46 Academic Support and Services
Prelaw Advising Advisor: Associate Professor Bradley Hays (Political Science) Union College provides prelaw advising to students interested in graduate legal education. As a general rule, law schools do not require a specific major but instead look for academic success in a student’s chosen academic discipline. Given the many available academic paths to law school, prelaw advising is inclusive of general curricular and extracurricular guidance, insight into the Law School Admission Test and the application process, and aid in targeting appropriate law schools for admissions. Post Baccalaureate Fellowships and Scholarships The Office of Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships and Scholarships recruits and supports applicants for external, prestigious merit awards both during and after college. Students are recruited approximately six months to one year before the deadline for the award, usually based on academic success, faculty and administrator recommendations, and/or demonstrated impact on the community. During the application process, the director works closely with students to understand their goals and match opportunities to their needs, as well as oversee the application process. Union regularly supports students for awards such as the Rhodes Scholarship, the Marshall Scholarship, the Fulbright programs, the Watson Fellowship and many more. Registrar’s Office Registrar: Penelope Adey, Silliman Hall, 388-6109 www.union.edu/offices/registrar The Registrar’s Office oversees online registration, maintenance of student schedules, creation of course and final exam schedules, assignment of classrooms, grade entry , web advising, rank in class, Dean’s List, academic records, certification for graduation, transcript processing, certification of eligibility for veterans’ benefits, , etc. The Registrar’s Office also coordinates the reporting of student enrollment status and degree verification to the National Student Clearinghouse. Schaffer Library College Librarian: Frances Maloy, 388-6277 www.union.edu/Library Schaffer Library provides print and electronic information resources in a comfortable environment for reading, writing and conducting research. The library is open extended hours during the term and 24 hours/day, 7 days/week during exams. A friendly and knowledgeable staff assists the campus community with determining information needs, providing the necessary skills to effectively and efficiently find information, and evaluating those resources in an appropriate and ethical manner. The library has quiet study spaces, collaborative learning spaces (the “Learning Commons”) and production spaces furnished with both Apple and Windows workstations with a variety of software tools, scanners, printers, and other hardware. The Adirondack Research Library, located 4 miles from campus in the Kelly Adirondack Center, houses an extensive collection on the 20th century wilderness movement in New York State’s Adirondack Park. The Special Collections and Archives Department houses rare and unique materials that document the College’s history along with rare books and prints that are available for research upon request. The Mandeville Gallery, the College’s art collection and exhibitions program, is also managed by the Schaffer Library. Refer to the Schaffer Library website for additional information. Undergraduate Research Director: Associate Professor Kristin Fox, Wold Center 216, 388-6250
Special Curricular Opportunities 47
Students are encouraged to explore the many different ways that student-faculty collaborative scholarly activity is promoted at Union. All students complete a Sophomore or Scholars Research Seminar as part of the Common Curriculum. There are generous funds available to students for research opportunities including the Summer Undergraduate Research Fund which provides funds to over 50 students who work on independent projects with a sponsoring faculty member. The Student Research Grant program provides financial support for over 100 students every year for sophomore project, practicum and senior thesis/project work expenses. In addition, Union sends more than 40 students to meetings of professional societies and to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year to present their research results. More than 400 students take part in the annual Steinmetz Symposium, an annual celebration of student scholarly work, held in early May. Students communicate the results of their scholarly efforts through oral presentations, exhibits, posters, and performances. Writing Center Director: Mary Mar, Schaffer Library, 388-6680 The Writing Center offers help to Union students with all forms of writing: essays, reports, research papers, theses, personal statements, etc. The director and trained tutors are available to work with students to plan, organize, revise, or edit their writing to improve its structure, style, clarity, or overall effectiveness. Supporting the College’s mission to improve students’ writing and critical thinking skills, the Writing Center provides assistance to students of all ability levels and within all disciplines. Open afternoons and evenings from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon, no appointment is necessary.
Special Curricular Opportunities Scholars Program Director: Maggie Tongue, 388-8311 www.union.edu/offices/scholars The Union Scholars Program offers selected students an enriched educational experience. The Admissions Office, in conjunction with the Director of the Scholars Program, selects the candidates for the Scholars program. Specific features of the Scholars Program are a two-term sequence of honors courses beginning with a special Scholars Preceptorial (FPR-100H) followed by a Research Seminar (SCH-150), which is also taken in the first year; a two-term (one course credit) sophomore independent study project (295H-296H) with a professor of the student’s choosing; and, in the senior year, an optional Scholars Colloquium (SCH-400). To graduate as a Union Scholar a minimum of 38 courses is required. AP, IB and transfer courses which are accepted by Union College (see “Transfer Credit Policy”) may be used toward the total number of courses. Union Scholars may take one extra course each term at no extra cost, starting in the winter term of the first year, provided they maintain a GPA of 3.2 or better. These courses can be used to accelerate graduation. New opportunities for scholars, such as summer research fellowships and special classes, are available in selected years. Please note that Seward Interdisciplinary Fellows and NSFSTEM Scholars are also members of the Scholars program and must adhere to these policies unless an explicit exception is made. Seward Interdisciplinary Fellows Director: Maggie Tongue, 388-8311 www.union.edu/offices/scholars/seward-fellows