Liberal Arts Welcome Week takes place during the first month of the fall semester. All Liberal Arts students are invited to attend, but first-year students are expected to attend each of these events to get to know all of the resources and opportunities available through the college.
New Student Welcome
Sunday, August 21 | 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | HUB-Robeson Center
First-year students should start in Alumni Hall, and transfer and change of campus students should start in Freeman Auditorium.
Hear from Dean Lang and Associate Dean Page, staff from our Student Services offices, and current students. Following the presentation, you can talk one-on-one with current students and staff to learn about student organizations and our Student Services offices.
Drop-In Advising
Monday, August 22–Friday, August 26
There will be no scheduled Academic Advising appointments during the first week of classes. Instead, students can stop by their adviser's office from 9:00–11:30 a.m. or 1:30–3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for a fifteen-minute meeting to ask a quick question about courses for the fall semester. The meetings will happen on a first come, first served basis.
If you have questions that aren't urgent or would like your adviser to help you with long-term planning, please make an appointment with your academic adviser through Starfish for another week this semester.
Peer Advising Office Hours
Every Monday–Friday | 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | 119 Sparks Building
Peer advisers are current students in the College of the Liberal Arts who are trained to help new students adjust to college life, explore opportunities for social and academic engagement, and find ways to connect to the college and to peers. Peer advisers also work with upper-division students to address a variety of academic and other concerns. Stop by 119 Sparks Building to meet with a peer adviser during office hours Monday–Friday each week of the fall semester.
Peer Success Coaching Office Hours
Every Monday and Friday from 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. | Chaiken Center, 138 Sparks Building
Students can meet with a peer success coach through the Chaiken Center for Student Success to get help navigating college and University resources. The peer success coaches act as guides, listeners, and motivational partners to undergraduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts. Stop by the Chaiken Center for Student Success to meet with a peer success coach during office hours Monday–Friday each week of the fall semester.
Meet Your Representative
Wednesday, August 24 | 5:00–6:00 p.m. | Chaiken Center, 139 Sparks Building
Since 1975, the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) has served as representatives of all undergraduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts. The group creates programming and hosts events to foster the experience of Liberal Arts students.
Stop by the Chaiken Center for Student Success to meet representatives from LAUC to learn more about the organization and ways to get involved in the college’s student government.
Chaiken Center Open House
Tuesday, August 30 | 4:00–6:00 p.m. | Chaiken Center, 138 Sparks Building
Check out the Chaiken Center for Student Success's new location, and meet the peer success coaches. Enjoy free food and prizes—register to win a picnic blanket, swing bag, rain poncho, and more!
Drop-In or Pop-In Career Support
Every Wednesday starting August 31 | 2:00–4:00 p.m. | 101 Sparks Building or via Zoom (Penn State login required)
Not sure if your résumé is as competitive as it can be? Want some help with your job or internship search? Not even sure where to start? The Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network career coaches will be available for 15-minute sessions to help you in your career development. Virtual and in-person options available.
Tuesday, September 6 | Noon | 139 Sparks Building or via Zoom (Penn State login required)
“What are you going to do with your major?”
You have probably heard this question hundreds of times—whether from a well-intended family member or a new classmate. Whether or not you are sure of your plans after Penn State, this question may provoke feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and even excitement.
This presentation will help you better understand how to connect your Liberal Arts degree to potential career paths and skills employers look for. It will also provide you with action steps to empower you in your career planning as a future Penn State Liberal Arts graduate.
Career Success Week: Marketing Your Liberal Arts Skills
Wednesday, September 7 | Noon | 139 Sparks Building or via Zoom (Penn State login required)
Join Will Smart, a Liberal Arts alumnus and recruitment manager for Teach for America, to better understand how to market your Liberal Arts degree. Whether in an interview or networking, Liberal Arts students can be the most competitive candidates. Find out how you can showcase yourself even better.
Bring your résumé, either a printed copy or on your laptop, for review or suggestions. Interested in Teach for America? Information will also be shared on this great organization and what steps you should take next to apply.
Undergraduate Festival
Thursday, September 8 | 12:30–2:30 p.m. | Pattee Mall
Explore the forty-nine majors, fifty-three minors, and six Student Services offices in the College of the Liberal Arts, and enjoy Berkey Creamery ice cream, freebies, raffles, and more! The Career Enrichment Network will also host a mock career fair.
First-Year Lecture
Monday, September 19 | 4:40–5:30 p.m. | 108 Chambers Building
Laurel Pearson, assistant teaching professor of anthropology, will present “The Ties that Bind—Embracing Connection for a Sustainable Future.” Humans, as a species, have thrived due in part to our deep connections to nature and to other people. Recognizing these ties can build our awareness of the need to protect each other and preserve our environment. This lecture will draw on the discipline of anthropology and the holistic qualities of a liberal arts education to discuss our role in building a sustainable future.
Dr. Pearson is also a member of the Liberal Arts Sustainability Council advisory committee. This lecture will correspond with the college’s theme for the 2022–23 academic year—“Moments of Change: Creating a Livable Planet.”
The theme will bring students, faculty, staff, and alumni together to explore what it means to live through historic and contemporary times of change. This academic year’s theme will focus on the many aspects of sustainability and highlight the ongoing work of the Liberal Arts Sustainability Council, students, faculty, and staff in that regard. Similar to “Remembering 1968” (2018) and “A Century of Women’s Activism” (2020), the college will plan an array of courses, lectures, presentations, and events centered around the “Creating a Livable Planet” theme.