Frequently Asked Questions for SSC

General

The Student Success Center staff are happy to help with general questions and concerns, and we can connect you to the appropriate resources available to you as a student at Penn State Fayette.

All workshops and events hosted by the Student Success Center are open to every student. Workshops focus on writing, study skills, time management, career assessments, major exploration, graduate school exploration, career fairs, interview techniques, LinkedIn, and meeting your adviser.

When campus is open for regular, in-person instruction, students may come to the SSC to study independently or with a group. Check in at the reception area upon arriving.

Keep up-to-date on the Center by following Penn State Fayette on social media @pennstatefayette.

Yes, during on-campus instruction periods, if rooms are not in use for exam proctoring or other Student Success Center appointments, students may reserve a room for group study by phone/zoom at 724-430-4119 or by emailing [email protected].

Advising

Academic advisers can be found in LionPath under the “My Advisors” tab.

LionPath screen for "My Advisors"

Most students admitted to Penn State are admitted to a pre-major status and are required to complete entrance to major requirements before being able to declare their specific major. Some exceptions do exist and students should check their “academic information” in LionPath to view their current academic status.

Once entrance to major requirements have been met, students can use “Update Academics” to declare the major of their choosing.

Students in pre-major status will need to pull a What-If Report to indicate which major they want to audit, while students in their major can view their audit by selecting Academic Requirements .

Advisers in the Student Success Center use Starfish for scheduling all advising appointments. For help scheduling an appointment, see the tutorial Students–Starfish (psu.edu). If your assigned adviser does not have appointments available in Starfish, we recommend emailing them to request an appointment.

Penn State University offers over 275 program opportunities for students across all of our campuses. To discover all that Penn State has to offer, students can use the University Bulletin to view programs of study, academic requirements, campus information and more.

In addition to exploring the University Bulletin, the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) offers tools to help students explore options and determine the right fit for their goals. Students are also encouraged to talk about personal interests, goals, and more with an adviser in the Student Success Center who can help find related majors.

Students are encouraged to meet with their adviser to discuss a schedule for each semester. To register for the courses you have selected, follow the enrollment tutorial.

Students may need to change their Penn State campus for a variety of reasons and are encouraged to talk with their adviser to ensure they are making the change at the appropriate time and to determine if other steps need to be taken such as updating academic information. LionPath has a tutorial for requesting a change of campus.

Students are matched with advisers based on their program of study. If your adviser no longer matches your program of study or you need to update your adviser for any other reason, please contact the Student Success Center at 724-430-4119 or [email protected].

Suggested Academic Plans (SAPs) are found on the University Bulletin. Be sure to use the bulletin for the year you entered the University to view the correct academic requirements.

Students are able to make changes to their schedule through the first week of the semester without penalty. Changes made after the Add/Drop period will be indicated on a student’s transcript and do come with associated fees. For Add/Drop deadlines, late drop deadlines and more, view the Registrar’s Academic Calendar.

Career Planning

Only you can make a decision about your career path, but career planning can connect you with resources to help you make that decision. We have tools and assessments that can help point you in the right direction. The tool Career Services utilizes is called My Plan. The four assessments that are available to you focus on personality, interests, skills, and values. Once these are completed, you can stop by the Student Success Center to meet with our Career Coach to process your results and receive some insight to your career options.

Yes, Career Planning can help you gain the skills to find an internship or job. We can help guide you through searching for internship and job opportunities. We can review resumes and cover letters. We also facilitate mock interviews to prepare you for an actual interview. However, securing an internship site or job is up to you!

Ensuring that your internship counts for class credit is a simple process! The semester before your internship, you should meet with the Career Planning Coordinator to express your interest in completing an internship. You will find the necessary resources on the Career Services Canvas site: Career Services @ Fayette (instructure.com) . Before enrolling in the course, students must contact the internship instructor and the registrar, then complete the required forms. During this time, you will need to work with the internship instructor to agree on an acceptable site. Throughout the semester, students continue to work with their internship instructor to complete evaluations of their experiences and additional assignments.

Absolutely! We encourage students to research internship possibilities, but we are here to help with any questions and concerns. For additional sites and resources, you can email [email protected].

Yes. You can set up an appointment by calling the front desk of The Student Success Center at 724-430-4119 or stopping by the center located in the Williams building.

Yes! Career Planning uses a website called Interview Stream to help students get more comfortable with the interview process. Questions can be customized depending on your major and type of employment that you are seeking. The great part about this mock-interviewing site is that it will video-record your responses for playback. Students are able to view the entire interview after completion in order to see where they need improvement. Our staff can meet with you to provide feedback on your responses and body language.

Learning Strategies

Yes! Even if you don't feel like you're struggling in a course, you can take advantage of a tutoring session for extra practice or support as you work toward your academic goals. We want to help you succeed and meet or surpass those goals! (Plus, even experts in their fields consult others for advice and feedback.)

 

Log in to Starfish then navigate to your “Courses” section. Beside the course for which you are seeking tutoring, select the tutoring service icon to view availability and make an appointment.

If you have scheduling questions or would like assistance, contact the Student Success Center in the Williams Building ( 724-430-4119 ).

Contact the Student Success Center by calling 724-430-4119 or emailing [email protected] to discuss specific subjects that maybe troubling you. If we do not have a tutor for a particular subject, you can still meet with a staff member to work on study and test-taking skills.

Before the session, review the content you want to work on, and prepare questions for the tutor. Perhaps there's a math problem that's giving you trouble, a concept that you don't understand, or part of a writing assignment that you feel could use improvement. When it's time for the session, bring your class notes, syllabus, textbook, and assignment instructions--whatever is relevant to the assignment. Share your concerns and needs with your tutor. We are here to help!

Our consultants are peer and professional tutors who are strong in their subject areas and possess a desire to help others. Professional tutors have undergraduate or graduate degrees, and these employees usually have standard hours of service. Peer tutors volunteer or are employed by the Student Success Center, have exceled in their courses, and have been recommended by faculty.

If you wish to apply for a peer tutor position, email Mary Budinsky at [email protected] to share your interest and inquire about staff openings. Peer tutor applicants must be current Penn State Fayette students, must have an "A" in the course for which they are applying to tutor, and must have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA. Applicants must be in good overall academic standing and must be responsible and patient. Available positions varies per semester.

You must contact the Student Success Center at 724-430-4119 or [email protected] one week prior to your exam to schedule your proctoring time, and your faculty must provide the exam and any instructions.