On behalf of the Division of Student Affairs staff, I welcome you to the Penn State Altoona community.
Penn State Altoona faculty and staff offer an array of services and programs designed to help students achieve their goals and succeed. Our role in the Division of Student Affairs is to help your student develop as a total person. We hope to assist them in gaining life skills that will serve them well during and following their time at Penn State.
Your student will work with an outstanding faculty who will challenge them to develop critical thinking skills and become a more educated person. Encourage your student to create a positive working relationship with their faculty and take advantage of offerings such as drop-in office hours.
Encourage your student to become active in the co-curricular and social life of the campus. Your student will benefit greatly from involvement in at least one out-of-class opportunity. A few examples include the following:
- Joining one of our registered student organizations.
- Participating as a team member or fan in our NCAA Division III athletic program.
- Playing intramural or club sports.
- Participating in programming offered by departments for personal learning and growth.
- Joining our Campus Activities Board or Student Government Association.
- Supporting our THON organization.
If your student is struggling to find an out-of-class opportunity, please send them to see us in the Slep Student Center. We want to identify gaps in our offerings so we can change our programming to meet the current student body’s wishes.
Finally, please think about and discuss what it means to be part of the greater Penn State Altoona community with your student before the start of classes. How will they invest their time and connect with others? Please encourage them to think about how they can challenge themselves to grow holistically and live the Penn State values of Community, Discovery, Excellence, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility in their daily lives.
Authentic learning occurs when we step outside of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves to look at things from a different or new perspective. We hope your student will recognize and appreciate that while we are alike in some ways and different in others, at our core, WE ARE (all) PENN STATE!
Sean Kelly
Senior Director, Division of Student Affairs