|
|
RESOURCES
PRODUCTS
|
When can I take extra courses? All Union Scholars are required to take two extra courses (for a total of 38) before graduating. Most take these courses in their first and sophomore years. In addition, Union Scholars have the privilege of taking one extra course each term at no extra cost, assuming they maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better. Fall term first-year students may not take an extra course. The extra course privileges are different for Engineering students and those students who have been accepted into the accelerated Ramée Scholars Program. Click on Ramée or Engineers for more information on that program. Can I graduate early? (Ramée Scholars) The Ramée Scholars Program is an accelerated program for those Union Scholars who wish to graduate in three years. Students interested in the program have to apply at the end of their first year. The Ramée Scholars Program has the following prerequisites and requirements for completion. Ramée Scholars Prerequisites:
Ramée Scholars Requirements:
What if I'm an Engineering Scholar? Students in engineering are already required to take more classes for their degrees than other students. This means that engineering students already qualify for extra enrollments. The Union Scholars Program requires them to take two more courses than they otherwise would have to take to finish their degrees, and then gives them the option to take even more classes as way of diversifying what can otherwise be a relatively regimented curriculum. To accommodate the needs of engineers, we regularly give them added flexibility in scheduling their Union Scholars courses. For example, many first-year engineers find it inconvenient to have to take an extra course winter term because they already have to take four courses that term. We therefore encourage engineers to take their first-year Scholars Research Seminar as part of their normal load, saving their extra course for spring term. What if I'm a Pre-Med Scholar? Pre-Med students have special requirements in addition to their majors, so they should consult with the pre-Med advisor (in addition to their personal advisor) on the best set of courses in any given term. If it turns out that some pre-Med students find it inconvenient to have to take an extra course winter term because of the work load in their other courses, we encourage them to take their first-year Scholars Research Seminar as part of their normal load, saving their extra course for spring term. What about the GMI business program? The School of Management at the Union Graduate College (UGC) offers some classes that undergraduates may enroll in. Union Scholars may take up to two UGC courses (from a list of acceptable courses) that can count as undergraduate electives. More than two UGC courses cannot count toward the undergraduate degree unless the student matriculates into the joint BS/BA/MBA program prior to the end of his/her 10th term at Union. Scholars who matriculate into the joint BS/BA/MBA program may double count a third UGC course toward their undergraduate degree as well as toward the MBA. Once matriculated in the joint BS/BA/MBA program, Union Scholars may take additional UGC courses. Those BS/BA/MBA Scholars will continue to receive their financial aid through their full four years of undergraduate school. Can I become a Scholar if I'm already at Union? Students are normally asked to become Union Scholars only when applying as prospective students. However, outstanding students already at Union who would like some of the same privileges as the Scholars Program should consider applying for the Seward Fellows Program in their sophomore year. Details on the First Year Scholars begin by taking an enriched 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. Before the school year begins, you will be assigned to a particular section of Scholars Preceptorial. The time your section meets will likely be other than the standard "gen-ed hour" for all other preceptorial classes. This mean that you, as a Scholar, have the option to take any other course offered at that time. No other first-year student may do this. The Scholars Preceptorial is one of your regular three courses. You are encouraged to take an extra course of your choice during winter or spring term. 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:
Films include:
Scholars Preceptorial classes (there are typically four or five sections each year) often hold joint activities and events; recently, classes have debated the death penalty, visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and attended films, plays, and concerts 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. Details on Sophomore Project All Union Scholars are expected to complete a two-term, one-course-credit Sophomore Project during their second year. This project may be on the topic of your choice, either related to your future major or something completely different. Early spring term you should begin the process of choosing a topic and supervisor. If you have an idea about what you want to do, try contacting the Union professor you feel would best supervise your project. If you have no idea, you may talk with your advisor, with the Scholars Program Director, or with other Scholars. The aim is to come up with a project you really want to do. There will also be a meeting held spring term that will give first-year students a chance to become better acquainted with their Sophomore Project options. The work load expected from a sophomore project is roughly equivalent to that of one course. The project does not have to end in a written paper; it may involve a performance, film, presentation, or other product(s), provided you have chosen an appropriate supervisor who supports the project. The Sophomore Project is usually carried as an extra course over two terms, either fall-winter or winter-spring (or even fall-spring if need be). All sophomore Scholars are strongly encouraged to present their projects at a Steinmetz symposium either sophomore or junior years. The Steinmetz symposium is an annual event at Union every spring where students formally present their projects and theses to their peers. for more go to the Sophomore Project FAQ How to Record Sophomore Projects with the Registrar Students doing Sophomore Projects sign up for courses numbered 295H and 296H in the department of the professor they are working with. For instance, a Scholar working with a History professor will sign up for HST 295H one term and HST 296H the next. 295H is a zero-credit, pass/fail course. 296H is a one-credit graded course. By signing up for both courses the Scholar gets one course credit over two terms. The work load expected from a sophomore project is roughly equivalent to that of one course. The project does not have to end in a written paper; it may involve a performance, film, presentation, or other product(s), provided you have chosen an appropriate supervisor who supports the project. The Sophomore Project is usually carried as an extra course over two terms, either fall-winter or winter-spring (or even fall-spring if need be). All sophomore Scholars are strongly encouraged to present their projects at a Steinmetz symposium either sophomore or junior years. The Steinmetz symposium is an annual event at Union every spring where students formally present their projects and theses to their peers. What do I do junior year? There is no formal program in place for junior Scholars. However, the directors are actively working to put a trial program in place, and will be calling on current juniors to help out. As of now they are calling the program the Junior Scholars Initiative, and the idea is to have a set of options for juniors to take an active leadership role at Union College, to help in getting other Union Scholars involved and to help improve the college social and intellectual community. Juniors know the school well, are already actively involved, so it is the appropriate time for them to become leaders. If you have comments or suggestions for the junior year program, please contact the Scholars Program Director. Details on Senior Seminar The Senior Seminar is offered spring term, and students usually carry it as an extra fourth course. It is not required, but all Union Scholar seniors are strongly encouraged to take it. The students in the seminar select a list of Union College faculty that they would like to have present during the term. It meets once a week for 2-3 hours. Each week a different professor presents on a topic of their choice (often from their own research). They assign readings and help lead the discussion. The class has an informal atmosphere and is a great way to learn more about research in a range of disciplines.
Have there been changes in the program's policies? The Union Scholars Program is an evolving program with some changes and additions occurring each year. For this reason it is sometimes hard for students to stay on top of their opportunities and expectations. The directors plan to label as "new" anything in this FAQ that represents new information or changed policy. The date of any revision to the FAQ will also be listed along with a catalogue of changes. Here is a list of recent clarifications and changes in the program:
Union Scholars policy on terms abroad? As with all Union College students, the Union Scholars are encouraged to take a term abroad. Many times this is most conveniently done during the junior year. In the past some Union Scholars have been given the impression that they were "guaranteed" a term abroad because of their status in the Union Scholars Program. This is not true. No Union student can be guaranteed a slot on a term abroad simply because final decisions must ultimately lie with the committees charged with constituting each term aborad in consultation with the Director of International Programs. All students must go through the same application process. However, many Union Scholars would be ideal students for a range of term abroad programs, so they are encouraged to apply to the terms abroad programs of greatest interest to them. Otherwise Union Scholars have to follow the policies of the International Programs Office. They may not take courses pass/fail, and they may not take an extra course on their term abroad unless it is explicitly stated they may as a part of that term abroad's guidelines. Union Scholars also have to abide by the general college policy that students who have already gone on a term abroad are given lowest priority when applying for a second term abroad. This policy is in place to ensure that as many students as possible are able to take a term abroad. Policy on summer courses? As with other Union students, Union Scholars may take courses over the summer, and they have to pay for these on a per-course basis. The only exception applies to those already accepted as Ramée Scholars (those planning to graduate after three years). Ramée Scholars are expected to take two summer courses, at no extra cost, provided the courses have enough enrollments to proceed without the added presence of that Union Scholar. Where do I go with problems or concerns? The program's Director is Prof. Steve Sargent of the History department. His office is office is in Social Sciences 214D. Feel free to see him at any time. You can email him at sargents@union.edu, or phone him at 518-288-6360.
Professor Sargent should be your first stop if you have any questions, concerns or problems related to the Scholars Program. You may also find that your assigned advisor can help. Your department advisor would likely be the most helpful with questions related to your major.
|
