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Vice President welcomes parent feedback at "town hall" meeting

Stan Latta, Director, Unions & Student Activities; Philip Burlingame, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Gail Hurley, Assistant Vice President for Housing and Residence Life; Vicky Triponey, Vice President for Student Affairs

By Andy Elder, Student Affairs Writer

Penn State’s annual Parents & Families Day provides parents and families of University Park students an opportunity to enjoy the splendor of a central Pennsylvania autumn weekend with their son or daughter.

This year’s event afforded an added bonus – the chance for those parents, families and students to participate in a breakfast reception and “town hall” meeting with Dr. Vicky Triponey, the Vice President for Student Affairs.

“The Parents and Families weekend provided a wonderful opportunity for Dr. Triponey to introduce herself and senior staff to parents in a relaxed setting,” said Sue Powell, Director of Student Affairs Development. “In a ‘town-hall style’ meeting, parents were encouraged to ask questions relating to housing, career planning, health services, on-campus social activities or simply comment on their Penn State experience.”

Student Affairs, a far-reaching but perhaps lesser known division of Penn State, recognized a chance to familiarize parents, families and students with its personnel and programs.

“As parents desire to be well informed and involved in the education of their sons and daughters, this type of program gives them a broader understanding of the vast opportunities offered through the Division of Student Affairs. By personally engaging parents, we were able to provide some very valuable information and begin to develop relationships with parents,” Powell said.

On a day which featured events spanning the bounds of campus and stretching from morning through evening, hundreds of people attended Triponey’s reception and meeting, titled “The Penn State Experience: Beyond the Books.”

“The reception was attended by over 200 parents and family members who enjoyed a light breakfast and had a chance to talk with staff from each of the departments and centers housed in the Division of Student Affairs,” Powell said. “Parents traveled from across the country and were pleased to have this personal interaction with the staff. Planning for next year’s program has begun and ways to enhance the Parents and Families weekend are underway.”

Student Affairs felt it was important to spread the word of its mission and what better way to underscore that commitment than make available its most visible member.

“The Vice President for Student Affairs is the chief student advocate,” Powell said. “Parents appreciated hearing, first hand, of the commitment Vicky Triponey has made to enhance the student experience in very meaningful ways.”

While Triponey’s reception and meeting were the centerpiece of Student Affairs’ involvement in the weekend, it wasn’t the only facet.

Choral ensembles in the School of Music and the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs presented a special free concert in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. The choral showcase featured each of three choirs singing selections. The repertory included spirituals, folksongs and choral music for men’s voices, women’s voices and mixed voices. The University Choir and Essence of Joy, the Concert Choir and Oriana Singers, the Chamber Singers and the Women’s Chorale and the Penn State Glee Club all participated.

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