Wilfried Wilms, assistant professor of German, organized and
moderated a panel for North America's Lessing Society at this year's
convention of the Modern Language Association in New York
City. The panel was titled “Lessing and the Politics
of Enlightenment” and explored the political thinking of G.E. Lessing, the most
influential 18th-century critic of the German Enlightenment.
IEF, research deadlines near
The deadline for proposals to the
Internal Education Foundation in two categories – student-initiated research
projects and “educationally innovative projects” – is Thursday, Feb. 13.
Proposals for student-initiated research
projects must have the written approval of a faculty advisor who has agreed to
supervise the project. The proposals should be submitted to the Dean's Office
(S100, Science & Engineering Building) on forms available
there, or on the web at http://www.union.edu/Academics/AcademicAffairs.
Members of the College community who have
“educationally innovative” proposals should submit them on forms available in
the office.
Forms for Faculty Research Projects are
also available in the Dean's Office (S100) or on the web site.
Transportation costs should reflect the
best rates available. Students planning to do interviews must show that
arrangements have been made. If research includes work with human subjects, the
proposal must have approval from the Human Subjects Research Committee.
IEF guidelines are available in the
Dean's office. For more information, contact Kathy Basirico,
administrative assistant to the dean of arts and sciences.
The Faculty Development
Committee is soliciting proposals for faculty research and scholarship
activities. Applications and guidelines are available in Dean Charlotte Borst's
office (S-100, S&E) or on the web at http://www.union.edu/Academics/AcademicAffairs.
The deadline for
submission of proposals is Thursday, Feb. 13.
Questions concerning the Faculty Research
Fund or the Humanities Faculty Development Fund should be directed to Dean Borst.
Transportation should reflect the best
rates available. If research includes work with human subjects, proposals must
have approval from the Human Subjects Research Committee.
Want better rail? Tell the Gov.
(Note: Governor Pataki signed the bill described below on Friday, Jan. 31.)</b.
President Roger Hull, an advocate for
improved rail service in the upstate corridor, is asking members of the Union
community who share his view to urge Gov. George Pataki's passage of a bill
that would add a second rail line between Schenectady
and Albany.
Hull
has cited a second rail as vital for providing access to the educational
resources of upstate, including Union
College, and a key element in the growth
of Schenectady and the region.
Those who wish to write the governor may use the text below.
E-mail may be sent to the Governor through a Web site: http://161.11.3.75/
Mailed comments may be sent to: Governor
George E. Pataki, State Capitol, Albany, N.Y.
12224
Schenectady's future and that of the entire upstate region will be far
brighter with the approval of Senator Stafford's Rail Bill, S. 7602, which
provides for the urgently needed second track between Albany and Schenectady. The vast higher education resources in
Upstate N.Y. must be accessible. Efficient rail service is critical for this to
occur.
As New
York takes
a leading national role in technology developments, so too must it invest in
the infrastructure to support growth. Please follow through on your commitment
to enhanced rail service in Upstate by approving this important bill.
NPR’s Susan Stamberg visits campus for video shoot, Starbucks
Susan Stamberg, whose distinctive
voice is something of a trademark on National Public Radio, was on campus
Thursday to narrate segments for a PBS special titled, “It's An Age Thing!”
Stamberg spent the afternoon in the
computer lab at Olin 110 while students taking Data Structures worked in the background on
programs they were downloading into robots. Their lab instructor, Ginit Marten,
was featured in a number of shots as was the College's web site.
Stamberg said she was taken with
the beauty of the campus, and also by the fact that Marten was teaching in what
the NPR host thought was a male-dominated field. She also was grateful to
dining services: “This is my first cup of Starbucks in a week,” she said.
The 13-part series, which focuses
on how seniors can age well through education and other life-enriching pursuits,
is to air locally on WMHT, Channel 17, starting on March 26. The series,
produced by Stephen Honeybill of WMHT, will air nationally starting June 1.
With apps at record 4,100, it’s reading time in Grant Hall
Record-breaking travel, “awesome”
tour guides, high turnout at campus events, and a new high in alumni interviews
are among the factors responsible for a new standard in applications this
season, according to Dan Lundquist, vice president
for admissions and financial aid.
At mid-week, staffers in Grant Hall
had received some 4,100 applications, eclipsing a College-best of 4,020 set in
2000.
“Running approximately 12 percent ahead
of last year, we expect to end up in the low- to mid-4,000s,” Lundquist said. “In
a year when many competitor colleges are flat – or even down slightly – we see
this response as no small validation of Union's
attractive combination of splendid heritage, excellent facilities and exciting
innovation.”
“Union has reflected
its great strengths through excellent national media exposure, innovative print
and web site communication and outstanding outreach to prospective students
throughout the country,” said Dianne Crozier, director of admissions. “As
students and their families look more critically at their college investment,
value becomes key. The closer they look, the better we look as a worthy, long-term
investment in quality.”
Several milestones presaged this
success, Lundquist said. Among them:
— Traveling staff conducted more than 500
off-campus events this fall and early winter, allowing one-on-one contact with
over 5,000 students and significant numbers of parents and counselors;
— Record-breaking turnout for the fall
multicultural weekend turnout, with 125 students visiting;
— Outreach travel that emphasized new initiatives including
connections with promising new high schools and community-based mentoring
organizations;
— Creative recruiting that produced a
Union-Hamilton-Hobart/William Smith-Conn. kayaking event for counselors in San
Francisco followed by school visits and a reception
for families. A similar series of events occurred in southern California.
Counselors continued to optimize joint travel (with our traditional group of
Colgate, Hamilton, and Skidmore);
— Counselor-to-campus events (“CRUSSH,” the most
popular – bar none – counselor tour in the United States that brings 50
counselors to Colgate, RPI, Union, Skidmore, Syracuse, and Hamilton) for
half-day visits; and
— Alumni interview requests have topped 700, some
200 more than usual. Most of these applicants have visited campus at least
once. With 12 senior interviewers assisting the admissions deans, staff are
conducting more interviews on campus, as well as experiencing record crowds at on-campus
Open Houses.
“We had awesome tour guides,
senior interns and student ambassadors,” said Kelly Herrington, associate dean.
Added Kate Elliott, admissions counselor, “people fell in love with Union, and with our students.”
Lilia Tiemann, coordinator of
alumni admissions, said, “We had a record-breaking number of visitors for
on-campus events in 2002. The campus sells itself. Domino effect … visitors
have already been here, done that. Therefore alumni interviews are up.”