The pilot project for the Union Scholars program has begun, it was reported by Dean of Faculty Linda Cool at the recent Board of Trustees meeting.
Seventeen entering freshmen have accepted the College's invitation to participate in the four-year honors program.
Union Scholars enroll in four courses during the fall term (one more than usual), participate in a special two-term freshmen preceptorial, and begin planning for an independent project to be conducted with a faculty mentor during the sophomore year.
“Several of these talented students already have let us know that a major reason for their selecting Union was the Union Scholars program,” Cool said.
Cool also reported that the new freshman engineering curriculum will serve more
freshmen than anticipated; about 70 freshmen engineers were expected, but after course
registration at summer orientation that number was nearly 100.
Faculty from mathematics and physics have developed new freshmen engineering courses
being taught this term: a two-term combined calculus/physics sequence and the year-long
introductory engineering design course. The courses require two sophisticated electronic
studio labs — designed by faculty — that will serve as pilots for classrooms in the F.W.
Olin Center, Cool said.
Also at the Trustees meeting, it was reported that the Career Development Center has
introduced a new Media Center which will enable students to research careers, graduate
schools and employers as well as look up alumni on a newly-created database of the Union
Career Advisory Network.
The trustees also learned that five were promoted to professor. They are Barbara Boyer,
biology; Clifford Brown, political science; Vuk Fatic, electrical engineering; Byron
Nichols, political science; and Robert Olberg, biology.
Also, new department head appointments are: John Boyer and Robert Olberg (co-chairs)
biology; Felmon Davis, philosophy; David Hayes, chemistry; J. Douglass Klein, economics'
Bonney MacDonald, English; Jay Newman, physics; Michael Rudko, electrical engineering;
George Williams, computer science; and Robert Wells, history.