Posted on Feb 26, 1999

Fleet Financial Group has contributed $15,000 to the recently announced
Union-Schenectady (US) Initiative, the College's broad-based plan to revitalize the
neighborhood to the west of the campus.

At the request of Fleet, the entire $15,000 donation will support Union's
development of an Office of Neighborhood Outreach, a center for the exchange of ideas,
suggestions and community-focused activity. Staffed by Union students, staff and
volunteers from the community, the Office will feature a homework center and tutoring
program for kids, sponsor a variety of neighborhood weekend programs, and will provide
important health and wellness information.

“Fleet is pleased to support Union College and the new Neighborhood Outreach
Center, ” stated Herm Ames, President of Fleet National Bank – Upstate New York
Region. “We recognize the importance of making resources accessible to all our
communities, especially those in need. Through their focus on homework assistance and
mentoring for neighborhood children, and skills development programs for their parents,
the Neighborhood Outreach Center will be just that – a focal point in the community
that brings Union College students and faculty together with their neighbors, to
everyone's benefit. It is an exciting opportunity to strengthen the neighborhood and
Fleet is proud to be a part of it.”

Posted on Feb 19, 1999

The critically acclaimed Brentano and Borromeo String Quartets will perform together Friday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. in Union College's Memorial Chapel.

The Borromeo Quartet, in its second performance of the season at Union, will be joined by the combined artistry of the members of the Brentano String Quartet: Mark Steinberg, Serena Canin, violins, Misha Amory, viola, and Nina Maria Lee, cello. The program includes Haydn's Quartet in E flat, Op. 71, No.3, Mendelssohn's Octet, and the Capital District debut of Thomas AdJ s' Arcadiana. Called “a British sensation” by the New York Times, AdJ s is considered a master-pianist and prodigious composer. There will also be a pre-concert recital free to all ticket holders in which the Brentano will perform Schoenberg Quartet No. 3, one of the great quartets of the 20th Century, a difficult piece which is rarely performed.

Since its inception in 1992, the Brentano has been awarded the 1995 Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the 10th Annual Martin E. Segal Award. Named the inaugural Artist Member of Chamber Music Society Two in 1995, the Quartet is also the first quartet-in-residence at New York University. Its festival appearances have included the Festival De Divonne in France, Chamber Music Northwest, Wisconsin's Green Lake Festival, the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and Chautauqua. They have performed widely and had their European debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Wigmore Hall in London. The Quartet is named after Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars believe to have been Beethoven's mysterious “Immortal Beloved” and to whom he wrote his famous love confession.

The Borromeo String Quartet, formed in 1989 by four young musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music, has risen quickly to international prominence. Members include Nicholas Kitchen, violin; Ruggero Allifranchini, violin; Hsin-Yun Huang, viola; and Yeesun Kim, cello. All are faculty members at the New England Conservancy.

Internationally, they have held performances in Moscow, Montevideo, Uruguay, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Wigmore Hall in London. American performances include Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington and Boston's Isabella Steward Gardner Museum. The Boston Globe wrote: “The Borromeo String Quartet is simply the best there is on the planet … the only real treasure, it's been said, is spiritual treasure, and this was it.”

Tickets, at $15 ($7 for students), are available in advance at the Schenectady Museum (518) 382-7890 and at the door at 7 p.m. For more information, call 372-3651

Posted on Feb 19, 1999

Feb. 8, 1999

1. The minutes of Feb. 1, 1999 were approved as corrected.

2. Discussion of the common lunch hour resumed. Linda Stanhope reported on faculty
responses to her e-mail. Of the 19 responses, 9 faculty were in favor of change and 9 were
opposed, and one had some suggestions. Josh Mondlick proposed that Tuesday and Thursday
labs begin 10 minutes earlier in the morning. Bonney MacDonald noted that students are not
willing to take early and late classes, which forces classes into the middle of the day.
Barbara Danowski suggested that afternoon classes (not labs) start at 2 p.m., that maybe
we should increase early and late classes, that we schedule common hour at a non-eating
time, Linda Stanhope suggested opening up another lunch space. Dwight Wolf reported on the
history of the common lunch hour and on classroom usage during the morning hours. Seth
Greenberg proposed that a small group meet to consider the various suggestions. Josh
Mondlick proposed that 8:40-9:45 a.m. be the GenEd hour and 9:55-11 a.m. be the common
meeting. Barbara, Josh, Danette and Steve will meet to develop some suggestions.

3. Linda Cool reported on the calendar discussion by the Trustees.

A. The Board is neutral, interested in a broader report and discussion before they deal
with the issue.

B. The Board wants to encourage dialogue on campus. Until the Board receives and
digests the self-study for Middle States, the Board is not interested in entertaining a
proposal about a calendar change. The absolute earliest time for a proposal to come to the
Board would be one year from now. The final proposal should be driven by institutional
strategy plans that are identified by the president and during the accreditation
self-study process.

C. The Board requests that any proposal address how the College would deal with study
abroad and undergraduate research.

D. The Board requests that whatever comes forward to them must be supported broadly by
the faculty. Unless there is overwhelming support, the cost of change is expensive and
would result in a “sideways” move.

E. They ask that we explain why we cannot deliver a semester in one term under the
trimester system. If the issue is that our standards or expectations of the workload of
students have been lowered over the years, the faculty under the direction of the senior
faculty must decide why this is the case and work to change it, whether there is a change
of calendar or not. Why should the Board believe that the faculty could deliver a semester
on a semester system?

F. The Board suggests we do not send forward the financial review sheet. The Board
notes the financial review and understands that there would apparently be no negative
financial impact of a calendar change and indeed that there might be a slight financial
advantage to the semester system. But, $500,000 in an $81 million budget is not a
significant amount. And, if a calendar change is to occur, it should not occur for
financial reasons, but for pedagogical/academic ones.

G. The Board would like a sense of what the departments feel about the change. How
would it affect extracurricular activities?

4. Ken DeBono will report on the external review of the Psychology Department.

Posted on Feb 19, 1999

The College welcomes 10 new employees. They are: Brooke Quandt, evening circulation
supervisor in Schaffer Library; Janet Sabin, administrative assistant to the director of
gift planning; Patricia Oakes, secretary in Career Development; Barbara Marrone, Nicolina
Gordon, Javier Belacazar, William White and Romayne Singletary, all of Dining Services;
Charles Yacaginsky, manager of mechanical and electrical trades, Facilities Services; and
James Hedrick, academic specialist and counselor in the Academic Opportunities Program.

Also, Dennis Chotkowski has been promoted to zone building maintainer II in Facilities
Services. Ray Wilkonson has transferred to communications systems operator in Campus
Safety.

Posted on Feb 19, 1999

The Rev. Victoria J. Brooks-McDonald will be installed as Protestant Chaplain of
the College on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

The Rev. Dr. Carl Dudley, professor of church and community at Hartford Seminary
Foundation, will be preaching.

The anthem, written and directed by Tim Olsen, assistant professor of music, will be
sung by 10 area choirs and the Union College Choir.