I sat
down to write this column just as the first snow of the season covered the
campus, putting an end to a fall where the warmth and the sun were daily
sources of comfort at a time when our country – and our college – were shaken
by world events.
Yet, as
I reflected on the fall term, I quickly saw that we had more – far more – to
celebrate than the weather. The vitality of our college is remarkable, and
events both large and small contributed to its continuing strength.
There
was, for example, the gift of more than
$3 million from an old and cherished friend, Gordon Gould '41, the
inventor of the laser.
More of
you than ever before returned to campus for Homecoming and Family Weekend – 2,000
alumni, parents, family, and friends – and more than 5,000 members of the Union
family participated during the year in nearly seventy alumni events.
We
added a second honors program, and sophomores who qualify can submit a proposal
for an organizing theme minor, carry an extra course, and receive $1,000 to
support a research project.
Both
our admissions and fundraising numbers are running ahead of last year – admissions
reports a twenty percent increase in applications at year's end, and our annual
fund is up sixteen percent in dollars and nearly twenty-three percent in the
number of donors.
Two
faculty members – Tom Werner of chemistry and Ed Pavlic of English – received
national recognition, we learned that our geology department was
ranked fourth in geoscience research at national liberal arts colleges, and we
selected three students for our pioneering term abroad in Vietnam.
We
improved our advising program, with more than ninety percent of first-year
undeclared majors being advised by their first-term instructors, while all first-year declared majors are being
advised by a member of the department of the major or by one of their fall term teachers.
We
received national attention for our exhibition
in the Mandeville Gallery about William Henry Seward of the Class of
1820. His distinguished political
career, his unwavering fight against slavery, and his counsel to President
Lincoln reveal a man who should be
remembered for more than simply the
purchase of Alaska. We received the largest federal legislative grant for any
organization in New York State, with the funds earmarked for our continuing
efforts in the Seward area.
We
completed the fundraising for stands to replace those on Bailey Field (those of
you who have “received” splinters over the years will be particularly
appreciative).
The MVP
headquarters in downtown Schenectady opened for business, and ground was broken
for the new regional headquarters of the state Department of Transportation – two encouraging signs
for the revival of the city. With our shuttle now taking students downtown – and
with several local businesses agreeing to recognize our student ID cards for
purchases in their shops – we continue to increase the links between campus and
community.
We
welcomed an array of speakers and presenters, from Tibetan monks to NASA astronaut
Bonnie Dunbar.
We saw
a young alumna and a student – Loralynne Krobetzky '00 and Mike Welch '02 – run
for local political office. They may have been unsuccessful as far as votes
were concerned, but they were a great success at raising issues too often ignored
by politicians.
We have
hired Tom McEvoy, director of housing at Williams, to implement the House
System.
We
created a website, called “AboutU,” that lets every alumnus receive biweekly
e-mail with news from Union. In the aftermath of September 11,
we also created a website bulletin board where thousands of alumni and friends
checked in to indicate that they were okay with messages of reassurance and
hope.
And, as
I have visited alumni groups across the country, I have talked with hundreds of
men and women of differing ages and representing a great variety of professional and business
interests – all gathering to renew their ties to a common college memory. We
are a college on the move, and the
efforts of you and your fellow alums will continue that forward movement.
Roger
H. Hull