For the first time in its history, Penn State is celebrating honorees who represent both University Park and the Commonwealth Campuses as its Fundraising Volunteers of the Year.
For longtime State College residents and Penn State alumni Dennis and Sandra Parker Hall, The Arboretum at Penn State holds a special place in their hearts due, in part, to all it offers not only to them as locals and volunteers, but also to the surrounding community and visitors from near and far. With that firmly in mind, the couple pledged a gift of $75,000 to name the
The Penn State Millennium Scholars Program, a program within the College of Agricultural Sciences to support students researching in STEM fields, received donor support from two Penn State alumni.
The program received an estimated $1 million, according to a press release, from Paul Heffner as an estate gift that will benefit the Paul Heffner Scholarship in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The first preference for this scholarship is for students in the Millennium Scholars Program.
The other donation came from Duane Norman and his wife, Roslyn W. Norman, who endowed a $100,000 gift to H. Duane and Roslyn W. Norman Millennium Scholars Scholarship through the Educational Equity Matching Program, securing a one to one match through the program.
Ag Sciences receives donor support for Millennium Scholars Program
Susan Bedsworth
May 06, 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. The Penn State Millennium Scholars Program in the College of Agricultural Sciences has received a generous increase in support thanks to philanthropic gifts from two of the college’s alumni.
Paul Heffner pledged an estimated $1 million estate gift to benefit the Paul Heffner Scholarship in the College of Agricultural Sciences, which he created in 2010. First preference for the scholarship has been denoted for Millennium Scholars students. Duane Norman and his wife, Roslyn W. Norman, endowed the H. Duane and Roslyn W. Norman Millennium Scholars Scholarship through a $100,000 gift through the University’s now concluded Educational Equity Matching Program, securing a 1:1 match through the program.
Faculty Senate votes to reinstate alternative grading for spring 2021
January 29, 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. After considerable debate at its first meeting of the semester on Jan. 26, the Penn State Faculty Senate voted to implement an optional, opt-in alternative grading system for the spring 2021 semester.
The vote came after a report from the new Policies Influencing Equity (PIE) task force recommended continuing alternative grading in spring 2021, citing the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic for students. PIE was created during the fall 2020 semester and charged by Faculty Senate Chair Beth Seymour and Interim Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education Yvonne Gaudelius to investigate the possibility of alternative grading in future semesters and the ways in which policies and procedures may have disparate impacts on students. The PIE task force includes faculty, administrators and students.