General
Information

Penn State Pulse
Surveys

Fraternity and
Sorority Assessment

Annual Alcohol
Assessment

Student Satisfaction
Survey

Newspaper
Readership Program

Community of
Learning

Student Affairs
Educational
Programs &
Certificates

National Survey
of Student
Engagement
(NSSE)

Student Newspaper Readership Program

Penn State Student Newspaper Readership Program was established by President Graham B. Spanier in 1997. The program offers students the USA Today, the New York Times,  and a local/regional newspaper. At University Park, the Centre Daily Times and The Daily Collegian are available. All newspapers are provided at no additional cost to students.

The goals of the program are to enhance the learning environment on campus; increase students' knowledge of community, national, and world events; to encourage a lifelong daily newspaper readership habit, and to create citizens who are more engaged in their local communities.  For more information on the program Click Here.

In 2005, Penn State partnered with Educational Benchmarking, Inc. to pilot a national study on newspaper readership. The data overwhelmingly support the relationship between newspaper readership and developing cognitive skills; increasing one's awareness, understanding, and ability to articulate views on current issues; and developing civic-mindedness. In addition, there is a strong relationship between newspaper readership and student engagement both on campus and in the community. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that utilizing the newspaper in the classroom promotes newspaper readership and further extends the learning outcomes articulated in the survey. With students' reporting that the Student Newspaper Readership Program increases their readership and their high levels of satisfaction with the program, the findings of this survey firmly support the educational value of providing a newspaper readership program on college campuses.

For more information on the assessment efforts please see the reports below.