DUS News - February 1, 2021
Dear Members of the DUS Community,
Like many of you, I was horrified by the recent online racist attacks during the Virtual Involvement Fair. In the face of the ongoing public health crisis, students across Penn State have sought creative ways to stay connected and to sustain invaluable student organization experiences. The display of hatred targeting the Black Caucus was a coordinated attempt to disempower Black and other student communities and to deprive them of the opportunity to engage with their peers—a central experience of an undergraduate education. The racism and hatred of these actions run absolutely counter to the values of Penn State and have no place in our community, whether at Penn State or beyond.
The Division of Undergraduate Studies is committed to helping students realize their academic goals in a respectful, inclusive, and anti-racist community. The ability to interact, to learn, and to grow among others who have different lived experiences is a core component of higher education. My goal as an educator is to help all students learn and feel like they are a part of our community. These acts of hatred last week left me feeling disgusted at the attempt to undermine others’ sense of belonging and to erode our community. We are stronger and better than the hatred that was exhibited at the Involvement Fair, and to achieve a better world, we must stand firm in our commitment to end racism and other forms of hatred.
All of our students belong at Penn State. My sincere hope is that all members of the DUS community will unite with me in the effort to build a learning environment that reflects that truth.
Sincerely,
David R. Smith
Associate Dean for Advising and
Executive Director
The Division of Undergraduate Studies
We hope you've completed Exploration Series Topic #1. Now it's time to move on to connecting your interests to possible majors. Begin to filter majors by area of interest by using the Bulletin. Use How Do I Find a Major? as a guided note-taking sheet to help you with your exploration. After you've identified some majors, use the Major Exploration Worksheet to dig deeper into your interests, values, and strengths and how they relate to what you want to study.
To Do: Complete the How Do I Find a Major Worksheet and/or the Major Exploration Worksheet linked above. Bring them with you to your next advising appointment and, start a more detailed conversation with your adviser about your major exploration.
Next week’s topic: How Do Majors Relate to Careers?
Last week’s topic: What Do I Need to Know About Myself?
Getting ready for your return to campus? Be sure to review important information to ensure a smooth transition.
- All students must have a negative COVID-19 test result from a University-provided test on file.
- Revisit the health and safety rules for on-campus instruction.
- Learn about technology support resources available to students.
- Learn about on-campus housing and dining resources.
- Living on campus? Plan your arrival.
- February 2 (Tues)
- DUS Group Advising: How to Get Involved - February 4 (Thurs)
- DUS Success Series: Searching for and Applying for Scholarships - February 9 (Tues)
- Wellness Day - NO CLASSES - February 11 (Thurs)
- DUS Success Series - Leveraging Your Involvement - February 15 (Mon)
- Return to in-person classes, where applicable
Ready to declare your major (and possibly add on a minor)? You can do this through the “Update Academics” page on LionPATH. Visit the LionPATH Help page for step-by-step instructions on how to change/update/declare a major, minor, or certificate.
Are you interested in getting involved with a communications-related group? Visit the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications Virtual Involvement Fair. Student leaders uploaded videos to provide more information about their groups and how you can join in on the fun. Check out the possibilities to make the most of your college experience. Videos are available through the first week of February.
View the Virtual COMM Involvement Fair
Log in using your Penn State email address. For any questions, email kmk375@psu.edu.
DUS will be holding group advising sessions throughout the semester as a way to discuss popular advising topics with groups of students. These sessions are open to all DUS students and will help you to learn more about the topic and to ask questions in a friendly, open environment. For more information on each session, including dates and times, visit https://dus.psu.edu/group-advising. All sessions will be held via Zoom.
Upcoming Spring 2021 Sessions
February 2, 8:00 p.m.: How to Get Involved: Get Engaged from the Start
Register and attend online: https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYlf-CspzovE9QCzPze2X-NcOT1OV35V2nY
February 4, 4:00 p.m.: DUS Success Series: Searching for and Applying for Scholarships
Register and attend online: https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrceGrrj8oGddkxq7jGdQgKw6Jpua1EQtx
February 11, 4:00 p.m.: DUS Success Series: Leverage Your Involvement
Register and attend online: https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrceGrrj8oGddkxq7jGdQgKw6Jpua1EQtx
February 18, 4:00 p.m.: DUS Success Series: Fellowships 101
Register and attend online: https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrceGrrj8oGddkxq7jGdQgKw6Jpua1EQtx
Interested in becoming a resident assistant (RA) at University Park? The Office of Residence Life is opening the application process for new RAs. To qualify for the program, students must have completed 12 Penn State credits upon application (does NOT include advanced placement, transfer, or current semester credits). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate good academic standing with at least a 2.40 cumulative GPA.
To apply to be a part of the spring 2021 process, you must attend one of the RA information sessions via Zoom webinar. Session dates and additional information can be found on the Resident Assistant website.
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.
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 No Quick Question Advising
For students not enrolled in DUS:
- Use our online form to submit a question. Use your Penn State email.
Do you want to develop leadership skills while helping other exploratory students find their niche in college? Do you want to give back to the DUS community while gaining professional communication skills? You may want to learn more about the DUS Leadership Council. To be invited to apply for the Leadership Council, you must be nominated by your academic adviser no later than Monday, March 1, 2021. Make an appointment with your adviser before this date to learn more about the opportunity and to ask to be formally nominated.
Eligibility requirements and more information can be found on the DUS website: https://dus.psu.edu/dus-leadership-council
Passionate about health and wellness? HealthWorks, a peer health education outreach program in Health Promotion and Wellness, is currently recruiting student volunteers to become Peer Health Educators for the 2021–22 academic year. The deadline for applications is March 5, 2021. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply.
The HealthWorks program offers student volunteers two unique opportunities to share and promote health information on campus. These opportunities include:
- One-on-one wellness services for students
- Outreach activities and educational workshops
To learn more about the Peer Health Educator position or HealthWorks, visit the HealthWorks website.
The Presidential Leadership Academy (PLA) is seeking 30 inquisitive, diverse, and hard-working first-year students to join in the legacy of many successful and ambitious student leaders. Some benefits to joining the program include critical thinking classes led by President Barron, access to research and travel funding, and fully funded field trips to cities like Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Nashville, and more. Applications are due February 8 by 11:59 p.m.. To learn more, go to Presidential Leadership Academy prospective student page. For questions email mif3@psu.edu.
Looking for help with your courses? Penn State Learning (PSL) is offering their tutoring and guided study groups both online and in-person this semester.
Guided Study Groups (GSG): Access the date, time, and Zoom link for the GSG through Canvas.
Tutoring: Students can get tutoring for math and writing through PSL. Students can reserve a tutoring time through Starfish by clicking on the appropriate service tile under “Your Services.” Language tutoring has been temporarily suspended.
Visit Penn State Learning's website for more information.
Interested in a degree in public policy? The School of Public Policy is hosting a series of virtual info sessions about Penn State's Master of Public Policy (MPP) program. The sessions will include a current student, director of advising, and director of professional development and student engagement. They will discuss curriculum, degree requirements, career options and earning potential for graduates, programs for undergraduate students at Penn State (IUG programs), the program's unique professional development and career placement programming, and more. Info sessions will be held throughout the semester beginning Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Complete details on the virtual events, including schedule and registration links can be found on the School of Public Policy's website.
Students thinking about going to law school should sign up for an information session before scheduling an individual appointment with the pre-law adviser. Two kinds of sessions are available throughout the semester: “Pre-Law Orientation” and “Applying to Law School.” See details, dates/times, and registration instructions at Pre-Law Information Sessions. All of the sessions will be held via Zoom webinar this semester. Note: These sessions fill quickly.