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ESU Receives Reaffirmation, Note for Excellence
Union College • Jun 17, 2021
During its April 2021 Accreditation Council meeting, the national Council of Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP) reaffirmed the accreditation status of the Union College Educational Studies Unit (ESU), after a nearly two-year review. The review, which included one of the first completely virtual site visits in CAEP history, focused on the ESU’s ability to meet CAEP standards for excellence in preparing teachers and administrators for success in P-12 school districts.
“The Educational Studies Unit faculty and staff have excelled in continuing to provide the highest quality of education for our students at Union. The ESU team persevered throughout this accreditation process participating in a virtual site visit after the transition to working remotely as a result of the pandemic,” said Dr. Marisa Greer, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
CAEP found that the ESU had met all standards with noted areas of excellence in P-12 collaboration, technology preparedness of candidates, and impact of program completers in P-12 classrooms. The results of the review are the best the education program has ever received at the national accreditation level.
As such, CAEP granted the ESU full reaffirmation of its undergraduate and graduate programs for another seven years.
"It is my honor and privilege to work with such dedicated faculty and staff in the ESU who focus on the individual needs of students, and help them grow not only as a person, but as an educator," said Dr. Lori Henderson, Associate Professor of Education.
"The ESU would like to take this opportunity to thank the administration at Union College, our P-12 partners, EPSB, CAEP and our wonderful students for all their support and assistance throughout this state and national accreditation process," she adds.
In addition to Henderson, the ESU Leadership Team members overseeing the reaffirmation process were Dr. Jason Reeves and Mrs. Preshus Howard.
This spring marks the end of the first season of intercollegiate competition for Union Commonwealth University's Esports teams. We fielded four teams this year: Valorant, Rocket League, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate for competition in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC).
Union Commonwealth University celebrated student success Thursday with the annual Honors Convocation held in Conway Boatman Chapel. One sports team, one professor, one student group, and 49 individual students were recognized for their academic achievements and demonstration of Union’s core values.
This week, Union students, faculty, and staff were honored to have a Leadership Conference with Lisa Abbott, a community organizer in the heart of Eastern Kentucky, who acts as a beacon of hope for racial, environmental and economic justice.
Union Commonwealth University has received a three-year Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) matching grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help address the healthcare worker shortage in Kentucky. The grant will fund Union’s NextGen Telehealth Education Project, which is designed to increase educational access and train nurses and mental health professionals. A long list of new equipment and technology upgrades for both the Edna Jenkins Mann School of Nursing and Union’s psychology program is included.
Ten new plays, ten local playwrights, four days - Union Commonwealth University’s inaugural New Play Festival hits the stage April 25-28 and features over 40 participants from both Union and the surrounding community.
Union Commonwealth University is proud to announce that students Tia Cobb and Amelia Napier are the recipients of the 2024 Appalachian College Association (ACA) Ledford Research Scholarship.
Union’s Introduction to Photography class had a hands-on session this Tuesday. Students learned how to compose, light, and frame photos for food photography. What appeared to be a delicious breakfast used some strange ingredients to capture the perfect shot.
Marcia Hawkins made history in 2012 when she became the first woman to serve as President of Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. This wasn’t the first time she had made history, though. Hawkins was also the first in her family to pursue a college education, and she did it while working full-time and caring for her young child.
Hosted by the SOAR Innovation Team, Pizza and a Pitch will be held Tuesday, April 2 at 5:00 p.m. in the Black Technology Classroom at Union Commonwealth University, and all are welcome. Combining food, fun, and innovation, the event offers a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to present their business ideas or existing projects to a receptive audience.
This week, Union Commonwealth University had the privilege of hosting Aristófanes Cedeño, a distinguished scholar who has expertise in leadership development, for an enlightening discourse on the Healthy Leaders Model. With references to his academic background and extensive experience, Dr. Cedeño provided insights into the essence of effective leadership, while highlighting the importance of personal well-being.
