RMA to stay 
affiliated
To the editor:
I am writing this message in an effort to clarify information contained in the article entitled “School of HASS acquires Music Association” that was printed on the front page of The Polytechnic last week. I would like to first say that the article is well written and contains great detail regarding the process that has been ongoing for almost a year between the Rensselaer
Union, Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and the Rensselaer Music Association. I am pleased and appreciative that, throughout this process, Dean Mary Simoni and the rest of the HASS staff have openly collaborated and worked with the Union and RMA. The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences will be expanding its curriculum in the fall to include an arts program, and in this transition Symphonic Orchestra and Concert Choir will once again becoming fully credit-bearing classes. In preparation for this transition, the Institute has given the Rensselaer
Union use of the first floor of the J-Building, which has since been renovated and remodeled exclusively for use by the RMA.
However, HASS will not be taking on the other groups currently structured under the Rensselaer Music Association, and the RMA will remain a recognized club under the Union. Moreover, the RMA will continue to be funded as it always has been through the Union budget. Certain aspects of the budgets of Symphonic Orchestra and Concert Choir have been changed or eliminated to align with this planned transition, but funding for RMA or the other organizations under its banner will not be affected. These changes can be seen fully in the Union Annual Report, which will be released to the campus community sometime this week.
If you have any questions regarding any information presented in the article or in this email, contact me at pu@rpi.edu and I will be happy to explain it further. Thanks for your understanding and consideration.
Jonathan Stack ’13
President of the Union