Parent & Family Resources

Messages from the Class Deans

• Message from Robin Olinsky, Dean for Class of 2026

  Dear Parents and Families of the Class of 2026,

  As your student enters their senior year at Union, I want to take a moment to re-introduce myself as the Class Dean for the Class of 2026. It has been my privilege to get to know your students as they navigate their Union experience. And in their final year, I will be working with them as they complete their last academic requirements, prepare for life after Union, and celebrate all they have accomplished.

  While it’s been my responsibility to serve as a primary point of contact and support for your student, I don’t do it alone! I work closely with faculty and many other campus partners to monitor graduation progress, make resource connections, and prepare students for the challenges and the exciting opportunities of this year, and beyond.

  Throughout the year, we will engage seniors in a variety of ways:

  • Ongoing Degree Audits with the Registrar’s Office to confirm students are meeting degree requirements.
  • Senior Thesis and Senior Project Peer Support Groups to provide accountability and commiseration as students prepare their academic capstone experiences.
  • Workshops and Advising focused on postgrad planning, whether that includes careers, graduate school, scholarships and fellowships, or other opportunities.
  • Classwide Community-Building Events to celebrate milestones, strengthen connections, and mark this special year together.
  • Individual Support to help students address challenges and access resources when needed.

  Senior year is full of conflicting feelings, for both you and your students. I am here to share in the excitement, nerves, and reflection, while supporting all of you as you prepare for the transitions ahead. Please encourage your students to connect with me to create a plan for the year and to ensure they make the most of the resources available to them. I also welcome the opportunity to speak with you to discuss our partnership in supporting your students. As graduating seniors and adults, we all want the students to take the initiative and to lead the conversation about their lives after Union. But at the same time, it’s important for them to know that they have a whole team behind them and they don’t need to do it alone!

  I can’t wait to see the Class of 2026 make the most of this fun and memorable year. I look forward to seeing you at Homecoming and Family Weekend, the Steinmetz Symposium and Prize Day, or at Commencement. Thank you for the many ways you support your students and the Union community.

  Thanks,

  Robin Olinsky

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• Message from Isabel Norman, Dean for Class of 2027

  Dear Parents and Families of the Class of 2027,

  I’m Isabel Norman, Class Dean for the Class of 2027, and I’m excited to welcome you and your students to their junior year at Union College! This is such a meaningful milestone — they’ve officially made it halfway through their college experience. The next two years will bring incredible opportunities, along with some challenges, and I’m here to support them every step of the way as they continue to grow personally, academically, and professionally.

  By junior year, most students are really diving into their major coursework. It’s a good time to remind your students to stay connected with their professors, meet regularly with their academic advisor, and build strong study partnerships that will not only help them succeed but also keep them accountable as the work becomes more advanced.

  This is also a year when students start thinking more seriously about life after Union. Encourage them to connect with the Becker Career Center staff — they can help your student explore different career paths, better understand their industry of interest, and think about what experiences will make them a strong candidate for jobs or graduate programs after graduation.

  For many, junior year is also when study abroad becomes a reality. Union is proud of the many opportunities we offer — from full-term international programs to shorter mini-terms — and these experiences often become highlights of a student’s time here. While your student may be learning and exploring in another part of the world, please know that we, Union staff, are still here to support them academically and personally from afar. If your student is considering study abroad but hasn’t yet applied, now is a great time to talk with International Programs about what options are available to them and how these experiences can enrich their academic and career goals.

  As parents and families, your encouragement and support make such a difference. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about your student’s Union experience. I also hope you’ll join us for Homecoming and Family Weekend in October, when we’ll be celebrating the inauguration of President Elizabeth Kiss. While you’re here, be sure to visit the new M&T Bank Center with tickets — the exciting new home rink for Union College Hockey and a multipurpose event space just down the road from campus.

  It’s a wonderful time to be part of the Union community, and I look forward to seeing all that the Class of 2027 will accomplish this year. If you have questions about campus resources and how to support your student, please check out our FAQ section in the Parent & Family newsletter.

  Warmly,

  
  Isabel Norman
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• Message from Eun-sil Lee, Dean for Class of 2028

  Dear Parents and Families of the Class of 2028,

  Welcome to the fall term! I am excited to be taking on your Class of 2028 student starting this September! And I will be their assigned class dean until they walk across that stage on commencement day, a couple of years from now. While I was not assigned to the Class of 2028 from the very beginning of their Union journey, I have enjoyed engaging with many of them over the last academic year and I look forward to continuing to get to know the cohort over the next few years. With one year of college now under their belt, I am sure they are ready to take on more and grow further. As their class dean, I am available to help them navigate this second year as they continue to pursue their interests, their goals, and their dreams.

  It is important that your students explore different areas of interest as they develop a better idea of where they are headed. But as sophomores, one of the critical markers this year is declaring their major, if they haven’t already done so. If they haven't, your student should be thinking about declaring their major before the spring term. If they aren't sure about what to declare as a major, feel free to encourage them to come and see me. I am happy to discuss their interests and thoughts but also connect them to additional resources on campus that can help them make a decision. Sophomore year is pivotal in determining a major field of study because it will help them frame their plans for the next couple of years, which will no doubt fly by! If your student has already declared their major, staying on track and completing the common curriculum requirements this year will be extremely helpful in setting themselves up for their junior and senior years.

  The fall term is also filled with activity outside the classroom, and with the inauguration of President Elizabeth Kiss, there will be a lot of great energy, events, and excitement beyond that which is generated every school year with the beginning of a new academic year! I also want to highlight the Becker Career Center's 2025 Fall Career Fair, which is happening at the end of this month and is a good place for students to explore while practicing networking skills. So please encourage your student to register for it on Handshake and check out the organizations who will be there.

  I appreciate all the hard work and support you continue to provide your student and, I look forward to working with you and your student for a successful school year!

  Kind regards,

  Eun-sil Lee, Ph.D.

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• Message from Sharif Rosen, Dean for Class of 2029

  Dear Parents and Families of the Class of 2029,

  Welcome to the Union College community!

  My name is Sharif Rosen, and I serve as the Class Dean for the Class of 2029. I have the privilege of working with your students over the next four years as a primary source of advising and support during their undergraduate career.

  With the 2025-2026 academic year now underway, we know this is a period of significant change and transition for your new Union student – and you. In that spirit, as they begin their undergraduate journey here, I want to use this opportunity to share with you a few insights on some of what your student can expect in their first term at Union, including ways you might engage them about their experience.

  Of all the abilities your student brings to campus, none will serve them better than curiosity and openness. They are now immersed in a campus community filled with passionate individuals engaged in the widest possible range of academic, creative, and athletic endeavors. Whether in the classroom, lab, dining halls, residential spaces, performance spaces, court, rink or field, students can make lasting and meaningful connections even early into their Union experience. The diverse and multifaceted community that is Union offers your student myriad opportunities to learn, grow, and connect both in and out of the classroom. In this way, I invite you to continue to encourage your student to see every encounter and conversation with a peer, professor, and staff as an opportunity for discovery. Their capacity to unlock their fullest potential as Union students may in large part rest on their willingness to remain curious and open throughout their time here.

  Your student’s first year courses will cultivate that spirit. Union’s curriculum offers incredible breadth, but specialization comes later. First year students should take advantage of the chance to study new or unfamiliar topics, even if they know their intended major area of study. Scientists or engineers who study literature, or thespians fluent in the debates that animate the study of philosophy or politics become the critical thinkers, agile problem solvers, global citizens, and leaders that a Union education produces.

  Your student need not rush to decide on their major(s). There’s plenty of time for them to choose, namely spring term of sophomore year. Our wide curricular approach through their first couple of academic terms will help them refine their areas of interest, aided by regular consultation with their faculty advisor, me as their class dean, and the broad network of resources available to them. Again, your encouragement that they stay curious and open helps support the academic and extra-curricular goals of the Union experience. One of the ways I can work with your student is to assist them in exploring how to connect passion and purpose.

  This fall is already filled with highlights. Signature events like Club Expo on September 5 introduced the entire student body to the vast range of Union’s student clubs and organizations that offer endless opportunities to deepen their sense of belonging and connection. Consider checking with your student on how that experience was, and which clubs might have piqued their interest. Also that weekend, hundreds of Union students took part in our annual Toll Day of Community Engagement, one of many volunteer opportunities they have to connect with local organizations doing impactful work in the region. On October 9 - 11, Union celebrates the Inauguration of Elizabeth Kiss as our 20th President. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the multiday festivities marking the start of this significant new chapter in Union’s 230-year history. This term, we also opened the M & T Bank Center at Mohawk Harbor, a stunning new arena for our Division I Men’s and Women’s Hockey programs, which provides us another venue for showcasing and supporting our incredible student athletes. These are only some of the highlights that will mark an active fall term.

  Equally important, though less visible, are the ways your student will grow personally – through independence, reflection, friendships, and learning to navigate challenges. These moments may not appear on a transcript but will shape their capacity to thrive well beyond Union. As my own advising will always consider the whole student, we welcome you to continue to understand and engage your student around the sometimes less apparent but no less crucial aspects of their Union education.

  I close by extending on behalf of my colleagues and I our appreciation that you are entrusting us with your student during these formative years. We know that their readiness to succeed and thrive here is possible through the sacrifices and commitments you have made for them along the way. As this fall represents a new and most hopeful milestone in their lives, and yours, we look forward to the transformative and meaningful work ahead. I welcome you to reach out to me as questions or concerns arise – please encourage your student to do the same.

  With gratitude, and in partnership,

  Sharif Rosen

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