Mission and Philosophy:

Union County College, in cooperation with other agencies, is dedicated to serving the higher educational needs of Union County. The College has an open admissions policy for both transfer and career programs and is dedicated to the fundamental values of public higher education. The oldest two-year, continuously operating, non-profit, degree-granting institution in New Jersey (1933), Union County College provides opportunities for higher education for people of diverse ethnic, racial, cultural, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds in a multi-campus setting. The College has four campuses, which are located in Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield and Scotch Plains. The Scotch Plains campus is operated in collaboration with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

The College strives to promote in students a sense of responsibility for their own development and an understanding of their obligations as members of a democratic society. The College fosters in students the desire to learn, the ability to think clearly and express themselves effectively, the habit of analytical and reflective thought, and an awareness of themselves, their heritage, other cultures, and their environment.

The College seeks to provide:

The highest quality transfer education through comprehensive curricula and the use of the most current technology, allowing for transfer to four ‘year colleges and universities;

The highest quality technical and career-oriented education through selected degree and certificate programs which use the most current technology, preparing students for immediate entry into a career;

Innovative student-centered teaching and support services to foster students’ personal and social development;

Continuing and community education programs and courses in varied schedules, at varied locations, and with varied modes of instruction for credit or without;

Developmental studies, particularly in writing, reading and mathematics, to prepare students for college ‘level programs and courses and to increase their literacy;

Academic advising, career/employment services, transfer services, counseling services, tutoring services, and an array of extra and co-curricular activities;

Customized training and retraining for business and industry;

Workforce education programs for persons displaced from their jobs or unemployed.