Union College

What it reported doing in 2024

The union college curriculum emphasizes collaboration with students and faculty through small classes and undergraduate research, international study and learning through service. Through its unique interdisciplinary approach to the liberal arts, union combines the humanities and social sciences with science and engineering, emphasizing the practical application of ideas through hands-on experience. With more than 40 majors and 55 minors to choose from, union students can pursue double majors; combine majors and minors; select interdepartmental and multidisciplinary concentrations, and area, ethnic and cultural studies programs; or design their own major. Most students take three courses in each of the three 10-week terms that comprise union's academic calendar system. (see schedule o)nearly every academic department requires students to complete some form of research in their subject area, and students have opportunities to work one-on-one with their professors. At steinmetz symposium each spring, some 400 students present the results of their research, scholarly and creative activities. Many students co-author publications with their professors and present at the national conference on undergraduate research (ncur). Many participate in businesses, health care, government and social service internships.the international experience is a hallmark of a union education, with more than 50 percent of students pursuing studies, research, internships, and other programs abroad. On campus, opportunities for leadership, discussion and community abound in the minerva system, offering residential, academic and social programs. Every incoming student is assigned to one of seven minerva houses, which also involve faculty and staff.union's becker career center helps students with career planning, internships and the graduate school and job search. Recent trends show that about a third of graduating seniors go directly to graduate or professional schools, and union has earned an excellent reputation for placing graduates in medical, law and business schools. Union's more than 22,000 alumni include leaders in all fields, including arts, medicine, science, engineering, media, entertainment, law and politics. Graduates include nobel prize and academy award winners, a national book award winner and a mcarthur fellow, an olympic gold medalist, seven cabinet secretaries, a secretary of state, 13 governors, 200 judges, 90 college presidents and the 21st president of the united states.as one of the pre-eminent liberal arts colleges in the united states, the college offers:- 2,031 full-time undergraduates from 40 states and territories and 50 countries- 26% domestic students of color- 11% international- 9:1 student-faculty ratio- 219 faculty members; 97% have earned a ph.d. Or the highest degree in their field- $80 million in union college scholarships and grants are awarded each year- more than 60% of union students receive need-based financial scholarship assistance to attend union and over 25% receive merit scholarships.- average need-based package is over $55,000.- merit scholarships range from $10,000 to $46,000 and are automatically renewed annually for up to four years.- making u possible grants offer aid to many families who apply for financial aid but who otherwise might not qualify or would qualify for only minimal amounts. Families who have an expected contribution as measured by the css profile and fafsa up to union's cost of attendance can expect grant and scholarship assistance ranging from $20,000 - $40,000.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 88.6%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.5%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.28; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.2%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings