Union Institute and University

Letter from the President

roger-sublett2010 In 1964, ten university presidents gathered to dream about the future of higher education in the United States. They agreed to work together, forming a consortium they called the Union for Research and Experimentation in Higher Education (UREHE). The consortium became the Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities in 1969,The Union Institute in 1989, and in 2001, was renamed the Union Institute & University. The purpose of UREHE was: 1) to create an alternative delivery model of higher education for adult students and 2) to inform the field of higher education about what was learned in the process. Over the past 50 years, Union accomplished both goals. As a pioneer of distance learning, Union led the way in creating different approaches to education for adult students. The original founders actually understood the model of online education before the technology existed to support the approach. And, countless numbers of scholars who have had the privilege of calling Union their academic home since 1964 have greatly influenced the field of higher education. More than 15 graduates of Union’s Ph.D. program have held the Office of President in institutions of higher education. It is a fact that many of the leaders in alternative approaches to education got their start at Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Today Union has the opportunity to build on a solid foundation of experimentation and success as we approach our second 50 years of service. So, what is Union’s vision for the next 50 years? In the preface to his book, Even Eagles Need a Push: Learning to Soar in a Changing World, management consultant, author, and motivational speaker, David McNally asks three important questions: 1) Why are you here? 2) What do you value and believe in? and 3) What can you contribute that will make a difference? How can we apply those questions to Union to create a framework for a vision?

Why is Union here? →