Wednesday, December 22, 2010

UI&U's BA Program Announces Addiction Studies Specialization

BRATTLEBORO, VT - Union Institute & University, a private, non-profit university with two locations in Vermont, today announced a new addiction studies specialization as part of the psychology and human development concentration of the university’s Bachelor of Arts program. The specialization provides learners with the educational content, credits and 2,000 hours of work experience required for certification by state licensing boards as a substance abuse counselor.

UI&U’s Bachelor of Arts program is designed to attract learners who desire a socially relevant degree and who want to make positive and lasting change in their communities; the addiction studies specialization follows from UI&U’s mission. Today, substance abuse in the U.S. is on the rise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a 35 percent increase in nationwide demand for substance abuse counselors.

“The liberal arts focus means that we can go beyond the typical coursework found in most addiction studies programs so that the learners emerge with a deeper and broader understanding of this important issue,” said Ann Stanton, associate dean of the BA Program. “UI&U’s program gives learners a chance to work with faculty who have a high level of experience in the field, to develop their communication skills, and to explore the many aspects of addiction – from its history to how it impacts families and today’s society.”

UI&U’s BA program is a non-traditional, learner-centered program ideal for adult learners who thrive in an individualized study environment with a faculty mentor. Learners may choose from two residency options. Those who live in the New England region or who desire more frequent face-to-face contact may opt for the Weekend Option, which meets five times a term in either Brattleboro or Montpelier, VT; while those at a distance may select the online option where all residencies and studies take place totally online.

For more information about the new addiction studies program contact the UI&U Admissions Office at 888-828-8575 ext. 8500, or email admissions@myunion.edu.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

MLK Colleagues Take Part in MLK Legacy Luncheon January 8

CINCINNATI - As part of its ongoing mission to engage the community in dialogue that creates positive social change, Union Institute & University (UI&U) will host the biannual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Luncheon, Saturday, January 8, from noon – 1:30 p.m., at the Kingsgate Marriot in Clifton. Distinguished theologian, pastor, and civic leader Reverend Dr. Otis Moss Jr., a former pastor at the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Lockland who also served as co-pastor with Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, will serve as this year’s keynote speaker.


The annual MLK Luncheon is an integral part of the university’s MLK Studies specialization within the Ph.D. program and is held in conjunction with each Ph.D. residency in Cincinnati. UI&U MLK scholars and faculty locally and from across the country, including Rev. Dr. Virgil Wood, who collaborated with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to coordinate the State of Virginia in the historic March on Washington, will join members of community groups including the MLK Coalition of Greater Cincinnati and the African American Chamber of Commerce to explore how King’s work can best be applied in today’s society.

“Having two heroes of the civil rights movement – the Reverend Dr. Otis Moss and the Reverend Dr. Virgil Wood – join us and enlighten us at our MLK luncheon is a testament to the important work our MLK scholars are doing in their communities,” said Dr. Roger H. Sublett, president of Union Institute & University. “It is an honor to have Dr. King’s colleagues here in Cincinnati.”

Cohort Ph.D. learner Jenny Laster, director of the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati’s African-American Leadership Development program is one of several MLK scholars who will be present at the luncheon. “As a King scholar, I can share what I have learned with others, as well as formalize my study of the work of Dr. King,” said Laster. “Becoming a true MLK scholar means that I can inspire others to make his mission and vision a reality, for there is much work that needs to be done.”

About Reverend Dr. Otis Moss

Keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Otis Moss has been actively involved in advocating for the achievement of education, civil and human rights and social justice issues all of his adult life. He served as an advisor to President Jimmy Carter at Camp David and in 1994 he was the special guest of President Bill Clinton at the peace treaty signing between Israel and Jordan.

Recently, Rev. Dr. Moss served on President Obama’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership Council. In 2009, he co-lectured with Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, during a multi-city tour of India illuminating the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

Rev. Dr. Moss is the recipient of numerous awards including the Role Model of the Year Award from the National Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development in 1992. In 2004, he was bestowed the unique honor of the Lyman Beecher Lectureship on Preaching at Yale University, and in 2007 he was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. Recently, dormitory suites at Morehouse College were named in his honor.

A longtime Cleveland resident and active in the Cleveland community, Rev. Dr. Moss helped establish the Otis Moss, Jr. University Hospitals Health Center that today offers a wide range of medical services to the greater Cleveland community. In 2008, he retired from Cleveland’s Olivet Institutional Baptist Church after 33 years of distinguished service.

Rev. Dr. Moss has been featured in several publications and national broadcasts. He was twice named by Ebony Magazine as one of America’s Greatest Black Preachers and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss current trends in religion.

“The MLK Scholars program is attracting community leaders from across the country seeking to make Dr. King’s dream a reality,” said Dr. Nancy Boxill, Fulton County, Georgia commissioner, UI&U alumna, and coordinator of UI&U’s Martin Luther King Jr. Specialization. “The MLK Luncheon is an important event not only for UI&U learners but also for the Cincinnati community. This is truly education in action.”

The MLK Legacy Luncheon takes place Saturday, January 8, from noon-1:30 p.m., at the Kingsgate Marriott, 151 Goodman Drive in Clifton. For more information about the MLK Legacy Luncheon or the UI&U MLK Studies specialization please contact Nicole Hamilton, UI&U Public Relations Manager, at 513-487-1194 or at nicole.hamilton@myunion.edu.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Brattleboro Center Commencements Are Learner-Designed, Learner-Centered

BRATTLEBORO – Union & University’s (UI&U) Brattleboro Center will host a commencement weekend December 11 and 12 for new graduates of the Bachelor of Arts Weekend residency program. On Saturday, the BA graduates will give presentations, open to the public, based on their BA studies. The weekend events will culminate at 11:45, Sunday, December 12, in the Community Room at the Vermont Academic Center when the graduates, their families and UI&U Brattleboro faculty and staff gather for the commencement.


“One of the most unique aspects of the Brattleboro B.A. commencements is that they are learner-centered and learner-created,” said Diane Robinson, director of admissions for the UI&U’s Brattleboro Academic Center. From the design and printing of the environmentally-friendly program (spearheaded by new BA graduate Alan Benoit of Manchester, VT) to choosing the speakers for Sunday’s commencement, the new graduating class organized the entire commencement ceremony.

Saturday presentations will take place from 1:15-4:35 p.m. and be held at the Vermont Academic Center. A copy of the schedule with the presentations is available at the Brattleboro Academic Center. The BA curriculum emphasizes practical, real-world application and community engagement and the culminating presentations are open to the public. BA graduate Jennifer Tucker will explore poverty and how it affects the education of children in her talk “Poverty and Education.” Learner Misty Kennedy will discuss the history, stages, and interpretations of children’s drawings in her talk “Drawings of Children,” and Alan Benoit will explain the concept of “green washing” in his talk “What Shade of Green.”

Union Institute & University’s Brattleboro Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and Master of Arts with concentrations in psychology and counseling programs are located in the Vermont Agricultural and Education Center on Old Guilford Road at 3 University Way. The Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) program is based out of the Marlboro Graduate Center downtown. For more information about the Brattleboro degree programs and the B.A.commencement weekend please contact the Brattleboro Academic Center at 257-9411. For information about Union Institute & University visit www.myunion.edu or email: Brattleborocenter@myunion.edu.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Brattleboro Center Hosts Psy.D. Open House December 3

Brattleboro - Union Institute & University (UI&U) in Brattleboro will host an Open House to introduce prospective learners to its doctoral program in clinical psychology (Psy.D.), from 5:30-7 pm., Friday, December 3rd, at the program’s offices at the Marlboro Graduate Center, 28 Vernon Street, First Floor, Brattleboro, VT.


Consistent with UI&U’s mission, the Psy.D. program integrates social justice into all of its courses and emphasizes multiculturalism in clinical practice. “We train people to become more aware of injustices, such as trauma, abuse, oppression and racism, and prepare them to be active agents of change, both with their clients and the larger social system,” said Dr. William Lax, Dean of the program. Learners are trained to be culturally competent clinicians, able to provide mental health services to individuals, families, groups and organizations. The program also includes an optional emphasis area in family psychology.

The UI&U Psy.D. program integrates face-to-face and online courses to offer flexibility for working adults who need to balance career, family, and other social and civic responsibilities. In addition to the online courses, learners attend two week-long fall and spring Academic Meetings, as well as eight day-long Saturday meetings in Brattleboro once a month for the first three years of the program.

To learn more or to register, call: 802-257-9411; 888-828-8575 or email: Admissions.PsyD@myunion.edu.

UI&U’s Brattleboro offices are located minutes from Interstate 91 at the juncture of the Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts borders. It is easily accessible throughout the greater New England region. Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall 2011 Brattleboro cohort.