Posted on Dec 18, 1998

Schenectady, N.Y. (Dec. 18, 1998) – Patrick Allen, director of educational studies and associate professor of English at Union College, has been appointed to the New York State Education Department's State Professional Standards and Practices Board. New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills announced the appointments to the 28-member board earlier this month.

The Standards Board, the successor to the former Teacher Education, Certification and Practices Board, will provide consultation and advisory services to the Regents and Commissioner on issues related to teacher education, certification and practice, as well as other duties as yet to be defined.

Mr. Allen has served as professor and director of the College's Educational Studies program and Teaching and Learning Center since 1992. He created and supervises the College's Cultural/Teaching Exchange program with Barbados, which enrolls teachers from Barbados in Union's Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program and enables Union undergraduates to teach in Barbados.

Additionally, Mr. Allen works with Schenectady County K-12 schools to design professional development programs for veteran teachers. He is active in the County's School-to-Work Development Committee, has served as a consultant for the State Department of Labor, and has been a reader for Educational Testing Services (ETS). Twice honored as Teacher of the Year at Shenedehowa High School, Mr. Allen also received the English Educator of Excellence Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. He is a member of the New York Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (NYACTE) and numerous other state and national professional educational organizations.

Other Board members appointed include:

Selina Ahoklul, math teacher, High School for Science and Technology, Brooklyn, New York; Janet Ahola, vice president, New York Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc., Albany, Stephen Bero, teacher, Liverpool High School, Liverpool, New York; Linda Blemer, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, New York; Mary Bryski, student, Russell Sage College, Troy, New York; Mary Cannie, superintendent, Uniondale Union Free School District, Uniondale, New York; David Caputo, president, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York; Ernest Clayton, president, United Parents Associations of New York City, New York; Gary DeBoltb, director, School of Education, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, New York.

Vivian Demers-Jagoda, teacher, Orchard Park Middle School, Orchard Park, New York; Theresa DiPasquale, teacher, Riverside Academy, Buffalo, New York; Anne Mitchell, president, Early Childhood Policy Research, Climax, New York; Eva Mroczka, teacher, Board of Cooperative Educational Services, West Seneca, New York; Maria Neira, assistant to the president, United Federation of Teachers, New York, New York; Lucretia Pannozzo, teacher, John Jay Middle School, Katonah, New York; Marilyn O'Connor Pirkie, superintendent, Westmorland Central Schools, Westmorland, New York; Luis Ramirez, staff developer, Community Elementary School 64, Bronx, New York; Evelyn Rich, president, Rich Solutions, New York, New York; Jean Rose, teacher, Scotia-Glenville Central Schools, Scotia, New York; Carolyn Shipley, area 2 director, New York State School Boards Association, Albany; Patricia Squicciarini, teacher, West Babylon Union Free School District, West Babylon, New York; Yvonne Nona-Weekes, regional director, Bank Street College of Education.

Posted on Dec 14, 1998

Schenectady, N.Y. (Dec. 14, 1998) – The time to act is now for students considering accessing financial aid to help fund their college education, according to Mike Brown, director of financial aid at Union College.

“At many institutions, especially private colleges and universities, the deadline for submitting financial aid information is on or around Feb.1,” he said. “While the required paperwork is time consuming and at times confusing, proper preparation and careful attention to the details makes the process far less daunting and much more beneficial in terms of eligibility.”

As January marks New York State Financial Aid Month, and Mr. Brown offers the following tips for handling the financial aid process:

Avoid sticker shock. Never let the price tag on a particular institution scare you. Millions of dollars are set aside at most quality colleges and universities to support families' educational goals. Fact: Ninety-five percent of all aid in the United States is based on need.

When in doubt, file early. In the financial aid process, timing is everything. It is really a first-come-first-served formula because institutions are dealing with a finite amount of money. It is quite typical to see literally millions in aid be awarded in a day. But, when it's gone, it's gone. Also, submitting aid information early allows the institution to request additional data if necessary, or to ask for clarification that may determine how much aid is awarded.

Know the rules and the players. Identify, early on, the financial aid requirements, philosophy and restrictions of institutions you are interested in attending. Policies vary greatly, don't assume anything. Find out as much as you can by scheduling appointments with the financial aid office during your admissions visit to a particular institution. The best source for information is the institution you are interested in attending. Much of the information available on-line or in print is far too general. Work closely with financial aid offices; get to know the staff.

If you're not sure, guess. Rather than miss the all-important submission deadline, when necessary use estimates for income and other financial information. Facts and figures can always be adjusted later. Remember, however, when completing the final numbers, always sweat the details. Pay close attention to each request for information, and check and double-check your numbers. Mistakes can be costly.

Posted on Dec 14, 1998

Albany, N.Y. (December 14, 1998) – Union College and Albany Medical College have created a combined-degree medical program that will educate and prepare physicians for the delivery of quality health care and provide enhanced training in managed care.

The New York State Education Department recently approved the new joint-degree “Leadership in Medicine” program. The eight-year program offers a bachelor of science (B.S.) in biology or chemistry and a master of science (M.S.) in health care management from Union College. A doctor of medicine (M.D.) degree is granted from Albany Medical College.

“The integrated program focuses on three areas essential for future leaders in medicine: knowledge of managed care, training in biomedical ethics and familiarity with other cultures,” said Robert Baker, Ph.D., Union professor of philosophy and chair of the committee that created the program. “There is no other graduate and medical program like this in the country.”

James Mandell, M.D., dean of the Albany Medical College, noted that this program builds on an existing joint program between the two institutions. The colleges will continue to offer a program that enables students to earn a bachelor's degree and medical degree in seven years.

“The Union-Albany Medical College joint program is an attempt to provide added educational value for the students,” Dr. Mandell said. “This program greatly adds to the study of economic and ethical issues, health-care management and community issues.”

“Medical education must anticipate rapid changes in health-care delivery, medical organization structure and medical technology to prepare the physicians of the next millennium,” added James Bennett, Ph.D., professor of surgery, pharmacology and neuroscience and chairman of the combined-degree admissions committee at Albany Medical College. “This program will begin exposing students early in their education to the business side of medicine and graduate physicians who are prepared to take the lead in the healing and management aspects of health care delivery.”

Students apply and are admitted to both institutions in their senior year of high school. In addition to the normal undergraduate work at Union leading to a B.S, degree, students also will complete an interdepartmental major in humanities or social sciences and a special program in biomedical ethics which will prepare them for extensive training in medical ethics which they will receive at Albany Medical College.

Students also will complete a term of study abroad where they will be exposed to the health care systems of other countries and a master's-level program in health care management at Union's Graduate Management Institute. Additionally, while they are at Union, students will have the option of also earning a master's in business administration (MBA) with five additional courses.

Students complete their last four years of study at Albany Medical College where they receive all of the coursework and training for a medical degree. At the Medical College, they also will obtain additional training in business administration aspects of medicine, medical ethics and the delivery of health care to diversified populations.

“Many of our local physicians are taking postgraduate courses outside of the region to help them respond to many of the changes in the business side of medicine,” Dr. Bennett said. “The new eight-year Leadership in Medicine program provides a local solution to this problem by capitalizing on existing strengths and resources at two prestigious educational institutions.”

The first class of students will be admitted to the program in the fall of 1999 and will graduate in May 2007.

“The students I have talked to are ecstatic about this new program,” Dr.Baker said. “They like the challenge and the idea of being part of a program that answers the national need to educate doctors to cope with managed care.”

Posted on Dec 6, 1998

The Emerson String Quartet, one of the world's foremost string quartets, will perform at Union College's Memorial Chapel on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. as part of the Schenectady Museum-Union College Concert Series. This is the quartet's fifteenth Series appearance.

The program will include: Sibelius – Op. 56 in d, “Intimate Voices”; Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Quartet No. 2 (1998); and Beethoven – Op. 132 in a.

The Emerson String Quartet, which takes its name from the great American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, was founded in 1976. Members include Philip Setzer and Eugene Drucker, violins; Lawrence Dutton, viola; and David Finckel, cello.

Acclaimed for its artistry and dynamic performance style and its mastery of both classical and contemporary works, the Emerson String Quartet has amassed an impressive list of achievements: an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon recording contract; four Grammy Awards – one for Best Classical Album” and three for “Best Chamber Music Performance,” and Gramophone magazine's “Record of the Year” award.

The New York Times has called the Quartet “one of the hottest quartets,” and praises its “consistently insightful, polished concert performances” and “series of brilliant recordings for Deutsche Grammophon.” The Financial Times (London) has said: “As one of the foremost chamber ensembles around today, the Emerson provides a special kind of musical nourishment all too rare.”

The Dec. 6 concert program at Union College includes works that the Emerson Quartet will perform in New York's Carnegie Hall, also in December. Additional North American concert venues include Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Aspen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Houston, Denver and Seattle. International concerts will include performances in Berlin, Vienna, London, the Louvre and a tour of Japan.

The Schenectady Museum-Union College chamber concerts are made possible, in part, by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Schenectady County Initiative Program. Memorial Chapel is located near the center of the Union campus. Parking is available on campus and on nearby sidestreets.

Tickets, at $20 ($8 for students), are available in advance at the Schenectady Museum (518) 382-7890 and at the door. For more information, call 372-3651.

Posted on Dec 3, 1998

The College's annual Staff Holiday Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 3 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Old Chapel.

Last year's luncheon drew 105 members of the Union community, and raised $350.

The luncheon is to include an ornament exchange (Participants should bring a $5 wrapped ornament.), 50/50 and craft raffles with proceeds to benefit a Union student, and a gift collection for residents of Glendale Nursing Home (Please wrap and label “man” or “woman.”).

Menu choices are penne pasta with sun dried tomatoes and chicken or seafood croissant sandwich. Cost is $9.50 for either meal.

Response date is Nov. 23. Checks, payable to Union College, may be sent to Joanne Christensen, psychology.