FYE SUMMER NEWSLETTER EDITION 5!
Summer is already flying by, the beginning of your college experience is just weeks away, and we are gearing up to welcome you on Move-In Day and at Orientation. This year, we’re especially excited for our recharged orientation program, filled with new opportunities to connect with your classmates, build community, and explore all that Union has to offer. The orientation program focuses on helping students feel comfortable and confident - academically, socially, and personally - from their very first day.
As a reminder, Move-in Day for the Class of 2029 will take place on Friday, August 29, 2025. Orientation programming will continue from Move-in Day through Tuesday, September 2, and again on Saturday, September 6 for John Calvin Toll Day of Community Engagement.
As part of this program, students will have the opportunity to join a Shared Experience, a day long activity or outing taking place on Sunday, August 31st. Shared Experiences, designed to help new students connect with their classmates and Orientation Leaders (OLs), explore the area, and build community, will be led by Union faculty and staff and offer a variety of fun and meaningful ways to start your time at Union. Be on the lookout as we will share details soon and ask students to rank their preferences for the Shared Experiences they would like to participate in.
As always, we are just an email or phone call away if you have questions about anything. We’re happy to help and are looking forward to meeting you in person soon (hopefully some of you at First-Year Spark on July 26th)! Don't hesitate to reach out, feel free to email or call 518-388-6061.
AILEEN SCHATZ
Director of the First-Year Experience
403E Reamer Campus Center
firstyearexperience@union.edu | schatza@union.edu | 518.388.6061
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If you missed our previous newsletters, no worries! You can find them on the First-Year Experience website, toward the bottom of the page, under Class of 2029 Summer Communications. All newsletters will be posted there as they go out. |
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YOU'RE INVITED: FIRST-YEAR SPARK – SATURDAY, JULY 26!
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There is still time to register for First-Year Spark!
A special summer meet & greet event for the Class of 2029 and incoming transfer students!
Saturday, July 26
2:00 - 7:00 PM
Union College Campus
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Can’t make it in person? Don't worry, we will also host a virtual meet and greet on Tuesday, July 29th at 7PM EST so you can still connect with us and some of your classmates. Students, if you'd like to receive an invite to the virtual meet and greet, please add your name and Union email address here!
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FIRST-YEAR PARKING REQUEST
Beginning Fall 2025, first-year students will be permitted to apply to register a vehicle on campus. The fee for vehicle registration is $150. Students must complete the form linked here, to request consideration for parking. The deadline to make a request to be reviewed before the start of the Fall term is August 4, 2025. Students will be asked a variety of questions about their vehicle usage. Commuter Students who plan to drive to campus must also complete the parking request form and indicate they are a commuter student.
Once all upper-level students have registered their vehicles, the remaining student spaces will be utilized for members of the incoming class. There is no guarantee of parking for any student, and it is critically important that students do not bring a car to campus until they receive written confirmation of the ability to register the vehicle. Students must park in designated lots; Vehicles parked on city streets or in unauthorized lots will be ticketed and/or towed, and parking privileges will be revoked.
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RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION AND HOUSING
Catie Straube, Director of Residential Education and Housing
Thank you to everyone who completed their first-year housing registration form or commuter exemption application. There are only a few days remaining to match with a preferred roommate. As a reminder, the roommate matching portion of your housing portal closes on July 15th, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
Our office is diligently working to review all completed commuter exemption applications and submitted registrations to determine housing assignments for you. We expect these assignments to be available no later than August 1, 2025. As you prepare your packing lists, we ask you to take a moment to review our packing list and prohibited items list.
Questions? Visit the Residential Education webpage, email or call us at (518) 388-6117.
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READY TO LAUNCH: A CONVERSATION FOR NEW UNION PARENTS
Parents and family supporters, don't forget to join us on July 15th at 7pm EST for Ready to Launch: A Conversation for New Union Parents, a supportive and informative webinar designed to help parents and family supporters feel more prepared for the journey ahead.
This webinar will offer candid advice, thoughtful perspectives, and helpful guidance for navigating the first-year experience alongside your student. We’ll talk about what to expect, how to support your student from afar, and how to navigate some of the important aspects of this transition, both for your student and for you. If you’d like to join us for this live webinar, please register here.
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REGISTRAR
Sarah Farsad, Registrar
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. You can learn more about these rights and what they include here.
Questions? Contact us via email or call (518) 388-6016.
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PLACEMENT EXAMS
As a reminder, Math, Chemistry, and Physics placement exams must be completed by July 15th.
Math Placement Exam: All students are required to complete the Math Placement Exam.
Chemistry Placement Exam: All students contemplating a science major, a pre-health track major, or a mechanical engineering or biomedical engineering major – as well as students in the LIM program – must take the Chemistry Placement Exam.
Physics Placement Exam: All students contemplating an engineering major, a science major, or a pre-health track major – as well as students in the LIM program – must take the Physics Placement Exam.
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MEET THE MEMBERS OF THE ORIENTATION COMMITTEE!
Each edition of our summer newsletter will introduce you to one of the six student leaders on our Orientation Committee (OC). These dedicated upper-class students work closely with the Office of First-Year Experience to help plan Orientation and support your transition to Union. They’ve been in your shoes and are here to make sure you feel welcomed, supported, and excited for what’s ahead!
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MEET MASON!
Hey! My name is Mason Lang, and I will be a senior this coming year at Union. In addition to being a part of the Orientation Committee, I am also actively engaged across many different communities within Union such as our Varsity Track and Field Team, Club Baseball Team, Greek Life, as well as holding a work study position on campus. I am super excited to meet with you all next month and help to create the best orientation experience possible! If you have any questions or any concerns at all please feel free to reach out to me at langm@union.edu!
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Major: Biomedical Engineering & Chinese
Best Piece of Advice for New Students: Every once in a while take a deep breath, step back and reflect. You are doing incredible things, make sure not to overlook them!
Favorite Union Tradition: One of my favorite traditions at Union is Steinmetz Day. This day is an opportunity to celebrate and explore your fellow student's research or projects. It is a very eye-opening day, which changes your perspective on what is possible at Union. My favorite part about this day is seeing my classmates not just as students, but as researchers, problem solvers, and creators.
Fun Fact About Me: I studied abroad in Taiwan last fall.
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UNION PARENTS & FAMILY PROGRAM
Noelle Marchaj '05, Director of Family Philanthropy
Ashley Breslin, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, and Advancement Events
We hope you'll join us for one of Union's Summer Welcome Receptions. These family events are hosted by alumni and current parents. Each event is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow members of the Class of 2029 and their families, as well as Union leadership, current students, alumni and College staff.
Register for the 2025 Welcome Receptions
North Andover, MA
Date: Wednesday, July 30th
Hosts: Emily and Mark '88 Webster P'23 P'26
Time: 6 - 8 pm
Armonk, NY
Date: Thursday, July 31st
Hosts: Piper '95 and Roger '94 Smith P '26
Time: 6 - 8 pm
*Event address will be provided in the registration confirmation email.
Don't forget to check out the Parents and Families website to learn more about how you can create your connection to Union.
For questions, please contact Noelle.
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FINANCIAL AID
Linda Parker, Director of Financial Aid
Students who are receiving need-based financial aid should have received notification from our
office requesting additional information to verify income and finalize the financial aid offer.
To ensure that the financial aid award is confirmed prior to our first billing cycle on July 11th,
forward the required information to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible.
If work-study was offered as part of the financial aid package, students should apply for 1-2
positions before August 1st! Students can review open positions on our Student Careers site and learn how to apply on our website. Our office will be sending emails prior to the start of classes
indicating other employment details.
Questions? Email or call (518) 388- 6123.
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ACCOMMODATIVE SERVICES
As we mentioned in our previous newsletters, if you are a student with a documented disability who will need accommodations for the upcoming school year, you will need to register with the Accommodative Services Office and upload your supporting documentation for our review. Details on this process and timeline can be found on our Accommodative Services Website. Students are encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible so that accommodations can be in place when classes begin in September.
For a more detailed overview of the Accommodative Services Office, including important information about your application and the services we provide, please view our Accommodative Services Overview for New Students video.
Accommodative Services will host a brief orientation session for incoming students registered with their office on First-Year Move-In Day, August 29 from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
Questions? Email accommodations@union.edu or call 518-388-8785.
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Robin Olinsky, Class Dean and International Student Advising
July’s drop-in Zoom advising sessions will take place on July 10, July 17, and July 31 from 8:30am-9am Eastern. No pre-registration is required, join here.
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We encourage you to check out our Charging Up Your First Year podcast series throughout the summer. New episodes will be released bi-weekly on Wednesdays. Our first episode released on May 21st. Throughout each episode, you will have the opportunity to learn about different topics and offices on campus and hear about what to expect when you arrive on campus. Our current students will even share some of their favorite things about Union and tips and tricks to help you with your transition to the College. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio.
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