Campus Life FAQs
What are the housing options at Union?
At Union, 90 percent of all students live in residence halls or college-owned houses. Students may choose from traditional residence halls, suites, Minerva houses, student-run theme houses (covering such interests as arts, community service, cooking, ecology, global diversity, language, literatures, music and culture, and sustainability), campus fraternity and sorority houses, college-owned apartments and townhouses, and College Park Hall, a renovated hotel a few blocks from campus. Ten percent of our students live in rented apartments and houses in the city of Schenectady. All first-year students live in West College, Richmond or Davidson residence halls along with members of their Minerva Houses.
Can I choose my own roommate?
You’ll be assigned a roommate your first year; it’s a great opportunity to meet new classmates and forge friendships. (Some singles are also available.) Once you send in your deposit to secure a place in the first-year class, you’ll be sent forms on which to tell us about your sleeping, studying and other habits. Residential Life will do its best to match you with a roommate whose preferences correspond with yours. After your first year, housing will be determined through a lottery system, and you’ll be able to select your roommate(s).
What can you tell me about the Minerva House System?
Union’s seven student-run Minerva Houses, lively hubs for intellectual and social activities, offer hundreds of events over the course of the year: lunches with professors, dinners with invited speakers, live bands and dance parties. Through the Minervas, students run trips to local shows and restaurants, and they take in local events and attractions. More than half of Minerva events are academic in nature; the rest have a healthy dose of social or cultural interaction. Some students call their Minerva home, living in the residential floors above the common spaces. Others call their Minerva a home-away-from-home, using the spaces for reading, studying, TV, games, grabbing a bite to eat or just hanging out with friends. Each first-year student arrives at Union with a Minerva affiliation; all students and faculty, and many staff belong to a Minerva. Each house has its own generous activity fund and a governing council with officers elected annually by fellow students and chaired by a faculty member and a student. Now in their fifth year, the Minervas have become an integral part of the campus community. The grassroots nature of the Minervas means their success comes from those students who are active and involved.
May I have a car on campus?
Not in your first year, but you won’t need one. Everything you want is at your disposal and within easy walking distance on campus. There are weekend trips to New York City, as well as a shuttle service that takes you around campus and to the surrounding areas. Public transportation is also available in Schenectady. Keep in mind that parking on campus is limited.
What kind of clubs does Union offer?
There are more than 100 campus clubs and activities that Union students may join, including performance and arts clubs; cultural, religious and ethnic interest groups; the student newspaper, Concordiensis, and literary magazine, The Idol; the student radio station, WRUC; sports clubs; 17 fraternities and sororities; academic and honor societies; service groups; a cappella singing; political interest and advocacy groups, and club sports. New groups are formed regularly to accommodate student interests, and staff and administrators are helpful in this regard.
What is there to do for fun?
There are an abundance of films, concerts, musical performances, comedians, guest lectures, symposia, sporting events and other events happening at any given time. Union regularly hosts concerts at the Taylor Music Center and sponsors a nationally recognized chamber music series at Memorial Chapel, which is free to the Union community. A Minerva calendar lists the activities scheduled at all houses, and a general campus calendar keeps the entire Union community up-to-date with goings-on.
How is the food at Union?
Great! Student have many options, including two dining halls, an underground grill (the Rathskellar), and the student-run Café Ozone, which dishes up organic, health-conscious lunches every week, promoting sustainability and local agriculture. Reamer Campus Center also features the organic marketplace known as O3, a Starbucks and a Smoothie kiosk. First-year students are on a meal plan, eating almost all meals in West Dining Hall, where you’ll get to know other first-years. Snacks can be purchased in a number of campus locations, and we try to accommodate special dietary needs, wherever possible, but vegetarian choices are always available. Kosher meals are also available. One little-known fact about Union: Dining Services will cook up a student’s favorite recipe sent from home.
Do students feel safe at Union?
Yes. Campus Safety is on duty 24/7, patrolling the campus on foot, bike and in vehicles. Union also has a blue light system to alert Campus Safety of any emergencies immediately. Key pad locks on the outside doors of residence halls and Minerva Houses mean that those buildings are accessible to only students. The Union Trolley runs a circuit around campus, providing a safe means of travel, and walking escorts are available. Recent safety enhancements include the installation of seven new security cameras, improved campus lighting and a public address system in 22 campus buildings. Union’s emergency notification system consists of alerts via text messaging, voice mail, email and siren. In addition, working in partnership with the city of Schenectady, elected officials and the police department, the College installed thee additional security cameras on the periphery of campus in fall 2008. These are monitored by the Schenectady Police. For more details, visit Union’s safety Web site.
What is Greek life like at Union?
Union College is a place of many firsts, and, in fact, several national Greek chapters were founded here in 1825. Today, Greek life remains an integral part of campus life. Governed by the Interfraternity Council, the College Panhellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council, our 12 fraternities and five sororities on campus are large supporters of community service projects and campus activities. About a third of Union’s overall student body belongs to a Greek organization. Twelve percent of all students live in a Greek house. Students can rush beginning their sophomore year on campus. Keep in mind that fraternities and sororities are a lifestyle option, and there is no pressure to join. They are one choice among many for social, recreational and service activities. Many students, independent and Greek alike, also choose to get involved in their Minervas.
How diverse is your community, and what kinds of activities support diversity?
As the name “Union” suggests, we come together from a range of backgrounds and ideas to create a learning community that mirrors our globally interconnected world. Developing and supporting a diverse community of students, faculty and staff is a key priority, and the College provides significant resources for a range of programs. These include UNITAS, the Office of Religious Programs, the Union Coalition for Inclusiveness and Diversity, International Student Services, the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, and the LGBTQ Ally program. The Presidential Forum on Diversity, a popular lecture series, brings many notable speakers to campus to address diversity-related topics. Past guests have included poet Maya Angelou, journalist Soledad O’Brien, law professor Lani Guinier and activist Morris Dees. Union’s Posse Program, now in its third year, brings a dozen student leaders from diverse backgrounds to each first-year class. And through the support of the Davis Foundation, the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars program has helped recruit students from countries throughout the world to study at Union. In addition, a number of student-governed theme houses support diversity by bringing together students, faculty and staff with common interests such as arts, cooking, community service, culture, language, sexual identity and sustainability.
What athletic programs does Union have?
Union sponsors 23 men’s and women’s varsity sports at the NCAA Division III level. Union belongs to the Liberty League with Clarkson, Hamilton, Hobart and William Smith, RPI, the University of Rochester, St. Lawrence, Skidmore and Vassar. Men’s and women’s ice hockey compete in the Division I ECAC Hockey League, which includes Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Colgate, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Rensselaer and Quinnipiac. Union also offers a number of club-level men’s and women’s sports including rugby, cycling and ultimate Frisbee. An ambitious intramural program gives students opportunities to compete in softball, flag football, broomball, ice hockey, roller hockey, tennis and volleyball.
What athletic and fitness facilities does Union have?
Alumni Gymnasium, with coaches’ offices and athletics administration, is home to an eight-lane, 25-meter swimming and separate diving area; squash and racquetball courts; and the 12,000-square-foot Breazzano Fitness Center, completed in 2006. Many students also work out at the fitness center at College Park Hall. The Viniar Athletic Center is a state-of-the-art facility housing men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. Messa Rink at Achilles Center (look for the dome) is home of Union’s Division I ice hockey teams. The rink is also open for student skating and intramural sports during the fall and winter. Memorial Fieldhouse (think large airplane hangar) is a multiple use venue for indoor track and a training site for off-season programs. The Frank Bailey Field is home turf for a number of programs: football, track and field, lacrosse and field hockey. Men’s and women’s soccer use the fields at College Park, just west of campus, for practices and home games. Alexander Field, a grass field, is home to softball and serves as a practice field in other seasons. Baseball practices and plays home games in a newly renovated field at Central Park, east of campus. The Travis J. Clark ’00 Strength Training Facility on the first floor of Achilles Center, opened in 2008 and serves varsity athletes. Men’s and women’s crew trains at Union’s boathouse, located west of campus on the banks of the Mohawk River in the historic Stockade neighborhood.
Is Union a green campus?
Yes. Sweeping sustainability and environmental initiatives have captured the enthusiasm of the Union community as we strive to keep our campus, and our planet, green. U Sustain, a committee of about 70 members, oversees sustainability initiatives in such areas as academics, energy, food, recycling, financial resources and transportation. The group recently received an Environmental Excellence Award from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In 2007, President Stephen C. Ainlay signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, a pledge to reduce and eventually eliminate global warming emissions. Octopus’s Garden, our organic garden, continues to grow. And Eco House, a student residence, sports the latest in green living, from sustainable bamboo flooring to an electricity-generating solar panel array. The building also contains a small computer lab for students to monitor energy usage. Dining Services continues to seek new ways to reduce waste, beginning a program to recycle waste oil for conversion into biofuels used in biodiesel vehicles. Our composting system converts food waste into organic fertilizer for Union’s grounds. The themes of civic engagement and global citizenship remained prom on and off campus as
How wired is the Union campus?
Very. Union was there at the birth of the Internet; we got our domain name, www.union.edu, in 1989, and we've continued to make big investments in our network infrastructure ever since. Today, Union’s network connects more than 1,500 College-owned personal computers and workstations, all academic buildings, 35 electronic classrooms, the library and all residence halls to the campus-wide information system and the Internet. Personal computer labs are available for student use. Departmental computer labs provide access to specialized computing needs. Access to the Internet, personal Web page space, and e-mail is provided for all Union students, faculty and staff. Scanners, digital cameras, video capture, editing resources and other equipment and programs are available.
How can I get involved in student government at Union? And do students really have a say about what goes on?
Students have full voting rights on the two councils that recommend changes to educational policy and student life. Students also have seats in groups that advise the president on such matters as budgetary planning and long-range needs. Each year, two students are elected to membership on the College’s Board of Trustees. And students take part in matters involving hiring, campus safety and communications. Outside of student government, opportunities for leadership abound. Check out the Minervas, clubs, Theme Houses or Kenney Community Center.
Have an interest that’s not covered by a student organization?
Go ahead and create one. What about programs for community service? Stop in at the Kenney Community Center. You’ll find ways to get involved with Big Brothers and Big Sisters (one of the largest student volunteer groups), a student-run volunteer income tax service, Habitat for Humanity and a range of mentoring programs with local kids. And there’s more: all sororities and fraternities do community service projects. So do athletic teams, many Theme Houses and clubs. What about Schenectady…what is there to do? Schenectady is undergoing an exciting renaissance – new restaurants, cafés, night clubs, shops and cultural venues are always popping up – so for the curious and adventurous, there’s a lot to do and explore. Downtown, you’ll find Proctor’s theater, presenting Broadway shows for half of New York City prices; the new Bow Tie Cinema Movieland, presenting the latest movies; Schenectady’s Greenmarket, a lush array of local foods and crafts; and a popular indoor rock climbing gym.
What if I want a change of pace from campus life?
Explore the Capital-Saratoga Region, which is brimming with young people (more than 55,000 college students live here) and offers arts, culture, shopping and recreation in nearby Albany, Troy and Saratoga Springs. Need more? New York City and Boston are three hours away by car, and Montreal, four. Wilderness camping, canoeing and rafting abound in the Adirondacks, Green Mountains and Berkshires. Want to hit the slopes? Top ski resorts you can easily drive to include Whiteface, Killington, Stratton, Mount Snow, Okemo, Jiminy Peak and Hunter Mountain.
How would you characterize the relationship between Schenectady and Union?
Friendly, growing and entering a new era of cooperation. The city rolls out the welcome mat each fall with Welcome Back Students Day, and students started Show Me Schenectady, a special downtown activity program. Union is part of the monthly Art Night Schenectady, a celebration of local music and arts venues, including our own Mandeville Gallery. Union students are active volunteers, as well, in everything from helping prepare residents’ taxes to cleaning up neighborhoods. City residents support our athletic teams, music and theater. The renowned Union Chamber Concert Series is open to the public at affordable ticket prices (and free to the Union community), and our program for lifelong learners, a big draw for local senior citizens, is now in its 20th year. Union leaders regularly meet with city officials to discuss a host of mutually beneficial initiatives, from safety to economic development.