The Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs (OGEEP) designs and implements mentoring programs; recruitment programs; professional development and retention programs; and conferences, seminars, workshops, and lectures.
Annual Initiatives
OGEEP designs and facilitates larger scale initiatives that address concerns and growth opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. These flagship or staple programs may be tweaked from year-to-year, but they remain because they have consistent impact related to the academic and professional success of budding scholars. See below for some examples of our flagship initiatives:
I Stand With Immigrants
"The I Stand With Immigrants / I Am An Immigrant Initiative, powered by the FWD.us Education Fund, Inc., leads narrative campaigns that empower immigrants and allies to share their stories and drive action that demonstrate how immigration is good for our communities, economy, and country” (I Stand With Immigrants).
OGEEP partners with the I Stand With Immigrants initiative to demonstrate support for students who are immigrants across the campus community.
OGEEP Grad Gala
In the final weeks of this semester, OGEEP convenes with the graduate community in celebration of those who are graduating, persisting, and excelling in various facets of their personal, professional, and academic lives. This program provides a space for attendees to unwind, embrace community with their peers, and celebrate the hard work that has transpired throughout the course of the academic year.
Cultural Enrichment Bus Trip
OGEEP invites scholars, faculty, and staff to attend a bus trip to Washington D.C., specifically the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), in honor of Black History Month in February. Attendees are guaranteed a ticket into the museum and a ride to and from Washington D.C.; however, they are welcome to engage with other museums or monuments outside of your NMAAHC time slot. Note, engagement with Black history should extend far and beyond this opportunity and the month of February.
Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
SROP is an eight-week research intensive experience where undergraduate scholars collaborate with a faculty mentor at Penn State and produce graduate level research. This opportunity prepares them for research at the graduate level and gives them a small taste of what it may be like to stay at Penn State for graduate study. SROP is in collaborating with the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Graduate School Open House
The Graduate School Open House invites budding scholars who are interested in Penn State to attend Penn State for an extended weekend at no cost. This three-day immersion experience connects scholars to would-be faculty mentors, lab mates, multicultural leaders and more. Additionally, scholars tour the campus community, hear from student affairs professionals, and network with current graduate students at Penn State.
First-Generation Graduate School Symposium
The First-Generation Graduate School Symposium is designed to connect first generation graduate students with resources, social networks, and more that will assist their education journey. This past year, OGEEP held workshops related to financial and personal wellness for graduate students.
Past Programs
OGEEP consistently collaborates with campus partners to sponsor impactful programming for larger scale initiatives that address concerns and growth opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Cornel West: Beyond Incarceration
This program was a collaborative effort by the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, The Office of Education and Social Equity, the Students’ Restorative Justice Initiative, The Restorative Justice Initiative, and The Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs. The goal was to invite a conversation regarding the carceral state and its relationship to education. Dr. Cornel West provided insights regarding the transformative possibilities of education in and beyond the university space.
Holistic Admissions Post-SCOTUS #2024
This event provided a space for administrators, faculty members, and admissions staff to learning form higher education professionals about what is possible in the wake of SCOTUS decision that ended race-conscious admissions. Speakers from the University of Michigan, University of Kentucky, and Penn State offered insights on leadership, compliance, and holistic review.
Intelligence Community Talks
This program invited professionals within federal intelligence agencies to share insights about job prospects within the intelligence community. Panelists shared how the federal government employs a wide variety of professionals from various disciplines (e.g., education, geoscience, demography, and more). Attendants of this program also had the opportunity to network with intelligence offers following the panel session.
Connection Forum: A Graduate student resource fair
OGEEP’s Connection Forum was a BIPOC graduate student resource fair tailored to connecting graduate students of color with resources, leaders, and affinity groups that may not be present or difficult to find at larger resources fairs. From mental health, career services, and more, student had the opportunity to learn about what is available at the university as well as grow their networks.
Non-Profit Alumni Careers Panel
This initiative sought to fill a gap in traditional career development programming by offering a space where students could engage with Penn State alumni currently engaging in the non-profit sector. Scholars were exposed to the trials and triumphs of non-profit work as well as potential job opportunities that exist within the alumnus’ industries.