Atlantic Union College history

In 1899 a sanitarium was started in the village of South Lancaster, but was later moved to Stoneham, Massachusetts, and became the forerunner of the former Boston Regional Medical Center.

Brief History The Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (originally called Eastern Union Conference) was organized on April 16, 1901, at the 34th General Conference session held at Battle Creek, Michigan.

In 1918, it was renamed: Lancaster Junior College.

Then, in 1922, it was yet again renamed Atlantic Union College after being authorized to grant degrees in the state of Massachusetts.

In 1933, Governor Joseph Ely granted AUC the right to confer the bachelor of arts degree.

In 1993, with 82% of enrolled students receiving financial aid, there was a high default rate on student loans and enrollment was dropping well below projections.

By the Fall of 1994, another enrollment drop forced them to borrow $2 million to get through the 94–95 school year; a violation of North American Division working policy to borrow money for operating purposes.

In May 1995, the AUC had $6.2 million in debt.

In October 1997, Bruce Wells, AUC's Dean, appointed by President Lashley, precipitated criticism for approaching selectmen in the neighboring town of Clinton for permission to use a Clinton address to sell used cars out of the college's parking lot in Lancaster.

After a focused evaluation in 2001, the Massachusetts Commission on Institutions of Higher Education recommended to the board of trustees for NEASC that the college's accreditation be terminated.

AUC President Norman Wendth announced in July that the plan had not gained approval from the Massachusetts Department of Education in time for the Fall 2011 school term.

In 2013 it became the home of the Northeast Evangelism Training School.

In November 2014 Doctor Avis D. Hendrickson was appointed president of the college, the first woman to hold that post.

A few months later in April 2015 the college announced the launch of two Bachelor's level academic programs to begin later that year: a B.A. in Religion/Theology, and a B.S. in Health Sciences/Biology.

Atlantic Union announced its decision to close in February 2018, citing existing and projected financial struggles as the college’s main backers – the regional branches of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – began pulling or threatening to pull their subsidies to the school.

The campus was sold in 2021.