Union Adventist University voted as new institutional name

The Union College Board of Trustees met October 1-2 for their triannual meeting. The October meeting is the first of the 2023-2024 academic year. Topics covered included enrollment and retention, strategic initiatives, master’s programs, new faculty, the 2022-2023 year-end audit, 2024-2025 tuition and fees and the capital campaign.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the school, composed of Mid-America Union Conference executives, MId-America Union Conference presidents and other stakeholders. The newest member to join the board is Jeff Scoggins, the new president of the Minnesota SDA Conference.

Enrollment and retention

673 students are registered for Fall 2023, compared to the previous years of enrollment reaching 705 (2022), 783 (2021) and 764 (2020). This is due to a large group of graduating students, a celebration of their success. This lower number is NOT a reflection of recruitment issues.

Fall 2023 showed a 12 percent increase in new students (173) compared to Fall 2022 (155). Graduate students also increased (88 students in 2022 to 99 students in 2023). Transfers have also increased by 42 percent. Fall 2024 applications to date are also significantly higher than the past three years.

These positive signs for the future do not take into account the new graduate programs and their growth or the appeal of the new wellness facility.

Presidential Search Committee

With Vinita Sauder retiring May 2024, Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) has formed a search committee for hiring the incoming president. This committee will work closely with FaithSearch Partners, a team that specializes in finding executive candidates for faith-based organizations.

Top Metrics Report

The May 2023 nursing program graduates had a 100 percent pass rate on the NCLEX-RN. IRR majors in 2023 have 94 percent in the EMT First Time Pass Rate, 21 percent higher than the 2022 Nebraska average.

2024-2025 Tuition and Fees

With the calculations of inflation, the tuition and fees for 2024-2025 will increase by about 5 percent, a small increase in comparison to our sister school’s 10 percent increase.

Fit for the Future Campaign

The current capital campaign has reached $12,045,770 in commitments, 92.66 percent of the goal $13 million.

Strategic initiatives: name change

According to an email from Vinita Sauder, the executive board of trustees voted to change Union College’s name to Union Adventist University. This decision was backed by significant research and surveys from students, employees and alumni.

The board voted unanimously to change the name to include “university,” and the supermajority (83 percent) voted for the name Union Adventist University.

“The board wants us to make it clear that putting “Adventist” in the name is about reaffirming our faith and our connection to our parent organization, but is not at all intended to make us exclusive,” stated the announcement. “ We welcome students of all faiths who are in tune with our institution’s values of serving mankind, the development of a calling, drawing closer to Christ, cultivating highly-sought graduates, and preparing students to lead in their workplaces, churches, and communities.”

The official change will take place in May 2024. Read the official statement by Union at ucollege.edu/name-change.

By Annelise Jacobs