UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With the approaching end of the 2014 fall semester comes another activity as old as the University itself: final exams. For the next few weeks, more than 95,000 Penn State students of every academic major, at every campus across Pennsylvania, will be bonded in preparing for this rite of passage.
This week's Throwback Thursday photo shows students immersed in their studies on the second floor of University Park's Pattee Library in the 1950s. Whether in written, oral or project format, periodic examinations enabled the faculty -- then, as now -- to assess students' progress toward their degrees.
For many students it will be the culmination of their academic careers, with commencements University-wide to be held Dec. 18-20. Penn State expects to award approximately 5,030 diplomas to students completing 244 associate, 3,650 baccalaureate, 885 master’s, 19 law and 232 doctoral degrees.