The Union College Scholars Program might adopt the Olympic motto of citius, altius, fortius (faster, higher, stronger) as its own. It is a rigorous program, but an exciting opportunity for a select group of outstanding students to take full advantage of the diverse intellectual experiences at Union. The program enhances one of the best liberal arts educations available in the country by allowing students to take smaller and more intensive classes, to work one-on-one with faculty mentors, and to explore areas outside their major.

The First Year

Union Scholars follow a special curriculum designed to provide the best possible educational experience. They take an enhanced version of Union’s standard First-Year Preceptorial. With a class size limited to ten, the Scholars Preceptorial offers both more content and more depth.

Scholars Preceptorials focus on a variety of tests selected by their professors to introduce them to a wide variety of intellectual disciplines.   Texts recently studied in Scholars Preceptorials include:

	Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude
	Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World
	William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience
	Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents
	Hobbes’ Leviathan

Films include:

	Monty Python and the Holy Grail
	Woody Allen’s Annie Hall
	Shakespeare in Love
	Terminator II

Scholars Preceptorial classes (there are typically six each year) often hold joint activities and events; recently, classes have debated the death penalty, seen "The Full Monty" on Broadway, gone whitewater rafting, and attended films, plays, and concerns on and off campus as a group.

Following completion of the First-Year Preceptorial, students in the program enroll in a special undergraduate research seminar.  The goal of these research seminars—small courses, capped at 10—is to help students learn research and writing skills and prepare them for their sophomore research project. Like the Preceptorial this is done through content-rich courses designed by instructors from across the college.

The Second Year

The second year of the Scholars Program comprises a two-term (one course credit) sophomore project. Students work closely with professors of their choosing and often focus their research on something outside of their major discipline. Projects have included:

	A political science major directing a film
	An English major studying the economic impact of chain bookstores on the local economy
	An economics major (and bicyclist) studying the effects of preseason training on his metabolism
	An electrical engineering major creating a series of engravings and lithographs

Scholars take this independent study in addition to the normal load and often present their research at Union’s Steinmetz Symposium for undergraduate research; many Scholars have traveled to present at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research as well.

The Third Year

There are no formal requirements for Scholars in their junior year. Scholars, like many Union students, often go on a term abroad. They also have the option of participating in the Junior Scholars Initiative, a program that asks them to take a leadership role in the intellectual and social life at Union. Projects include hosting an international film festival, publishing a journal of student work, and organizing selected service projects. We hope to have even more initiatives in place in coming years.

The Fourth Year

During the senior year, Scholars typically complete senior theses, but also organize (in conjunction with the Scholars Program Directors) a Senior Colloquium, in which they present their own research and discuss that of their peers and the College faculty. Though strenuously academic, the Colloquium is a relatively informal affair, often meeting at local restaurants or pubs. Scholars have found it a wonderful way to round off their experience at Union.

An Option for Acceleration: Completion of the Scholars Program in Three Years

While most Union Scholars use the additional courses in the program to enrich their traditional four-year college education, some Scholars take advantage of the chance to graduate up to a year early. Students who have the requisite GPA and advanced placement credits may apply for the accelerated program, which allows them to graduate in three years. This program includes taking extra courses in the sophomore and junior years, and at least one summer course.

Scholars Program: An Evolving Project

Union graduated its first class of Scholars in 2001. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the program and its participants is the way the Scholars themselves have helped give it shape. Union began the program to bring some of the best students in the country to its campus, to mold them through one of the best liberal arts educations available. Union Scholars have in turn helped to remold their Program - and Union itself – through their intellect, energy, and ideas.

Details of the Scholars Program

Selection
Top students admitted to the first-year class are invited to apply for the Scholars Program. Applications are reviewed by a faculty committee led by the Dean of the Faculty. Each year, approximately fifty students are admitted to the program. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by the last week of April.

Union Scholars Program Preview
All potential Scholars are encouraged to attend the Union Scholars Program Preview Weekend in April, which includes presentations by current Scholars and faculty, an overnight stay in a residence hall, and class visits.

Financial Aid
There is no additional financial aid associated with the Scholars Program, but all Scholars take additional courses at no extra charge. Currently, more than half of Union students receive need-based financial aid.

Residence Life
Union Scholars do not share a residence hall; instead, Union’s Residence Life Office matches students based on study habits, lifestyles, and residence hall preferences. There are a variety of living options available at Union, and Scholars are welcome to take advantage of all of them.

For More Information
Should you have any questions about the program, please call Scholars Program Director Karen Brison at (518) 388-6673, or e-mail brisonk@union.edu.

NOTE: The Scholars Program Director is Prof. Steve Sargent, (518) 388-6360, or e-mail sargents@union.edu.