Engagement & Events
Figure 3.3. Calendar in Portal
Let’s talk for a moment about finding events to participate in at World Campus. One way that we've already discussed is by checking the Student Portal Links to an external site.. The main page of the Portal contains a calendar section that displays events happening in the very near future. These are displayed as clickable links, so if you're interested in them you can always learn more simply by selecting them. You can also select the View all events link to bring up a more comprehensive list of upcoming deadlines and activities. Whether it's an Alumni Association event that's local to you or a group advising session, we truly hope that you connect with your fellow Penn Staters.
Penn State Virtual Book Club
You can also take advantage of an opportunity to engage with your Penn State peers and faculty by participating in our shared summer reading program: the Penn State Virtual Book Club. This program will give you the chance to participate in book discussions with both peers and faculty, partake in live discussions and contests, and further orient yourself to the Penn State learning management system, Canvas. For more information on the Penn State Reads program you can click the link for the information site Links to an external site..
We encourage you to participate in this unique opportunity to engage with the Penn State community over the summer. Newly enrolled World Campus students will receive an email about the program with instructions on how to download a complimentary copy of the e-book and join the book club through Canvas. Current World Campus students will also receive an invitation to join the book club via the Student Success Newsletter in June. Please email studentaffairs@outreach.psu.edu if you have any questions about how to join in this fantastic opportunity.
Social Media and “Classroom” Connections
One way of connecting with your new classmates is by checking out the World Campus website Links to an external site., where you’ll find links to communities and resources like Facebook Links to an external site., Twitter Links to an external site., LinkedIn Links to an external site., the Penn State World Campus Blog Links to an external site., YouTube Links to an external site., Flickr Links to an external site., and the Alumni Association Links to an external site..
Another important connection point for you as a student is to get to know other students in your courses. Those of you in similar majors may be taking many of the same courses together. Meeting students who are in similar life circumstances can provide you with a valuable support system as you work through your program.
Along with your fellow students, your professors are also important connection points for you. They can act as mentors for you in many regards and are excellent resources for you to tap into. They can work with you as you plan your academic career whether you're looking at grad school or using your college experience in your career.
Finally, let’s look at the World Campus Student Center. This is a virtual meeting space for World Campus students to connect with peers, learn about opportunities to engage, and to reflect on student experiences. The Student Center features 24-hour chat with other students, a calendar of engagement events, and easy access to support resources. You’ll be able to access the Student Center and all of its tools directly through Canvas, using a feature called Canvas Prides.
Prides are informal collaborative spaces available in Canvas that can be created by faculty, staff, and students. Prides can be used for research/scholarship, study groups, or service. Prides share most features of your courses.
Logging in to the Student Center
Accessing the Student Center is as simple as following these instructions:
- Log into Canvas.
- From your Dashboard, click Pride Manager.
- In the Pride Name field, search for "World Campus Student Center."
- Select Enroll to join.
- Enter "We Are" in the passcode field. (Note: This code is case-sensitive.)
- The Student Center will now show in your course list.
Participate in the Discussion
Discussion questions will be posted each Monday in the Student Center to give you and other students an opportunity to engage in conversations important to you. You can also add your own discussion threads. The Student Center is an open space, and you should keep in line with the Penn State Code of Conduct.