Fall semester to involve online learning
Furloughs, a decline in enrollment, and a $60 million revenue loss were discussed during this spring's Town Meeting. Tuition will not be reduced, and Rensselaer will continue to pursue the Peace Officer bill. Dr. Lawrence put forth a plan to ensure the community's safety if on-campus activities are to resume this fall.
Furloughs, a decline in enrollment, and a $60 million revenue loss were discussed during this spring's Town Meeting. Tuition will not be reduced, and Rensselaer will continue to pursue the Peace Officer bill. Dr. Lawrence put forth a plan to ensure the community's safety if on-campus activities are to resume this fall.
Town Meeting
Dr. Lawrence announces plan to prevent coronavirus spread
Executive Director for Health and Wellness Dr. Leslie Lawrence outlined a plan during the Spring Town Meeting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when students return to campus.
Town Meeting
Institute braces for $60 million in revenue loss
President Shirley Ann Jackson announced that Rensselaer is expecting a revenue loss of $60 million due to the coronavirus pandemic between Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 during the Spring Town Meeting.
Patel wins president by 1% margin
Harshil Patel has been elected Class of 2023 President, narrowly beating Scott Schwartz 99 to 97.
Harshil Patel has been elected Class of 2023 President, narrowly beating Scott Schwartz 99 to 97.
Executive Board thanks Kennedy for her service
Newly elected President of the Union Anissa Choiniere led the Executive Board’s first meeting of the 51st E-Board via Webex, thanking Caitlin Kennedy for her service as the 130th president of the Union, and approving Yaseen Mahmoud to the office of vice president of the Union for board operations and Nate Sullivan to the vice president of the Union for club relations.
Over 1/3 of freshman class unnotified of election re-run
The redo elections for Class of 2023 president, vice-president, and representatives took place online through Simply Voting from May 13 to 15, but more than 650 freshmen were not notified that the election was happening.
Boomers vs. Zoomers
The toxic relationship between the baby boomers and Gen Z transcends insulting quips, targeted memes, and criticism from both groups.
Courage through the coronavirus
Professor Bram van Heuveln congratulates students for adapting to online courses and facing current circumstances head-on.
Welcome, Class of 2024!
With National College Decision Day come and gone, The Polytechnic extends a warm welcome to the Class of 2024 and the 2025 architects.
Narayan and Choiniere win GM, PU races
Advaith Narayan ’21 and Anissa Choiniere ’21 have been elected Grand Marshal and President of the Union, respectively. The announcement was made on a live stream through the Union’s Instagram account, and a rundown of the election results was sent out in an email shortly thereafter.
Advaith Narayan ’21 and Anissa Choiniere ’21 have been elected Grand Marshal and President of the Union, respectively. The announcement was made on a live stream through the Union’s Instagram account, and a rundown of the election results was sent out in an email shortly thereafter.
Election missteps may lead to invalid results
Major errors that could invalidate this week’s elections were at the forefront of discussion in the Student Senate meeting on Thursday. These errors included votes cast by those who should not have been able to vote, as well as the use of Google Forms to fix the incorrect categorization of students by class cohort.
Thank you to the 50th Student Senate
This past year was a historic year for Student Government, and specifically the Student Senate.
All RPI financial aid adjusted for the summer semester
A recent question on RPI’s COVID-19 Arch 2020 FAQ page clarified that the reduction of financial aid for this year’s Arch semester will impact both merit and need-based aid, as both are included in students’ total gift aid. According to the FAQ, “the adjustments will reflect the proportionate amount of room and board costs” that rising juniors would normally be charged for living in residence halls over the summer.
A recent question on RPI’s COVID-19 Arch 2020 FAQ page clarified that the reduction of financial aid for this year’s Arch semester will impact both merit and need-based aid, as both are included in students’ total gift aid. According to the FAQ, “the adjustments will reflect the proportionate amount of room and board costs” that rising juniors would normally be charged for living in residence halls over the summer.
Academics
Temporary exceptions made to pass/no credit policy
Rensselaer is making an exception to the normal pass/no credit rules this semester as students adapt to online classes. Students may P/NC any and all of their classes taken this semester, and have until May 15 to fill out the relevant form in order to designate a class as such.
Letter To The Editor
Our Arch concerns have gone unheard
Grand Marshal Meagan Lettko '20 and Vice Grand Marshal Advaith Narayan '21 voice their concerns with how the Arch program is being handled this summer and outline the Student Senate’s recent efforts in advocating for rising juniors.
How to socialize while practicing social distancing
After a few weeks of online courses and the absence of campus activities, here are suggestions on how to socialize while practicing social distancing.
After a few weeks of online courses and the absence of campus activities, here are suggestions on how to socialize while practicing social distancing.
Challenging times call for connectivity
I know that I’m not the only one tapping through “until tomorrow” posts, 30-day song challenges, variations of “draw a carrot” stories, and endless customized bingo grids during quarantine. Nevertheless, watching my peers challenge each other to post videos of pushups, dances, and practicing music have reminded me of the power of social media and how it can be used positively in a trying time.
Adapting to unprecedented times
I hope this update finds you well. It’s been about a month since we left campus for Spring Break. I know when I left class that Friday afternoon, I never would have guessed it would be my last college class ever. Whether you are a senior and grieving the loss of your senior spring, or a sophomore coming to terms with the fact that it will be months before you see your classmates again, I feel for you. These are unprecedented times.
Student government elections delayed
The Student Senate held a special meeting on March 21 through Webex to approve changes to the Student Government Election Handbook made to accommodate the transition to online classes. The changes included moving Student Government elections to Thursday, April 2, as well as updating the nomination procedure to allow for online gathering and submission. The Senate also discussed the third-party voting systems that are being considered for online elections.
Online elections to use third-party system
Elections Commission Chairperson Keenan Adams ’21 announced during the Senate meeting on March 21 that the Elections Commission plans to use a third-party to host elections online due to the move to online-only classes. The two systems being considered are Helios Voting and ElectionBuddy.
Commencement to be an online event
In an email to the Rensselaer community on Wednesday afternoon, President Shirley Ann Jackson announced that this spring’s Commencement, planned for May 23, will take place in an online ceremony, adding that there will be an in-person celebration “when the public health situation allows us to do so.”
Remote classes to last through semester’s end
Students were informed that classes will be held online for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester in an email sent from University President Shirley Ann Jackson at about 6:30 pm on Wednesday. In addition, “all undergraduate students in Rensselaer Residential and Greek Commons [are required] to move out of these residences by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020.”
An abrupt end to senior year
I did not realize that my classes on March 6 were the last I would ever experience on campus. In a matter of a few days, I lost the remainder of my last semester at Rensselaer to the novel coronavirus.
Institute increases travel restrictions, advises overpacking
Two emails, sent Thursday, described precautions students and faculty should take as the global outbreak of coronavirus spreads, and the protocols Rensselaer has in place should the outbreak reach the Capital Region.
Two emails, sent Thursday, described precautions students and faculty should take as the global outbreak of coronavirus spreads, and the protocols Rensselaer has in place should the outbreak reach the Capital Region.
Wi-Fi updates: upgrades on campus, how to file a ticket
We published a staff editorial regarding the technical problems we have faced on campus last month. Within that article, we talked about how we noticed Wi-Fi issues on campus. After the article was published, Associate Director of IT Infrastructure Colleen Morrissey reached out to share how the Division of the Chief Information Officer has been committed to ensuring a strong Wi-Fi network across campus.
How you can get involved in Student Government
Campaigning for elected Student Government positions officially kicked off this past week on February 12, 2020! Students can now attend informational sessions to learn about the rules and procedures of campaigning for elected positions.
Student survey reveals negative views of Arch
A survey conducted by the Student Senate showed that 78 percent of respondents were unsatisfied with the Arch after they participated in it. 94 percent of respondents thought that students should be able to live in off-campus housing during the Arch. 64 percent of respondents said they would not participate in the Arch if it were optional.
Community Recipes
A remedy for homesickness: crowdsourced recipes
Every year, Rensselaer brings together a group of diverse individuals, each from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, who are passionate in pursuing varied academic interests and are all unified in our shared experience of building a new life away from home.
Building the future of The Polytechnic
Journalism is in flux. The traditional newspaper is dead. Revenue from selling advertisements in a printed edition is shrinking. Across the country, smaller newspapers are being bought by national conglomerates, and the staffs that understand local issues better than anyone are being eviscerated to cut costs.
Journalism is in flux. The traditional newspaper is dead. Revenue from selling advertisements in a printed edition is shrinking. Across the country, smaller newspapers are being bought by national conglomerates, and the staffs that understand local issues better than anyone are being eviscerated to cut costs.
