Dr. DJ Washington officially began his two-year term as Interim President of Union Commonwealth University (UCU) on June 1. A nationally respected leader in higher education and a 2003 Union alum, Washington says this role “means everything” to him.

“I want to give back to Union and the Barbourville community in the highest possible way,” he says.

Originally from Cedar Hill, Tennessee, Washington was the first in his family to attend college. He says he came to Union to play basketball but “left with so much more.” Washington values the opportunities Union gave him to explore new things and find mentors who ultimately helped him discover his purpose.

“Because of my experiences at Union, I literally walked off campus knowing what I wanted to do when I graduated, which was be the president of a small college,” he says. In his senior year, as President of the Student Government Association (SGA), he worked closely with President David Joyce and realized what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

Washington now holds a doctorate degree in higher educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Kansas and a master’s in public relations from Ball State University. He has served on Union’s Board of Trustees since 2019, most recently as Vice Chair, and he’s spent over 20 years working in higher education, all in preparation for one day serving as president of a small college. “I didn’t think in a million years I would have the opportunity to do it at Union,” he says.

The Board announced Washington’s appointment in February: “We are thrilled to have identified a highly regarded and experienced president in Dr. Washington, who is keenly committed to his alma mater,” stated Chairman Mike Goss. When Washington accepted the appointment, Chair Emeritus Tom Clark was selected to fill the role of Vice Chair.

Since March, Washington has visited campus many times, made hundreds of phone calls, and attended alumni gatherings in multiple states in order to connect with as many students, faculty, staff, and alumni as possible. 

[PHOTO: Washington poses with Union alums in Atlanta in May.]

“What that allowed, is that when I took office this month, I was already acclimated and able to start getting out in the Barbourville community right away,” he says. Since June 1, Washington has been in touch with many local leaders and organizations, including the Knox County UNITE Coalition, the superintendents of both Barbourville Independent and Knox County Schools, Marcia Dixon of Barbourville Tourism, and the pastors of East Barbourville Baptist Church, First Baptist Church Barbourville, and St. Paul Baptist Church.

In his previous roles at the University of Notre Dame and the Athlete Network (Lenexa, Kansas), Washington specialized in developing partnerships to support recruitment, student success, and post-graduation employment pathways. He’s focused on building a foundation of strong relationships like this in his work with Union, too.

During his term, Washington wants to see Union grow – in terms of enrollment, retention, and revenue – and to focus on renovation of campus facilities, capital projects, and new construction. He plans to pursue state, federal and corporate grants, in addition to private donations, to help fund these goals and projects.

Washington is excited not only to return to his alma mater as Interim President, but to do so in a period of multiple transitions. In March, Union College became Union Commonwealth University, an initiative led by retiring President Dr. Marcia Hawkins to better reflect university status and clear up confusion with other schools of the same name. 

“To me, ‘Commonwealth’ means ‘united for the common good,’ and that brings so many opportunities,” Washington says. He envisions a renewed focus on mission and service work and other “Commonwealth Initiatives” to be developed during his term.

[PHOTO: Washington gets back on the court to support the Knox County UNITE Colation's Shoot Hoops Not Drugs event.]

In addition to making history as the first person in his family to attend college, Washington later made history as Union’s first Black SGA President, and now as the first Black President of Union overall. Of all these firsts, being a first-generation college student seems to be the most significant to him.