UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Registration is now open for the 2024 Student Engagement Summit, giving Penn State faculty, staff and graduate students the opportunity to explore how Penn State can implement meaningful and effective strategies for students, faculty and staff.
Organized by the Student Engagement Network, this year’s Summit will be partially virtual, with some sessions taking place in person only at the University Park campus in Alumni Hall, HUB-Robeson Center. Special attention will be paid to how engagement fits into Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi’s visions and goals. Sessions will touch on goals and focus areas such as:
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Establish a curricular and co-curricular map for each student to help them discover and engage in a range of engagement opportunities.
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Make paid internship opportunities possible for all students.
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Increase land-grant impact: Build stronger networks with the business community throughout Pennsylvania.
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Grow interdisciplinary research: Support faculty at all campuses in their research activities, across their careers.
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Foster DEI: Close gaps in opportunities and graduation rates of identity groups.
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Develop avenues for students to tap into alumni network for mentorships and job searches.
“As we embark on the journey of the 2024 Student Engagement Summit, we are reminded of the transformative power of meaningful engagement within our educational community,” said Michael Zeman, director of the Student Engagement Network. “This summit serves as a pivotal platform for Penn State faculty, staff and graduate students to come together, exchange ideas and explore innovative strategies that align with President Neeli Bendapudi’s visionary goals. Join us in shaping the future of student engagement at Penn State and unlocking opportunities that empower our students, faculty and staff to thrive.”
Now in its seventh year, the 2024 Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. The deadline to register is May 13. Details, including registration and a full description of sessions, can be found at the Summit website.
The virtual-only opening plenary, starting at 9 a.m., will feature a welcome from Zeman followed by a student panel discussion. Sessions will be split into two groups of five, starting at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The in-person 10 a.m. sessions will feature Peter Aeschbacher, associate professor of architecture and landscape architecture, who will present a strategy focused on flipping student thinking from “what I did, how I did it, and why it matters,” to “why, how, what.” Representatives of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center will show the wide range of engagement opportunities they offer to students. Members of the Engaged Scholarship Community of Practice will share how this faculty group started, the topics it addresses, the resources it provides and how to get involved.
Two of 10 a.m. sessions will be virtual, with the first featuring representatives from the Smeal College of Business will share how they help 2+2 students across the campuses feel more connected to the college during the first two years of study. Also, at 10 a.m., a panel will discuss how faculty from three different disciplines worked with Penn State Global to facilitate DEIB co-curricular programming.
The second in-person sessions, at 11 a.m., will feature Lori Gravish, assistant teaching professor and internship and alumni outreach coordinator, Kinesiology Department, College of Health and Human Development, will share how in post-COVID years she crafted a new course design that embeds experiential learning field trips. Three Millennium Scholars Program assistant directors will lead a team-building exercise that can help identify ways to support high-achieving students who are statistically underrepresented in their field of study. Greg Pierce, associate teaching professor of finance, Smeal College of Business, will present the results from a 2020 Student Engagement Faculty Fellows Program that focuses on second-year Schreyer Honors scholars in a finance course who undertake a demanding, semester-long project. Two representatives from the Center for Healthy Aging and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will share the details of a course offered to undergraduates and older adult learners, and how it develops communication skills and helps to dismantle ageist beliefs.
The virtual 11 a.m. session will be led by members of the Penn State Commonwealth Arboreta Network (CAN), who will demonstrate how CAN helps to foster communication and collaboration among faculty and staff statewide through the inventory of trees and plant life and sharing of research and teaching resources.
The summit will close with a panel discussion from 1 to 2 p.m. centered on connecting student engagement to success.
For more information on the 2024 Engagement Summit, visit the summit website.
The Student Engagement Network is a joint initiative between Undergraduate Education, Student Affairs and Outreach and Online Education. The mission of the Student Engagement Network is to advance the power of participation by connecting students with experiences that empower them to make a positive impact as citizens and leaders of the world.