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<ref>David Bates, “A Brief History of the Union Institute and University”(2002) < http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~hendra/Briefhis.html ></ref> as well as those students who sought to conduct socially relevant research in a interdisciplinary manner.
<ref>David Bates, “A Brief History of the Union Institute and University”(2002) < http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~hendra/Briefhis.html ></ref> as well as those students who sought to conduct socially relevant research in a interdisciplinary manner.


The consortium was headquartered and incorporated in Ohio. It provided administrative support for a number of distance learning programs run by its member schools under the title "The University Without Walls". It also formed a graduate school called "The Union Graduate School", which offered a Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences. The consortium filed for bankruptcy in 1978. Emerging from its bankruptcy, it eventually renamed itself "The Union Institute" (1986). As the Union Institute, it continued to run its graduate school and some of the UWW programs it had administered directly. After acquiring [[Vermont College of Fine Arts|Vermont College]] in [[Montpelier, Vermont]] from [[Norwich University]] in October, 2001, it was renamed Union Institute & University.<ref>”Vermont College Forges New Union,” ''Vermont Business Magazine'' (1 August 2001) < http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3675/is_200108/ai_n8960495 >.</ref> The purchase of Vermont College added several master’s degree programs and an Adult Degree Program to Union Institute & University’s existing undergraduate and doctoral programs, providing a progression of degree opportunities, along with certificates in advanced graduate study. Since its inception in the 1960s, The Union has a continuing emphasis on social relevance and [[interdisciplinary]] in its programs.
The consortium provided administrative support for a number of distance learning programs run by its member schools under the title "The University Without Walls". It also formed a graduate school called "The Union Graduate School", which offered a Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences. The consortium filed for bankruptcy in 1978. Emerging from its bankruptcy, it eventually renamed itself "The Union Institute" (1986). As the Union Institute, it continued to run its graduate school and some of the UWW programs it had administered directly. After acquiring [[Vermont College of Fine Arts|Vermont College]] in [[Montpelier, Vermont]] from [[Norwich University]] in October, 2001, it was renamed Union Institute & University.<ref>”Vermont College Forges New Union,” ''Vermont Business Magazine'' (1 August 2001) < http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3675/is_200108/ai_n8960495 >.</ref> The purchase of Vermont College added several master’s degree programs and an Adult Degree Program to Union Institute & University’s existing undergraduate and doctoral programs, providing a progression of degree opportunities, along with certificates in advanced graduate study. Since its inception in the 1960s, The Union has a continuing emphasis on social relevance and [[interdisciplinary]] in its programs.


The Union's Ph.D. program came under scrutiny by the Ohio Board of Regents in the late '90s early 2000s, which scrutiny culminated in its 2002 Re-authorization Report. The Union Graduate School was latter dissolved and the Ph.D. was restructured. Formerly it had been a Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences. Its name and focus were changed and two other doctoral programs were broken out (see above).
The transformation of the UECU into the Union Institute brought major changes to the "Union". It went from being a consortium to a private university during this period, building on the few programs it ran directly and its doctoral program. With the dissolution of the consortium, however, the resources available from the member institutions were no longer available. These included facilities, faculty, and administrative functions. Also, as a consortium, the Union received funding from the federal government and from foundations. Going forward as a private university without these resources created challenges. Not surprisingly, the Union Institute's Ph.D. program came under scrutiny by the Ohio Board of Regents in the late 1990s early 2000s, which scrutiny culminated in its 2002 Reauthorization Report. The report was critical of the Union Institute's Ph.D. program, noting in particular that " ... expectations for student scholarship at the doctoral level were not as rigorous as is common for doctoral work ... " (OBR 2002 Reauthorization Report, page 13) The Union was put on probation. Later, the Union Graduate School was dissolved and the Ph.D. program was restructured. Formerly it had been a Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences. Its name and focus were changed and two other doctoral programs were broken out (see the listing above).


Since 2002, Roger H. Sublett serves as Union Institute & University’s fifth president.<ref>“Meet the President,” ''Union Institute & University'' < http://www.myunion.edu/about/president.html >.</ref> Under Sublett, who was director of the Kellogg Foundation from 1991–2001,<ref>Kellogg Foundation < http://www.wkkf.org >.</ref> The Union has undergone major academic and structural changes, designed to respond to the issues identified during its reauthorization process.<ref>“Union Institute Rules Get Stricter,” ''Cincinnati Enquirer'' (27 March 2004) < http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/03/27/loc_union27.html >; “Union Institute To Sell 2 Historic Buildings,” ''Cincinnati Enquirer'' (4 July 2006).</ref>
Since 2002, Roger H. Sublett serves as Union Institute & University’s fifth president.<ref>“Meet the President,” ''Union Institute & University'' < http://www.myunion.edu/about/president.html >.</ref> Under Sublett, who was director of the Kellogg Foundation from 1991–2001,<ref>Kellogg Foundation < http://www.wkkf.org >.</ref> The Union has undergone major academic and structural changes, designed to respond to the issues identified during its reauthorization process.<ref>“Union Institute Rules Get Stricter,” ''Cincinnati Enquirer'' (27 March 2004) < http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/03/27/loc_union27.html >; “Union Institute To Sell 2 Historic Buildings,” ''Cincinnati Enquirer'' (4 July 2006).</ref>

The original consortium pioneered a number of innovations. One of these was its attempt to reach out to adult learners. To some extent, the consortium was a victim of its own success. Many of its member institutions adopted its innovations and moved forward on an independent basis. Further, numerous (and some very large) for-profit universities have come into existence over the last two decades. Many of these offer distance learning programs targeted at adult learners. The Union Institute and University, as a private institution, now finds itself competing with these for-profits. Given that its funding and operational model does not significantly differ from many of the entities it now competes with, it now shares the problem of many first-to-market entities (for example, AOL) of defending market share against formidable new comers.
One thing that distinguishes the Union Institute and University from its for-profit competitors is the generalist nature of its Ph.D. The formal title of its Ph.D. degree is "
Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies." This title and the program reflect the original idea of the consortium of offering a non-residential Ph.D. program that avoided specialization and did not take as long to complete as a traditional program (originally it took a minimum of two years to complete). The original Ph.D. was titled "Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences." Under the consortium, learners could concentrate or specialize in a wide range of areas. As a private institution with reduced resources, the Union Institute was required by the OBR to limit these areas of concentration to six. The new program now has three areas of concentration. While there has been some confusion in the way Ph.D.s are titled, with many Ph.D.s being represented in particular fields, the Ph.D. is and has always been a single Ph.D. and its concentration or specialization areas should not be confused with the degree itself. The titles above are the correct titles for the degree. Aspiring doctoral students wishing to have a Ph.D. in a specific field such a Physics or Spanish Literature will find these in traditional graduate programs but not in The Union Institute and University. The Union Institute and University, by contrast, will be more appropriate for students wishing to avoid the specialization of a field.


==Notable alumni==
==Notable alumni==

Revision as of 18:07, 4 September 2010

This article is about the Union Institute & University in Ohio. For other institutions of this or a similar name, see Union College, Union University).
Union Institute & University
Location
Map
Cincinnati
,
Hamilton
,
Ohio
45206

United States
Information
PresidentRoger H. Sublett
Color(s)Green and Yellow.
AccreditationThe Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/
Websitewww.myunion.edu

Union Institute & University (UI&U) is a non-profit private college specializing in limited residence and distance learning programs. With the main campus in Cincinnati, Ohio, Union Institute & University operates satellite campuses located in Montpelier, Vermont; Brattleboro, Vermont; Miami, Florida; Los Angeles, California; and Sacramento, California

Union Institute & University received regional accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 1985 and currently enrolls approximately 2,000 students from all 50 states and more than 20 countries worldwide. Union Institute & University currently has a retention rate of approximately 67% and holds a graduation rate of approximately 52%.

Union Institute & University offers the following degree programs in 19 separate majors: 

   - Bachelor of Arts
   - Bachelor of Science
   - Master of Arts
   - Master of Education (Ed.D)
   - Master of Education in Educational Leadership (K-12) and Higher Education
   - Psy.D in Clinical Psychology
   - Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Studies

History

Union Institute & University traces its origins to 1964, when a group of ten liberal arts colleges established a consortium called "The Union for Research and Experimentation in Higher Education." The consortium, headquartered at the campus of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, included a number of schools experimenting with alternative education philosophies during the period, including Antioch; Sarah Lawrence College; Bard College; Hofstra University; Goddard College; Franconia College; and Nasson College. Renamed the "Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities" in 1969, the consortium directed its focus toward providing educational opportunities for non-traditional students whose needs were best served by a non-residential college experience, [1] as well as those students who sought to conduct socially relevant research in a interdisciplinary manner.

The consortium provided administrative support for a number of distance learning programs run by its member schools under the title "The University Without Walls". It also formed a graduate school called "The Union Graduate School", which offered a Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences. The consortium filed for bankruptcy in 1978. Emerging from its bankruptcy, it eventually renamed itself "The Union Institute" (1986). As the Union Institute, it continued to run its graduate school and some of the UWW programs it had administered directly. After acquiring Vermont College in Montpelier, Vermont from Norwich University in October, 2001, it was renamed Union Institute & University.[2] The purchase of Vermont College added several master’s degree programs and an Adult Degree Program to Union Institute & University’s existing undergraduate and doctoral programs, providing a progression of degree opportunities, along with certificates in advanced graduate study. Since its inception in the 1960s, The Union has a continuing emphasis on social relevance and interdisciplinary in its programs.

The transformation of the UECU into the Union Institute brought major changes to the "Union". It went from being a consortium to a private university during this period, building on the few programs it ran directly and its doctoral program. With the dissolution of the consortium, however, the resources available from the member institutions were no longer available. These included facilities, faculty, and administrative functions. Also, as a consortium, the Union received funding from the federal government and from foundations. Going forward as a private university without these resources created challenges. Not surprisingly, the Union Institute's Ph.D. program came under scrutiny by the Ohio Board of Regents in the late 1990s early 2000s, which scrutiny culminated in its 2002 Reauthorization Report. The report was critical of the Union Institute's Ph.D. program, noting in particular that " ... expectations for student scholarship at the doctoral level were not as rigorous as is common for doctoral work ... " (OBR 2002 Reauthorization Report, page 13) The Union was put on probation. Later, the Union Graduate School was dissolved and the Ph.D. program was restructured. Formerly it had been a Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences. Its name and focus were changed and two other doctoral programs were broken out (see the listing above).

Since 2002, Roger H. Sublett serves as Union Institute & University’s fifth president.[3] Under Sublett, who was director of the Kellogg Foundation from 1991–2001,[4] The Union has undergone major academic and structural changes, designed to respond to the issues identified during its reauthorization process.[5]

The original consortium pioneered a number of innovations. One of these was its attempt to reach out to adult learners. To some extent, the consortium was a victim of its own success. Many of its member institutions adopted its innovations and moved forward on an independent basis. Further, numerous (and some very large) for-profit universities have come into existence over the last two decades. Many of these offer distance learning programs targeted at adult learners. The Union Institute and University, as a private institution, now finds itself competing with these for-profits. Given that its funding and operational model does not significantly differ from many of the entities it now competes with, it now shares the problem of many first-to-market entities (for example, AOL) of defending market share against formidable new comers. One thing that distinguishes the Union Institute and University from its for-profit competitors is the generalist nature of its Ph.D. The formal title of its Ph.D. degree is " Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies." This title and the program reflect the original idea of the consortium of offering a non-residential Ph.D. program that avoided specialization and did not take as long to complete as a traditional program (originally it took a minimum of two years to complete). The original Ph.D. was titled "Ph.D. in Arts and Sciences." Under the consortium, learners could concentrate or specialize in a wide range of areas. As a private institution with reduced resources, the Union Institute was required by the OBR to limit these areas of concentration to six. The new program now has three areas of concentration. While there has been some confusion in the way Ph.D.s are titled, with many Ph.D.s being represented in particular fields, the Ph.D. is and has always been a single Ph.D. and its concentration or specialization areas should not be confused with the degree itself. The titles above are the correct titles for the degree. Aspiring doctoral students wishing to have a Ph.D. in a specific field such a Physics or Spanish Literature will find these in traditional graduate programs but not in The Union Institute and University. The Union Institute and University, by contrast, will be more appropriate for students wishing to avoid the specialization of a field.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ David Bates, “A Brief History of the Union Institute and University”(2002) < http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~hendra/Briefhis.html >
  2. ^ ”Vermont College Forges New Union,” Vermont Business Magazine (1 August 2001) < http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3675/is_200108/ai_n8960495 >.
  3. ^ “Meet the President,” Union Institute & University < http://www.myunion.edu/about/president.html >.
  4. ^ Kellogg Foundation < http://www.wkkf.org >.
  5. ^ “Union Institute Rules Get Stricter,” Cincinnati Enquirer (27 March 2004) < http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/03/27/loc_union27.html >; “Union Institute To Sell 2 Historic Buildings,” Cincinnati Enquirer (4 July 2006).
  • Barrett, Laurence. (1972). Report of a Visit to the University Without Walls by the Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities Yellow Springs, Ohio, May, 1972 for the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. ED083909 [1]
  • Fairfield, Roy P. (1972). "To Bury the Albatross?" Journal of Research and Development in Education 5(3): 107-18.
  • Fisher Report. (2002). The Union Institute and University Review. http://www.uniongraduateschool.net/ugshistory/pdf/J.Fisher.report.2002.pdf
  • Hungerford, Arthur and Fairfield, Roy P.(1973). "University Without Walls and Union Graduate School: New Frontiers in Humane Learning." Engineering Education 63 (7): 505-511.
  • Kirkhorn, Michael. (1979). "Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities: Back from the Brink." Change 11 (3): 18-21.
  • "OBR/NCA Challenges and Concerns Related to the Doctoral Program," Davis,B. http://uniongraduateschool.net/ugshistory/summary.html
  • The Union Institute and University official Web site [2]

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