DUS News - December 7, 2020

News: 
Withdrawal Deadline Friday

If you’re doing poorly in most or all of your classes, talk to an academic adviser as soon as possible about your options. Withdrawal from fall semester might be appropriate for you, but it’s a serious decision and should be discussed with family members as well as Student Aid and your adviser. The deadline to withdraw is this Friday, December 11. If you are unable to speak with your adviser, you can take advantage of Quick Question Advising hours this week. See the article later in this newsletter for more details. 

You also have the option to take a Leave of Absence for future semesters. Next week’s DUS News will have more information on this. 

Making Decisions About Alternative Grading for Fall 2020

When making decisions about alternative grading for the fall 2020 semester, you’ll want to consider how selecting SAT, V, or Z grades will impact your academic goals, keeping in mind that the rules for alternative grades this semester are different from this past spring.  

Most notably: 

  • Not all majors will count fall 2020 courses with alternative grades towards entrance-to-major requirements.
  • Courses in which academic sanctions have been received for academic integrity violations will be ineligible for alternative grading this semester.

There are additional considerations to keep in mind when deciding whether to take alternative grades such as financial aid status, program eligibility, Dean’s List eligibility, and the perception of alternative grades when applying to graduate or professional school. These are all reasons to use alternative grading very cautiously and only in situations where you faced significant, unexpected academic challenges due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Resources for considering alternative grading include: the Keep Learning website, the LionPATH GPA calculator, and the upcoming DUS alternative grading workshops. If you are still unsure whether you should elect alternative grades after using these resources, please reach out to your adviser. 

Alternative Grading Workshops:

Important Dates: 

  • December 23, 2020: A link to the online tool used to select alternative grades for each course will be available to students in LionPATH. This will be the same tool that was used for spring 2020.
  • January 12, 2021: All selections must be finalized by 11:59 p.m. (ET).
Nominate an Excellent Adviser

Now through December 23, students may nominate advisers for the 2021 Penn State Excellence in Academic Advising Award. Sponsored by the University Advising Council and the Office of Undergraduate Education, the award recognizes and rewards advising excellence.

One award is given annually to a faculty member and one to a professional academic adviser. All current full-time University employees with advising responsibilities and two years of advising experience at Penn State are eligible.

Students who wish to honor an adviser who has helped them navigate the University’s academic system, plan a fulfilling program of study, consider co-curricular experiences, and learn to manage their own educational journey at Penn State are welcome to complete a short, online nomination form.

Advisers selected for the 2021 Excellence in Advising Award will be recognized by the University in the spring.

Important Dates: 
Resource Spotlight: 
Stress Relief Resources

Are your upcoming final exams/projects stressing you out? Check out some of the following resources from the DUSuccess site that might help:

Events and Announcements: 
Alternative Grading Workshop
All Campuses

Curious about alternative grading and how it will influence your academic career? Come to the group advising session titled “Everything you need to know about the NEW alternative grading policy,” to learn more about the fall 2020 alternative grading options.

In this workshop, you will learn:

  • What the NEW alternative grading policy is for fall 2020
  • Why letter grades matter
  • How decisions about opting in to alternative grading relates to entrance-to-major requirements, graduation, and beyond
  • How to make appropriate decisions regarding alternative grading for yourself

Three workshop dates are available, and students must register in advance:

Study Spaces on Campus
University Park

For those students who were unable to return home for the remote learning period, general purpose classrooms in Boucke, Hammond, Osmond, Thomas and Willard buildings will be open for access through the end of final exams. The University Park campus map shows these locations in the Remote Learning Rooms list. Students that remain on campus are welcome to use these classrooms to attend online classes, study and attend exams as needed. Social distancing and masking protocols must be followed. The schedule will be as follows:

  • Monday, Dec. 7, to Friday, Dec. 11: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 12, to Friday, Dec. 18: 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Global Health Minor Info Sessions
University Park

Do you want to develop the capacity to think, talk, and write critically about global health issues and challenges? Would you want to complete a five-week fieldwork experience in South Africa, Tanzania, Germany, or Ecuador? Are you looking to prepare for occupations that demand global thinking, understanding, and experience? Consider the Global Health minor. Global Health is a competitive minor, open to any Penn State student who is enrolled at the University Park campus and who has declared a major field of study. Learn more about this minor on the Global Health website. 

Several information sessions are available (all at 12:00 p.m. ET via Zoom: https://psu.zoom.us/j/97667738065)

  • Friday, December 11
  • Thursday, January 14
  • Thursday, January 21
  • Monday, January 25
Apply to Become a Lion Ambassador
All Campuses

Do you love Penn State? Do you want to share that love with everyone you meet? Consider joining the Lion Ambassadors. The Lion Ambassadors are Penn State’s Student Alumni Corps who aim to communicate the University’s history, personality, and traditions to students, alumni, and anyone with a love for dear old state. Applications for 2021 are now open and being accepted. Learn more about the Lion Ambassadors on their website. 

Deadline to apply: Friday, December 11 at 11:59 p.m.

Quick Question Advising
University Park

Have a question that can be resolved in a short 5–10 minute conversation? Join us for quick question advising via Zoom on the dates and times below. Some of these topics include: discussing adding/dropping courses within deadlines; getting a form signed; using LionPATH; reviewing entrance-to-major requirements; learning about general education information not related to schedule planning; and transferring credits. Quick question advising is not intended for in-depth conversations.

For students enrolled in DUS:

  • Click here for quick question advising via Zoom - Please note that a DUS adviser is only available during the times listed below. All times are Eastern Time. 
    Day Time
    Monday 1:00–3:00 p.m.
    Tuesday 9:00–11:00 a.m.
    Wednesday 9:00–11:00 a.m.
    Thursday 1:00–3:00 p.m.
    Friday 2:00–4:00 p.m. (Friday, December 11 only)

For students not enrolled in DUS: