Union was among the 25 “best neighbor” urban colleges and universities recently recognized for their positive economic and social benefit to their communities.
The list of “Saviors of our Cities,'' compiled by Dr. Evan Dobelle, president of the New England Board of Higher Education and former president of Trinity College in Hartford, includes the University of Southern California, University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University. Schools were selected based on 10 criteria, including the institution's longstanding involvement with its urban community; real dollars invested through its foundations and annual budgets; presence felt from payroll, research and purchasing power; and faculty and student involvement in community service.
“We have a long and solid relationship with the City and the Capital Region more generally and will continue to look for opportunities to partner,'' said Union President Stephen C. Ainlay. “We are very gratified by this recognition of the College's contributions. Much of this credit goes to former president Roger Hull, who understood early on that the interests of the College and the city of Schenectady and the region are inextricably linked.''
; 5. Rhode Island School of Design, Providence 6. Case-Western University, Cleveland, Ohio; 7. Clark University, Worcester, Mass.; 8. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; 9. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; 10. Emerson College, Boston; 11. Trinity College, Hartford, Conn.; 12. University of Chicago; 13. Mercer University, Macon, Ga.; 14. Middlesex Community College, Lowell, Mass.; 15. George Washington University, Washington, DC; 16. Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.; 17. Portland State University, Portland, Ore.; 18. University of Pittsburgh; 19. College of Charleston, South Carolina; 20. Springfield College, Massachusetts; 21. Emory University, Atlanta; 22. Union College; 23. University of Missouri, Kansas City; 24. Miami-Dade College, Miami; and 25. Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
“The extraordinary efforts of these and other colleges have made higher education one of the great growth industries in America,'' Dobelle said, “and have given a sense of confidence and hope as well as stability to cities that would otherwise be struggling in a world of mergers, downsizing and global outsourcing that has eroded the traditional urban economic base.”