Engagement Opportunities
Engagement Opportunities hjs142Lesson Overview
Lesson Overview hjs142Part of being successful as a college student is getting involved. According to the Student Engagement and Student Outcomes article, there is evidence supporting the idea that students who are engaged with their peers have a higher chance of reaching graduation than those who are insulated. Even though you are spread all over the country, there are ways that you can get involved with other ESP students, other World Campus students, and the Penn State Community as a whole.
What will we learn?
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- articulate the variety of ways you can get involved with Penn State, with other ESP students, and with other World Campus students and faculty
- create a plan to become an EMSAGE laureate
- create a LinkedIn profile
What will be due?
Refer to the Activities page for more information on the assessments for this lesson.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please post to the corresponding Canvas forum or e-mail the instructor (if the question is personal in nature).
World Campus Student Organizations
World Campus Student Organizations hjs142"As a distance learner, being able to participate in a student organization, like World Campus Sustainability Club, helped me feel more connected to the university and my peers. I was able to interact with other students outside of the classroom and form lasting bonds that we will carry with us past the completion of our degree programs."
World Campus Sustainability Club
Yes, there are many clubs available to World Campus students, and the World Campus Sustainability Club is one of them! I am currently serving as the club's adviser, and we meet online, via Zoom at least once a month. The Club's Board (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) meets regularly to discuss things like upcoming events, membership drives, and the latest Sustainability related news. In addition, the members have been hosting guest speakers like Michael Mann (You can listen to his 43-minute talk here (transcript)) and running a monthly reading series!
There are many reasons to get involved with a club, including the valuable interactions and networking opportunities with your peers and instructors (it's never too early to be thinking about your impending job search!), increased access to relevant information and opportunities, and don't forget that club involvement (especially holding a leadership position) is a great resume booster!
The Sustainability Club is always looking for new members! Consider joining as a regular member or run for an officer position! Either way, contact the group at: psusustainabilityclub@gmail.com
Other World Campus Clubs
You can see the full list of clubs available and a short description of each at the Student Organizations page shown below. These clubs are mostly exclusive to World Campus students, and there's something for everyone!
Some of the clubs listed include:
- American Association of University Women
- Military Service Organization
- Organizational Leadership (OLEAD) Club
Listen to the World Campus Podcast about ways to meet other World Campus students and get involved at Penn State.
Credit for all screenshots: © Penn State is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
EMSAGE
EMSAGE hjs142Throughout the year, you'll see announcements about conferences and calls for posters through the College's weekly emails. If there is a conference you'd like to attend, look into it, many times students get free or discounted registration! If you need financial support for travel or accommodations, you can apply for a grant through the Student Engagement Network or contact the Student Services office to see if there's funding support available.
There are several exhibitions on campus that you can participate in! We have had students from afar present at multiple events, and it's been a great hit! We will work with you to get your poster printed and displayed here on campus, and you'll also have a copy to have with you at your home. Then we use technology to make sure you're where you need to be, when you need to be there!
Check out this video showing one of our students from Florida participating in the 2018 Undergraduate Poster Exhibition:
Video: Energy and Sustainability Policy program (1:46)
Energy and Sustainability Policy program
Presenter: Every year, students gather for the undergraduate exhibition at Penn State. They come from all of the Penn State campuses, including a World Campus student who participated from over 1,000 miles away.
Student: So where are you?
Jennifer: I'm in Jacksonville, Florida.
Presenter: Jennifer Bocchicchia is pursuing a BS in energy and sustainability policy.
Jennifer: It's really great. It's so great to be present and a part of it all.
Presenter: Thanks to a TelePresence robot, Jennifer presented her work for the poster competition.
Student: What is the knowledge you gained?
Jennifer: What I gained out of it after my research is that--
[Music playing]
Presenter: In addition to practicing her presentation skills--
Student: Can you hear me all right?
Jennifer: I can hear you perfectly, yes.
Presenter: --she was also able to maneuver the robot and exchange ideas with other students.
Jennifer: How long have you been working on this?
Student: So I joined this research--
Presenter: As the spouse of an active-duty service member, Jennifer needs the flexibility to study from anywhere in the world.
Jennifer: That's really interesting. Well, thank you for walking me through it. I loved hearing about it.
Presenter: With a TelePresence robot, no matter the distance, Jennifer can engage in the Penn State experience.
Student: So this is the union building on campus. This is the hub.
Jennifer: That's so neat.
Student: It was a pleasure to talk to you.
Jennifer: Yes, nice talking with you, too. Thanks for stopping by.
Student: Oh, you bet.
If you see any opportunities happening on campus that you'd like to participate in, please do not hesitate to contact me or your adviser to discuss how we can make that happen for you!
Social Media
Social Media hjs142Social Media: Additional Ways to Connect...
LinkedIn is the "world's largest professional network on the Internet," with more than 300 million members in over 200 countries and territories. (LinkedIn - Company page). Its mission is to "connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. When you join LinkedIn, you get access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help you be great at what you do." (LinkedIn - About page)
The ESP program has an official LinkedIn page. If you have questions or need help with LinkedIn, let me know!
You can:
- view What is LinkedIn? (less than 2 minutes!);
- visit LinkedIn and signup (if you haven't already);
- read 8 Mistakes You Should Never Make on LinkedIn (Forbes, 2013);
- create a complete up-to-date profile. Include a photo, summary, experience, and Education. Add more sections if you like!
- connect with me (Haley Sankey) and Brandi Robinson
Helpful Resource
For this week's assignment, you'll be asked to set up a LinkedIn profile. For a step by step guide, review the Components of LinkedIn Profile information provided on Penn State's LinkedIn and Social Media page.
Optional, but recommended reading: Get Hired Now! How to accelerate your job search, stand out, and land your next great opportunity By Ian Siegel, CEO of Ziprecruiter
Be sure to join the Penn State ESP Majors and Alumni group! You may also be interested in these groups:
- Penn State Career Services
- Sustainability @ Penn State
The ESP program has an official Facebook page where we frequently post about events, news related to Penn State and ESP students, and job openings. Be sure to "like" the Penn State Energy and Sustainability Policy Degree Facebook page to keep in touch with your fellow students and instructors!
Conferences and Poster Exhibitions
Conferences and Poster Exhibitions hjs142Throughout the year, you'll see announcements about conferences and calls for posters through the College's weekly emails. If there is a conference you'd like to attend, look into it, many times students get free or discounted registration! If you need financial support for travel or accommodations, you can apply for a grant through the Student Engagement Network or contact the Student Services office to see if there's funding support available.
There are several exhibitions on campus that you can participate in! We have had students from afar present at multiple events, and it's been a great hit! We will work with you to get your poster printed and displayed here on campus, and you'll also have a copy to have with you at your home. Then we use technology to make sure you're where you need to be, when you need to be there!
Check out this video showing one of our students from Florida participating in the 2018 Undergraduate Poster Exhibition:
Video: Energy and Sustainability Policy program (1:46)
Energy and Sustainability Policy program
Presenter: Every year, students gather for the undergraduate exhibition at Penn State. They come from all of the Penn State campuses, including a World Campus student who participated from over 1,000 miles away.
Student: So where are you?
Jennifer: I'm in Jacksonville, Florida.
Presenter: Jennifer Bocchicchia is pursuing a BS in energy and sustainability policy.
Jennifer: It's really great. It's so great to be present and a part of it all.
Presenter: Thanks to a TelePresence robot, Jennifer presented her work for the poster competition.
Student: What is the knowledge you gained?
Jennifer: What I gained out of it after my research is that--
[Music playing]
Presenter: In addition to practicing her presentation skills--
Student: Can you hear me all right?
Jennifer: I can hear you perfectly, yes.
Presenter: --she was also able to maneuver the robot and exchange ideas with other students.
Jennifer: How long have you been working on this?
Student: So I joined this research--
Presenter: As the spouse of an active-duty service member, Jennifer needs the flexibility to study from anywhere in the world.
Jennifer: That's really interesting. Well, thank you for walking me through it. I loved hearing about it.
Presenter: With a TelePresence robot, no matter the distance, Jennifer can engage in the Penn State experience.
Student: So this is the union building on campus. This is the hub.
Jennifer: That's so neat.
Student: It was a pleasure to talk to you.
Jennifer: Yes, nice talking with you, too. Thanks for stopping by.
Student: Oh, you bet.
If you see any opportunities happening on campus that you'd like to participate in, please do not hesitate to contact me or your adviser to discuss how we can make that happen for you!
Activities
Activities hjs142| Requirement | Assignment Details | Submitting your work |
|---|---|---|
| Draft a list for EMSAGE |
Using the examples provided, create a list of the EMSAGE applicable achievements for each area: Scholarship, Experiential Learning and Global Literacy, and Service. Meaning, look through the list provided on the EMSAGE webpage and identify which activities you're already doing or intend to while you're a Penn State student. By looking at the list now, you can identify which areas you may need to concentrate efforts on as you move through the ESP Program. You will need to list a minimum of nine accomplishments balanced across the three areas. Expand on each item; provide info on if you're currently involved or if you plan to accomplish one of the items and how. Format your list so that it has 3 sections, one for Scholarship, one for Experiential Learning and Global Literacy, and one for Service. Make sure it is nicely formatted and easy to understand. An example is provided below. NOTE: If you've completed and submitted a plan to Karen Marosi for the Protégé or Practitioners designations, email me and submit that here instead. |
Submit your Word document to the EMSAGE Dropbox |
| Read | Read "Here’s an example of the perfect LinkedIn profile summary, according to Harvard career experts" | |
| Make a LinkedIn Account | Create a LinkedIn Profile that includes a photo, your resume, and any other information that will help potential employers understand who you are, what your education and experience is, and what you hope to accomplish after graduation. | Request a connection with me on LinkedIn and provide me with a link to your profile. Submit your link to the LinkedIn Dropbox |
Summary
Summary hjs142If you have the ability to join a club, please consider doing so; you won't regret it! If the only thing you're able to do at this time is to follow our Facebook page, or join our LinkedIn group, then please do that! We want you to feel connected to your peers, to us, and to the University. But we can't do that without your help! If you have any questions about how to get involved, let me know.
Also, if you ever find yourself near State College, PA, or want to come here for a visit, email me and let me know. Brandi Robinson and I both love meeting our students and their families.
Finally, there is one football game every year that is deemed "All University Day"; if you're interested in attending a game with other World Campus students, be sure to watch your email to get tickets in advance!