Should Union change its name to university? Over the past several months, Union College has surveyed students, employees, alumni and the executive committees of the Adventist organizations in Mid-America asking that very question.
Nearly 2,400 alumni responded to the digital and print surveys sent out in April. As the graph below shows, the majority of those surveyed are in support of changing Union’s name to include university. In fact, less than 20 percent were opposed.Do you believe Union would benefit from a name change?
Alumni: 63% yes, 17% no, 20% no opinion | Employees: 89% yes, 11% no | Students: 87% yes; 13% no | Executive committees: 88% yes, 6% no, 6% no opinion.
What would the new name be?
Based on the imperative to keep Union in the name (keep reading), Union Adventist University is by far the leading candidate among those surveyed. The name is distinctive while maintaining a connection to Union’s legacy and religious heritage. A number of other names have been suggested, but none have anywhere near the same support.
Which new name would be best?
Alumni: Union Adventist University 64%, all other options 36% | Employees: Union Adventist University 65%, all other options 35% | Students: Union Adventist University 53%, all other options 47% | Executive committees: Union Adventist University 88%, all other options 12%
Why “university?”
With the launch of several new master’s degrees, the Union College Board of Trustees asked the leadership team to explore the feasibility of changing the name from college to university. The preliminary research has identified several reasons why a new name may be beneficial to the future growth and stability of the school.
A unique name — Union shares its name with three other colleges in the U.S., leading to a great deal of confusion in the age of Google. Alumni frequently donate to the wrong school, parents plan visits using the wrong online calendar, prospective students eliminate us from their search because of another Union College's high tuition, and accreditors have evaluated compliance based on the wrong website. A name change would allow us to adopt a unique name that will alleviate confusion. Because there are also already two institutions named Union University, the most obvious choice would still not be unique.
Marketability — In most of the world, the term college and its cognates refer to high school rather than postsecondary education. As we seek to attract more students from overseas and among recent immigrant groups, it is important for our name to accurately reflect our educational offerings. Even among Americans, the word university typically carries with it the idea of greater prestige, rigor and academic excellence.
Competition — Nearly all of our peer institutions, both among Adventist universities and here in Nebraska, have changed their names to university. Recently published research indicates schools that changed their name to university saw increased enrollment.
Building on Union’s legacy
Union College enjoys an enduring legacy of cutting-edge, top-quality education and a history of graduates who make the world a better place. Many of the leaders who guide the Adventist church, Adventist healthcare systems and a host of other organizations across the world can trace their roots back to the mentorship they received at Union. Thousands of missionaries have covered the world in golden cords as they chose to serve.
Changing our name is not a decision to be made lightly. Union College is the only name the school has ever used. For thousands of alumni, Union stands for a strong, tight-knit, faith-based community filled with life-long friends and mentoring faculty that gave them the opportunity to joyfully live their lives in God’s calling.
That’s why we must keep the name Union. It’s the name that best describes who we are for all those who came before and will connect the past to the future as we seek to continue attracting and serving new generations of students.
A name such as Union Adventist University allows us to maintain our brand awareness and connect to our storied history while providing the distinctiveness and clarity of scope that will help us grow.
Do we qualify as a university?
Many have asked if we qualify as a university. As soon as we launched our Master of Physician Assistant Studies graduate program 15 years ago, we qualified as a university. We have 90 students in the program and graduate 30 per year — more than many other schools that have already adopted the name university. Adding additional master’s degrees only strengthens these numbers.
Some organizations have tried to classify institutions of higher education in various ways using the terms college and university, but none are based on law or connected to accrediting organizations. In fact, our accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, has assured us that Union is free to change names if we so choose.
What are the next steps?
The Union College Board of Trustees will discuss the issue at their next regular meeting in October and ultimately decide whether to change the name and what the new name should be. At that time, the college would finalize a timeline for implementing the new name.
If you have questions or would like to make additional suggestions, please email president@uau.edu.