
These public stands taken by the
university are a testimony to the
institution's convictions. As a Christ-centered
school, Union remains fully
committed to the first theme from
its UNITED IN SPIRIT. GROUNDED IN TRUTH.
strategic plan: "Bearing Witness to the
Transforming Power of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ."
"Union has been faithful in its
mission," President Samuel W. "Dub"
Oliver said. "It hasn't drifted in its
mission. Standing for religious liberty is
one of the ways that we can demonstrate
that. We have convictions, but we also
have the courage of our convictions."
The first case in which was Union
involved stemmed from Obamacare,
when the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services required that
employers provide abortifacients
in their prescription drug coverage
plans. Union filed a lawsuit in 2014
challenging that mandate.
Additional Accomplishments
The Office of University Ministries shifted
Life Groups, Union's upperclassmen-led small
group ministry for new students, to more of a
discipleship-focused ministry. The priorities
of the ministry are to help new students
understand the gospel, connect to a local church
and take the next step in their walk with Christ.
Journey Groups were implemented in the
spring of 2019. Journey Groups are student-led
discipleship groups that meet together
to read through Scripture and live out the
Christian life together. The 12 groups and 145
participants in 2019 studied the Gospel of
John together. The groups were suspended for
2020-21 due to COVID-19.
A new Christian leadership program for male
students began in 2018. Called Men's Leadership
Training: Developing Disciples, Building Men,
Training Leaders, the yearlong program is based
on curriculum written by University Ministries
and is open to all male students.
In 2017, after being dealt a defeat by
the Supreme Court in a case involving
the Little Sisters of the Poor, the
government agreed to settle the lawsuit
with Union and other institutions that
had filed similar suits. The government
paid Union's legal expenses and agreed
never to attempt enforcing such a
mandate on Union again.
"When we brought that suit, it felt
in many ways like a 'David vs. Goliath'-
type suit," Oliver said. "We were doing
it not to score political points, but to
defend religious liberty, not just for
us, but for everyone. That's why it's
important for us, both as Southern
Baptists and as Christians, to stand up
for religious liberty in our country."
Since that case, Union has not been
involved directly as a litigant, but has
participated in several amicus briefs
in other cases pertaining to religious
liberty, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe
School v. Agnes-Morrissey-Berru,
Sharonell Fulton v. City of Philadelphia
and Bostick v. Clayton County, Georgia.
Those cases, some of which are still
pending, address such issues as the
freedom of institutions to hire employees
who share their religious beliefs and
whether religious institutions have the
same access to federal grants as every
other organization.
For Hunter Baker, dean of Union's
College of Arts and Sciences, Union's
stance on these issues is crucial to
preserving constitutionally-protected
freedoms.
"One of the most important Baptist
contributions to American society has
been their insistence of the importance
of religious liberty," Baker said.
"More than almost anyone, Baptists
believed that conscience should
remain uncoerced to the greatest
extent possible. Union's involvement
in these landmark cases testifies to
the consistency of Baptist conviction
in this regard and to the continuing
validity of preserving
religious liberty.
"In an era when
government grows to
touch virtually every area
of life, religious liberty
has become more rather
than less compelling as a
priority for Christians."
Oliver said while many
Christian institutions have
shied away from such
controversies over fear of
potential repercussions,
Union has done the exact
opposite and been clear
about what it believes.
"What we've said at
Union is that we want to be
distinctive," Oliver said. "We
want to be faithful. We want
to be people who aren't
ashamed of the gospel."
2. Expanding Enrollment Across the University
Since the Memphis College of Urban and
Theological Studies became part of Union
University in 2019, MCUTS student Lee
Smith says he has seen the impact in his own life
psychologically, intellectually and theologically.
When Smith heard about the merger, he did his
own research into 51社区. He looked
into the quality of Union alumni and liked what
he found. From a psychological standpoint, Smith
said, the merger was a boost to his studies.
"These people are people of integrity, and they
are looking over my shoulder," Smith said. "And it
encourages me to keep on pushing forward."
Additional Accomplishments
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions
conducted a thorough review of its campus visit
program, which helped lead to an increase of
prospective student visitors by 52%.
Through a partnership between several offices
on campus, the relationships with alumni
and local churches have improved. University
ministries, advancement and undergraduate
admissions worked with the Tennessee Baptist
Mission Board to access the TBMB database of
churches, which has been a valuable resource
to promote various events on campus.
Founded in 2000 through a cooperative effort
from several Memphis nonprofit organizations
and churches, the former Memphis Center for
Urban and Theological Studies existed to provide
affordable, accessible and accredited theological
education and career-oriented degrees for those
serving in an urban context to transform Memphis
and the Mid-South for the kingdom of Christ.
Upon its merger with Union, MCUTS became
the Memphis College for Urban and Theological
Studies, an academic unit of the university, with its
students becoming 51社区 students.
That helped Union fulfill the second goal from its
UNITED IN SPIRIT. GROUNDED IN TRUTH. strategic plan —
expanding enrollment across the university.
Smith, who serves as pastor of Greater
Experience Community Church, a church plant in
Horn Lake, Mississippi, will graduate from Union
in May 2021 with his degree from MCUTS. He has
made the president's list and the dean's list during
his time as a Union student, accomplishments that
were thrilling to him.
Upon his graduation, Smith plans to enter
Union's Master of Christian Studies program to
continue his academic training.
Academically and intellectually, Smith said
MCUTS has taken a step forward since becoming
part of Union. An "A" in a class now is much
more challenging than it was previously. And
theologically, Smith has benefited immensely
from such instructors as Mark Catlin, assistant
professor of biblical studies, and Eric Smith, a
Union alumnus and West Tennessee pastor who is
an adjunct professor.
"They have caused me to really dig deep into the
Scriptures, which is what I am looking for,"
Smith said.
Smith has been able to "meet" a host of thinkers
from Christian history — such as Polycarp,
Tertullian, Martin Luther and John Calvin —
through the teaching of these Union professors.
"They have allowed me to grow by introducing
me to people that I know that I wouldn't have met,
if it wasn't for Union," Smith said. "The people that
I'm talking about, these are dead people, but yet
their blood still speaks."
3. Enhancing Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency to Advance the Mission
Though 51社区 has operated
a campus in Hendersonville since
2008, it never truly had its own
building — until a major donation from Jim
Ayers in 2019. Now, the building that has
housed Union's campus since 2012 is owned
completely by the university.
"I've always been interested in formal
education," Ayers said. "I truly believe the
pathway to a better standard of living is
through more formal education."
When 51社区 Hendersonville
began in 2008, its campus was housed at
First Baptist Church in Hendersonville.
That campus moved to its current
location on Indian Lake Boulevard in 2012,
when construction was completed on a
24,000-square-foot building that was owned
and developed by Ayers Asset Management.
Additional Accomplishments
Over the past five years, the university
increased total net assets by 26%,
from $132.3 million to $166.2 million. This
included reducing the university's debt
and capital lease obligations by 56%,
from $44 million to $19.5 million.
During the years of the strategic plan,
Union's endowment has grown by
35%, to $48.9 million on Dec. 31, 2020.
The endowment consists of individual
scholarship funds, endowed chairs
and lectureships and an undesignated
endowment account.
Union trustees in 2019 adopted a
campus master plan that provides an
aspirational vision of what the campus
can look like over the next 20 years. The
plan proposes an extension of the Great
Lawn from Pleasant Plains to Highway 45
Bypass, with a new chapel anchoring the
eastern end of the Great Lawn.
Ayers, a native of Parsons, Tennessee,
and founder of FirstBank, has been a
longtime Union supporter and benefactor.
His mother attended Union for a while, and
her two sisters are Union graduates. He
was one of the main engines that fueled the
development of the university's Great Lawn
in the early 2000s. Jennings Hall is named
after Ayers' grandparents, William and
Laura Jennings.
He also has given generously to
scholarships for Union students over the
years. When the 2008 tornado hit the
Union campus, Ayers helped purchase
replacement items for students and made a
major contribution to the rebuilding effort.
The Ayers Quad bears his name.
Union had been leasing its
Hendersonville building from Ayers since
its construction, until Union President
Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver visited Ayers in
2019 and made a large request.
"Jim, we'd like for you to consider gifting
that building to Union," Oliver told Ayers.
Oliver didn't have to spend a lot of time
cajoling and convincing Ayers.
"Well, Dub," Ayers replied. "I have always
had that in the back of my mind."
Ayers said he originally planned to leave
Union the building in his will, and he knew
the university could use the money it was
paying him for other things. The request
from Oliver just sped up the timetable.
4. Revising the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum
Based on their work in the
last six months, the core
revision task team members
fully expect to have the UNITED IN SPIRIT.
GROUNDED IN TRUTH. Strategic Plan's fourth
theme, "Revising the Liberal Arts Core
Curriculum," completed on time.
The core revision task team,
composed of faculty from disciplines
across the university, was formed in
2017. Jacob Shatzer, associate dean for
the School of Theology and Missions
and assistant provost, joined the team
as the STM representative in September
2020 after Ben Mitchell, former Graves
Professor of Moral Philosophy, retired
from Union. Shatzer serves as chair of
the committee.
The team had focused on gathering
research and wisdom from numerous
sources, such as looking at peer
institutions, the significance of the
liberal arts and interviewing
different departments at Union.
Before the team members took a
brief hiatus when the COVID-19
pandemic hit, they had come to
a consensus on the mission and
vision for why Union has a core,
what a core should be and what
it should address, Shatzer said.
Since the late summer of 2020,
they have been working from
that document.
Additional Accomplishments
The core revision task team developed
a revised timeline that should allow the
greater faculty to approve a new core
before the conclusion of the strategic plan
at the end of 2022.
The task team provisionally approved a
complete prototype of the general core
and assigned smaller working groups
to flesh out the course descriptions and
objectives for courses within this core.
This rough draft includes two new multi-disciplinary
courses and several existing
courses with redefined course content,
pedagogy or learning outcomes.
"A lot of people, when they
hear 'core revision,' they think
you need a new list of classes
that are in the core," Shatzer
said. "To do that, there's a ton of work
that has to be done, so I had the benefit
of coming in to begin leading the group
after they had spent three years doing a
lot of that good work."
Shatzer said his role has primarily
been facilitating and setting goals,
getting the team to the point where it
was able to put a proposal before the
faculty on March 1.
Part of the team's work is helping
students realize that the core is not just
a checklist of classes, but something
that makes sense together, and helping
them understand why they need
to go through the core. In addition,
the team wants to help professors
think differently about the courses
they teach in the core as not just
contributing to their discipline, but
to teach them in a way that serves the
broader purpose of the core.
As a Christian liberal arts institution,
Shatzer said, Union believes there
is substance to what it means to be
human — it is not something that
individuals invent, but that God has
created.
"What we want to do with the core is
provide that baseline sense of what it
means to be a human in the eyes of God
and in relationship with God, not just in
a sense of every class being a Bible class,
but the Bible being part of that," he said.
"We think that being human actually
means something, and the students
need discipleship in what it means."
Shatzer said it is meaningful for him
as a 2007 Union alumnus to have the
responsibility of helping lead this team
and do something that is important for
the mission of the university. God used
Union significantly in his life, he said,
so it is a joy to be used by God at Union
in the lives of others.
The biggest takeaway Shatzer has
gained from the process is that Union
is blessed with great faculty.
"I've just grown to love and respect
even more the faculty who are on
the core revision task team," he said.
"It's not because we agree all the time
— it's a hard thing to revise a core
curriculum. At every moment, I'm glad
I'm in the boat with these people. I'm
hopeful that will be the same feeling
that we have as the process moves to
the greater faculty."
5. Supporting Meaningful Research Among Faculty and Students
He may be a chemist working in
a high-tech lab, but for Blake
Watkins in 51社区's
College of Pharmacy, his research can
be described in a simple way.
His lab is a kitchen, and he's a chef.
He just doesn't eat what he makes.
"You watch people who are passionate
about food, and it's all about creating
something new using the same old
ingredients," says Watkins, Professor
and Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
"And that's really what we do. We're not
in the business of inventing ingredients.
We just use the same ingredients that
have been available for a long time.
Additional Accomplishments
The number of faculty members receiving
professional development grants has
increased 46.5%, from 71 in 2015 to 104 in 2020.
The university has appointed a task team of
faculty, staff and students to develop award
criteria and selection processes that will
recognize outstanding research by a faculty
member and a student. The awards were
debuted to the campus community at a town
hall meeting in September 2020 and were
presented during Awards Day in May 2021.
The annual Scholarship Symposium
continues to be a significant event that
highlights and celebrates student scholarship.
Though the 17th annual event had to change
significantly in the spring of 2020 because of
COVID-19, a review of the research presented
demonstrated significant and meaningful
research across Union's academic units.
"But when you use them in different
amounts, under different conditions, you
get a different outcome," he explains.
"That's what we're excited about,
because that's where the potential is."
Since joining the Union faculty in
2008, Watkins has conducted cutting-edge
drug discovery research in
Providence Hall that has led to three
patents — one already secured, and
two others that are still undergoing
review. His goal is to discover new or
re-purposed molecules to treat diseases
that currently don't have adequate
cures or treatments. This is exactly
the university's goal in supporting
meaningful research among faculty
and students.
His first patent, awarded in 2017,
was for potential uses of molecules
that are similar to a molecule
produced by the fire ant. Watkins
collaborated on this research with
faculty members from the Emory
College of Medicine and the Mercer
College of Pharmacy, both in Atlanta.
Watkins and his colleagues
discovered that these molecules,
produced by the fire ant, prevent tumors
from developing their own blood supply
— which can greatly limit tumor growth.
Watkins and his team synthesized
compounds that are analogs of the
fire ant molecule to see if they could
increase the molecule's benefits.
The second patent, filed in the spring
of 2020, was done in collaboration with
personnel from Emory and Mercer as
well as Howard University. Watkins and
his colleagues synthesized compounds
based on computer-generated models
that the Mercer scientists developed.
The molecules proved to be effective
against an enzyme that the body
produces naturally — but one that
is produced at higher levels during
certain types of chronic illnesses, such
as diabetes or other cardiovascular
diseases. This heightened activity
hastens damage to vessel walls.
Regulating the behavior of that
enzyme, Watkins said, would
be a pharmacological route to
minimizing long-term damages to the
cardiovascular system and the kidneys
from some chronic diseases.
The third patent, filed in the fall of
2019, is the one Watkins is most excited
about, because it involves research
done entirely at Union. This project
involves completely new chemistry
that produces drug-like compounds
faster and much less expensively by
taking readily available materials and
converting them into different classes
of molecules with drug-like properties
to target a variety of diseases, in a
single chemical step. When granted,
this will be Union's first patent.
Watkins grew up in West
Tennessee and attended Union as an
undergraduate student. He originally
planned to study medicine and become
a surgeon. But Charles Baldwin, who
was the longtime chairman of Union's
chemistry department, recognized
Watkins' potential for research and
steered him in that direction.
"I think that's one of the beauties
of Union," Watkins says. "We were
small enough that even as chair of the
department, he knew me well enough
to recognize talents that I had not
developed an appreciation for nor
knowledge of at the time. I am grateful
that I followed his advice and his
guidance."
After completing his graduate
study at the University of Georgia and
postdoctoral work at the University
of Mississippi, Watkins returned to
his alma mater. He is grateful for the
opportunity to pursue research that
interests him and that has the potential
to benefit others, and he enjoys
investing in and mentoring students.
"I want my students to understand
the value of chemistry, because if you
look at it, God has really given us a very
unique way of looking at his creation,"
he says. "I mean, we're really looking
inside his creation if you will, at the
very inner workings of what he has
placed on this earth for us to explore.
We have the ability, because of the
understanding he's given us, to tell two
atoms to bond to one another or not to
bond to one another and in the process
develop something that can alleviate
suffering. That's pretty powerful."
6. Developing Leaders for the Future
The Leadership Union program
is developing current and
emerging leaders in faculty
and staff across the university in
support of the UNITED IN SPIRIT. GROUNDED
IN TRUTH. Strategic Plan's sixth theme,
"developing leaders for the future."
Leadership Union is in its fifth year.
Approximately 40 faculty and staff
have "graduated" from the program,
and 13 people are in the current cohort.
Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver, president of
51社区, started the initiative
and asked the human resources
department to take the lead. John
Carbonell, associate vice president for
human resources, was on the original
task force to create the program. He is
also chair (along with co-chair Michele
Atkins, professor of education and
assistant provost for accreditation and
research) of the current committee of
faculty and staff who run the program,
which is made up of graduates from
each cohort.
Additional Accomplishments
51社区 rewards faculty and
staff in recognition of outstanding
performance or service through annual
faculty and staff awards, as well as funding
for professional development.
One of the many ways that Union achieves
the goal to expand opportunities for
students to develop leadership skills is
through Leadership Union Student Edition,
which was launched in the fall of 2020
with 11 students. Other various leadership
programs, panels and discussions are
offered yearly through the Office of Student
Life and the Office of University Ministries.
Union's commitment to providing
leadership development opportunities
for students has been validated for the
last five years by The National Survey of
Student Engagement Frequencies and
Statistical Comparison Report. According
to the biennial reports, more than 60%
of Union seniors acknowledge that they
have held a formal leadership position
in a student group or organization during
their time in college, which is 30% higher
than other participating universities and
20% higher than Union's peer institutions.
Although many business leadership
programs already exist, Carbonell
said they wanted Union's program to
be different because of its Christian
perspective. The mission of Leadership
Union is to develop current and
potential university leaders for a
lifestyle of leadership based on biblical
principles and practices that inspire
others for effective and efficient work
in support of Union's overall mission.
Nan Thomas, former associate
director of faculty development who
retired in 2020, was on the original task
force and helped oversee the program
for four years. Carbonell said she
was influential in forming the
program and its direction.
Thomas said they see
leadership development as a
discipleship issue: "For Union,
the reason we created the vision
statement is that's really what
we wanted to see happen in
people's lives — that as they
went through this program,
they would become the kind of
people who would lead, and in
their leading, love God more and
love others more."
The program is for both
faculty and staff members who
are selected by Union's Executive
Council. Leadership Union spans a full
academic year and consists of monthly
professional training sessions, a mentor
program and a team project.
The training sessions cover topics
such as communication, diversity,
handling conflict and decision-making.
The team projects over the years have
included painting and updating the
fountain area outside of the Penick
Academic Complex, offering a no-phone
day on campus and installing
a large concrete cross outside of the
chapel. The purpose of the projects
is to build leadership skills, Thomas
said: "It's much more about 'How is
leadership evolving in the project
efforts?' as opposed to 'What did
they complete?' or 'What did they
contribute?'"
The committee has also built in
participant feedback for each session as
well as at the end of the program. This
allows the committee to continually
adjust the program to better suit the
participants' needs.
Carbonell said Oliver's promotion
of the program and recognition of
graduates, as well as the projects
cohorts have completed, have helped
create an awareness that Union cares
about growing leaders.
"People have seen their peers and
seen people from all different levels,
faculty and staff, in the program,"
Carbonell said. "I'm hoping that
it sends the message that we care
about building leaders and that we're
intentional about it."
Many graduates of the program have
advanced in their careers at Union,
and several have gone on to leadership
positions at other organizations, he
said. The program has also received
positive feedback from participants
on their personal leadership growth,
Thomas added.
7. Bolstering Student Life and Building Community
Union's new Faculty-in-
Residence program is
carrying out the UNITED IN
SPIRIT. GROUNDED IN TRUTH. strategic plan's
seventh theme, "Bolstering Student
Life and Building Community."
The Faculty-in-Residence program
started in the fall of 2019 with two
faculty members and their families:
Frank Anderson, the Stephen Olford
Chair of Expository Preaching, and
his wife, Vernetta, coordinator for
the Center for Academic Success; and
Jason Crawford, associate professor
of English, and his wife, Chelsy, and
their two (now three) children. In the
spring of 2021, Phil Davignon, chair
and associate professor of sociology,
and his family moved onto campus and
became the third family in the cohort.
Additional Accomplishments
The sub-points and associated
benchmarks of Strategic Theme Seven
have largely been achieved. However,
the work of Bolstering Student Life and
Building Community is not simply an
item to be checked off a list, but rather
something to be built upon on and
enhanced each academic year.
Over the course of the strategic plan,
programs have been evaluated and
honed, new programs and spaces have
been added, and cross-departmental/institutional relationships have been
strengthened. These improvements have
benefited the student experience and
continue to heighten the university's ability
to accomplish its mission.
The extension of the strategic plan through
2022 provides the opportunity for further
adaptation and enrichment. Over the next
two years, the division of Student Life will
intentionally focus on evaluating and
improving campus facilities to promote,
cultivate and build community; and
encouraging and equipping faculty and
staff to build healthy relationships with
students and colleagues.
The program is a three-year
commitment for faculty to live on
Union's campus with the vision of
bridging the gap between residence life
and academic life.
"Residence life is great at building
community, and academic life is really
good at academics, but our mission
is really to bring community and
academics together so that the
things we're talking about in class
actually play out in the place where
students live, and the conversations
we're having in class spill over into
the place where students live,"
Crawford said.
To achieve that goal, the Anderson
and Crawford families connect with
students in numerous structured
and unstructured ways. They host
several formal events such as the
Fireside Forum series, where they
invite students to listen to a topical
conversation with a faculty guest,
and Common Table, where they have
recruited a group of 16 students
who meet weekly with the Faculty-in-Residence families, either in a large
group or in smaller groups, for a meal
and discussion about community.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic
has presented challenges, Anderson
and Crawford have thought of creative
ways to connect with students. For
instance, Crawford added a fire pit and
picnic table outside his residence so his
family can spend time with students
outside safely.
"Practices really matter for us,"
Crawford said. "The practice of
gathering and eating together, the
practice of having conversation together,
bringing students into our homes,
letting them see how we live with our
families. Those kinds of things are really
important to what we're doing."
Anderson said he appreciates praying
together with students and the "give-and-take" discipleship relationship
between himself and the students.
"We think in terms of discipling
others and walking with them as they
are growing in their relationship with
Christ," he said. "Interestingly, the more
we do that and the better we do it, the
more we find them able to disciple us,
maybe in a greater way than we've even
been able to do so with them."
Interacting with students in his
home has also presented opportunities
for himself and students to engage
in the work of racial reconciliation,
Anderson added.
By living in such close contact with
students, seeing the rhythm of their
daily lives and having the students see
his family's life, Crawford said he has
a heart connection with the students
that he did not have before.
"We really hope that it'll just become
part of the campus culture that faculty
members are here, and that what we're
doing is not just a job or a class, but it's
a way of life," Crawford said. "We can
invite them into a life spent pursuing
wisdom and trying to live wisely and
not just think wisely, and it's that living
aspect that's really the magic of this
program."
"I've always been interested in formal
education," Ayers said. "I truly believe the
pathway to a better standard of living is
through more formal education."
Nan Thomas, former associate
director of faculty development who
retired in 2020, was on the original task
force and helped oversee the program
for four years. Carbonell said she
was influential in forming the
program and its direction.
"Practices really matter for us,"
Crawford said. "The practice of
gathering and eating together, the
practice of having conversation together,
bringing students into our homes,
letting them see how we live with our
families. Those kinds of things are really
important to what we're doing."