FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a sampling of some of the questions most frequently posed to the president by students and other members of the Union community. President Ainlay also hosts an informal "fireside chat" with students each term.

A more formal update on all aspects of the college may be found in the annual President’s Report on this site. The President’s Report to the community is published each fall in a special issue of Union College magazine.

Q: How can today's students and their parents respond to the ever-increasing cost of higher education, and what is Union doing to ensure it will remain a viable choice for students of all economic backgrounds?

Pres. Ainlay: The rising cost of education is probably the single greatest concern I hear from students and parents. As the father of a college student myself, I can relate. I can also tell you that Union is committed to attracting outstanding students from all backgrounds regardless of their ability to pay. We recognize that the kind of invigorating intellectual environment we prize here can only be maintained by creating opportunities for interaction among widely diverse points of view.

In 2008, the Board approved one of our largest financial aid budgets ever to ensure that qualified students and their families can continue to choose Union. We will award more than $30 million of our own funds in 2008-09 in the form of scholarships, loans, and jobs. Going forward, it is a priority for my presidency and for the college as a whole to ensure that our resources keep pace with rising costs. This poses an enormous challenge at present, given the current economy and the substantial increases in the cost of fuel, food, and other necessities. Now more than ever, it is critical that we continue to protect and grow our endowment. The total cost of a Union education is still much greater than the cost of tuition and fees, and our endowment income helps bridge that gap. Similarly, it is critical that our entire community works together to ensure Union's future by achieving the goals laid out in the You Are Union campaign.

The bottom line is that if Union is the right choice for a student, and he or she would be an asset to our community, cost should not be the deciding factor.

Q: 2008 saw the first class of "Minerva students" graduate. How do you think the Minerva house system has grown since its inception four years ago?

Pres. Ainlay: The Minerva House system was created to forge a greater link between life inside and life outside the classroom. In the time I’ve been here, I’ve seen our students and faculty embrace the Minerva system and use it to share ideas, both large and small. Other colleges and universities are now using our program as a model to inspire their own initiatives. As with every initiative at Union, students have already begun putting their own "stamp" on the Minerva system, and each of the seven houses has its own emerging identity and personality. Most importantly, each one offers an inclusive community in which students welcome the chance to interact freely with faculty and with each other outside the boundaries of their usual roles.

This past spring, we were also pleased to send eight graduates— the inaugural group of Minerva Fellows— to Cambodia, Southern Uganda and other foreign destinations as part of a scholarship program designed to instill an entrepreneurial approach to social problems and a lasting commitment to the poor. The Minerva Fellows will return to Union next May to share their experiences with other students, and we expect this program to remain an integral part of the Minerva system going forward.

Q: How do you foresee the engineering discipline at Union College changing as it becomes more integrated with the liberal arts?

Pres. Ainlay: Union College is committed to maintaining its fully accredited programs in engineering. Our vision for the future of engineering is based on a strong conviction that engineering should be considered an integral component of a liberal arts education, and that today’s engineers benefit from a thorough grounding in the humanities and social sciences. The rapid technological advances of the last half-century have blurred traditional boundaries between fields of study, so that much of today’s cutting-edge innovation is now taking place at the "intersection" of disciplines. At Union, we have experimented with several initiatives that seek to exploit this intersection:

Modules where faculty from one discipline lead one or more class sessions of a course in a different discipline
Team-taught courses featuring faculty from both engineering and other parts of the College-- for example, we recently offered a very successful course on the Three Gorges Dam project in China which was taught jointly by an engineering professor and a Chinese language and culture professor
Paired courses, one taught by an engineering faculty member, the other from the humanities, sciences, or social sciences
Interdisciplinary programs and research projects integrating the different disciplines-- for instance, in our seminar in Engineering, Economics, and Entrepreneurship, teams of non-engineering students work with senior engineering majors to explore the potential market for the engineers' capstone design projects

These and similar initiatives will continue to be important for the future of engineering and for the college as a whole as we push toward more integrated learning.

Q: What role does Greek life play on campus?

Pres. Ainlay: Greek life has always played an important role at Union and will no doubt continue to do so. The nation's first fraternity, Kappa Alpha, began right here in 1825. Today, our 12 fraternities and five sororities have been some of the most active supporters of community service projects and campus activities. We recently created a new position, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, to act as a champion and liaison for the Greek system.

It is important to note, however, that while Greek life provides students with a unique opportunity to enrich their Union experience, it is simply one option among many. Union offers so many choices for social, recreational and community service involvement that students need not feel pressured to join a fraternity or sorority. Indeed, about two-thirds of the student body are not involved in Greek life. But those who do "go Greek" find themselves part of a thriving community steeped in both camaraderie and tradition.

Q: How has Union’s relationship with the community of Schenectady evolved since you became president?

Pres. Ainlay: My predecessor, President Hull, made great strides in instilling a spirit of community service at Union, and one of the priorities of my presidency is to continue to focus on civic responsibility and social connectedness. Our students share that priority, as evidenced by two recent initiatives. Last fall, Union College donated a house to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and pledged to assist with its renovation. The positive response from our sports teams, fraternities, sororities, staff, and campus offices was truly overwhelming. In May, after hundreds of hours of volunteer time, we were thrilled to dedicate the home to a wonderful Schenectady couple and their five children. Also in the fall, two of our students helped form the Union-Schenectady Alliance to enhance connections between the college and the city. The Alliance convinced a number of major downtown organizations to place students on their boards, and it organized an immensely popular "Show Me Schenectady" day this past spring. These are just two areas where the Union and Schenectady communities have worked together for mutual benefit; I would expect to see many more in the months to come.

Q: With concern about rising energy and fuel costs so widespread, what is Union doing to control its own environmental impact?

Pres. Ainlay: Sustainability is a priority initiative for Union College and figures prominently in our Strategic Plan. I believe that wise stewardship of natural resources is one of the defining challenges of our times, and as an institute of higher education, we bear the responsibility of leadership on this issue. In August of 2007, I was proud to be a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which pledges that Union College will develop a long-term plan to reduce emissions and will provide important research and education about global warming. I am equally proud of all the successful "green" initiatives that have been launched by our students, such as U Recycle, Do It In the Dark, and Octopus’s Garden. We also have a formal committee on sustainability, U Sustain, made up of faculty and students who help advocate for environmentally responsible living at Union. With their help, we will continue to explore alternative energy sources and work diligently to reduce the college’s carbon footprint.

Q: Union’s study abroad and study away programs continue to be a big part of its academic identity. How can these programs be expanded?

Pres. Ainlay: Nearly two-thirds of our undergraduates pursue study abroad/study away opportunities each year, making Union College a leader in this arena. But in many cases, our agreements with partner institutions limit the number of students who can participate in a program, so competition for a slot can be fierce. To help address this challenge without detracting from the cultural immersion benefits inherent in smaller numbers, the Committee on Study Abroad announced three new opportunities for the upcoming 2008-09 academic year:

The ability to participate in non-Union study abroad programs (even if they occur on semester schedules rather than Union’s trimester schedule)
The option for students to work in concert with a faculty member and design their own independent study abroad programs in support of a particular area of interest
The reinstatement of the spring Sicily Science Term Abroad for science and engineering students.

These programs reinforce Union’s strong belief in the value of global and interdisciplinary experiences and the integration of academic and personal development.

Q: On a more personal note, what is it about Union College that continues to excite you the most after three years here?

Pres. Ainlay: Union is a tremendous community. We are blessed with outstanding faculty, staff and alumni, and an engaged and supportive Board. But it is truly our students who make this experience the most personally rewarding for me. I relish my interactions with Union College students and am continually inspired by their boundless passion and creativity. Our mission is to develop engaged, innovative, and ethical contributors to society, and every day I see examples of that mission in action. We have the advantage of being a small and close-knit community, which encourages the formation of strong bonds and an environment of mutual support and respect. Yet we also have an impressive tradition of innovation and global leadership dating back to the 1800s. Those attributes combine to make Union College a truly special place, one where every student has the opportunity (and, I would assert, the responsibility) to impact the lives of those around him. It is an honor to help provide our students with the educational foundation they need to do so, and a tremendous reward to see them rise to the challenge.

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Office of the President Home About President Ainlay Presidential Initiatives Key Speeches and Messages President's Report Strategic Plan FAQs In the News Photo Gallery Presidential History Contacts	Frequently Asked Questions Below is a sampling of some of the questions most frequently posed to the president by students and other members of the Union community. President Ainlay also hosts an informal "fireside chat" with students each term. A more formal update on all aspects of the college may be found in the annual President’s Report on this site. The President’s Report to the community is published each fall in a special issue of Union College magazine. Q: How can today's students and their parents respond to the ever-increasing cost of higher education, and what is Union doing to ensure it will remain a viable choice for students of all economic backgrounds? Pres. Ainlay: The rising cost of education is probably the single greatest concern I hear from students and parents. As the father of a college student myself, I can relate. I can also tell you that Union is committed to attracting outstanding students from all backgrounds regardless of their ability to pay. We recognize that the kind of invigorating intellectual environment we prize here can only be maintained by creating opportunities for interaction among widely diverse points of view. In 2008, the Board approved one of our largest financial aid budgets ever to ensure that qualified students and their families can continue to choose Union. We will award more than $30 million of our own funds in 2008-09 in the form of scholarships, loans, and jobs. Going forward, it is a priority for my presidency and for the college as a whole to ensure that our resources keep pace with rising costs. This poses an enormous challenge at present, given the current economy and the substantial increases in the cost of fuel, food, and other necessities. Now more than ever, it is critical that we continue to protect and grow our endowment. The total cost of a Union education is still much greater than the cost of tuition and fees, and our endowment income helps bridge that gap. Similarly, it is critical that our entire community works together to ensure Union's future by achieving the goals laid out in the You Are Union campaign. The bottom line is that if Union is the right choice for a student, and he or she would be an asset to our community, cost should not be the deciding factor. Q: 2008 saw the first class of "Minerva students" graduate. How do you think the Minerva house system has grown since its inception four years ago? Pres. Ainlay: The Minerva House system was created to forge a greater link between life inside and life outside the classroom. In the time I’ve been here, I’ve seen our students and faculty embrace the Minerva system and use it to share ideas, both large and small. Other colleges and universities are now using our program as a model to inspire their own initiatives. As with every initiative at Union, students have already begun putting their own "stamp" on the Minerva system, and each of the seven houses has its own emerging identity and personality. Most importantly, each one offers an inclusive community in which students welcome the chance to interact freely with faculty and with each other outside the boundaries of their usual roles. This past spring, we were also pleased to send eight graduates— the inaugural group of Minerva Fellows— to Cambodia, Southern Uganda and other foreign destinations as part of a scholarship program designed to instill an entrepreneurial approach to social problems and a lasting commitment to the poor. The Minerva Fellows will return to Union next May to share their experiences with other students, and we expect this program to remain an integral part of the Minerva system going forward. Q: How do you foresee the engineering discipline at Union College changing as it becomes more integrated with the liberal arts? Pres. Ainlay: Union College is committed to maintaining its fully accredited programs in engineering. Our vision for the future of engineering is based on a strong conviction that engineering should be considered an integral component of a liberal arts education, and that today’s engineers benefit from a thorough grounding in the humanities and social sciences. The rapid technological advances of the last half-century have blurred traditional boundaries between fields of study, so that much of today’s cutting-edge innovation is now taking place at the "intersection" of disciplines. At Union, we have experimented with several initiatives that seek to exploit this intersection: Modules where faculty from one discipline lead one or more class sessions of a course in a different discipline Team-taught courses featuring faculty from both engineering and other parts of the College-- for example, we recently offered a very successful course on the Three Gorges Dam project in China which was taught jointly by an engineering professor and a Chinese language and culture professor Paired courses, one taught by an engineering faculty member, the other from the humanities, sciences, or social sciences Interdisciplinary programs and research projects integrating the different disciplines-- for instance, in our seminar in Engineering, Economics, and Entrepreneurship, teams of non-engineering students work with senior engineering majors to explore the potential market for the engineers' capstone design projects These and similar initiatives will continue to be important for the future of engineering and for the college as a whole as we push toward more integrated learning. Q: What role does Greek life play on campus? Pres. Ainlay: Greek life has always played an important role at Union and will no doubt continue to do so. The nation's first fraternity, Kappa Alpha, began right here in 1825. Today, our 12 fraternities and five sororities have been some of the most active supporters of community service projects and campus activities. We recently created a new position, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, to act as a champion and liaison for the Greek system. It is important to note, however, that while Greek life provides students with a unique opportunity to enrich their Union experience, it is simply one option among many. Union offers so many choices for social, recreational and community service involvement that students need not feel pressured to join a fraternity or sorority. Indeed, about two-thirds of the student body are not involved in Greek life. But those who do "go Greek" find themselves part of a thriving community steeped in both camaraderie and tradition. Q: How has Union’s relationship with the community of Schenectady evolved since you became president? Pres. Ainlay: My predecessor, President Hull, made great strides in instilling a spirit of community service at Union, and one of the priorities of my presidency is to continue to focus on civic responsibility and social connectedness. Our students share that priority, as evidenced by two recent initiatives. Last fall, Union College donated a house to the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and pledged to assist with its renovation. The positive response from our sports teams, fraternities, sororities, staff, and campus offices was truly overwhelming. In May, after hundreds of hours of volunteer time, we were thrilled to dedicate the home to a wonderful Schenectady couple and their five children. Also in the fall, two of our students helped form the Union-Schenectady Alliance to enhance connections between the college and the city. The Alliance convinced a number of major downtown organizations to place students on their boards, and it organized an immensely popular "Show Me Schenectady" day this past spring. These are just two areas where the Union and Schenectady communities have worked together for mutual benefit; I would expect to see many more in the months to come. Q: With concern about rising energy and fuel costs so widespread, what is Union doing to control its own environmental impact? Pres. Ainlay: Sustainability is a priority initiative for Union College and figures prominently in our Strategic Plan. I believe that wise stewardship of natural resources is one of the defining challenges of our times, and as an institute of higher education, we bear the responsibility of leadership on this issue. In August of 2007, I was proud to be a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which pledges that Union College will develop a long-term plan to reduce emissions and will provide important research and education about global warming. I am equally proud of all the successful "green" initiatives that have been launched by our students, such as U Recycle, Do It In the Dark, and Octopus’s Garden. We also have a formal committee on sustainability, U Sustain, made up of faculty and students who help advocate for environmentally responsible living at Union. With their help, we will continue to explore alternative energy sources and work diligently to reduce the college’s carbon footprint. Q: Union’s study abroad and study away programs continue to be a big part of its academic identity. How can these programs be expanded? Pres. Ainlay: Nearly two-thirds of our undergraduates pursue study abroad/study away opportunities each year, making Union College a leader in this arena. But in many cases, our agreements with partner institutions limit the number of students who can participate in a program, so competition for a slot can be fierce. To help address this challenge without detracting from the cultural immersion benefits inherent in smaller numbers, the Committee on Study Abroad announced three new opportunities for the upcoming 2008-09 academic year: The ability to participate in non-Union study abroad programs (even if they occur on semester schedules rather than Union’s trimester schedule) The option for students to work in concert with a faculty member and design their own independent study abroad programs in support of a particular area of interest The reinstatement of the spring Sicily Science Term Abroad for science and engineering students. These programs reinforce Union’s strong belief in the value of global and interdisciplinary experiences and the integration of academic and personal development. Q: On a more personal note, what is it about Union College that continues to excite you the most after three years here? Pres. Ainlay: Union is a tremendous community. We are blessed with outstanding faculty, staff and alumni, and an engaged and supportive Board. But it is truly our students who make this experience the most personally rewarding for me. I relish my interactions with Union College students and am continually inspired by their boundless passion and creativity. Our mission is to develop engaged, innovative, and ethical contributors to society, and every day I see examples of that mission in action. We have the advantage of being a small and close-knit community, which encourages the formation of strong bonds and an environment of mutual support and respect. Yet we also have an impressive tradition of innovation and global leadership dating back to the 1800s. Those attributes combine to make Union College a truly special place, one where every student has the opportunity (and, I would assert, the responsibility) to impact the lives of those around him. It is an honor to help provide our students with the educational foundation they need to do so, and a tremendous reward to see them rise to the challenge.
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