UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A community as diverse as Penn State’s requires — and has — many resources to serve it. The only problem is many students are unaware of the options available to them, and the organizations offering these services and resources are often severely underutilized.
To better communicate the resources available to students, Campus and Community in Unity (CCU), the Council of College Multicultural Leadership (CCML), and the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity are hosting a town hall meeting to help connect students with the resources they might need during their time at Penn State.
“It started as a small resource fair, and became this, a proactive approach to getting information to students about the resources available to them here at University Park,” said Stephanie Preston, senior director of the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs and a member of CCML.
The groups plan to address a range of potential issues that students typically face, from academic and financial issues to counseling and disability services.
“The point is to pair resources with those who need them,” said Charles Gibson, Preston’s graduate assistant. “It’s college-level and community-level support.”
The discussion is targeted at undergraduate and graduate services provided by multicultural organizations and those who are new to campus, but it is designed for the benefit of everyone, Preston said.
The panelists include representatives from the CCML and CCU, State College Police Chief Tom King, Unity Church of Christ Pastor Harold McKenzie, student Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the LGBTQA Student Resource Center, and the Paul Robeson Cultural Center.
The town hall meeting, titled #PSwhatcanUdo, is an open forum set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in the HUB-Flex Theater. Questions will be mediated at the forum by students and can also be submitted and answered via Twitter using the above hashtag.