The freshman class of 2022 is one of the largest classes Union University has seen in many years. With over 450 new students, as well as numerous faculty additions in various departments, great things are expected for the upcoming years at Union.
“We are excited about the five new faculty who joined us this year in the McAfee School of Business,” said Audra Teague, administrative assistant to the dean of the McAfee School of Business. “These professors clearly love students and clearly love Christ, and that will be evident in the way they teach.”
Some changes in departments throughout the university enterprise include the aforementioned professors and administrators in the school of business, a new assistant director and employment coordinator for the EDGE program and new faculty in the nursing program at the Hendersonville and Germantown campuses.
These additions, as well as others not mentioned, are a reflection of the growth that Union is experiencing, and with the influx of new students on campus, considerable diversity is expected to positively impact our campus.
“I understand how hard it is to send a child to college,” said Fran Thomas, visit and special events coordinator in undergraduate admissions. “It is one of the biggest adjustments in life.”
Thomas understands the feeling a parent gets sending their children off to college and strives to help future students and their families make that adjustment.
“We use this process as our ministry to really act as stewards and shepherds to the families because we are in close relations with them from the time they enroll until the time they graduate,” Thomas said.
The personnel in the admissions office adopt their jobs as their personal mission to help students through the decision making process to join the Union family. This is one of the distinguishing characteristics that sets Union apart from its competitors.
“Despite the larger size of this freshman class, I have quickly developed many new friendships,” said Cam Presley, a current freshman at Union University. “Coming to college as a freshman can easily be a very intimidating task, but current Union students, along with new freshmen, have made me feel more welcomed than I could have imagined.”
Presley has lived in Jackson his whole life and has always seen Union as a well-rounded community. Knowing that there is comfort among the new class should serve as an encouragement to the campus as a whole. By creating such a welcoming environment, Union has successfully developed an ease of transition for our new students into the adventure of college life.