Campus Housing

“Housing is our number one priority here,” Washington said, noting that Union currently has 395 beds for students. Enrollment is up, and with more student housing, he said, Union can continue to grow and serve even more students.

“Every option is on the table,” including the possibility of installing modular homes that can house up to ten students each without requiring near the capital of building a new facility, Washington said.

Investing in student housing makes good financial sense, he explained, because it allows Union to generate more revenue from tuition.

Renovations to Centennial Hall

“I get questions about Centennial Hall a lot,” Washington said. “We want to get Centennial Hall back online as soon as we possibly can, but we'll need to prioritize the housing a little bit first so that again, we can generate the revenue we need to cover the millions of dollars it costs to renovate Centennial Hall.”

Washington said his goal with the Unite 2030 plan is to have Centennial “up and running” in time for Union’s 150th year anniversary in the 2029-2030 school year.

Stivers Aquatic Center

The Stivers Aquatic Center is “a money pit,” Washington said, noting that it costs about $563,000 a year to run the pool, while it only brings in about $80,000 in revenue.

“It doesn't mean that we want to get rid of it. I'd actually like to keep it if we possibly could,” he said. “We're going to do every single thing we can, and every meeting that I go to, I'm sharing this information with everyone.”

Community member, former Union employee, and Union alumni Sherry Brumage Payne posed the idea of encouraging local businesses to look into their insurance policies and see if they could purchase group memberships or offer discounted rates for their employees.

[PHOTO: Washington addresses the crowd]

“I think anything and everything is on the table,” Washington said, thanking Payne for her ideas. “I'm not asking the community for money to be able to cover it, but we'd love partnerships.”

Youth Development

Washington proposed relocating the Dr. Marcia Hawkins Boys & Girls Club so that it “can be a more integral part of our campus community.” Currently, it is housed in Union’s Center for Health & Learning, along with the Aquatics Center.

“From an education perspective, we really want to focus on youth development,” Washington said. He noted the benefits to both the young children and the college students in spending time with each other.

He also suggested that Union could house an early childhood development center on campus which would provide childcare options for Union employees while serving as a learning lab for students.

Spiritual Life

Washington discussed multiple aspects of Union’s Spiritual Life Program and relations with local congregations.

Local faith-based organizations and non-profit groups are invited to be part of a community fair in the conference rooms of the Student Center on October 23, he said. This will allow students to meet local pastors and staff and learn what resource are available to them. “We just want students to have that equal access to any church or organization who is open to being here,” he said.

Washington also said that Union would hold “listening sessions” for students so that his team can learn about their “spiritual life wants and needs, and how we can accommodate that on campus.”

The Social Justice Initiatives program will now be student-led and peer-focused, rather than falling under the duties of Campus Minister, the Rev. David Miller. This creates leadership opportunities for students, Washington said, while allowing Miller to “focus on the spiritual life aspect.”

“We do want to help develop talent from within, and it really starts with our students,” Washington noted. “Giving them leadership experiences so that they can grow is going to be really important.” 

[PHOTO: Willie Carr asks a question]

Community Service

Washington stated that he wants community service to be reintegrated into the student experience. He and fellow Union alum and English Professor Mary Beth Spurlock shared fond memories of their own undergraduate service projects, and Washington said he wants to bring that feeling back to campus. 

Dean of Students Stephanie Smith is focusing on this, he said, and Union’s long-standing community outreach organization Common Partners will be reinstated.

Washington invited the audience and broader community to reach out to Chesnut or himself when volunteers are needed for service projects: “We'd love to send a few students your way.”

Academic Programs

Washington’s first 90 days in office have been focused on “our people and developing talent,” he said, but the next 90 will shift toward a focus on programs and processes. He said his administration would be reviewing Union’s academic programs and asking, “is this the best program for our students?”

Audience member and Kentucky House Representative for the 86th District Tom O’Dell Smith noted that Knox Central Elementary was ranked No. 1 in the state on the recent Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) results, and G.R. Hampton Elementary was No. 6. “We've got a great education district here, and it's all about public school,” Smith said. “I think we've got to concentrate on that, and giving our kids all the access that we can.” 

Washington congratulated local educators on the KSA results and later expressed his gratitude for collaboration with local superintendents and school systems. “I'm really excited about the education pathways and the opportunities that that we have,” he said.

[PHOTO: Rep. Smith discusses local public schools]

Affordability & Supporting Local Students

Addressing the perception that Union’s private education is not affordable for local students, Washington said, “it’s actually the opposite.”

“If you live in the state of Kentucky, or the Tri-County area for sure, or even the bordering states,” he said, “it's probably cheaper for you to come to Union than it would be most campuses.” 

Washington was referring to the Union Distinction Scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition for first-time, full-time Kentucky students who are Pell eligible.

He also brought up the recently announced Buck Treadway Scholarship, created by members of the Barbourville Independent School Board and named after the late long-time Chairman of the Board Mr. Shirley F. “Buck” Treadway. Board members pooled their stipends to fund the scholarship for a Barbourville student to attend Union, and Union is matching their contributions.

“What I envision is two guaranteed students to come because they know they have their Board of Education and they have Union supporting them,” Washington said. 

Guiding Principles

Washington shared the guiding principles that he and senior staff are focused on: reduce expenses, generate revenue, and “make decisions that are transformational for our students.” Clarity about these principles can empower staff to make decisions more quickly, he said. “We can say, ‘hey, it checked the box, it checked the litmus test, and it's go time.’”

Related to these principles, Washington said Union is looking into reallocation of resources and is in the process of hiring a full-time grant writer.

Community Relations

Washington emphasized many times that he values Union’s relationship with the local community and that everyone is welcome on campus. “You are welcome. Your kids are welcome, your grandkids are welcome. Even your in-laws are welcome. Anyone is welcome to come to campus.”

He later added, “If you would share with your colleagues at work, share with your family members that they are welcome to come to campus – we want that. If you can help me get that message out, that would be phenomenal.”

[PHOTO: Washington addresses the audience with Chesnut by his side]

Close

Following the discussion, Chesnut invited the audience to the cafeteria for lunch and continued fellowship. For those unable to stay, Grab and Go lunches were provided by Countrywide Produce & Deli.