Summer program at Penn State

A new initiative, STEP (Student Transitional Experiences Program), will allow second-year business and engineering students preparing to transition to University Park the chance to start studies at their new campus this summer.

Building on the success of LEAP, Penn State's Learning Edge Academic Program for first-year students, STEP is being piloted for change-of-campus students in business and engineering looking to meet others making the same transition while getting a head start on classes.

"Overall, it's about the smoothness of the transition to University Park," said Yvonne Gaudelius, assistant vice president and associate dean of Undergraduate Education. "It's making effective use of the summer semester to prepare students for the full University Park experience."

STEP participants will be part of a "pride," which consists of two interrelated classes with the same students. Classes will have fewer than 30 students and both classes in each program will be linked through collaboration between the professors. An experienced upper-level student mentor will guide social and academic activities.

There are no extra charges beyond regular tuition and room and board rates for the program, scheduled for University Park's second six-week summer session. STEP participants can also choose to live on or off campus.

Students are eligible for STEP when they are approved for entrance to their major at University Park.

All STEP participants enroll in two three-credit courses that meet graduation requirements.

Engineering students enroll in Mechanical Engineering-Vibration of Mechanical Systems (M E 370) and Computer Science-Programming for Engineers with MATLAB (CMPSC 200.201). Business students enroll in Management-Management and Organization (MGMT 397A) and Marketing (MKTG 397A).

For more information on STEP, call 814-863-4174 or e-mail [email protected]. Space is limited, so students are encouraged to register early.