Posted on Jan 30, 1998

From the climate of Venus to the Kyoto summit, Union's
Environmental Studies program will explore a range of topics related to global climate
change through seminars by Union faculty.

The first of four weekly talks is Feb. 5.

The series is to highlight the advances in understanding various aspects
of climate change, and to address the increasing awareness of the public.

The hour-long talks are presented by Union faculty who are involved in
aspects of climate change in their scholarship.

The schedule:

Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m., Reamer Campus Center Auditorium

Jonathan Marr, physics, on “The determining factors of planetary
surface temperatures: A comparison between the greenhouse effect on Earth and Venus”

Can we learn anything about global climate change by looking around the
solar system? What determines the temperature of a planet? The Moon's atmosphere and
climate and the extreme greenhouse effect on Venus are examined in order to better
understand the dangers posed to Earth's climate by the burning of fossil fuels.

Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m., Nott Memorial

Donald T. Rodbell, geology, on “Global warming and El Niño: A
geological perspective”

Natural archives of global climate change over the last several million
years preserved in marine sediment, ice cores, tree rings, and lake sediments will be
reviewed as background for addressing the current debate over global warming. The last two
million years have been some of the coldest in Earth's recent history, and natural
climate change is now thought to have occurred over extremely short intervals. El Niño
will also be examined from a geologic perspective.

Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m., Nott Memorial

Peter L. Tobiessen, biology, on “Global Warming—What, me
worry? The effect on plants and animals”

The earth has cooled and warmed repeatedly over the last several million
years. Just 10,000 years ago, the Schenectady area was under an enormous glacier that
flowed southward to New York City and Long Island. Despite this incredible disruption,
most plants and animals survived. Will more be lost this time?

Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., Nott Memorial

Dr. James M. Kenney, economics, on “Global Warming and the
Global Economy: Policy Challenges from Kyoto”

Can the nations of the world reach an agreement to balance their
economic needs and the need to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases? What should the
U.S. position be? An economist assesses the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the unresolved policy
issues, and the consequences for the U.S. and other economies.

For information: http://zircon. geology.union.edu/es/98seminar or call
John I. Garver, director, Environmental Studies, ext. 6517.

Posted on Jan 30, 1998

Friday, Jan. 30, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Schaffer Library. Book
sale.

Friday, Jan. 30, through Monday, Feb. 2, 8 and 10 p.m., Reamer Campus
Center Auditorium. Film, Kiss the Girls, presented by film committee.

Saturday, Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m., Upperclass Dining. Chinese New Year
celebration sponsored by Asian Student Union and Student Activities. Limited seating,
reservations only. For information, call Dining Services at ext. 6050.

Thursday, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m., Reamer Campus Center Auditorium.
Jonathan Marr, physics, on “The determining factors of planetary surface
temperatures: A comparison between the greenhouse effect on Earth and Venus” (see
story this issue)

Through Wednesday, Feb. 5, Arts Atrium. Exhibition by Anthony
Cafritz, a sculptor from Bennington, Vt.

Friday, Feb. 6, 8 p.m., Memorial Chapel. Pianist Dubravka Tomsic
performs a program of music by Beethoven, Debussy and Brahms in the Schenectady
Museum-Union College chamber series.

Through Feb. 16, Arts Building, second floor. Selections from
Fall 1997 photography students.

Through March 6, Mandeville Gallery, Nott Memorial. Abstract
drawings and sculptures by Prof. Chris Duncan on display.

Posted on Jan 30, 1998

A grant of $335,000 to Union College from The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation of New York City will be used to improve educational effectiveness and gain
financial efficiencies through the use of electronic resources, it was announced by
President Roger Hull.

The three-year grant will enable faculty to experiment with and adapt
computer and multimedia technologies and tools in the freshman preceptorial and to develop
new interdisciplinary team-taught courses that will incorporate new technologies.

“This generous grant from The Mellon Foundation helps support an
important transition at Union College,” Hull said. “As we near completion of two
important buildings – the F.W. Olin Center and the renovated and expanded Schaffer
Library – Union College enters an era in which our faculty will be able to call on
the very latest and best technology to provide students a first-rate education.”

Union's dean of faculty, Linda Cool, said the grant will support
training workshops for faculty in curriculum development using new technological
applications, a curricular design specialist and three well-trained student technical
assistants, and the purchase of videoconferencing equipment for one classroom, which will
facilitate collaboration with other institutions. “This grant will allow Union to
make a huge leap ahead in the creation and delivery of courses that will challenge and
excite future current and future generations of Union students,” Cool said.

Posted on Jan 23, 1998

Carol S. Weisse, associate professor of psychology, co-authored
(with Mary DePalma, associate professor of psychology at Ithaca College) a review article
titled “Psychological Influences on Pain Perception and Non-Pharmacologic Approaches
to the Treatment of Pain” published in The Journal of Hand Therapy.

Hilary Tann, professor of music, is featured on the Oxford
University Press Web page (http://www.oup-usa.org/Welcome.html) along with her
recent large-scale work, Here, the Cliffs. The piece was premiered Oct. 17 and 18
by the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gerhardt Zimmermann with violin
soloist Corine Cook. It was also performed by the Canton Symphony in November. The Western
Piedmont Symphony is to perform it on Feb. 8, the Winston-Salem Piedmont Triad Symphony on
March 3, and the Salisbury Symphony this fall.

Thomas Werner, Florence B. Sherwood Professor of Physical
Sciences, was a panelist in a session titled “Crossing Thresholds: Undergraduate
Research and the Real Worlds of Teaching and Learning” at the 84th annual meeting of
the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington. His presentation
focused on the history of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and on the
impact NCUR has had on the undergraduate curriculum.

Erik Hansen, professor of history, and Peter Prosper, professor
of economics, have published an essay, “Transformation and Accommodation in Dutch
Socialism: P.J. Troelstra and Social Democratic Political Theory, 1894-1914” in European
History Quarterly XXVII (October 1997) pp. 475-503. The article evaluates the
political and social theories and P.J. Troelstra, a key figure in the Dutch social
democratic movement during the late 19th and early 20th century.

Posted on Jan 23, 1998

Academic Affairs Council minutes

January 7, 1998

Meeting #12

Members present: Professors L. Stanhope (Chair), S. Gmelch, S.
Greenberg, S. Leavitt, F. Milillo, J.Schmee; Student A. Markowski

Ex Officio:L. Cool, Dean of the Faculty

D. Hannay, Acting Dean of Engineering

C. Sorum, Dean of Arts & Sciences

1. The minutes of November 18, 1997 were approved.

2. Old business was briefly reviewed by Linda Stanhope.

3. Linda Stanhope discussed the creation of a subcouncil to allocate the
four proposed tenure lines for faculty. The formation of the subcouncil was approved.
Linda Stanhope and Linda Cool will contact faculty to serve who were suggested by members
of the AAC.

4. Wednesday at 12:15 will remain the meeting time for Winter term.

5. Seth Greenberg introduced the problem for faculty of finding parking
near academic buildings. The AAC suggested that Dean Cool and President Hull discuss this
problem with the Director of Security and report back to the AAC.

6. Dean Cool distributed a letter from Chris Leone concerning receiving
academic course credit for working on Concordiensis. The issue will be discussed
next week