- Mailing Address
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The Pennsylvania State University 201 Old Main
University Park, PA, Pennsylvania 16802 - Phone
- (814) 865-4700
- Email address
- admissions@psu.edu
- Website
- https://www.psu.edu/
- School Information
- "This is Penn State: There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across twenty-four campuses and an online World Campus, our 100,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. Our ideals stem from our origins as Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution, which allow us to continue to bring positive impact to humanity through our teaching, research, and engagement mission. And across the world is a community of Penn Staters—more than half a million strong—driven by that same spirit to serve our local and global communities." The university also offer over 600 undergraduate academic programs and over 11,000 course offerings. (Source: https://www.psu.edu/this-is-penn-state/) (Source: https://www.psu.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/)
- General Information
- University-wide, Penn State hosted events, such as a recent symposium, to showcase research by scholars of critical race theory. See developments below:
Actions Taken
- Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
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A professor "attempted to convince two White male students that they are oppressors while discussing Coca-Cola’s 'be less White' training," according to media reports.
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Penn State Extension offers an "Antiracism (Part 1): Self-awareness and Communication" course. The description reads, "To be antiracist is to take action against racism. Early childhood education (ECE) programs that do antiracist work look closely at how racism and inequity impact children, families, and educators and use antiracism as a lens to root out, name, and address racial biases. As programs shift their culture toward antiracism, competencies can guide best practices. This course introduces antiracism and two competencies for culturally responsive teaching—knowing your cultural lens and culturally responsive communication."
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- Faculty/Staff Requirements
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The university is "hiring a new assistant professor of architecture but is asking applicants to show their commitment to 'anti-racism and anti-oppression,'" according to Fox News. Fox News also reports, "While the position is for applicants with a background in architecture, the posting states that the 'ideal candidate' will work to 'establish a culture of anti-racism and anti-oppression.'"
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- Program and Research Funding
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The university is looking for a new Assistant/Associate Dean for Access and Equity for the College of Arts and Architecture.
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The university announced the creation of the "Center for Racial Justice," which will "advance the work of the Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety" and "be dedicated to research and scholarship around racism and racial bias." The center will be within the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI). The center will, "Create a fellowship program that enables faculty to focus on critical research topics within the scope of center activities through seed grants that can lead to external funding or through term appointments that foster broader collaborations" and "Create an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows through scholarships and project support." The center will also, "Enable the development of racial justice pedagogies through educational tools for faculty and staff, workshops and public forums, as well as through other mechanisms."
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Penn State offers a program known as the Academy for Anti-Racist Leadership, which has a goal to “develop critical leadership competencies, most centrally racial literacy and the race- and racism-conscious schemas needed to dismantle whiteness, white supremacy, and what Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw refers to as the ‘norms of perspectivelessness’ that have become infused in postsecondary policies and practices at colleges and universities across the postsecondary spectrum.”
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On April 25, 2023, Penn State University’s faculty collectively assembled an “alternative event to Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi’s ‘virtual conversation.’” The alternative event is officially known as “Anti-Racism DEIB Teach-In: We Will Not Be Silenced.”
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On October 28, 2022, it was announced that Penn State canceled the scheduled launch for the Center for Racial Justice. This launch was part of an anti-racist commitment made in 2020 due to budget concerns.
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The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center offers special funding for “graduate student research that focuses on health and challenges faced by diverse and oppressed populations, with preference given to projects that develop or adapt an intervention to reduce systemic racism, or promote antiracist practices and culture.”
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- Resources
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“Reflections on Organizing and Power: Anti-Black Police Brutality and the Popular Uprisings” Zoom symposium was held at Penn State University on September 18.
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The university library has a "Black Lives Matter" resource guide that includes videos with Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo.
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Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences offers anti-racism resources, including resources for “inclusive classrooms and talking to students about anti-racism.”
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On April 20, 2023, it was announced that Penn State held a virtual conversation where “President Neeli Bendapudi and Special Adviser for Institutional Equity Jennifer Hamer discussed the recent process to inventory DEIB programs and resources across Penn State’s campuses.”
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