UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – As the war in Ukraine enters its third month, Penn State’s leaders are providing the University community with an update on actions taken in support of impacted students, faculty, staff and Ukrainian scholars. Leaders also expressed solidarity with the many Penn Staters who have been affected by the war, both in the U.S. and abroad, and denounced a planned on-campus event as insensitive and divisive.
“The Russian government’s aggression in Ukraine, and the horrific loss of life and destruction being caused by the war, are deeply tragic,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “My leadership team and I continue to watch in horror, with the rest of the Penn State community and the world, as the death toll rises and as millions are displaced by these military actions. Since the start of the conflict, Penn State has been working to support impacted members of the community, including students, faculty and staff from Ukraine and Russia alike. Our steadfast support will continue.”
Dedicated efforts to assist impacted students, scholars and staff
As a way to keep the University community updated on Penn State’s ongoing efforts to help the many individuals who have been impacted by the conflict, leaders across the University have been exchanging information to share more broadly.
Roger Brindley, vice provost for Penn State Global, said a University-wide working group that he co-chairs with the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences Richard Roush, continues to make important progress.
Steps taken by this University working group thus far include:
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Working to secure short-term funding to assist the small number of Ukrainian students currently at Penn State, to help them safely remain in Pennsylvania through the summer months, including need-based support for housing, food and tuition expenses.
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Extending admissions deadlines and working to gather appropriate financial support, for admissible prospective students from Ukraine, including those who may be graduating in the coming weeks and may be considering extending their studies to include master’s or doctoral programs in their fields of study.
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Gathering resources to support about 15 new scholars at University Park and about four more at Commonwealth Campuses, including grants to cover living costs for qualified scholars, and working with national programs (the Scholars-at-Risk Network and the Institute of International Educations’ Scholar Rescue Fund) to identify eligible candidates.
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Engaging in direct communication with the Ukrainian embassy in the United States, the U.S. State Department’s Education USA advising center in Kraków, Poland, and the Ukrainian Fulbright Commission, to make them aware of Penn State’s capacity to support Ukrainian academics.
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Via the University's Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, helping to inform faculty of a program run by the U.S. Department of Energy that encourages grant-holders to consider hosting Ukrainian scholars as part of their research.
Though every conflict is different, Brindley said steps taken to respond to the war in Ukraine reflect the spirit of past efforts by the Penn State community to assist students and scholars affected by unanticipated hardships. In this case, Brindley said the working group is pursuing additional actions as well and will be in communication with the University community as efforts continue, and as needed, in light of the evolving circumstances in Ukraine.
“My heart, and those of my colleagues involved in this critical work, go out to all who have been affected by this conflict. We will continue to engage on an ongoing basis and for the foreseeable future as we work to respond collectively and proactively to this complex, tragic situation,” Brindley said. “As we continue to hope for an end to the war in Ukraine, we also continue to organize the resources needed to support our Penn State students and academics whose lives have been upturned.”
Penn State Student Affairs also remains in contact with students who have been directly touched by this tragedy and is working to support them as needed. In addition to specific actions to support those impacted by this conflict, University leaders also remind the community of the following additional resources for students, faculty and staff who may need support:
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Counseling and mental health services are available through CAPS, which can be reached at 814-863-0395 for University Park students, or at each Commonwealth Campus location.
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The Penn State Crisis Line (877-229-6400) and the Crisis Text Line (text “LIONS” to 741741), are open 24/7 to Penn Staters dealing with both crisis and non-crisis situations — including faculty, staff and students at all campuses who have a question about someone else. The licensed professionals with the Penn State Crisis Line can help evaluate each individual situation, offer guidance and help connect callers with further resources if appropriate.
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International Student and Scholar Advising: 814-865-6348 (option 2); if an adviser is unavailable, please leave your name and telephone number and you will be called back.
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Penn State’s Employee Assistance Program, a free, confidential employee and family resource to be used as the first line of defense for personal or work-related concerns for employees and their families.
There also are many Penn Staters who would like to support those in need. The U.S. State Department has shared information on its United with Ukraine website for those who have asked how they can help.
Planned event denounced
Barron also denounced an event, planned for April 27 on the University Park campus. Organized by the student group Uncensored America, the event has been given an incendiary title and seems purposefully designed to inflame tensions, he said.
“We find the sensational title and premise of the event planned by a student group, Uncensored America, to be offensive and highly distasteful. We don’t find value in events that are intended at their core to be divisive, rather than educational and informative,” Barron said. “However, as much as we may disagree with this or any event’s proposed content, it also is true that student groups have the constitutional right to hold events such as this at a public university. At a fundamental level Penn State supports open discourse even on challenging topics or topics with which we strongly disagree. In the case of this planned event, we encourage members of the Penn State community to ignore provocateurs and, instead, continue to engage in academic programs that build societal understanding and contribute to solutions, as well as show support for friends, family and colleagues who have been impacted by this unprovoked war.”