On Monday, February 9, 2026, Union College President Elizabeth Kiss (pronounced Quiche), Dean of Students Annette Diorio, and Student Forum hosted a town hall. Students were able to ask Kiss and Diorio any questions related to Union. Here is our recap of what Kiss and Diorio discussed with students.
President Kiss also stated that she is personally committed to transparency about the college’s operations. Her goal is to be transparent about what steps the administration is taking to strengthen the college. She also intends to continue holding similar town halls and open office hours throughout the academic year, including one on the endowment. President Kiss will host her February open office hours on Monday, February 16, 2026 from 2 – 3 p.m. in Everest Lounge.
1) Union Faces Student Revenue Problem, Not Endowment Problem
Students asked questions about the college’s budget cuts related to enrollment and about the endowment. Regarding the endowment, President Kiss said it’s an important source of revenue for the college, valued at $600 million, with an average annual return of 8.2% over the past eight years. Kiss explained that the college aims to achieve a consistent return on investment without exposing itself to excessive risk.
However, Kiss said the college does not have an endowment problem; it has a student-revenue problem. Due to declining enrollment and the need for more financial aid among incoming students, the college has had to draw on a larger percentage of the endowment to cover expenses. Kiss explained that the best practice for drawing from a college endowment is to draw 5%, but that Union is drawing 7%. The college would need to increase class sizes to draw less from the endowment.
President Kiss and Annette Diorio were not directly asked about concerns raised by Economics Professor Eshragh Motahar regarding the college’s management of the endowment.
2) Admissions Demand Rises While College Looks to Improve International Student Support
Kiss shared that the college has seen a 15% increase in Early Decision 1 enrollment deposits in comparison to last year, and a 12% increase in overall applicants. In January 2026, Jason Nevinger, the Interim Vice President for Admissions, Financial Aid, and Enrollment, told Concordiensis that the college had seen an increase in domestic students applying, but a decrease in international students.
One student specifically asked about international student enrollment and how the college intends to improve its transparency and support for international students. Kiss said that last year, more international students applied to Union but fewer enrolled due to the broader geopolitical situation in the US. She also reiterated that she wants international students to come to the college.
Diorio said that this year, there is “some growth” in the international student applicant pool, but due to financial constraints, the college cannot admit all students. She also acknowledged that the college hasn’t done its best to support international students and is aiming to do better. When the college speaks up about these issues, she said it also aims to avoid making statements with unintended consequences.
3) Kiss explained the The Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) and the conversion of Dining Workers
President Kiss addressed student questions about the Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) for staff and about the conversion of dining employees to Bon Appetit. Kiss and Diorio acknowledged that there is frustration with the change, but the college aimed to make this change in the most responsible way possible.
The college has offered the ERIP program to all employees (e.g. faculty, staff, dining workers) over age 60 and with 10 or more years of service to the college. At the end of this academic year, all dining staff currently employed by Union College will no longer be employed by the college, and must re-apply to work for Bon Appetit in order to retain their jobs.
When asked how these budget shortfalls would affect the arts and humanities, Kiss reiterated her commitment to them, noting that they are what make Union special. She also said that she would like to fund endowed professorships, such as for poetry. However, the bulk of the budgetary cuts will come from the college’s ERIP program.
Concordiensis is providing more detailed coverage on the ERIP and dining restructuring in a separate article.
4) Kiss Aims to Increase Alumni Support
Students asked Kiss about the waning strength of alumni support after the college changed its mascot, and how the college handled a confrontation between a pro-Palestine student and Jewish Professor Stephen Berk in October 2023.
Kiss said that one of her main priorities is increasing alumni engagement and donations to the college. She has been traveling around the country to meet with alumni, including going to Boston, New York City, and a recent trip with Professor Stephen Berk to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She also acknowledged that the mascot change has been a point of contention for alumni, and though she cannot change the mascot, she is willing to listen to alumni share their feelings about the change.
She also said that lots of Union alumni are connected to Greek Life, including to organizations that no longer exist at Union. She aims to bring alumni from different organizations back to campus to mentor current students in Greek Life. She also said that the college aims to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Union Triad in 2027.
5) Kiss Addresses the Resignation of Brad Karp ‘81
On Monday, February 9, 2026, Kiss emailed the student body to say that Brad Karp ‘81 resigned from the college’s board of trustees. This comes after he was implicated in the Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice. He also resigned as the chairman of Paul Weiss, but remains as a partner at the firm.
One student asked about the implications that this has for the management of the college, because he served as chief legal counsel for the board and as the chair of the board’s audit and risk committee. Kiss said that his resignation is not expected to cause a significant impact on the college’s management or the board; the college still retains its legal counsel, which is led by Philip J. Zaccheo ‘89. She also said that there are several current board members who can take over Karp’s position, and that the board of trus tees is constantly recruiting new members.
Concordiensis is also providing more detailed coverage on Karp’s resignation in a separate article.
This article has been updated from the February 13, 2026 print edition for clarity.
