September 14, 2000: Volume 50, Number 2

Faculty Hear Priorities for Future

President Roger Hull on Monday discussed a number of priorities for the coming years, including steps aimed at making the College "less social."

"If we are to move to the next level of excellence, we have to do some things fundamentally differently," he told faculty at the first meeting of the term.

Among the priorities Hull listed are:

-- the creation of an enriched sabbatical program and development of more competitive teaching loads with respect to peer institutions;

-- the addition of at least one endowed chair per year;

-- enhancement of the Union Scholars honors program to reach 100 students in each class, and the creation of a second honors program;

-- increasing internships to 50 students, summer research to 100, and participation in the Steinmetz Symposium to 300;

-- revamping the advising system; and

-- building a new arts and music facility.

Hull announced that the College had engaged a consultant to work with administrators and faculty to consider opportunities to further integrate engineering and liberal arts. "The tradition that goes back 155 years with engineering is a strong one and engineering's role in the future is one that needs to be defined in a closer relationship with the liberal arts," Hull said.

In admissions, Hull announced that the College would adopt the policy of many peer institutions in offering merit aid. Last year, the College surpassed the 4000 mark in applications, accepting 47 percent to bring in a class of 560, he noted.

Speaking about the College's "social scene," Hull challenged faculty to "raise the ante" by expecting more of students. "It's time to put the bar higher, and faculty, particularly senior faculty, have to take the lead," Hull said. "If fraternities were not to be at Union tomorrow, and if U2K were to be in place the day after tomorrow, the fact is things would not change dramatically. The only way they will change dramatically is through the faculty."

Hull reported that last fiscal year, the College raised $17 million with a record of unrestricted Annual Fund giving and an alumni participation rate of 47 percent. Meanwhile the College's endowment grew to about $269 million.

Hull said progress continues with the Union-Schenectady Initiative, the revitalization plan for the College Park neighborhood west of campus. The campus safety satellite office and the community center are in operation this fall.

Dean of Faculty Christina Sorum outlined a number of tasks before faculty this year, including hiring of deans of arts and sciences and undergraduate education; revising the freshman preceptorial and reviewing other General Education requirements; adopting a statement of ethics (now under consideration by the Faculty Review Board); and an enriched sabbatical system and competitive course load. She also spoke about the impact that academic challenge can have on the social scene and the need to increase retention through advising.

Sorum went on to speak about the quality and breadth that makes a Union education unique.

"The indispensable character of a residential college like Union is educational quality," Sorum said. "That arises from the opportunity for teachers and students to engage in conversations face to face.

"We can do it because of our scale, the intimacy of our campus and our classrooms, our availability to our students, and the community of learning we create with students doing research guided by us.

"We must recognize the crucial importance of this dialogue ... and persist in finding opportunities for it to occur."

In speaking of the value of breadth of education, Sorum said, "Although it is the kind of education that flies in the face of the desire of students today for pre-professional training, it is the type of education that prepares them for success in a diverse multicultural workforce that operates from a global and multidisciplinary perspective.

"We need to enhance the structures that encourage students to cross disciplines and understand broader context," she said.

Dean of Students Frederick Alford spoke about steps to control the social life on campus and the U2K proposal for residential and social life.

"We are going to intensify our efforts to monitor alcohol on this campus," he said. "It is going to happen in the residence halls and in the fraternities where the parties take place."

Student leaders have been notified that campus safety will do spot checks of parties, and students this week received a letter outlining concerns about alcohol abuse, Alford said.

Alford also announced the creation of a social enrichment grant program that will fund initiatives that provide alternatives to events at which alcohol is served.

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