Union College (New Jersey)

College in New Jersey

Union College (formally known as Union College of Union County, NJ and previously known as Union County College) is a public community college in Union County, in the U. S. state of New Jersey. It was founded in 1933 as the first of New Jersey's public community colleges. The college has four campuses: Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Scotch Plains. The college offers more than 80 programs With massive numbers of people out of work, there was strong pressure to educate people as a way to provide jobs; one account suggests that the official who "established Union County Junior College" was the Union county schools superintendent, Arthur L. Johnson, who was seeking ways for people to find employment and better themselves. Still, the college was "pitifully underfinanced" and rented space from a local high school. Vocational training was emphasized; the curriculum catered to students who did not plan to further their education at four year universities. Between its founding in 1933 and 2007, it taught 1,100,000 students, with large numbers of them advancing to four year colleges and universities, and it has graduated more than 25,000 students as well. In 1992, there were 4,000 full and part time students in Elizabeth, and 6,500 students in Cranford and Plainfield. In comparison, three New Jersey schools had average default rates greater than 25% and were in danger of losing funding as a result. And many students and families found that community colleges such as Union County college were attractive educational values. Effective July 1, 2022, the school's name became Union College of Union County, New Jersey.

Since there are no dormitories, all students are commuters, unlike students who live in dormitories on campus. With the economic downturn of 2007–2010, students from wealthier towns who might normally go to "brand name" colleges were attending Union County College, according to enrollment manager David Sheridan, who noted that community colleges have seen "big increases in enrollment" but found that many classes were "filled to capacity." The school works with students of varying capacities. For example, it accepted one student who had had learning issues in high school, and had a 1.9 grade point average, but with work and effort, and enrolling in extra courses during summers, he graduated with honors in biology in 2010 and has been accepted to Cornell University.

Honor societies include Phi Theta Kappa Iota Xi, Psi Beta, Mu Alpha Theta, Chi Alpha Epsilon Psi Chapter, Lambda Epsilon Chi, and Tau Alpha Pi. Phi Theta Kappa is the International Honor Society for two year colleges. The Iota Xi Chapter has thus far been awarded Five Star Chapter recognition 29 years in a row.

UCNJ offers baseball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, softball, cheerleading, men's and women's track, men's lacrosse and men's and women's golf. In September 2009, the men's soccer team won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III National Championship by completing an eleven game winning streak which included six straight playoff victories. After their victory, they were congratulated by college president Thomas Brown as well as two county Freeholders. In October 1998, Union County Freeholders named Shane Walsh Field in memory of Shane Walsh, a player on the college's baseball team who died the preceding summer.

The Tomasulo Gallery has featured talented artists from New Jersey and elsewhere. In 2002, it displayed Nigerian themed works by Morristown based sculptor Bisa Washington entitled Down to the Bone. The College works with County officials to promote various arts programs such as the H. E. A. R. T. project (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) which gives grants to artists, historians, and local groups; the amount of funding in 2010 was $75,000. The County's Teen Arts Festival attracted almost 4,000 middle and high school students for a two day interval of music and dance performance as well as art exhibitions and workshops. In 2006, it showcased seven photographers whose work focused on New Jersey areas such as Asbury Park and Newark Airport and was curated by Mary Birmingham.

Union College had a professional theater company (The Theater Project), which has performed a wide variety of shows, including some of a political nature. For example, in 2008, it performed two plays relating to the presidency of George W. Bush described by the Suburban News as a "humorous" but "ultimately tragic commentary on political responsibility." In 2010, it did its first musical entitled Crowns with a four weekend run from September through October in the Roy Smith theater on the Cranford campus. Theater groups sometimes get funding from county officials from grant programs; in 2010, the college received $2,100 to help pay for a dramatic performance of A Few Steps in a Stranger's Shoes which promotes understanding between students. To celebrate the college's 75th anniversary, Jane Anderson's play about astronaut Christa McAuliffe in the Challenger explosion was performed in 2008.

The Institute for Intensive English provides a full time program of intensive instruction in English for speakers of other languages. The purpose of the institute is to enhance students' English language for work or academics. After placement testing, students enter one of six levels of instruction that matches their abilities. In Levels 1 to 4, students register for four courses to improve listening, speaking, reading and writing, and study skills. In Levels 5 and 6, students register for four courses: two core courses covering advanced structures, listening, conversation and study skills, an academic reading course, and an academic writing course. Students may enroll in an additional pronunciation and conversation elective. Upon completing each course, there is an exit test to assess proficiency. While enrolled in ESL courses, students may take some additional content area courses, depending on a student's level.

The college offers a variety of options in nursing. The Trinitas School of Nursing and the Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools of Nursing are approved by the New Jersey State Board of Nursing and are fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission. Trinitas offers a generic program as well as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) to a registered nurse (RN) program. The LPN–to–RN Completion Program is designed for Licensed Practical Nurses who wish to return to school, but need to maintain their employment status. Classroom and clinical experiences are designed to meet the specific needs of the LPN. Trinitas had been using leased space in a converted warehouse in the Elizabethport section of the city of Elizabeth but after 1992 moved into a renovated utility building. In one account, there were 2,000 nurses receiving further training at the Trinitas school in 2010. The Muhlenberg and Snyder program offers a day or evening track in nursing. Muhlenberg offers an Accelerated Program designed for individuals who have earned a BA or graduate degree in another discipline and wish to continue their studies in nursing. The nursing or clinical portion of the program can be completed in one year by attending from January to December as a full time day student. Muhlenberg also offers an LPN–to–RN Career Ladder Program. After successful completion of an LPN transition course, the LPN program may be completed in two semesters.

The college has facilities on four different campuses: Cranford, Elizabeth, Scotch Plains, and Plainfield.

The Union College Libraries are the Kenneth Campbell MacKay Library at Cranford, the Elizabeth I. Kellogg Library at Elizabeth, and the Plainfield Campus Library. With over 125,000 volumes in the combined collections, the libraries also subscribe to approximately 300 print journals, magazines, and newspapers. Approximately 30,000 full text periodicals are available to students and faculty and others from 50 online subscription databases. MacKay library on the Cranford Campus serves as the main library at the college, with more than 100,000 volumes and more than 300 journal and newspaper subscriptions. There is a 38 seat information commons, a 28 seat hands–on library instruction room and ten study rooms. A collection of award winning children's books known as the Stock Collection is available for the children of students, staff, and faculty. The Kellogg Library is located on the first floor of the Elizabeth I. Kellogg Building. The Plainfield Campus Library is located on the lower level of Building #1 on the Plainfield campus. Both the Kellogg and Plainfield libraries have more than 10,000 volumes and approximately 75 periodical subscriptions available for students doing research. These collections are tailored to support the curriculum offered on each campus.

The Academic Learning Centers provide academic support to the student population through tutoring and computer assisted instruction at all three campus locations.

The William Miller Sperry Observatory, also known simply as the Sperry Observatory, is an astronomical observatory owned by the college and jointly operated with Amateur Astronomers, Inc., on the Cranford campus. It was named after William Miller Sperry, a Cranford businessman and co founder of the S&H Green Stamps Company. The building was dedicated on May 16, 1967, by William Sperry Beinecke. 2010, with tight budgets, the group which shares uses of the facility, called Amateur Astronomers Inc., had discussions with the college about how to share expenses and resources. There were many discussions, but by May 2010, the group and the college came to a "win win" agreement about how to work together. Amateur Astronomers, Inc. meets in Nomahegan Hall each month and sponsors talks on celestial topics.

The Trinitas nursing school had been using a leased warehouse space in the Elizabethport section of Elizabeth. It has a state of the art simulation learning center. To enhance learning, some mannequins can be hooked up to simulate a pregnant woman, complete with fetal monitoring and models that "actually breathe" with simulated heart and lung sounds.

Professor Lawrence D. Hogan taught history at the college and wrote the "definitive book on black baseball" titled Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African American Baseball, which received critical attention from The New York Times.