MONACA, Pa. — Penn State will celebrate its ninth GivingTuesday on Tuesday, Nov. 28 — and Penn State Beaver invites alumni and friends to participate by showing support for the Student Success Committee, which is dedicated to helping students adjust to college life and to supporting their academic and personal success.
The committee has become what Interim Chancellor Carey McDougall describes as “the most holistic endeavor on campus, drawing employees from many units, to implement numerous retention efforts that specifically pay attention to each student’s individualized needs and accomplishments.”
The committee has been so successful in their support of students that in 2022 the members were awarded the Student Success Team Building Award by Academic Services in the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses.
Some of the ways the committee supports students include:
- Serving as success coaches during New Student Orientation and beyond.
- Celebrating academic achievements with special programs.
- Identifying academic, personal and financial concerns and connecting students with appropriate campus resources.
- Fostering a sense of belonging with ongoing outreach activities and events.
These outreach initiatives and success celebrations, including an end-of-year carnival, will be supported with a GivingTuesday gift.
“I think the Student Success Committee is important because, as a group, we are made up of every department on campus, and we aim to help students from orientation to graduation day, whether that is identifying a need or connecting them with the appropriate resources,” said committee co-chair and reference and instruction librarian Frankie Checchio. “With the help of GivingTuesday, we can continue to hold events and be present on campus, so that students can reach us at any time of need.”
Although GivingTuesday takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 28, Penn State’s celebration is kicking off early on Monday, Nov. 27, at 18:55 (6:55 p.m. EST) — a nod to the year in which the University was founded. Those interested in contributing to the Penn State Beaver Student Success Committee or establishing a personal fundraising page as a campaign champion can learn more here.
Gifts made on GivingTuesday advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.