Athletics

Bursar's Office

Winter 2027 Term Charges

Students with outstanding balances from Fall 2026 or Winter 2027 bills or those who have not signed up for a winter payment plan will be administratively withdrawn. An administrative withdrawal cancels a student’s winter term housing assignment and unenrolls a student from their winter term classes until the bill is resolved.

Spring 2027 Term Charges

More information about payment information and options can be found here.

Career Center

If your student is looking for ways to stay engaged and gain experience this winter break, encourage them to explore these skill building resources:

Class Deans

Encourage your student to check their final exam schedules now, if they haven’t already done so! Professors won’t adjust exams days and times to accommodate a student’s travel plans. 

Students can access their fall term grades through Self-Service at the end of November. We recommend asking your student to log in and show you directly, since grades are not sent to families. Regardless of the grades, ask your student what they’re proud of, what challenged them, and what they’ve learned about themselves as a student this term. This is also a great time to discuss what they might do differently in the winter term. 

Each term, the College reviews all student academic records for both achievements and areas of concern. Once grades are posted, student performance is evaluated to determine eligibility for academic honors and to ensure satisfactory progress toward graduation. Dean’s List is awarded at the end of each academic year to students who meet the criteria outlined in the Academic Catalog. The Subcouncil on the Academic Standing of Students reviews the records of any student whose cumulative or term GPA falls below 2.00, or whose academic progress raises concerns—particularly within their major. If a student receives an academic standing outcome, their Class Dean will reach out after receiving the Subcouncil’s decision to help students understand the finding and develop a plan for future academic success.

If you have any questions or concerns about your student’s academic performance, please contact their Class Dean.

Dining

Union Dining has had an exciting and overflowing calendar of dining events so far this term! From globally influenced menu specials and mood-boosting pop-ups to heritage celebrations and cooking classes, we’re proud to support your students with nutritious meals that help them stay focused, energized, and ready to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and across campus. As we head into winter break, we're reaching out to help keep you informed of our ongoing initiatives.

Senior Wellness Coordinator, McKenzie Simmons

Senior Wellness Coordinator McKenzie Simmons has been a tremendous addition to the Union Dining team! She is a former student-athlete with a master's degree in nutrition and dietetics. She loves meeting with students to build healthful habits that feel realistic and achievable in the long-term. Living with Celiac disease, she understands the importance of navigating food allergies on a busy schedule or just trying to feel your best day-to-day. McKenzie is in the cafés daily and always available to talk about meal plans, dietary needs, or even just offer nutrition advice. You and your students can reach her at simmonsm@union.edu.

If your student would ever like support managing their dietary needs, our team is available to provide individual assistance. With specialized training in food allergens and dietary restrictions, our chefs can ensure students receive food that supports their needs each and every day Students can reach out directly to our Senior Wellness Coordinator McKenzie Simmons or ask a manager in the dining hall at any time to speak with a chef. 

Grab and Go meals in the C-Store

Is your student in need of evening nourishment? Our GO program is designed to offer them quick, healthful, and fresh options, even until 9 p.m. We use the same high-quality ingredients and techniques as we do at our full-service stations and exercise the same attention to detail. We also offer grab and go meals prepared at our SimplyOASIS station, which are made without the use of top-9 allergens plus gluten-containing ingredients. If students ever have questions at the C-Store, we invite them to speak with our cashiers, who will be glad to assist them.

Student Dining Advisory Committee

If your students want to share feedback and suggestions about their dining experience to help us continue to create a positive experience, we invite them to join our Student Dining Advisory Committee. We hold bi-weekly meetings with our Director of Dining, Director of Operations, Senior Wellness Coordinator and Dining Marketing Specialist. Students can find the meeting invites and details on Instagram or posted in the cafés.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your student’s Union experience. We’re proud to prepare meals from scratch and work to make each dining experience a bright spot in their day.

Eppler-Wolff Counseling Center

Supporting Your Student Through Finals and the Transition Home

The next few weeks will bring increased stress, fatigue, and pressure to perform well academically for your student. Projects and papers during the final weeks of the term certainly add up. Parents and families can play an important role in supporting their student’s mental health by encouraging balance, offering perspective, and reminding them to take care of themselves. Remind your student to take regular breaks, eat balanced meals, stay hydrated, and get adequate sleep. These simple habits are often the first to fall by the wayside when academic demands increase, yet they are especially important during periods of heightened stress. Many students think staying up late studying will benefit them, without realizing how disruptive a lack of sleep can be.

You may notice that your student reaches out more frequently during finals, sometimes simply to vent or for a listening ear. Responding with empathy rather than advice can make a meaningful difference. Statements such as, “I know this is a stressful time, and I’m proud of how hard you’re working,” can validate their feelings and remind them that they have your support. Asking an open-ended question, such as “how are you holding up this week?” can also invite conversation without adding pressure or expectations.

Small gestures can go a long way toward helping your student feel supported. Consider sending a care package, mailing some homemade chocolate chip cookies or brownies, or sending an Uber Eats/Grubhub gift card for them to use for a special treat. These thoughtful actions can provide comfort during a demanding time. Most importantly, reinforce the message that your student’s worth is not defined by grades, exam scores, or academic achievements. Reminding them that you value their effort, growth, and well-being can help them maintain perspective, practice self-compassion, and navigate finals with greater confidence and resilience.

Preparing for the Transition Home

For first-year students (and the parents of first year students), the end of the term brings another important transition: returning home after several months of living more independently. During their first trimester, students have been making their own decisions about how to manage their time, socialize, and balance responsibilities. Returning home can be exciting and comforting, but it can also require an adjustment for both students and families. Students may have developed new routines, perspectives, and expectations for independence, while parents may still be accustomed to the household routines and rules that were in place before their student left for college.

Recognizing that this adjustment can take time is important. Your student may have different expectations about curfews, family responsibilities, privacy, social plans, and how they spend their time at home. Rather than assuming that everyone will naturally fall back into familiar routines, consider having an open conversation before or shortly after your student returns. Discuss expectations around household responsibilities, communication about plans, family commitments, and any rules that may need to be revisited. These conversations are most productive when they are collaborative, with an effort to understand one another’s perspectives rather than simply reestablishing the way things were before college.

Above all, remember that the transition home is an opportunity to continue supporting your student’s growth toward adulthood. Open communication, mutual respect, and flexibility can help ease the adjustment and prevent misunderstandings. Your student is still learning how to balance independence. By making space for honest conversations, listening to one another, and being willing to compromise when appropriate, families can help ensure that the transition home is a positive experience. The goal is not to resolve every difference immediately, but to maintain a relationship in which everyone feels heard, respected, and connected.

First-Year Experience

As part of our work to help new students transition smoothly into college life, incoming first-years participate in Shared Experience Day during Orientation. This year, we hosted 18 different themed experiences led by a total of 31 dedicated faculty and staff members, offering students a wide range of hands-on, regional, and interest-based day trips. Options spanned outdoor adventures, culture, and history, such as hiking in the Adirondacks, visiting art museums, exploring local cuisine, and seeing live theatre on Broadway or at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Designed to foster community and ease the transition to campus, these trips allowed students to connect with peers, Orientation Leaders, and faculty and staff outside the traditional classroom setting. Incoming students shared on our orientation survey that the experience made them feel "welcomed right away," provided "a fun, low-pressure way to make first friends," and gave them "a great sense of belonging before classes even started."

Health Services

The end of the term coincides with cold and flu season. Please encourage your student to take a proactive approach to their health and their academics. Students should review the College’s Medical Excuse Policy, in addition to their course syllabi each term.

If your student is feeling unwell, they should contact Health Services to schedule an appointment. Students should also connect with their professors as soon as possible to provide an update on their health and to review course policies regarding illness, especially as final exams approach. Open and timely communication is critical to manage end of term illnesses and to navigate final exam arrangements smoothly. Students should also speak with their Class Dean if they need help managing the impact of illness on their final exams.

International Advising

The International Advising office continues to monitor pending changes to U.S. immigration policy. As of Nov. 10, 2026, here is a status update for each policy:

Winter Break Travel Guidance

We continue to advise students to avoid unnecessary travel outside of the U.S. However, if a student wants to travel, please encourage them to speak with our office to assess their travel risk, register their travel, and obtain required signatures on their immigration documents prior to departure.

New2U Community Closet

The New2U Community Closet received many donations during Homecoming & Family Weekend, which was greatly appreciated! Thank you for contributing! The New2U Closet continues to remain open till the last day of the term and we ask that you remind your students that as they pack up to come home for winter break, they can still drop off any gently used clothing items during open hours or outside the closet when closed. 

We’ll be hosting a Winter Clothing Pop-Up event on Nov. 11 & 12. If your student needs a winter coat, boots, or warm clothes, encourage them to stop by Wold Atrium.

For any students staying on campus for winter break, the closet will be open once a week for the duration of winter break. They will be receiving further information in their emails or can contact the Class Deans office for those times. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Residential Education & Housing

Residence Halls Closing – Wednesday, Nov. 25

All students must vacate campus housing by Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, at 10 a.m., unless they have received written approval from the Office of Residential Education & Housing to remain during winter break.

Students returning for Winter 2027 may leave their belongings in their rooms and do not need to return their room keys or student ID cards. Students who are not returning for the Winter Term, including graduates and students studying abroad, must completely move out and return their room keys by the deadline. Student ID cards should not be returned.

Winter Break Housing

Students who applied for winter break housing have received their decisions through their student email. There is no additional charge for approved winter break housing.

Campus resources and dining services will be extremely limited from Wednesday, Nov 25, 2026 through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, and meal plans will be inactive. Students are encouraged to travel home or stay with family and friends during the break.

Winter 2027 Move-In

Residence halls will reopen on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, at 10 a.m. Early arrivals are not permitted without written approval from the Office of Residential Education & Housing. Approvals will be limited to students with significant extenuating circumstances. Students checking into housing should arrive between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at College Park Hall.

Student Accessibility Services

Special housing accommodations are available to students with a qualifying disability that substantially limits their ability to function daily in a residence hall environment. Accommodations are not based solely on a diagnosis, but rather on a comprehensive analysis of a student’s disability and how that disability directly and significantly interferes with one or more major life activities as would be encountered in the residential setting.

Students who have not previously been approved for a special housing accommodation and who wish to apply for one must submit a completed and current Special Housing Accommodation Request Form. Our Special Housing Committee will meet to review each application, and email students to inform them whether they have been approved. 

Current students with approved special housing accommodations will be emailed a Special Housing Accommodation - Returning Student Information/Renewal Form in December. Students must complete and email the form to sas@union.edu by Jan. 22, 2027. We ask that returning students complete and return the renewal form, even if they are not planning on renewing their special housing accommodation for the '27-'28 academic year.

Deadlines: To be considered for a special housing accommodation, all students should submit required information by the following applicable dates:

All students must still participate in the Housing Deposit and/or General Housing Application processes while they are going through this Special Housing Accommodation Request process to be eligible for housing.

Additional information can be found on the Student Accessibility Services website.

Student Success

As we get closer to the end of the term, the next couple of weeks will be very busy for your student. These next few weeks will be very busy as they may have another round of exams in addition to finals. Careful planning and time management will be very important and should not be underestimated. Encourage your students to begin studying for final exams now. The earlier they begin, the easier it will be to move at their own pace and to work on long term memory retention. Most final exams are cumulative so it is very important that they begin revisiting topics from earlier weeks now. Slow progress is better than no progress. If they are confused about certain topics, this is the time to ask questions.

Weekends are a great time to catch up or get a head start on the work for the upcoming week. It is also a great time to actively practice what they learned in the previous week. It is important for students to remember that studying is not just about memorizing. Active application is crucial for understanding! Knowing what to do with the information they are learning is imperative for deeper understanding. Exam questions are often written to test deeper analysis that requires the student to have an in-depth understanding of the material. Memorization is not enough. The more they practice answering problems , the more familiar they will be with different types of questions on the day of the exam. Creating mock exams can be super helpful, especially if your student is worried that they may run out of time. 

Lastly, please encourage your students to take breaks! It is very important for them to not skip any meals and hydrate regularly. Getting enough sleep is also very important. The better they feel mentally and physically, the easier it will be for them to focus and retain information. 

We wish your students the best of luck and we look forward to seeing everyone in January!

Contact Information for Emergencies and Concerns

In case of an emergency, parents and families are encouraged to call Union College’s Campus Safety Department at 518-388-6911. In addition to responding to emergencies, Campus Safety can also activate Union’s on-call system. The on-call system operates in the evenings, after College offices are closed, on weekends, holidays, and College breaks. The on-call system includes student and professional residential staff, the Counseling Center, Health Services, and other College administrators.

During regular business hours, parents and families should contact their student’s Class Dean, with questions or concerns about their student.

Additional Campus Resources

Find additional campus resources and helpful information for families below.

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