Blue House becomes Messa House

---

Blue House of North College will be renamed Messa House at noon on Sat., May 29 as a part of the Reunion Weekend celebrations.

---

By Benjamin Engle

Blue House, one of the seven Minerva Houses at Union College, will be renamed during ReUnion weekend to recognize a $2 million unrestricted gift to the college by Frank L. Messa '73, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and his wife, Colleen Messa.

Blue House will be renamed Messa House during an official dedication ceremony on Sat., May 29, at noon. The Messas chose Blue House to rename because of their family's connection to the Minerva; their daughter Keri Messa '08 was a member of Blue House.

Messa, who retired as senior vice president for International Strategies at the Ayco Company, a local tax and financial consulting firm, earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in Political Science from Union in 1973 and received a J.D. degree from Albany Law School in 1976. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was a finalist for the Albert C. Ingham Prize, given to the student in social sciences with the most outstanding scholarly work.

Though Messa graduated 37 years ago, he has been an active alumnus. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1994, serving as chairman since 2007. Messa is co-chair of the "You are Union" fundraising campaign and led the Presidential Selection Committee for Union's 18th president, Stephen Ainlay.

The gift by the Messas is just one part of the college's "You are Union" campaign, which according to the Alumni Relations website, has raised $183.1 million as of March 31. The "You are Union" campaign is to support projects outlined in the college's Strategic Plan and was recently expanded, setting a new fundraising goal of $250 million by 2012.

As part of the campaign, the college's goal is to raise $191 million by June 30.

"[The gift] is an extremely generous act of support by a loyal Union family. It says a great deal about their confidence in the college. This gift follows years of support - commitments of time, expertise, and financial resources - including the Messa hockey rink. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board and so he knows that this gift comes at a critical time," Ainlay said. "It shows his confidence in Union and the strategic direction that we are pursuing. Through this gift, the family demonstrates its belief that Union is making a difference."

According to the Feb. Board of Trustees Report by Mr. Messa, the gift will be his second major campaign gift. "The gift will further one of the important initiatives in our Strategic Plan and provide much needed capital to the college during the ongoing financial crisis."

"[The gift] comes at a time when the economic downturn has led many people to be cautious," President Ainlay added. "I hope that the Messa gift will be inspirational to others. As an unrestricted gift, it allows the college to direct much needed financial support to areas of greatest need."

In addition to this contribution, the Messa family has been generous in their donations to the College in the past. The family has provided the funds for the renovation of Frank L. Messa Rink at Achilles Center, the renovation of Schaffer Library, the establishment of the Frank Messa '73 Endowed Scholarship, and the Steinway Piano Fund for the new Taylor Music Center.

Established in 2004, the Minerva Program is made up of seven houses and was created to expand the educational and social experiences of students, faculty, and staff. When they were originally created, each Minerva House was named for a color; however, they were renamed in honor of donors who gave significant contributions to the college.

Chronologically, the houses were renamed Wold House (John '38 and Jane Wold), Golub House (William Golub '26, from son Neil), Beuth House (Philip Beuth '54), Sorum House in 2005 (Christina Sorum, dean of faculty and vice president of Academic Affairs who died in 2005, from Paul Sorum), and Breazzano House in 2007 (David Breazzano '78).

Of the original seven Minerva Houses, Green House is the final house in the program that has not been renamed.

While there are no specific plans to rename Green House at this time, President Ainlay is optimistic that the gift by the Messa family will inspire others to donate to the College during these tough economic times.

"We continue discussions with other donors about the naming of Green House," Ainlay commented. "Our intention is to have it named as well before the end of the current Capital Campaign."

In honor of the renaming of Blue House, the Minerva will host a big party to celebrate the new name after the fireworks display on Library Field during ReUnion Weekend. Open to the entire campus, the Messa House event will have fried dough, slushies, popcorn, and other carnival-style activities.

"Having 6 of the 7 houses named is a big accomplishment," Dean Thomas McEvoy added, "and I would really like to thank the Messa family for their generous contribution."McEvoy is the director of the Minerva program.

Messa House is governed by a council that is elected at the end of each winter term. The council, which is open to all Messa House members, works to create both intellectual and social events as well as create a home-away-from-home feeling for the campus community. It meets on Thursdays at 9 p.m. in the house and is open to the entire campus community.

"We're inclusive. Over the years we've worked hard to reach out to everyone in the Union community and let them know that they are welcome. We try to keep the physical condition and social feeling of the house comfortable," Blue House Faculty Representative Shelton Schmidt said.

"While being at Union I have come to consider Blue House my home. I know that I will continue to come back and visit Messa house and feel the same way because it is a place with a lot of heart!" added outgoing Council Chair, Tamara Linde '10. "When it comes down to it, we don't Messa-round!"

Originally Published in Union's Concordy on 4/8/10

Presidential Green Grants Awarded

From www.union.edu---Union News---

http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=8658

Green Grants reward sustainability projects

Projects ranging from a solar-powered water heating system for Achilles Center to increasing campus trolley ridership were selected Wednesday as winners of the Presidential Green Grants. The grant initiative, now in its second year, is aimed at supporting environmentally sustainable projects at Union.

"Sustainability is something we have to be committed to at Union," said President Stephen C. Ainlay, who highlighted seven projects that will share $12,000 in grants. "We have a unique connection with and respect for history. But we are never bound by that. We also pursue innovation and these innovative projects are the type of things that will carry us into the future."

The Green Grants are just one way in which the U Sustain Committee is promoting sustainable operations, increasing environmental awareness, and reducing the College's impact on the environment.

President Stephen C. Ainlay stands with winners of the 2009 Presidential Green Grants.

Close

Enlarge President Stephen C. Ainlay stands with winners of the 2009 Presidential Green Grants.

The 2008 Green Grant winners included projects ranging from an innovative way to clean car exhaust to the design of a micro-wind turbine.

"These project have had measurable benefits for Union," said Jeffrey Corbin, professor of biology and leader of the sustainability committee. "These grants support our intellectual endeavours to make contributions to the environment."

The 2009 Green Grant winners and their project goals are:

Paul DeBiase, Printing Center manager: “Reduction of detergent into our sewer systems with the use of a new green product – ‘True Green 2 Laundry Washing Ball’”

Goal: To eliminate the flow of potentially harmful detergent from campus washing machines into sewers.

Benjamin Engle '12: “Rock beats paper: Replacing a traditional bulletin board”

Goal: Replace the Reamer Center bulletin board near the Post Office with a chalkboard to reduce paper waste. The board lists Minerva House events.

Kim Plofker '11: Protecting greens, harvesting rain: Sustainability improvements for the Octopus’s Garden organic gardening project”

Goal: To fence in the campus community garden to protect crops from insects and animals.

Paul Herbert '10: “Binding of Perflourochemicals to serum albumin: A mechanistic evaluation of spectroscopic measurements”

Goal: A joint research project with Professor Laura McManus-Spencer aimed at perflourochemicals found in many common consumer goods. Such chemcials bind with human proteins and accumulate in the body. The project aims measure the uptake and accumulation perflourochemicals.

Isaac Rogers : “Increasing ridership of the Campus Trolley – The Trolley Tracking Project”

Goal: To create a Web-based trolley tracking system that will allow riders to pinpoint the trolley's location using a portable computer or hand-held devices.

Gareth Lewis : “The research, design and production of a sun-tracking solar thermal system for the Union College Achilles Center”

Goal: To study and create a preliminary design for a solar-powered water heater in Achilles Center.

Erin Delman '12 and Jill Falchi '10: “Campus Kitchens Project”

Goal: To package unused Dining Services food and donate food for delivery to area homeless shelters.

Shaping the future for U: The administration's big plans for change in the coming years

By Benjamin Engle

In the spring of 2006, Union College was determined to develop a document to define a vision and direction for the College. The finalized document, "A Strategic Plan for Union College," was affirmed by the Board of Trustees at their February 2007 meeting.

According to President Stephen Ainlay's letter that prefaced the Plan, this program "can serve to unify us further, giver coherence to our educational mission, point to elements that differentiate us, and move us into the future."

The origins of the Strategic Plan came about in 2006 when a planning group made up of representatives of the trustees, administration, faculty, students and alumni began collecting information about Union's environment and opinions from the campus community regarding the College's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. After identifying the issues surrounding the College, the planning group created possible strategies to address those questions.

The questions that the planning group faced are reflected in the Strategic Plan through the document's structure. The Plan is comprised of six elements, three of which are "foundational" and three of which are "differentiators."

"All of these elements are important to our future. They were when we drafted the plan and they remain so today," Ainlay said. "Each foundational and differentiating element has a number of sub-elements that give specificity to the plan."

Foundational elements are considered by the College to be important to the foundation of any effective liberal arts institution of Union's caliber. The Plan defines the foundational elements to be academic quality, an optimal learning environment and the wise stewardship of resources.

The issue of academic quality is to formulate strategies to maintain the College's academic strengths while addressing areas that need improvement. The Plan's goal in this subject is to maintain the foundation of Union's identity, "Our goal is to educate intellectually engaged, innovative, and open-minded citizens of the world, who will, as Eliphalet Nott urged, carry their humanity with them into that world."

Through an optimal learning environment, the Plan's goal is to develop a "Union of people and ideas" where members of the campus community will value inclusiveness and have concern for the well-being of others. Additionally, the Plan states that in order to achieve this "more perfect Union," the College must preserve and enhance its resources.

Elements that are differentiators are core aspects that set the College apart from other schools and give it its own identity. The differentiators are "we are small yet global and diverse," "we are committer to integrating engineering with the liberal arts," and "we are about innovation inspired by our historic past."

"The differentiators are aimed at drawing attention to things that make us distinctive among our peers," Ainlay explained. "I like it that the differentiators all involve a tension. This creative tension is part of what makes Union an exciting place to work and study."

While it has been almost three years since the Board of Trustees affirmed the Strategic Plan, the document continues to be the guiding force behind the future of Union College.

"The Plan was never intended to be 'placed on a shelf' when it was completed," said Ainlay, "Instead, it was intended to be a living document that guided the practices of the College. I'm pleased to say it does just that."

Currently, the College uses the Plan as a guide when making decisions about general college planning as well as practices determined in the various committees that meet on campus. Additionally, the Strategic Plan is a guide for setting specific goals for College fundraising and campus-wide initiatives.

In addition to students and faculty working to use the Strategic Plan as a guide for the future, the Board of Trustees understands the importance of having the Plan on campus as a living document.

"The Board continues to focus on implementation," said Board of Trustees Chair Frank L. Messa '73, "At every Board meeting some component of the Strategic Plan is highlighted for analysis and discussion at the full Board meeting."

Some goals that have been implemented as a result of the Strategic Plan include the general improvement of the Becker Career Center, establishing the Office of Minerva Programs, and obtained New York State approval for several new and existing interdisciplinary programs including Asian Studies (formerly East Asian Studies), Bioengineering, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, and added the Computational track in Neuroscience.

As a result of the new and improved Environmental Policy and Environmental Science majors, the Plan helped improve campus sustainability and the protection of natural resources. Through this initiative, the College has created U-Sustain, a campus committee of students, staff, and faculty to identify sustainable priorities for Union. The initiative also led to the establishment of Presidential Green Grants that has supported eco-friendly projects including the expansion of the Octopus' Organic Garden (across from Golub House), support for the construction of the Straw Bale house in Octopus' Garden, an energy audit of Golub House and Fox Hall, as well as other student and faculty-driven initiatives.

Additionally, the College has used the Plan to guide itself through the economic downturn.

"The Plan has become even more important in the face of the economic crisis that has gripped the world generally and higher education specifically," Ainlay said, "We refer to the plan frequently when discussing cost-saving initiatives. We are careful not to make any decisions that would compromise the aims of the Strategic Plan."

Union has also used the Strategic Plan to create a more diverse campus atmosphere, which is evident in the fact that the Class of 2013 is the most diverse in the College's history.

"The Plan's emphasis on diversity led to the creation of a multi-faith prayer and meditation room, the appointment of the Senior Director for Campus Diversity and Affirmative Action, and the appointment of the Director of Multicultural Affairs and her office in the Reamer Campus Center," added Ainlay.

Another example of the Strategic Plan's impact on Union can be seen through work done by the College on facilities. The Plan is guiding the College on how to improve the Campus while maintaining architect Joseph Ramée's original plan.

"Under the element 'wise stewardship of resources' the plan talks about preserving our historic campus and reinvesting in facilities to ensure they support our academic objectives," Ainlay stated. "This led us to plan the new Peter Irving Wold Center for Science and Engineering. Consistent with the plan, we will renew and renovate a number of other buildings on campus over the next few years."

As the College looks towards the future, the Strategic Plan remains an important tool for improving all aspects of Union.

"We have made significant progress on every one of the foundational and differentiating elements. In fact, I ask each one of my Vice Presidents to report activities aimed at advancing the Strategic Plan and I, in turn, report these to the Board of Trustees which remains very supportive of the Plan and the direction articulated within the Plan," Ainlay said. "I, like the Board, believe the Plan has it right. These are the elements we need to pursue to make Union the place we want it to be and to make Union a destination of choice for students."

"We have accomplished much, even in the face of economic challenges, but there is much more work to be done," Ainlay added. "The Strategic Plan will continue to direct us as we move ahead."

Originally published in Union's Concordy on 10/29/09

Analysis Reveals Effects of Economic Downturn

By Benjamin Engle

Union College officials are closely monitoring the news of the economic crisis after the results of its internal financial stress analysis.

At the September meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, the Trustees decided to have the Finance and Administration staff conduct an analysis of the college’s financial weaknesses.

The stress analysis considered factors such as unemployment rates, stock market and credit market performance, and how Union families are being affected into consideration. In addition, the Finance and Administration department took into account the declining amount of wealth of its families and the potential for increases in financial aid need.

During the winter break, President Stephen Ainlay issued a message to the Union community regarding the state of the economy and its effect on Union. In his letter, Ainlay stated, “…Union College is by no means isolated from the effects of the economic downturn, and this has commanded a great deal of our time and attention in recent months.”

According to Diane Blake, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Union’s endowment, like most colleges and universities, has taken a hit. The value of Union’s endowment has declined by 25%, a drop of $100 million since June 30, 2008. At the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the endowment was $400 million, however, because of the economic events, as of December 31, 2008, the endowment stood at $300 million.
Nevertheless, “Our endowment has performed better than most,” Ainlay wrote. “While we too have realized losses, we have consistently outperformed the S&P and composite index in 2008 year-to-date.”

Even though 15% of Union’s $130 million budget is comprised of income from the value of the endowment, Blake is optimistic, “The downturn wont hit us today, but it can hit us later. Our best hope is for the market to go up for the year ending June 30th.”
Because of the uncertainty of the market and the future value of the endowment, the President and Board of Trustees have delayed the budget presentation and approval process. In past years, the Board of Trustees has usually approved the next year’s budget at their February meeting. In order to ensure that they don’t make any rash or sudden moves, the 2010 budget will tentatively be approved at the May meeting of the Board of Trustees.

In preparation for next year’s budget, Blake and her staff are investigating various strategies that won’t affect Union’s day-to-day operations, however, they are being cautious. In preparation for next year’s budget, the college has set a hiring freeze and is not filling many open positions.

The Board of Trustees will analyze these different strategies at their February meeting, as well as make difficult decisions, including the fate of the new 35,000 square foot Peter Irving Wold Science and Engineering building to be built in the area between Olin, Science and Engineering, Schaffer Library, and Social Sciences
“We at Union are hesitant to act irrationally,” Blake stated. “We already maximize our resources and stretch the budget pretty far. We make sure we have the facts before we make decisions.”

Recently, college layoffs have spiked across the country. According to a December survey of over 200 public and private colleges and universities by the Chronicle of Higher Education and Moody's Investors, 11% of schools had laid off employees and an additional 26% of schools were considering layoffs. Locally, RPI has come under much criticism for laying off 98 employees in an effort to handle their economic problems. The Albany Times Union reported that RPI was the only capital region college to conduct layoffs so far.

According to Blake, Union is not considering following RPI by laying anyone off at this point.

“We value community and commitment. Layoffs [are] not on the table,” Blake said.
While Blake believes that any money lost in the endowment is a loss and is hard to recover, she is looking ahead relatively positive, “Budget 2010 will be a tight year but we do not expect a shortfall.”

Even though the 2010 budget is not expected to have a short fall, the Department of College Relations is working hard to ensure that Alumni giving stay stable. According to Nick Famulare ’92, Director of Alumni Relations, in 2008, there were approximately 8,300 donors to Union with a 41% alumni participation rate. During the course of 2008, Union took in approximately $27 million.

However, the economic problems have not spared Alumni giving.

“No question about it, like our peer colleges, the downturn has affected donor participation and gifts to the institution,” Famulare said.

According to Famulare, Union is behind in both donor participation and general gifts to the institution. Alumni are being more cautious because of the uncertainty of the economy and of their jobs. While Alumni are being more conservative in their giving, Famulare believes that donors will come back in a few months and may still donate when the economy improves.

Famulare is optimistic that Alumni and community donations will return to pre-downturn level, “Union has been around for over 200 years, with an annual fund that is one of the oldest in the country. Alumni have rallied before to support Union during troubled times and I am confident they will do so again.”

As President Ainlay stated in both his fall letter to the community and in December, he believes that Union is in a good position in the educational market place.

“…We will not jeopardize the quality of the Union experience or compromise in any way the health and safety of our community,” Ainlay wrote. “The bottom line is that, despite the economic downturn, Union remains strong.”

Originally published in Union's Concordy on January 22, 2009.

Union Faces Economic Challenges

Benjamin Engle

While Union College lies 166 miles north of the New York Stock Exchange, the problems affecting the global markets have reached Union’s administration. The economic crisis currently affecting the United States and countries around the world has pushed Union to take a closer at the financial status of its students and of the institution overall.

Like most major corporations and businesses, Colleges across the United States have been forced to monitor their assets and budgets. Some schools, in order to save money, have instituted spending freezes to ensure that they do not exceed their already tight budgets and tuition freezes to ensure that students can continue to afford their education.

In response to the recent troubles and uncertainty of the economy, President Stephen C. Ainlay shared his views on the situation through an e-mail sent to faculty and staff members indicating how the economy is affecting Union.

“Union College is by no means isolated from the effects of the economic downturn,” Ainlay wrote. “All of us are personally affected and it would be irresponsible of us if we didn’t anticipate the potential affects on our institutional operations.”

Through his letter, Ainlay explained that Union’s Financial and Administration staff will monitor the affects of the endowment and the Board of Trustees Executive Committee is analyzing the College’s weak financial points.

As the Concordiensis went to press, the Finance and Administration staff failed to return multiple requests for interviews, however, President Ainlay made it clear in his letter that Union’s finances are strong.

“Our endowment has performed better than most [and] we did not have any investments in the Common Fund (which has caused problems for other institutions),” Ainlay stated.

In addition to the College’s financial outlook, Union’s Financial Aid office is actively going though “what if” scenarios to ensure that it can properly provide financial assistance to eligible students.

“Both the Finance and Financial Aid Offices are assessing the current economic situation and how that may impact our students. We are prepared to continue to help students and families in the event they are feeling the effects of the downturn in the economy. Despite the recent increase in unemployment, we have not experienced a corresponding increase in additional aid requests from families thus far” said Linda Parker, the Director of Financial Aid.

Parker believes that while the increasing percentage of those unemployed will affect Union families, the Financial Aid Department hasn’t seen an increase in the number of families requesting additional financial aid.

“We will continue to make Union an affordable place for students to learn,” Parker said.

However, even if the college’s endowment decreases or budget cuts occur, Parker is confident that Union will not reduce the amount of financial aid offered to eligible students.

“We will continue to meet the demonstrated financial need of our students, but in light of the expected increase in unemployment combined with losses that families have sustained in the stock market, going forward we realize it may not be business as usual, and we are actively preparing for those possible scenarios,” added Parker.
Currently, over half of the students at Union receive financial assistance. The average Union scholarship, according to the Financial Aid office, is approximately $20,800 and is determined through various applications. With the economic problems affecting the entire nation and forefront in the news, Parker expects an increase in financial aid applications next year. Applications for financial aid for new students are due February 1st while returning students must apply by April 15th.
With the economy not getting better anytime soon, Union is investigating how to deal with the financial crunch in the future, nonetheless, President Ainlay is anticipating financial problems.

“At the institutional level, there is no doubt that we will face some financial challenges, Ainlay wrote. “Union remains strong…We will continue to move ahead and make a difference.”

Originally published in Union's Concordy on October 30, 2008.

College Administrators Debate Drinking Age

Benjamin Engle

130 college and university presidents, including those of Colgate, Hamilton, Dartmouth, Duke, and Tufts, have come together to sign a petition to open up a national debate to rethink the drinking age and possibly change it from 21 to 18.

In July of 2008, John McCardell, President Emeritus of Middlebury College, established the Amethyst Initiative after consulting with numerous college and university presidents and hearing that the current drinking age is routinely ignored on their campuses.

The group believes that since it is illegal for most students to drink on campus, a “culture of dangerous, clandestine ‘binge-drinking’…has developed.” The petition also states that the current drinking age is hypocritical since adults under 21 are permitted to vote, sign contracts, enlist in the military, but are not allowed to consume alcohol.

The law that the group wants changed is the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Passed by Congress in 1984, the law imposed a penalty of 10% of a state’s federal highway money for any state that had a drinking age below 21. With millions of dollars at stake, all states obliged and increased their drinking age.

While 130 presidents have signed the Amethyst Initiative petition, President Ainlay has not.

“I disagree with this cynical view of the petition and its signers,” President Ainlay said, “I know many of them and know they are genuinely concerned with excessive abuse of alcohol on their campuses and they believe there is a need for more discussion about what needs to be done to address it.”

Even though he hasn’t signed the petition, President Ainlay, has been following the debate closely, “This is an issue of concern for me as President at Union. In fact, I was asked to address a national conference in Boston as part of a presidential panel. As I told the audience, I believe that there needs to be a national discourse on the problem of substance abuse and its consequences.”

While Dean Steve Leavitt disagrees with the premises of the initiative, he believes that the current drinking age puts the college in an awkward position, “We must follow the law, but we know students drink on campus illegally. If the drinking age was 18, it would make my life easier.”

His main concern, however, is binge drinking. “Binge drinking is bigger than the drinking age,” Dean Leavitt said. “Drinking fast in a room wouldn’t go away if students could legally drink.”

According to Leavitt, in a large-scale college survey done every spring regarding binge drinking, Union is ranked worse than other schools. He believes that while the culture varies from region to region, it makes sense that Union is ranked poorly, “The combination of being in the Northeast region of the United States, having a campus dominated by Greek life, and having a competitive sports program makes it not surprising that Union is higher than average in terms of alcohol.”

The Interfraternity Council, which is made up of nine fraternities at Union, is in favor of the Amethyst Initiative. “We base this position on the belief that from an educational standpoint, an 18 year old should have the opportunity to discuss drinking issues openly without fear of any repercussions,” said Brandon Botto, President of the Interfraternity Council.

Botto added, “Within the current college community, the 21 age limit has not hindered drinking dramatically enough to outweigh the apparent benefits of an 18 year old drinking age. In all, developmental aspects of student life would greatly benefit from this discussion.”

Despite the call for a lower drinking age, many believe it wont change the culture of drinking, “People would still binge to get to a place that makes them happy,” said Director of Residential Life Molly MacElroy. “Nothing would change at the frats because students know that they can’t get enough alcohol there to get drunk.”

Campus Safety, which deals with alcohol-related incidents often on campus, has invested in additional staff to address problem drinking and is collecting data to provide answers to the issue. Director of Safety and Security William Sickinger, who opposes lowering the drinking age to 18, agrees with the Amethyst Initiative’s call for discussion on how to deal with the problem of irresponsible drinking by young people.

Sickinger believes that the point system is effective since it helps the college focus on drinking issues, “The point system at Union is a step that at least gets a student thinking about the issue of possible consequences of inappropriate behavior.”

While disciplining students and giving out points is an unpleasant part of her job, it is a learning experience for students, “College is a place to learn how to manage alcohol,” MacElroy said. “Our goal is to help students if they choose to use alcohol.”

While President Ainlay has not signed the Amethyst Initiative’s petition, he is currently asking for recommendations and thoughts from the administration, “Our campuses need to discuss it, colleges and universities and their host cities need to discuss it, and there needs to be more discussion on a variety of strategies at national meetings of educators.”

Originally published in Union's Concordy on October 9, 2008.