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Undergraduate Education enhances teaching and learning at Penn State through University-wide services and programs that help students have a successful academic experience at Penn State.

The Office of the Senior Vice Provost and Dean leads, coordinates, and collaborates on a wide range of undergraduate education matters across the University. The office also serves as a source and clearinghouse for institutional research and data pertaining to student success and retention.

Key responsibilities of this office include:

coordinate the curricular development and review process
provide oversight of academic advising
develop and maintain academic policies and procedures
ensure academic integrity is upheld at Penn State
support excellence in teaching and learning
administer programs that support student success including, the annual Undergraduate Exhibition and Erickson Discovery Grants

Undergraduate Education Leadership

Kathleen J. Bieschke, Senior Vice Provost and Interim Dean of Undergraduate Education

Jeff Adams, Senior Associate Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education

Melissa Johnson, Associate Vice Provost and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education

Alan Rieck, Associate Vice Provost and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education

Angela Linse, Executive Director of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and Associate Dean for Teaching

David Smith, Executive Director for the Division of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Dean for Advising

Maggie Slattery, Director and Assistant Dean for General Education

Primary Strategic Goals

Mission

The mission of Undergraduate Education is to facilitate a Penn State academic environment that enhances the success of all students.

Vision

The vision of Undergraduate Education is to ensure equitable outcomes for all Penn State students through effective collaborations, responsive and adaptable practices and policies, and informed decision-making.

Strategic Planning Goals

Ensure equitable student success for all students
Foster institution-wide connection and collaboration
Prioritize and model student-centeredness, inclusion, and transparency in UE work

New faculty may want to contact Undergraduate Education units to:

Learn about the role they play in advising students by working with academic advisers in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, including how to use the Starfish system.
Learn about Penn State’s General Education course requirements and expected learning outcomes.
Learn about Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures (AAPPM) and the policies that guide academic work and where to direct students for policies.
Connect with the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence to learn about the programs available to help faculty with their teaching and the consultants available for guidance.
Learn how to refer students to Penn State Learning for free learning support opportunities that are peer-led, undergraduate learning communities in math, natural sciences, writing, languages, economics and statistics through tutoring, workshops, and guided study groups.
Connect with the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring office to learn how to link their research to undergraduates who are interested in participating in research opportunities and to learn how to help undergraduates apply for fellowships and other funding opportunities.
Connect with the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success and learn about their services and support programs they provide to students.
Learn more about the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and their role overseeing the Testing Centers and SEEQ course evaluations.
Learn how units like the Morgan Academic Center supports student athletes and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) trains undergraduate students to become commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces.
Learn about Penn State’s approach to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity (see the resources posted at integrity.psu.edu) and consult on issues surrounding the application of policy G9: Academic Integrity.

Top 5 Items Faculty Should Know about Undergraduate Education

*Top Items Faculty Should Know About UE*
	Policies and Procedures: UE, working with Administrative Council on Education (ACUE) oversees the development and updates to the Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual (AAPPM). AAPPM provides guidance on the implementation of Faculty Senate and University policies and procedures concerning undergraduate education at Penn State.
	Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence (SITE): The mission of SITE is to advance and inspire excellence in Penn State's teaching and learning community.
	The Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring office provides faculty with opportunities to include undergraduates in their research, offers formal opportunities to mentor students, and helps students prepare, and apply for, fellowships and scholarships like Fulbright, Rhodes, Astronaut, Marshall, etc.
	Penn State Learning develops and assesses peer-led, undergraduate learning communities in math, natural sciences, writing, language, economics, and statistics through tutoring, workshops, and guided study groups. All programs are free to students; they are covered by tuition.
	Office for General Education: The office was created to develop and lead the General Education curriculum for all undergraduate students at Penn State and support faculty development in this area. The office provides resources, grants, and programs like the Faculty Scholars to help support faculty.

Relevant New Faculty Programming

The Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success hosts the First-Gen Summit annually in the spring and holds events during First-Gen Week in November. In addition, they advise the Eta Psi University Park chapter of the Tri-Alpha National Honor Society, which eligible faculty may apply for membership.

The Division of Undergraduate Studies hosts the Penn State Conference on Academic Advising, which is held annually in September. The conference showcases novel research and practices that contribute to the field of academic advising. Open to the University-wide community to attend, there are both in-person and virtual offerings.

The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence faculty conference is held every other January and the Schreyer Institute delivers ongoing workshops, events, and consultations throughout the year.

The Undergraduate Exhibition is held annually in April. Faculty judge hundreds of student research posters, oral presentations or performances based on undergraduates’ research, course-based projects, or creative work completed as part of a class assignment.

The Center for Penn State Student Entrepreneurship hosts an annual daylong program each fall for entrepreneurship faculty and educators.

Undergraduate Education Fun Facts

Across its programs and services, Penn State Learning has more than 50,000 contacts with students each year, with more than 13,000 students accessing services.

The Prior Learning Assessment office works with over 250 faculty members to evaluate transfer courses for credit at Penn State. On average, faculty review between 300–700 courses a week.

Through the School Supplies for Student Success Initiative, the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success supported close to 400 students in spring 2025 by offering free school supplies, like notebooks, pens, and pencils, to students.

The Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), the academic home for first- and second-year students exploring multiple programs before deciding on a major, enrolls more first-year students than any other unit/college University-wide, numbering approximately 9,000 students annually.

The Morgan Academic Center, which helps prepare student athletes for success in the classroom, earned a record-tying 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate, and 11 programs earned perfect 100% ratings, in 2024.

The Office of Student Orientation and Transition Programs welcomes roughly 12,500 new, change-of-campus, and transfer students to the University Park campus each year and partners with commonwealth campuses to support their New Student Orientation programs.

Each year, the Pollock Testing Center administers nearly 200,000 unique exams to Penn State students.

Additional Resources and Contact Information

Resources

Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education (ACUE)

ACUE is responsible for the design of academic and administrative policies and procedures that support the University's undergraduate education goals and objectives. Within the framework of Senate and University policies, ACUE formulates the formal implementation that guides the offering, delivery, and assessment of academic programs and learning opportunities, the admission and enrollment of undergraduate students, and other related matters. ACUE oversees the Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual (AAPPM).

Division of Undergraduate Studies

The Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) is the academic home for students exploring multiple academic programs before committing to a course of study. DUS serves as a leader in academic advising for the University and other institutions across the nation. DUS maintains the Advising at Penn State website, a home for academic advising resources for faculty and staff University-wide.

General Education

The Office for General Education was created to develop and lead the General Education curriculum for all undergraduate students at Penn State and to support faculty development in this area. The General Education curriculum will enable students to acquire skills, knowledge, and experiences for living in interconnected contexts so they can contribute to making life better for others, themselves, and the world.

Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) works to ensure that knowledge and skills acquired by students prior to coming to Penn State, or outside of their Penn State classroom, are consistently evaluated and awarded credit across Penn State’s colleges and campuses. Some examples of prior learning credits awarded to students include transfer credits, military credits/training, credits from Advanced Placement exams, and credit by portfolio.

Undergraduate Education Contact Information

Office of the Vice Provost and Dean
814-863-1864
Undergrad.psu.edu