Welcome Liberal Arts students
We are glad to have you here! We spent much of our summer preparing for this year, hiring and orienting new faculty and staff and refreshing facilities. Our advisors and instructors are eager to help you make the most of your academic experiences. We hope that the challenges and learning opportunities make this year’s Penn State Liberal Arts education the best ever.
Whether you are a freshman or a senior, you are preparing for the rest of your life. So we hope that you will take advantage of the myriad opportunities that await you to help you become a contributing member of your community and society after your life at Penn State. Use this year to broaden your perspectives so that you leave Penn State an educated person, capable of ethical and reasoned thought, with an appreciation for your own history and culture, and an increased understanding of the challenges of our global world. This is also the time to hone your skills as a good communicator, effective writer, and analytical thinker – all skills that our alums tell us will set you apart from the rest of the workforce. No matter where your future takes you, these skills will make a lifelong difference.
Use your critical thinking skills to make good choices in your social life too. Almost every year, at least one student on campus dies from alcohol related activities. Many other students’ lives are blighted by convictions for alcohol related offenses or from serious injuries caused because they or someone else was drunk and incapable of good judgment. In addition to individual and family tragedies, the toll on the community is considerable. These are not the kinds of Penn State experiences you want to have. Be safe and be a good citizen of the university and community.
Use this year to challenge yourself and to change your life in positive ways. So many opportunities await you. If you’ve not been to a concert, art exhibit, or play, go to one this year to broaden your cultural horizons. Attend a film festival like the one on Dystopias scheduled in mid-October. Take a class in an area outside your comfort zone. Learn a foreign language or take a course in Asian studies, African studies, or the Middle East. If you are not a senior, plan to study abroad or take an internship. If you are a senior and plan to enter the workforce, take advantage of the resources the university offers to help you with career planning and job search skills. Whether you are a senior or underclassman, find an activity that brings you satisfaction. Join our Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council, for example!
Your liberal arts education means opportunities in the classroom to gain knowledge essential to your future career. It means finding the compass that will guide how you think, reason, and communicate with others. It means having experiences that you will remember and appreciate the rest of your life.
All best wishes for a great Penn State year in the College of the Liberal Arts,
Susan Welch