Kimball Union Academy

Kimball Union Academy
Seal of Kimball Union
Location
Meriden , NH USA
Information
Type	Private Boarding
Religious affiliation(s)	None
Established	1813
Head of School	Michael Schafer
Faculty	approx. 49
Enrollment	approx. 327
Average class size	12
Student to teacher ratio	6:1
Campus	Rural
Color(s)	Orange & Black
Athletics	18 interscholastic
Mascot	Wildcat
Endowment	19 million
Website	http://www.kua.org

Kimball Union Academy is a private boarding school located in New Hampshire. Founded in 1813, it is the 15th oldest boarding school in the United States. The Academy's mission is to "discover with each student the right path to academic mastery, to creativity, and to responsibility." It is located in the upper Connecticut River Valley village of Meriden, New Hampshire.

The Academy's 1,500 acre (6 km²) rural campus is 2½ hours via major highways from Boston, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut. Nearby bus, train, and plane terminals link the area directly with Boston, New York City, and Manchester, New Hampshire.

The Academy is governed by a 21-member Board of Trustees. The school's physical plant is valued in excess of $30 million, and the school is supported by a $19 million endowment. The 2006-07 annual fund campaign raised more than $900,000.

Academic program

The Kimball Union curriculum includes four years of English; mathematics through BC calculus; classical civilization, world history, U.S. history; biology, chemistry, physics, environmental and marine sciences; language courses in French, Spanish, and Latin, from beginning through Advanced Placement; and a three-tier computer science progression.

Electives are offered in history, English, math, and the sciences. There is an extensive arts program, with electives in music, theater, and the visual arts, including pottery and photography. 19 Advanced Placement courses are offered for qualified students in English, mathematics, sciences, history, studio art and art history, as well as all three languages taught at the Academy.

Students must obtain a minimum of 19 credits for graduation (most four-year students complete 22 to 24 credits), including 4 credits of English, 3 of mathematics, 3 of history, 3 of a foreign language, 2 of science, and 1 of art. The normal academic load is five to six courses per tri-semester.

The average class size is 12 students; the student-faculty ratio of 6:1. During the evening study period, students study in their rooms under the supervision of faculty members and student proctors. The Freshman Orientation and Strategies Program is a required course that explores a variety of material throughout the first trimester including learning styles, technology and library resources, study skills and techniques and writing skill development. Freshmen are in specially supervised study halls; as students move up through the school they are progressively given more responsibility for the use of their own time.

Both the English and the language departments have peer tutoring labs. Writing across the curriculum is a school-wide initiative. There is an environmental science program, which includes classes at several levels, including AP, while also integrating environmental science into other disciplines through a shared philosophy about the importance of the environment. A 750 acre (3 km²) tract of nearby mountain land provides an environmental ‘‘classroom.’’

Faculty and advisers

The Kimball Union faculty consists of 49 full-time teachers, 70% of whom hold advanced degrees. Over 85% of the faculty live on campus. Michael J. Schafer, appointed Head of School in 2003, is a graduate of Colby College and holds an M.Ed. from Harvard University. He previously served as Assistant Head of School at Middlesex School. His teaching career began at Cushing Academy. Moving on to Belmont Hill School, he served as a Spanish teacher, college adviser, and coach.

Faculty members at Kimball Union fill many roles: teachers, advisors, coaches, and dormitory parents. Faculty members each advise about 6 students for whom they oversee academic work and scheduling. It is common for faculty and students to develop lasting friendships and bonds, especially with the "Dorm Parents" who routinely invite students into their apartment to socialize, watch a sports game, or just hang out.

College placement

The college selection process begins in the junior year when each student is assigned to a college advisor. A college information weekend for parents of juniors is held in the spring.

In the college advising resource room, juniors and seniors can use various sources of information, including catalogs and computer software, in making their college selections. Computer software and Internet access are available for applications, and college representatives visit the school regularly throughout the fall.

An SAT preparation course is available to all juniors and precedes the spring administration of the test. Kimball Union's SAT I scores are higher than the national averages. Students also have the opportunity to take the ACT Assessment on campus.

Student body and conduct

For 2007/08 Kimball Union enrolled 340 students, 60% boys, 40% girls. One third of the student body are day students. Although the majority of students are from New England, students come to the Academy from twenty-five states and 16 different countries.

Kimball Union Academy has an Honor Code intended to reflect its core values, support its mission, and guide the behavior of its community. In establishing its policies on conduct, Kimball Union considers it a priority to teach its students concern for others. Violations of major school rules are reviewed individually by a disciplinary committee of peers and faculty members, which makes a recommendation to the Head of School. Violations of minor rules are normally handled by a faculty member.

Academic facilities

The original Academy building is Baxter Hall, which houses the humanities classrooms. Fitch Science Hall, for math and the sciences, has been entirely renovated, and the E. E. Just Center provides a home for the environmental science and human geography programs. There are three major computer labs and a language lab, and each academic department has an individual computer minilab.

The Flickinger Arts Center contains a 400-seat fully equipped theater; a dance studio; a darkroom; music rooms; practice rooms; separate ceramics, painting, and drawing studios; and an art gallery as well as a state-of-the-art computer lab/recording studio.

The Coffin Library contains 20,000 volumes, more than 100 periodicals, a large video/DVD/audio book library of more than 1500 titles, a considerable microfiche collection, and computer stations featuring online resources.

Boarding and general facilities

Kimball Union operates ten residences ranging in size from 5 to 45 students, including Bryant Hall (1910), Chellis Hall (1835), Densmore Hall (1963), Dexter Richards Hall (1936), Hazelton House (1825), Kilton House (1830), Mikula Hall (1985), Rowe Hall (1820), Tracy House (1961), and Welch House (1835). The variety in dorm size gives students the opportunity to choose the environment that suits them best. There is a faculty member living on each floor of the larger halls and in each of the smaller houses. At least 60 percent of the students live in single rooms, with the rest in double rooms.

There is a health center staffed by registered nurses, and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital is a 15-minute drive away. The Dining Commons is the center of daily life at Kimball Union, with the Miller Student Center providing a recreational space where students can socialize, play games, or exercise. A new campus center is scheduled to be opened in spring of 2008. Just across from Miller is the Meriden Country Store and Post Office.

Athletics

KUA competes in a variety of interscholastic sports. Sports and athletic offerings include hockey, skiing (Nordic, alpine and freestyle), basketball, cycling, mountain biking, football, field hockey, lacrosse, equestrian, soccer, baseball, softball, rugby, cross country, fitness training, swimming, and a wilderness program.

Every student is required to participate in two group activities a year, which include athletics, arts and independent pursuits. Kimball Union offers teams at different levels, so there is a team appropriate for every student who wants to play.

Athletics facilities center on the Whittemore Athletic Center, which includes the Akerstrom Ice Arena. There are five playing fields for soccer and/or lacrosse; a football field; baseball and softball diamonds; two basketball courts, an all-weather track; an ice hockey arena, with indoor turf in the off season; one weight room; and a swimming pool. A heated outdoor turf field was completed in 2006. The Miller Student center houses a fitness center. Cross-country running and ski trails cut across portions of the campus and through surrounding woods, and there is Alpine skiing 15 minutes away.

Rivalry

Rivalries are strong between KUA and the other New England preparatory schools. However, there is an especially strong rivalry between Kimball Union Academy and its close neighbor, Vermont Academy.

Extracurricular opportunities

The Arts Center runs a cultural events series of concerts and gallery openings. There are at least three student shows in the theater each year, and the Concordians (an a cappella group) and Rock and Jazz Band perform seasonally. Mainstage theatre productions include one play, one musical and occasionally a third play, performed outdoors and popularly Shakespeare, though this third play has not taken place for several years.

Student leadership is extremely active at Kimball Union and there are many opportunities for students to participate. There is an elected student government and the president runs all-school meetings. Community service activities are planned through a standing committee and weekly community dinners are sponsored by a group called the Penny Fellowship. The Academy has a fire brigade that operates as a part of the Meriden Volunteer Fire Department. There is an active diversity program called Relay and too many other clubs and organizations that basically do the same thing.

Traditional events and celebrations include the Wildcat Challenge, class trips, Winter Carnival, the International Festival, Senior Girls' Tea, an Arts Festival, and parents' weekends.

Daily life

Classes are scheduled Monday through Saturday (some Saturdays are set aside for alternative programming), with half days on Wednesdays and Saturdays to accommodate sports events. The daily schedule includes seven periods. All-school meetings take place twice a week. Scheduled community times and advisor/advisee lunches occur throughout the year. Sports and activities meet every day for two hours in the afternoon except on Wednesday and Saturdays when games take place.

There is a dedicated period at the end of the day for performing arts and activities, enabling them to meet without conflicts, although athletic coaches rarely respect this time. Dinner, which is served at 6 p.m., is family-style or formal on two days and cafeteria-style on five. The evening study hall is from 7:30 to 9:30, and students must check into their dorms by 10. Freshman through senior evening schedules are adjusted appropriately for age.

Weekend life

Weekend activities are many and varied. Saturday evening events include trips to dinner or the movies, on-campus movies, and dances, while on Sundays there are regular shopping trips to town; trips to major ski areas, to Boston, and to concerts and sports events at Dartmouth; and outdoor activities such as apple-picking and hiking.

Apart from scheduled campus weekends, students may go home or, with their parents' permission, visit friends after their last obligation on Saturday. They must return to the campus by 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Costs and financial aid

Tuition for the 2007-08school year at Kimball Union were $39,600 for boarding students and $25,500 for day, commuting, students. For residents, the fee includes room, board, use of all facilities, and admission to some plays, lectures, and concerts held on campus. Charges beyond the basic fee include those for books, athletics store purchases, some arts events and transportation. An initial deposit of 10 percent of tuition is requested upon confirmation of enrollment, with the balance due on August 1 and January 1. Loan plans and tuition-refund insurance are available.

Kimball Union accepts students without regard to their ability to pay and then attempts to present the family with a financial aid package to make attendance possible. Kimball Union awards financial aid based strictly on financial need as determined by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid of Princeton, New Jersey. Recently, 38% of all Kimball Union students received a total of $2.03 million in financial aid.

Senior pranks

There is a long-standing tradition of senior pranks at KUA. The students pride themselves on the ingenuity of their pranks. Recent pranks include putting a horse on the second floor of the Miller Student Center (classes of 1996), covering every square inch of the floors of the Baxter building with Dixie cups (1998), releasing thousands of live crickets in the Baxter building (2001 and 2007), stealing the athletic trainer's golf cart and joyriding it around town (2002), Taking the athletic trainers golf cart and trying to hoist it onto the library roof before riding it about campus, and taking all of the furniture out of the dining hall and placing it on the girls soccer field as it was in the dining hall (2003), coating the floors of two academic buildings with large volumes of vegetable oil and screwing the doors and windows shut, causing classes to be canceled for the day (2004), 9000 plastic forks, canoes, dinner trays, and the removal of all tables and chairs from their respective buildings (2005). The (2006) pranking involved releasing chickens in the arts center, putting a Mini Cooper on the stage, unusual road and door blocks on driveways and in academic buildings, 700 tins of tobacco, 40 rolls of toilet paper coating the campus, and shoes on telephone wires. 2007 saw many of the schools canoes on the roof of the dining hall (before some of them fell, waking the headmaster and causing a mass student exodus from the quad). There were also tires blocking the doors of many of the academic buildings and also hoisted over the tops of various lamp posts around campus.

The French's Ledges Ski Hill

According to the website belonging to the Upper Valley Land Trust, the ski hill and a trail are both the property of Mr. Ira Townsend. The property is used for hiking, camping, mountain biking, snowshoeing and back country Nordic skiing. It is a biologically diverse area, providing space and habitats for many species of flora and fauna. It contains 1 ½ miles of the French’s Ledges Trail among other trails in a network that were built by Mr. Townsend and the KUA outing club. The ski hill had several structures including an A-frame, ski lift and jumps, among other things. In the early 1970s, it was host to the New England Prep School Championships. These contests included competitions on slalom and alpine races.

History of the Ski Hill

The Townsend Ski Hill began its construction in 1948 under the Supervision of Ira Townsend, a KUA graduate (class of 1938) and former business manager of the school. The land was cleared by many people, including the KUA outing club, the trail crew and various teachers, students and townspeople. In total, construction took twenty-five years to complete. By its completion, there were two jumps, an A-Frame, a ski hut, and a watchtower. It was eventually shut down because it was too expensive to maintain a ski hill, and would be economically beneficial to begin skiing elsewhere. It is unlikely that it could be reconstructed, as all that remains is part of the posts to the ski jump and rotting remains of a wooden stairwell.

Current land use

Kimball Union Academy owns a plot of land just off the hilltop, which was previously used as a ski hill. Ira Townsend had a vision for the hill to be made into a ski hill for KUA students, faculty as well as the people who lived in the area. Unfortunately the ski hill is positioned facing the sun, soaking up all the solar heat; which melted the snow. Because of this positioning, the ski hill did not last long, and KUA was forced to close it because the cost to run it overpowered the desire to keep it running. After the Ski Hill was shut down in 1975 for financial reasons, the hill was deserted. From 1975 to today the hill has served as a scenic site as well as an open space for Kimball Union students and their athletic teams to utilize.

External links

• Kimball Union Academy
• "Boarding Schools with the Oldest Founding Date". Boarding School Review. Retrieved 2007-01-02.
• "Kimball Union Academy ~ Mission, Honor Code & Statement of Inclusion". Retrieved 2007-01-02.