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April 14, 2020

Spring 2020 Alternative Grading for PFP Aspirants

With the implementation of Penn State's optional alternative grading for spring 2020, aspirants are asking how this will effect their PF entry requirements. We have updated our website with notes specifically for this semester. 

Generally, all students -- aspring or admitted -- may decide on a course-by-course basis whether to opt for the alternative grade to receive credit for honors courses and to maintain the required 3.4 (or 3.5) GPA. Honors courses with a letter grade of C or higher or with the alternative SAT grade will count toward the required number of honors credits. Aspirants should consult the website to review honors credits requirements for entry after two, three, or four semesters, and to see if additional coursework is required for your intended major of honors.

We will check your entry requirements as usual at the end of the semester to see who has met entry requirements, and send those names to Schreyer Honors College for admission some time in June. You do not have to apply! Make sure your intended major of entry is correct in the PFP database; if incorrect, or if you have any questions, please contact PaternoFellows@psu.edu.

Yoga/Meditation with Honors

Do you miss our Lunch with Honors speaker series? We do too! We're using our LwH time slot for Yoga taught by PFP Director Jeremy Engels every Wednesday in April. Sign in at 12:15 to catch up with each other, and enjoy class from 12:30 to 1:00. See you there! https://psu.zoom.us/j/910700916

Career Conversations: Careers in Law

April 14, 15, and 16; 7:00 p.m.
All Liberal Arts majors are invited to participate in this Career Conversations series. This week will feature a variety of professionals with careers in federal law enforcement. Click here to read more about each session and speaker.

Women's Activism Courses

The College of the Liberal Arts recently kicked off our yearlong theme for 2020, Moments of Change: A Century of Women’s Activism. If you are interested in women’s activism, take a look at some of the courses offered during the fall 2020 semester that highlight expertise in related areas.

CAS 203.001 Interpersonal Communication -- Honors Section

TuTh 9:05AM - 10:20AM 
The phenomenon called interpersonal communication encompasses the complexities of interaction between people in any of a variety of situations. The expectations people form prior to a conversation, the messages that they produce using language and nonverbal cues, the ways in which they attach meaning to the behaviors of others, and the systemic qualities of the dyad are all part of interpersonal communication. And interpersonal communication occurs in contexts as varied as strangers sharing a seat on a bus, neighbors passing each other in the street, college roommates or married couples coordinating their lives, and co-workers negotiating office politics. In the home, at school, at work, and in public, interpersonal communication is an intricate process that weaves the fabric of our lives as social beings. This class is designed as an opportunity to explore the complexities of interpersonal communication and to develop a repertoire of interpersonal communication skills.

CAS/PLSC 209: Democratic Leadership (1 cr)

Thursdays, 3:05 - 5:05 p.m., 351 Willard Building
This course introduces students to deliberative democratic theory and encourages them to reflect on effective strategies for changing governance and society, with an eye toward participating in the McCourtney Institute for Democracy's Nevins Fellows program. The course is open to students in any year and include the opportunity to complete an internship at an organization that promotes or supports democracy. 
For more info...

CAS 210.001 Landmark Speeches on Democracy and Dissent -- Honors Section

MoWeFr 10:10AM - 11:00AM 
Landmark Speeches on Democracy and Dissent offers a survey of key speeches, debates, and controversies making up the rich tradition of U.S. civic life. The course is designed to introduce students to the basic historical contexts within which these key events arise; engage them in close readings of speeches, tracts, and polemical writing; and develop skills in critical thinking and writing. Students will attend to a broad spectrum of voices, including those of historically under-represented peoples as well as canonical figures. Landmark Speeches on Democracy and Dissent thereby encourages students to develop a broad rhetorical literary in the diverse democratic voices that have long contributed to essential U.S. arguments about nationhood, protest, war, race, gender, religion, and more. The course presupposes that students will be able to apply this rhetorical literary to both participation within and critical thinking about contemporary forms of democracy and dissent.

Ethics Courses

Check our website for courses you can take to meet the PFP Ethics requirement. New courses are added as departments alert us of their offerings, or as students bring them to our attention. Students must complete 3 credits in ethics (one 3-credit course, or a series of 1- or 2-credit courses) before graduation.

PFP Service/Leadership Requirement

Fellows are expected to take on a leadership role or offer volunteer services to a community of their choice totaling at least 50 hours during their college career. Participants in the Presidential Leadership Academy automatically meet this requirement. To document a leadership or service experience, download the Leadership or Service Documentation Form; complete and submit it using the contact information on the form. Hours may be reported as they are completed for short-term projects, or after the minimum time is met for long-term experiences.

Call for Applications: Rock Ethics Institute Ethics-Related Research Funding

Proposal Deadline: April 17
The Rock Ethics Institute is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 research funding awards offered in conjunction with the Paterno Fellows Program. These awards are for undergraduate students in the Paterno Fellows Program who are working on ethics-related topics either as part of or in preparation for their honors theses. The Rock Ethics Institute Award will provide a range of financial support (from $500 to $2,000) for research and related activities. For more information and to apply, please visit this link.

Call for Nominations: Paterno Fellows Best Thesis Awards

Submission Deadline: April 27

The Paterno Fellows Program will present two Best Thesis Awards: one for a thesis in the social sciences and the other for a thesis in any field of the humanities. Each prize carries a $500 award. A faculty panel will make the selections based on the originality of the project, the rigor of the research, and the clarity of presentation. Students must have met all PFP graduation requirements to be eligible. (If you are not sure of your student’s PFP status, please inquire at PaternoFellows@psu.edu.)

To nominate a thesis, or to self-nominate, we must receive the following by Monday, April 27:

Students who self-nominate are responsible for requesting input from the faculty adviser.

Please direct questions to PaternoFellows@psu.edu.

University Libraries Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award -- Deadline extended to April 21

Applications for the University Libraries’ annual Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award are open to all spring graduating Penn State students and recent graduates from the previous summer and fall who have completed an undergraduate thesis. The winner will receive $1,250, and awards of $750 and $500 will be presented to the second- and third-place recipients, respectively. More info...

Deadline for Chapel Executive Internship Program extended to May 1

The deadline for the summer 2020 Chapel Executive Internship Program has been extended to May 1. Liberal Arts students participating in a summer internship in business or the private sector are encouraged to apply for $5,000 in enrichment funding. Visit our website for eligibility requirements, application instructions, and other important information.

Spring 2021 Study Abroad Funding -- First Priority Deadline May 1

Interested in studying abroad in spring 2021? Submit your application by the first priority deadline: May 1! The spring application cycle has three deadlines: May 1, July 15, and September 10. First Priority Application Deadline: May 1, 2020. Search Spring Study Abroad Programs

PFP Student Programming Grants

Paterno Fellows are encouraged to apply for Programming Grants for One-Time Events or Sustained Discussion / Reading Groups. Successful applications will enhance students’ education, ignite an interest, or make students consider a topic more deeply. For details, see: pfp-student-programming-grants/

Internship Opportunities

Nittany Lion Careers is Penn State’s single-system recruiting platform. You will be able to use Nittany Lion Careers to: search and apply to internship and job opportunities; upload your resume for review, schedule an appointment with a Career Enrichment Network staff member to help with your career development; view upcoming events; and more!

Your Blurb Here

Are you involved with a local service group that is open for new members? Send your blurb to PaternoFellows@psu.edu and we’ll publish it here. Please include a brief description of your mission, expectations, information sessions/meetings, how to join, etc.

College of the Liberal Arts selects spring 2020 student marshals

19 of the 24 students who will represent the College of the Liberal Arts as student marshals for Penn State’s 2020 spring commencement activities are Paterno Fellows. Student marshals are chosen for their outstanding academic achievement and their contributions to liberal arts student life. Read the story...

Paterno Fellow Awaly Diallo selected as Liberal Arts college marshal

Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar Awaly Diallo has been selected as the College of the Liberal Arts spring 2020 college marshal. She is graduating with bachelor of arts degrees in Sociology and African American Studies.

Reflecting on her time as a Penn State student, Diallo attributes her confidence in her future to her liberal arts education. “My liberal arts education gave me a keen understanding of how to see society through a world perspective. I have the necessary tools to tackle social problems and make an impact on people all over the world,” she said. Full story...

Paterno Fellow Nakul Grover earns University-wide Frisbey International Student Award

Paterno Fellow Nakul Grover is the recipient of the 2020 Ardeth and Norman Frisbey International Student Award which recognizes undergraduate students who have contributed significantly to furthering international understanding. Grover’s research in Bangladesh led to his book, The Goddess of Peacocks, on the plight of Muslim refugees displaced by turmoil in Myanmar. Read the story...

Paterno Fellow Jake Griggs earns University-wide Oswald Award

Paterno Fellow and UPUA Vice-President Jake Griggs is a recipient of the John W. Oswald Award for outstanding leadership in student government. One nominator commented, “Jake is the epitome of a Penn State graduate who will make our world a better place and he deserves to be recognized for his contributions.” Full story...

Paterno Fellows organize COVID Response Network: Every Hero Needs a Mask

Ezra Gershanok (PF '21) and Brendan Bernicker (PF '19) are currently organizing an effort to provide masks to people working at hospitals, retirement homes, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens. They have already received more than 20,000 masks from a supplier in China and have begun delivering these masks to the people who need them most. To find out more about the work they are doing, and learn how you can join their cause, visit their website at www.covidresponsenetwork.org.

Sue Paterno contributes $100K to support students during COVID-19 pandemic

“All of our lives have been changed and challenged by the far-reaching effects of COVID-19,” Paterno said. “No one can foresee how our students will be impacted, but we must do what we can to help them as they pursue their educational goals.” Read the story...

Thank you, Sue Paterno, for your generosity and leadership!

Better Know a Paterno Fellow

Paterno Fellows are participating in internships, study abroad, research, and more! Read about their experiences here.

We want to hear from you! Submit your story for publication here.

What are you doing after graduation?

Want to share your post-graduation planswith us? We'd love to hear from you! Let us know if you're attending grad school, joining the Peace Corps, starting a new job, etc. Send an email with your photo to lanetwork@psu.edu to tell us your news!

A message from Liberal Arts Advising

With the University’s decision to shift classes online, the College of the Liberal Arts advising staff wanted to let you know that they are still available. Starting immediately, and until in-person classes resume on campus, all advising appointments will be held via Zoom. Please read through this information thoroughly to ensure you know how to best connect with advisers in the College of the Liberal Arts.

Schreyer Scholars should continue to communicate with honors advisers by email or by other previously established methods.

Virtual appointments available with the Career Enrichment Network

Liberal Arts students can schedule virtual career coaching appointments with our staff through Nittany Lion Careers. When you request the appointment, make sure to:
1. Select a career coach with ‘(Liberal Arts)’ next to their name;
2. Note that it is virtual;
3. Indicate if you prefer to speak via phone or video. If phone, provide your number in the ‘Additional Information’ section. If video, look for a follow up email from us confirming the appointment with further instructions.

How can I describe the Paterno Fellows Program on my resume?

Paterno Fellows Program, College of the Liberal Arts
Honors Program including advanced academic coursework, thesis, study abroad and/or internship, ethics study, and leadership/service commitment

Updating your info in the PFP database

Update the PFP database as you complete your Paterno Fellows requirements. You are responsible for marking them “Claimed Satisfied” or turning in the appropriate documentation forms. You should update the requirements you’ve met as you complete them. Please do not wait until your graduation semester. We need time to approve your submissions and mark them “Satisfied.” For further instructions, see the PFP website.

Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program

Network with Penn State Alumni! Apply to the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program. Students are matched with alumni working in their field of interest; mentors help with networking, interview prep, and more. Applications are open year-round. More information can be found here.
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