UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business has planned several initiatives to ensure a smooth, safe return to campus this week.
· A dozen Smeal faculty members will deliver a strong, unified message about campus and building safety in a video that will target returning students. The video, which was produced by Smeal alumnus Nick Savino, 2018 marketing, supports the University’s "Mask Up or Pack Up" messages and these will be shared with students via classes, email and other channels.
· The college has developed a mobile-friendly student resource accessible through the Penn State Go app.
· Two individuals will “take over” the Penn State Smeal Instagram account this week to engage followers in campus and college life in a new, mixed-mode environment.
· The college has created three virtual question-and-answer stations in the Business Building Atrium where individuals can obtain real-time answers to questions.
The video features a preview of logistics and protocols dictated by the pandemic and new to the Business Building, emphasis on the "Mask Up or Pack Up" campaign, and emphasize the college’s commitment to trying to keep everyone in the Smeal community as safe as possible. The video can be viewed online.
The new Smeal College of Business section of the Penn State GO app will help students get information about: remote learning resources, how to connect with an adviser, Business Building access and safety, preparation for career fairs and Business Career Center services, answers to other important concerns. Simply download the Penn State Go app and click on the new “Academic Colleges” icon.
The first of the two Penn State Smeal Instagram takeovers will take place on Tuesday. It will be executed by junior Finance major and Sapphire Leadership Academic Program President Vivian Ward. She will give her followers an inside look at life on campus and inside the Business Building during the new “Mask up or Pack Up” fall semester environment. The second, on Wednesday and Thursday, will be executed by the Smeal Business Career Center to help students prepare for virtual career fairs.
During these unprecedented times, Smeal wants to make sure its students, faculty, and staff continue to feel connected and united. While many continue to work from home, the college wanted to find a method where it could connect with its student population. The RIIT Group created a “Sheldon” environment in the atrium (think Big Bang Theory!). We have three different computer stations where students may connect to a live Zoom session to ask questions.