Posted on Jun 6, 2003

A recent survey of alumni showed that 92
percent of the respondents said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their
overall experience at Union, and 91 percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with
their academic experience, it was announced by Trustee Mark Walsh '76 at the
spring meeting of the board.

The survey, which was conducted during April, grew out of the work done by the board's Communications and
Promotions Committee, led by Walsh and co-chaired by Trustee Philip Beuth '54. It was the first comprehensive survey of
alumni since a 1968 questionnaire about coeducation. More than 4,500 alumni –
or 19 percent – responded, an excellent response for this kind of survey, Walsh
said.

“This
survey – along with an increased number of on- and off-campus events,
enhancement to print and electronic publications – represents the College's
desire to engage alumni and friends in ways that are meaningful to them,” Walsh
said.

“Though we are suitably encouraged by the overall results, nobody's perfect,” he added.
“We look forward to working on programs and policies that more fully engage
those who were less positive about Union in their responses.”

 “It
is truly gratifying that so many of our alumni have good feelings about their
experience at Union,” said President Roger
Hull. “All the responses – positive and negative – give us important
information as we move Union forward.”

Accompanying the survey was a “deeper
dive” that assessed the attitudes and experiences of a representative group of
alumni and students. They cited strengths such as the terms abroad experience,
undergraduate research, close work with faculty, the integration of liberal
arts with science/engineering and participation on sports teams.

The number reporting satisfaction with
their social life was 75 percent, and the number reporting satisfaction with
their extracurricular experience was 73 percent.

Eighty-eight percent of the respondents
said they are proud to tell others that they went to Union, and 77 percent say
they are likely to recommend Union to the children of family and friends. Twenty-eight percent of
respondents said they were very likely to visit the campus over the next three
years, a number that rose to 45 percent among recent graduates. The survey
noted that 78 percent of those who donated to the College visited the campus
within the past decade.

“This
is an exciting time for Union and we want all alumni to be informed of
College events and plans,” said Tom Gutenberger, vice president for college
relations. “The survey gave us the opportunity to reach out to alumni, solicit
their opinions, and learn more about how they prefer to receive information. That
so many alumni responded – about twice the rate expected for this kind of
survey – proves what many of us have thought all along: Union College alumni care deeply
about their alma mater.”

A
fuller discussion of the survey results will be sent in a letter to all alumni
and will be posted to Union's online alumni community, available
through http://www.union.edu/Alumni

Posted on Jun 6, 2003

When one alumnus jokingly complained that there was too much to do at ReUnion
weekend, another quipped, “You sound like me at Disneyland.
That's a good problem to have, isn't it?”

“This was a complete campus effort with faculty, students,
administrators, and over a dozen different departments involved,”  said Nick Famulare '92, director of alumni
relations. “From dedications, to academic lectures, footraces, student
presentations, campus tours, ReUnion Class gifts over $24 million…it was
amazing. The Union spirit is alive and well.”

Here are some highlights of what many have called “the best ReUnion
ever”:

Alumni returned from all over the world – including one who traveled
11,000 miles from Singapore
– representing classes from 1932 to 2002.

Friday featured the dedication of Abbe Hall as the new Alumni
Center and offices for College Relations.
The restoration of the former Parker-Rice estate at 1148
Lenox Rd. was supported by gift from Robert '49 and
Virginia Abbe. Two rooms in Abbe Hall were dedicated to the classes that supported
their restoration: the Library to the Class of 1973 and the Conference Room to
the Class of 1953.

Also on Friday, the Garnet Guard luncheon in Jackson's
Garden was well received as Dean Tom McEvoy and students shared their thoughts
about the House System.

Saturday's alumni parade, which first took place in 1911,
featured all anniversary classes (1938 through 1998). The class of 1963 took
the Van Voast/Class of 1941 Cup for the class having the best costume in the
parade. The Class of 1953 took the Anable Cup for the largest number of
classmates in the alumni parade, the McClellan Cup for the greatest percentage
of classmates at ReUnion, and the Class of 1943 award
for the most outstanding ReUnion effort.

Sy Gluck '49, El Harp '53, and Frank Messa '73 received the
Alumni Gold Medals at the Alumni Convocation. Dan Lundquist,
vice president for admissions and financial aid, received the Alumni Council's
Meritorious Service Award.

ReUnion Classes presented President Roger Hull with gifts totaling
$24,318,328, which included a recent
gift of $20 million from John '38 and Jane Wold.

A number of alumni and students said they found the
traditional senior handshake very moving. A member of the class of 1953 wrote
in the 50th class directory that he had a fond memory of shaking the
hands of alumni from the class of 1903 during his senior handshake 50 years
earlier.

More than 60 alumni listened to Larry Lieberman '83, president,
4Ever Wild; Sara Friedman '98, stage manager; and Bob Bernhardt '73, music
director and conductor, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera talk about their
experiences in the entertainment industry. A presentation by Dick Steinbrenner
'58 on Schenectady's American
Locomotive Co. had standing room only.

Posted on Jun 6, 2003

Stephen J. Ciesinski '70, chairman of the
College's board of trustees, reports a number of highlights from the Board
meetings over ReUnion weekend. (His full board report is on the Web at http://www.union.edu/Board/
). The highlights include:

The Academic Affairs Committee

• Converging
  Technologies program continues expanding: three new courses were taught during
  the winter term; international experiences continue to offer opportunities for
  incorporating CT (such as the mini-term to Cordoba involving electrical and
  computer engineering, and modern languages); and Professors Maleki (Physics),
  Hagerman (Chemistry), and Kosky (Mechanical Engineering) have received a
  $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for their proposal,
  “Frontiers of Nanotechnology – An Interdisciplinary Introductory Course
  for Science and Engineering Majors.”

• Documents
  necessary to achieve a charter for the Graduate College of Union University
  were sent to the New York State Board of Education.

The
Administration and Finance Committee and the Facilities and Environmental
Committee

• Heard an
  update on the House System and toured South College, where renovations are almost complete. Construction on Phase II
  of the House System begins in July, with renovations to North College and the Chi Psi and Psi Upsilon buildings.

• Recommended,
  and the full Board approved, several resolutions — to select a design/build
  contractor and to proceed through design development for an addition to
  Memorial Field House and renovations to create locker rooms in Achilles Rink,
  with the full funding pledged for both projects; to select a design/build
  contractor and proceed through design development for a fitness center in
  Alumni Gymnasium; and to select an architect and proceed through design
  development for the renovation of the North Colonnade building for the arts and
  music program. Renovations to the Achilles Rink ice sheet systems are already
  under way.

The College
Relations Committee

• Preliminary figures for the Annual Fund show increase in overall
  dollars raised, slight decrease in overall donors. The College's 107 new Annual
  Fund volunteers reached more than 1,100 classmates, and a special fund-raising
  challenge letter from Trustee Mark Walsh '76 to graduates of the last decade.
  Early results are promising — nearly one in two gifts in response to the
  challenge is from non-donors.

• To support Union faculty, a total of $4.1 million in submitted
  and pending grants. Total planned giving activity is $7.4 million and Parents
  Fund contributions are 16 percent ahead of last year.

• Alumni Relations has had one of its most successful years.
  Regional alumni clubs increased from 11 to 17, Homecoming attendance was up 28
  percent, and more than 100 new volunteers are helping us.

The Student
Activities and Admissions Committee

• Admissions
  reported one of its best years ever, including an all-time high number of
  applications and increased selectivity. The class includes more students in our
  highest academic ranges than last year, and we have representation from 31
  states, including Alaska and Hawaii, an increase of seven represented states. The campus welcomed
  more students and families than ever before. Counselors also visited in record
  numbers, legacy applications also broke a record, we have the greatest
  representation of students of color (18 percent of the freshman class), the Union
  Scholars program had the largest number of eligible nominees ever, and 42
  percent of our applicants applied online, another record.

• The
  College's outreach effort won two prestigious awards – a silver medal for our
  lead piece, the viewbook, in a national competition sponsored by the Council
  for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and a gold award for its
  online companion from Admissions Marketing Report magazine.

• Student
  community involvement continues to increase. Two major service events, Youth
  Olympics and UCare Day, bring local children to Union for fun and feats of
  skill. Students organized Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer
  Society, with more than 700 students, faculty, and staff participating. Other
  large service events are the Fiji Volleyball tournament and Phi Delta Theta's
  softball marathon.

Posted on Jun 6, 2003

Seniors Angie DeSilva and Emily
Sweeney report that “Relay for Life,” the American Cancer Society fundraiser they
organized last Friday, has so far raised about $55,000.

With still more contributions coming
in, the total represents the second largest ever raised at this type of event. It
eclipses by $10,000 the total raised through a Relay at Syracuse
University. Most college's raise
about $15,000, according to the ACS.

“Emily and I couldn't have been happier with the way the
event ran,” said DeSilva. “Everyone seemed to have a good time, and at the same
time really reflected on why they were there and what a great thing they were
participating in. We can't believe the amount of support that we
received and are just so thankful to everyone who helped our dream of bringing
such a positive event to Union become a reality.”

Between 7 p.m. on Friday, May 30, and 7
a.m. the next morning, teams walked the perimeter sidewalks around
the Nott Memorial and Library Field in the first Relay event at the College.
The opening ceremony on Friday evening drew hundreds who came to listen to cancer
survivors and to cheer as they took a lap around the walkways, which were
marked with hundreds of candle luminaries dedicated to cancer victims and survivors.

Nearly 700 participants and 42
teams participated. The Capital Region chapter of the ACS reports that this is
the largest Relay in the area.

The organizers are still
collecting contributions. Checks, payable to the American Cancer Society, can
be sent to DeSilva or Sweeney.

Posted on Jun 6, 2003

Armand V. and Donald S. Feigenbaum,
graduates of  1942 and 1946, respectively, received the Outstanding Alumni Awards at the presentation of the College's Engineering and Computer Science Alumni Awards during ReUnion on Friday, May 30.

The Feigenbaums are founders of General Systems Company in Pittsfield, Mass. The company designs and implements integrated management systems for major corporations and organizations worldwide.

The awards honor outstanding engineering and computer science graduates who have advanced the College through their careers and service.

“Armand and Donald Feigenbaum have been loyal and supportive alumni for more than half a century,” said Union President Roger Hull. “And even more important, they have lent their
considerable expertise to the operation of this College.”

“We are delighted to recognize Armand and Donald Feigenbaum,” said Robert Balmer, dean of engineering and computer science. “They have brought honor to the College through their distinguished careers, and they stand as wonderful models for our students.”

Since 1996 the College has hosted the annual Feigenbaum Forum, which brings leaders from the academic and business worlds together at Union College to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern.

In 1997, the College's administration building was dedicated in honor of the Feigenbaums, who supported the extensive renovation of the building. Armand V. and Donald S. Feigenbaum Hall was constructed in 1871 as a residence for President Eliphalet Nott Potter. It has served as the administration building since 1919, and today houses the offices of the president, vice president for academic affairs and vice president for finance.

Both Armand and Donald Feigenbaum hold honorary degrees from the College.

Armand Feigenbaum is the originator of Total Quality Control. His book on the subject has been published in many languages and is the basic text on quality systems and improvement. Donald Feigenbaum is one of the acknowledged world leaders in systems management and systems engineering and was the founding chairman of the systems
engineering committee of the American Society for Quality Control.

Also at the ceremony, the College presented the 2003
Engineering and Computer Science Alumni awards. These awards are given to two alumni per department, one chosen from those who graduated more than 10 years ago (gold), the other who graduated less than 10 years ago (silver). Recipients were:

• CE Gold Award — Jack J. Woolf '55, CEO, Construction
  Solutions

• CE Silver Award — Grant W. Gagnier, Jr. '96, vice
  president, construction operations, Barr & Barr Inc.

• CS Gold Award — George H. Williams '64, professor, Union
  College

• CS Silver Award — Joseph M. Marocco '93, computer network
  coordinator, Saranac Lake School District

• EE Gold Award — Catherine A. Keim '83, product offering
  manager, extended foundry services, IBM

• EE Silver Award — Qian Zhang '95

• ME Gold Award — Paul J. Burton III '82, vice president of
  manufacturing, Plug Power

• ME Silver Award — Charles Howarth '95, physician, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Posted on Jun 6, 2003

The College will honor the memory of TV host Fred Rogers,
who brought honesty and gentleness to generations of television neighbors,
during the College's Commencement on Sunday, June 15, at 10 a.m. in Library
Plaza.

The host of Mister
Rogers' Neighborhood, the longest-running show on PBS, had agreed to be the
speaker and accept an honorary degree from Union. He
died on Feb. 27 at the age of 74 after a brief
battle with stomach cancer.

Instead of the usual commencement address, a group of Union
students will read aloud selections from Rogers'
writings, lectures, and television scripts to convey some of the words that he
might have delivered himself. His widow, Joanne, will accept his degree, an
honorary doctor of letters, and speak briefly.

“To honor the life and work of a man who has meant so much
to so many is the right thing to do,” said Union College President Roger H.
Hull. “I feel strongly – and our students agreed – that while we cannot enjoy
the company of Fred Rogers at Commencement, we can use his words to convey his
meaningful messages about kindness, compassion and learning. All the things
that Fred Rogers stood for – especially his strong advocacy for children and
his passionate belief that television can be an instrument of nurture – will long
be remembered.”

Rogers began his
career in the 1950s as a puppeteer for “The Children's Corner,” a TV show where he created many of the characters he would later use on “Mister Rogers'
Neighborhood,” the show he started in the early 1960s.

An ordained Presbyterian minister, Rogers was known for his trademark cardigan sweaters, one of which is on display at
the Smithsonian Institution.

He was executive producer and wrote every script for more
than 900 shows, the last of which aired on August 31, 2001. An accomplished musician, Rogers composed more than 200 songs and had a live band play during his
programs.

In 2002, he came out
of broadcasting retirement to record public service announcements telling
parents how to help children deal with the anniversary of the September 11
attacks. The same year, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from
President George W. Bush.

“I got into television because I hated it so,” he once told CNN's Jeff
Greenfield (Union's Commencement speaker in 2002). “And
I thought … there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of
nurture to those who would watch and listen.”

About 600 students are to receive their degrees at Union
College's Commencement. The
ceremony is at 10 a.m. in Library
Plaza.