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large group of students sitting on steps

Group one of class photo. Fall 2019.

Credit: Penn State
Large group of students sitting on steps.

Group two of class photo. Fall 2019.

Credit: Penn State
large group of students sitting on steps

State Sen. John Blake, left, presented Penn State Scranton Chancellor Marwan Wafa, center, with an official Pennsylvania Senate citation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the campus. Also pictured is state Rep. Kyle Mullins.

Credit: Penn State

Scranton welcomes over 300 new students during New Student Orientation

When classes begin on Monday, Aug. 26, Penn State Scranton will welcome over 300 students, one of the largest incoming classes in the campus’ history.
By: Amy Gruzesky

When classes begin on Monday, Aug. 26, Penn State Scranton will welcome over 300 students, one of the largest incoming classes in the campus’ history.

“We are so excited to welcome all of these new students into the Penn State Scranton community,” said Chancellor Marwan Wafa, Ph.D. “I look forward to seeing them on Monday, when they officially begin their college career here at our campus.”

To help them prepare for their college experience, administrators and student leaders at the campus conducted several weeks of New Student Orientation, or NSO, as it is referred to on campus for the students and their families.

Throughout the summer, various NSO sessions were held, with 283 first-year students participating, and 24 transfer students participating in a separate transfer student orientation.

The NSO program, an interactive day that students and families participate in, introduces these new Penn Stater’s to campus resources and student services on campus, as well as the key people that provide them, so that when they officially begin the school year, they have a sense of familiarity with the Penn State Scranton community.

Topics covered include a review of academics at Penn State; advising and scheduling classes; financial aid and billing; and student services.

Once they have completed their first NSO, students are then introduced to NSO Part 2, which is the initial First Year Seminar for the Fall semester and concluded on Friday afternoon. The First Year Seminar is a requirement for all new students at Penn State and helps engage students in the community, introduces them to campus faculty, acquaints them with learning tools and resources, and provides opportunities to develop academic relationships with faculty and peers.

 “I thought the orientation sessions went really well,” said Meghan Cruciani, the campus’ new associate director of academic advising, who credited her academic advising staff, as well as Matt Nied and Julie Gilpatrick from student services and engagement, for ensuring the sessions went as smoothly as they did. I also have to give a lot of credit to our student orientation leaders, who were both professional and enthusiastic in welcoming our incoming class.

“It’s exciting to see these new faces and know that the students we worked with over the past few weeks are now better prepared for their college experience and know who we are and that we are here to help them with whatever they may need going forward.”

On Saturday, Aug. 24, over 100 Penn State Scranton students will be moving into their off-campus apartments at the University Commons, located across the street from Penn State Scranton.

Campus administrators have organized a lunch and informational program for these students and their families, at which University Commons manager Kate Daye will explain all of the resources and amenities available to students who opt to live there while attending college.

Classes begin at Penn State Scranton at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 26. At noon, all students, faculty and staff will be treated to a free lunchtime barbecue by the Penn State Scranton Alumni Society. The barbecue is a longstanding tradition at the campus and gives new and returning students, along with campus employees and alumni, the chance to meet, mingle and kick off the new semester in a festive way.