MINUTES
Union College Alumni Council
April 7, 2007
Meeting to OrderCouncil President Jason Oshins ’87 called the meeting to order at approximately 9:05 a.m. and he welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Moment of Silence for Deceased Members
The Council observed a moment of silence for William Ford ’41, William Beck ’46, Albert Hill ’46, Joseph Finkelstein ’47, Richard Roberts ’50, and Wolfgang Riemer ’51.
President’s Remarks
Since this is Oshins’ last meeting as Council President, he made note of progress made in the Council during his four years in office. Membership was trimmed from 320 to 160 members. Inactive committees were disbanded and new committees were formed, including ad-hoc committees. The Council Annual Fund participation was at 93% last year; we are mandating 100% participation. The number of clubs expanded from two to twenty-five. There is excitement about President Stephen Ainlay throughout the alumni community. The Council needs new initiatives to keep alumni excited; an example of a new initiative was the ad-hoc committee on Greek Life that completed its assignment earlier this year. Alumni should be engaged in the Minervas and in Greek Life. Oshins thanked the Council Executive Committee for their work. He spoke of special appreciation for Dominick Famulare ’92, Director of Alumni Relations, in recognition of all the work that Nick has done. The Council is blessed with dedicated volunteers. Oshins closed by stating that he will cherish the memories of the time he spent in his job and looks forward to continued work with the Council.
President Stephen C. Ainlay
President Ainlay said that this has been a good year, with Union in a good position to move forward and realize its potential. Union has had appointments with history in the past that it has kept and it is again at an appointment with history. Union is doing what the National Academy of Sciences says that colleges should be doing. MIT is calling for the formation of a scientific and technical community of people who are liberally educated; the nation needs our leadership. Ainlay has met with twenty college clubs over the year. He noted that Union is “hot” in Greenwich, CT. Union again had record applications (up ten percent over last year). The incoming class of 2011 will be unparalleled. There was record attendance this year at open houses for prospective students and at open houses for accepted students. It has ethnic, racial, and geographic diversity. Our second group of ten Posse Foundation students is accepted; those students are proven leaders. Union College welcomed Morris Dees, co-founder and chief trial counselor of Southern Poverty Law Center, to the Nott Memorial in November as the inaugural event in the Presidential Forum on Diversity. Soledad O’Brien came as part of that same Forum in early April.
Two wonderful new facilities came on line during the winter term at Union. One of these is the new Taylor Music Center, located in the renovated North Colonnade. This is an “All-Steinway” facility and has an Emerson Concert Hall, electronic classrooms, and a World Music Room. The other is the new Center for Bioengineering and Computational Biology in the newly renovated Butterfield Hall.
Ainlay is excited about the new strategic plan, which allows us to move quickly to appropriate programs. We need to improve communication between administration and students, and between administration and faculty. A hallmark of his presidency will be improvement in communication. He instituted Fireside Chats, is reaching out through club visits, and is expanding publications. He looks forward to working with the Alumni Council.
Andy Wisoff ’80 asked if we will be expanding the physical plant and asked for comments on town and gown relations. Ainlay replied that the school contributes $200 million to the local economy and is one of the economic drivers of Schenectady. Union brings over 2000 students into the local area. Union was selected in the top 25 of all colleges and university as “Saviors of the Cities”. Union wants to make a direct impact on businesses, building businesses to keep people in the local area after graduation. Union wants to work with Habitat for Humanity and with corporate sponsors. The College is participating in meetings concerning the upcoming rehabilitation of the ALCO plant. Union is expanding its environmental engineering program and wants to participate in leadership of work done along the Mohawk River. President Ainlay has told Mayor Brian Stratton that where there are opportunities for mutual benefit in work by Union and Schenectady, Union will participate. Union is not interested in participating in a PILOT program (payment in lieu of taxes), since non-profit organizations are tax-exempt for a reason.
Robert Howe ’58 said it would be desirable to have more women in Union’s classes. Ainlay responded that Union is doing well with achieving gender parity for women in the admissions process. Women have a good quality of experience at Union, as well.
Don Bentrovato ’69 asked if we will be reviewing our engineering curriculum to see if there is a fit for us in helping develop the infrastructure along the Mohawk River. Ainlay said that history shows Union alums and faculty involved in bridge building, subway building, etc. We have to prepare students to take a role in what we see as the future areas for development in this country. Hence, we will be emphasizing Environmental Engineering and Bio-medical Engineering. Environmental Engineering has a large Civil Engineering component. We will be looking forward (not backward) as we decide what areas of engineering should be emphasized in the curriculum.
Tom Cummings ’81 said he believes that Union is headed in the right direction and presented President Ainlay with a check to Union College because of that. Ainlay responded with an appreciation of the vote of confidence and thanks for Cummings’ generosity.
Admissions
Palmer Fargnoli ‘93, Director of Alumni Admissions Program and Associate Dean of Admissions, asked for people to volunteer for alumni admissions. The role of alumni in the admissions recruitment process is expanding. This was an excellent year for admissions. There were over 4800 applications and the admit rate dropped from 43% to 41%. The incoming freshman GPA rose by a point. This year, Union was “test-optional”. However, 90% submitted their SAT’s and there was a rise in the average SAT score to 1310 (not including the essay). NY State students make up 35% of the class. Geographic diversity is improving each year (e.g. there was a rise in the number of applications from CA). Fargnoli is traveling with members of the Alumni Relations staff to connect. He said that all alumni can be ambassadors in some way (even by donating frequent flier miles so that guidance counselors can visit Union).
Campaign Update
Frank Messa ’73 (co-chair of the Campaign with Mark Walsh’ 76) presented an update on the “U Are Union” campaign that started five years ago. The goal is $200 million, which is achievable and is critical to Union’s survivability. Top colleges raise much larger amounts of money than Union. The three most important initiatives are $37 million for financial aid and scholarship money, $33 million for student life and for residential facilities like the Minerva houses, and $30 million for endowed professorships that will attract the best faculty.
Union has raised $123 million of the $200 million goal. There are several Minerva houses (Golub, Sorum, Beuth, Wold, and Breazzano). The Taylor Music Center is a reality. The Annual Fund part of the Campaign is very important. The Campaign is based on participation rate.
Fundraising events take place throughout the year across the country in support of reaching the Campaign goal.
Bob Howe’58 said that people should consider changing the beneficiary of their life insurance policies to be Union College. Messa added that an insurance policy with an irrevocable beneficiary allows the premiums to be deductible. People should investigate planned giving.
Annual Fund Update
Mark Webster ’88 gave a status report on the Union Fund. His charts showed that about six years ago, we leveled off in donors and in percent participation in the Annual Fund. Our goal is 41% participation this year. Dollars given to the Annual Fund continue to increase. We are conducting a “Drive for Five”, contacting non-donors to get them into the culture of giving. Laurye Goldberg and Jamie Desoin have been added to the staff. Andrew Wisoff ’80 said that younger classes have much lower participation rates than the older classes. Webster said that is a national trend. Bob Howe said this can be partially explained by the fact that younger classes encountered a period of exponential growth in tuition and in their indebtedness when they left college.
Trustee Report – Mike Newell ‘74
Newell gave a summary of the strategic plan, which was done in the period of natural transition between presidents. Union established a culture of planning. The strategic plan is important in a time of challenges in higher education. It was aggressive to do the plan in one year.
The plan established a vision statement for Union, identified its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The planning group split into four groups; one studied the external environment, one studied the internal environment, one studied the core competencies of the college, one studied financial resources. Union excels at helping students find their passion; this makes the college unique. The strategy statement on Greek life at Union came out of the work of the Alumni Council ad-hoc committee.
Each strategy in the final plan has been assigned to a vice-president for actual implementation. The hardest work is ahead in doing the implementation. The elements that differentiate Union from other schools must soar above the crowd.>
Bill Nealon ’67 said that one strength of Union is its increasing diversity, especially gender diversity. He wanted to know how Union can integrate women better into engineering. Newell said that a number of women are heavily involved in engineering and the sciences. He cited Dean of Engineering Cherrice Traver. We want to have more involvement by women, but we already do have much involvement now.
Don Bentrovato ’69 noted that we have moved down in the US News and World Report rankings of top liberal arts colleges. He asked if the plan make a difference to us in our effort to move back up in the rankings. Newell said that there are many items in the plan that will make Union more competitive with other schools and will give us an even better image with high schools students and their counselors. He added that President Ainlay’s personal communications and connections (e.g. attending the new presidents’ meeting at Harvard) will help our reputation.
Bob Sussman ’67 asked what we are doing (as a small liberal arts college with science and engineering) to help liberal arts students in a technical work and to help engineering and science students to be better communicators. Newell said that issue is focused on throughout the Plan.
Treasurer’s Report
Cal Welch ‘62, Alumni Council Treasurer, was absent. Nick Famulare ’92 presented the report in Cal’s absence. Stu Cohen ’61 has audited the Council’s financial records and found them to be in good order. We thank Stu for giving his services to the Council as a “gift in kind”.
When it is not necessary to have a Trustee election (as is the case this year), the money is used for New Alumni Development.
We are changing the schedule for approval of the budget to having a vote for approval in the Spring meeting. There was a motion to approve the 2007-08 budget. The motion was seconded and approved.
Responding to a question from the last Council meeting about the terms of the credit card offered under our name (and for which we receive a small percentage of the monies charged by cardholders), Nick said that the terms are dependent on the credit rating of the individual cardholder.
Meeting Minutes of the Prior Meeting
The minutes of the October 2006 Council meeting were approved for filing as written.
Report of the Nominations Committee – Dick Killeen ‘51
Nominations for Alumni Gold Medal (to be awarded at the June Convocation)
Lee Davenport ‘37
Joe Hinchey ‘47
John Temple ‘67
Nomination for Faculty Meritorious Service Award (to be awarded at the June Convocation)
Hillary Tann
Nominations for Alumni Trustee
Jason Oshins ‘87
Nominations for Members-at-large for 2007-08
Brendan Clifford ’92 – second term
Whit Merrill ’94 – second term
Joe Sawyer ’66 – extended term
John Sciortino ’81- extended term
Bo Van Voast ’52 – extended term
Nominations for the Alumni Council Executive Committee
President – John Vero ‘97
1st Vice President – John Sciortino ‘81
2nd Vice President – Charles Roden ‘60
Treasurer – Cal Welch ‘62
Secretary – Karen Huggins ‘77
Immediate Past President – Jason Oshins ‘87
These nominations were moved, seconded, and approved unanimously.
The nominations committee members were: Sonia Pearson ’75 Chair, Richard Killeen ’61, Paul Rieschick ’74, Louise Dunn’76, Michele Desimone-Shellard ’83.
Council Scholarship Winner
Abigail Runn, Class of 2010, is our scholarship winner this year. The Book Value of our Scholarship is $70K, while the market value is at $450K.
Adjournment
The Council adjourned at approximately 11:45 a.m., pending the singing of the Alma Mater and a tour of the new Taylor Music Center.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Huggins ‘77 – Secretary