William Thomas, director of international programs, was named an honorary
fellow of York St. John College in England at graduation ceremonies there recently, cited for his “outstanding
contribution to international education.”
Thomas, who
joined the College in 1969, is also a professor of French.
Thomas is
“committed to ensuring students receive an international experience, forging
links for Union College with [higher education] institutes across the globe, to
the great benefit of students worldwide,” according to a citation read at the York
ceremony.
“[He] has
overseen the exchange of over 400 students from the USA to York alone and has
looked after over 200 students from York St. John in America
during the 25 years since the start of an exchange program between the two
institutes. He has also passed his experience on, advising through his links
with the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers and has been awarded
a medal for his contribution to international education by the Czech Technical University in Prague.”
Thomas has also
received the Meritorious Service Award from Union's Alumni Council for his efforts on behalf of international
education.
The College's
International Programs, under Thomas' direction, has consistently been
recognized nationally over the years. The Institute for International Education
recently ranked the program seventh in the nation in terms of the number of
students who study abroad. For more on the IIE ranking, visit http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=4104
Union College President Roger Hull
spoke out on Monday, Jan. 12, against an NCAA measure that allows eight
Division III colleges and universities to continue to offer athletic
scholarships in a Division I sport.
Ultimately, the NCAA members voted
to permit such scholarships, at their convention in Nashville,
Tenn.
Hull,
who said he “wrestled with the decision until the last possible moment,”
voted against the measure.
“I have great respect
for those presidents and their institutions, but ultimately I had to do what I
thought was right,” he said. “For me, the vote came down to a
question of conscience over collegiality.
“I am philosophically opposed
to treating a group of men or women differently from any other athlete or
non-athlete on a campus like ours,” he said.
Hull
said he had earlier told one of the presidents of the eight institutions that
he would abstain and not speak against the proposal unless someone said the
amendment was needed in order to be competitive. At a luncheon of presidents at
the conference yesterday, two presidents referred to the need for scholarships
to be competitive.
“We may not win as many games
as some of the institutions in our conference, but we are competitive every
time we get on the ice,” Hull
said. “I am proud of the way that our hockey players represent this
institution and I am proud of the fact that some of them have been among our
best students.
“I have always said to the
people with whom I work that no matter what stance we take in a job like this,
we will be criticized and that we should therefore always do what we believe
in.
“For me, doing what I believe
in means saying that athletic scholarships do not belong on a campus like
ours.”
Union does
not offer any athletic scholarships, despite playing in Division I leagues in
men's and women's ice hockey. The College's other 23 sports are at the Division
III level. Union is the only Division III institution playing hockey at
Division I without athletic scholarships.
Dean of Faculty Christina Sorum
has appointed a committee that will “harness the energy” of last fall's discussion
about academic calendar and recommend changes the “further improve the academic
program at Union College.”
The debate led to a “reaffirmation
by both [students] and faculty of our trimester system,” Sorum wrote in a
letter to students last week. “It also gave rise to much discussion about areas
in which we could improve the current system and reinforce Union's
fundamental mission, which is to provide … a four-year integrated
living-learning experience.”
The committee is to be chaired by
John Spinelli of computer science and electrical engineering. Other members are
George Butterstein, biology; Michelle Chilcoat, modern languages; Zoe Oxley,
political science; and Bill Zwicker, mathematics. Sorum and Steve Leavitt,
acting dean of students, will serve ex
officio.
The committee will consider “everything
from stabilizing and enhancing a four-year program of study to the nature of a
trimester course to a late start,” Sorum said.
“As a member of the AAC, I was thrust in the
middle of the calendar debate and one of the things that struck me was the
large number of creative ideas that came forward relating to trimesters,” said
Spinelli. “Now that we've decided to maintain our trimester system, it seems
this is the best time to consider a variety of changes, some modest and some
bold, that will allow our students to get the most intellectual benefit from
their time at Union.”
Here is the charge to the
committee:
“Following a lengthy and thorough
discussion of academic calendar, both the faculty and the students have
affirmed their desire to have a trimester system. Many different
positions were discussed and participants learned from each other. We seek to
harness that energy and experience to further improve the academic program at Union
College.
“Even the most ardent supporters
of trimesters recognize that there is room for positive change. During the
calendar discussion some problems were brought to the fore and various
suggestions were made for improvement. In light of our discussions this seems
the appropriate time to address changes that can be implemented within the
context of a trimester system.
“The charge to this committee is
to take advantage of the substance of the calendar discussions – observations
and suggestions – to study the trimester, to propose possible solutions, and
refer these suggestions to the appropriate groups for implementation.”
Sorum also announced a new policy
allowing students to take a fourth course. During the calendar discussion last
fall, a number of non-Union Scholar students said they would like to take a fourth
course without a fee to “further enrich their Union experience.” Starting this
fall, students with a GPA of at least 3.3 may take one extra course each year,
graduating with as many as 40 credits. While courses will be noted on
transcripts and grades counted in GPA, those courses will not count toward
graduation. The policy will also apply to students on term abroad.
Statement from Union
College President Roger Hull on
NCAA Proposal 65
Jan. 12, 2004 — Union College President Roger Hull today spoke out against
an NCAA measure that allows eight Division III colleges and universities to continue
to offer athletic scholarships in a Division I sport.
Ultimately, the NCAA members voted to permit such
scholarships.
Hull, who said
he “wrestled with the decision until the last possible moment,” voted against
the measure at the NCAA convention in Nashville, Tenn.
“I have great respect
for those presidents and their institutions, but ultimately I had to do what I thought was right,” he said. “For me, the vote came down to a question of conscience
over collegiality.”
“I am philosophically opposed to treating a group of men or
women differently from any other athlete or non-athlete on a campus like ours,”
he said.
Hull said he had
earlier told one of the presidents of the eight institutions that he would
abstain and not speak against the proposal unless someone said the amendment
was needed in order to be competitive. At a luncheon of presidents at the
conference yesterday, two presidents referred to the need for scholarships to
be competitive.
“We may not win as many games as some of the institutions in
our conference, but we are competitive every time we get on the ice,” Hull
said. “I am proud of the way that our hockey players represent this institution
and I am proud of the fact that some of them have been among our best students.
“I have always said to the people with whom I work that no
matter what stance we take in a job like this, we will be criticized and that
we should therefore always do what we believe in.
“For me, doing what I believe in means saying that athletic scholarships
do not belong on a campus like ours.”
Union does not offer any athletic
scholarships, despite playing in Division I leagues in men's and women's ice
hockey. The College's other 23 sports are at the Division III level. Union is
the only Division III institution playing hockey at Division I without athletic
scholarships.
At Union, we're proud to call Schenectady — and the greater Capital Region — our home. For an extensive list of all the great things to do — from dining to shopping to culture — please visit our AroundU web site at http://www.union.edu/AroundU/
Between international terrorism and a struggling economy, today's Americans are faced with more stress than ever. In this new study, America's favorite research gurus at Sperling's BestPlaces have identified the most and least stressful U.S. cities in 2003.
Which U.S. cities provide an environment that can help make our life more relaxed and enjoyable? Are there certain U.S. cities where residents regularly face particularly stressful conditions?
Our “Sperling Stress Index” is comprised of nine different factors that are associated with stress: unemployment rate, divorce rate, commute time, violent and property crime rates, suicide rate, alcohol consumption, self-reported “poor mental health,” and number of cloudy days.
Here are this year's most and least stressful cities, chosen from the 100 largest metro areas.
Top 10 Most Stressful Cities
Tacoma, WA
Miami, FL
New Orleans, LA
Las Vegas, NV
New York, NY
Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA
Mobile, AL
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Detroit, MI
Dallas, TX
Top 10 Low-Stress Cities
Albany-Schenectady, NY
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA
Orange County, CA
Nassau-Suffolk, NY
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI
Ann Arbor, MI
Omaha, NE-IA
Norfolk, VA-Virginia Beach, VA-NC
Honolulu, HI
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
“Most of the top-ten stress cities are grappling with high unemployment,” said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's BestPlaces. “It affects the entire community, whether you have a job or not. Rising unemployment has been tied to increased crime, and declining tax revenues force reductions in social services that affect young and old alike.”
Las Vegas has a robust economy, but had the highest percentage of divorced residents and the highest rate of suicides. And despite Miami's #2 stress ranking, they maintained a positive mental attitude, with one of the lowest rates in residents reporting poor mental health.
Among the low-stress cities, there appears a common theme of state capitals and institutions of higher learning. “Government and universities provide a solid economic base to smaller cities, lessening the stress caused by economic cycles,” reported Sperling.
“And there's something special about Honolulu. In our studies, it appears that they have a unique attitude that allows them to be less affected by the stresses of today's busy lifestyle.”
An interesting footnote to this study was the discovery of a strong correlation between the rates of suicide and divorce.
Top Five Stressful Cities
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma residents contend with one of the highest divorce rates in the country, as well as one of the highest unemployment rates. It's cloudy in Tacoma much of the time, and the suicide and property crime rates are high. On a brighter note, Tacomans can feel safe from bodily harm thanks to the low violent crime rate.
Miami, FL
Miami has the highest violent crime rate in our study, as well as one of the highest property crime rates. Making Miami even more stressful is the long commute time, a high unemployment rate, and a high rate of divorce. Despite these factors, Miami residents manage to maintain a positive mental attitude.
New Orleans
Maybe New Orleans should be nicknamed The Big Un-Easy, due to a high violent crime rate and a high unemployment rate. There's also a good deal of suicides and divorces.
Las Vegas, NV
The turbulent lifestyle of Las Vegas produces some extremely stressful conditions-the highest suicide and divorce rates in our study, as well as a great deal of alcohol use. Unfortunately, the greatest number of sunny days per year doesn't seem to translate to overall happiness-residents of Las Vegas have a great number of days experiencing poor mental health.
New York, NY
Beginning and ending their days with the longest commute in the country, the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple can really stress people out. Unemployment is high and so is violent crime, which may explain why New Yorkers spend many of their days experiencing stress, depression, and problems with emotions. But New Yorkers are not quitters-the suicide rate is one of the lowest.
Top Five Least Stressful Cities
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA
These hardworking state capitals and their surrounding areas boast two of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. In fact, both areas score well in many categories-low divorce rates, short average commute times, a low overall crime rate, and low rates of suicide. One downside to these northeastern cities is their often-cloudy skies and dreary winters.
Orange County, CA
Life really goes smoothly in “the O.C.”-little crime, low unemployment, and a whole lot of sunshine. The commute can take awhile, but Orange County residents seem to be able to handle it. And their suicide rate is one of the lowest.
Nassau-Suffolk, NY
Although residents of Nassau-Suffolk have a very long commute, the area has the lowest violent and property crime rates in the country. The divorce and suicide rates are also among the lowest in the country, indicating a safe and stable place to live.
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
The Twin Cities have a low unemployment rate and a low violent crime rate. Despite many cloudy days, the suicide rate is low and the stress scores are generally favorable across the board.
Methodology
The Sperling Stress Index is based on the most currently available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment rate), Census Bureau (divorce rate and commute time), FBI Uniform Crime Reports (crime statistics), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (suicide rate, alcohol consumption, and poor mental health), and the National Climatic Data Center (cloudy days).
The data was assigned point values to rank each city with others in each category, while preserving the proportionality. The point values for each city were then summed for all categories.
For more in-depth analysis and the complete list of 331 Stressful Cities, including our rankings for small and medium metro areas visit www.bestplaces.net.
