4 CAPITAL TIMES, March 15,1991
Advice given for future graduate students
Robin Price
Capital Times Staff
Students considering graduate school
received some helpful hints from the
Student Assistance on Feb. 26 as part of
it s series of lunch time personal growth
classes.
Ed Beck, personal counseling
programs coordinator, shared his
expertise with a group of about fifteen
students in the Gallery Lounge.
Beck said "There are no universals
in graduate school curricula and
expectations."
Beck said he knows how difficult
and intimidating the process of applying
to grad school can be. He was a non
traditional student, married with two
Model United Nations Conference debates world topics
Victoria Phillips
Capital Times
United Nations delegates hotly
debated the Palestinian issue in front of a
T.V. camera. But this wasn't in New
York. It happened last month at Penn
State Harrisburg during the 19th Annual
Searches from page 1
three to five candidates for each position.
The interview process takes about 1
1/2 days. During the process, the
applicant tours the campus, teaches a
class, makes a presentation and meets a
variety of faculty members.
Dishner said the applicant's schedule
is rigorous during the process, but they
try not to rush them.
"If you rush it, they'll leave here not
being sure, and if you later offer them a
job and they have a lot of questions still
in their mind, then you've spent a lot of
money and you've maybe missed,"
Dishner said.
The committee not only interviews
the candidate, but also promotes Penn
State Harrisburg, Dishner added.
"When they leave here, we want
them to be very positive about Penn
State Harrisburg," Dishner said. "If
they’re not offered a job, we want them
to be sorry about that."
Dishner said he hopes to hold a
reception with local business leaders to
see how well the applicants interact with
the business community.
"I want people who can walk into
the office of the president of a local
bank, or AMP, or Hershey Foods, and
be somebody that's accepted and that has
a lot of credibility," Dishner said.
"People need to provide leadership on
campus but also provide leadership in
the appropreate arena external to the
campus."
Despite the large number of
applicants, some positions might not be
filled, Dishner said, adding that some
fields have fewer candidates.
"I would much rather close down a
search that to make a decision to hire a
marginal candidate," Dishner said.
In some instances, the school might
stop the search and hire a part-time
replacement for one year, Dishner said.
PSH NEWS
children during his grad school days.
Beck suggested students should,
"Figure out what he or she wants to do
when they grow up,” before applying
to graduate school.
He said the school usually assumes
students know what they want to do
with their degree. Faculty at graduate
schools are highly motivated, he said,
and they generally assume the
prospective students is equally
motivated.
Beck also offered a few tips to decide
if grad school is the right choice for you,
and several hints on how to choose a
grad school.
Beck suggested checking the faculty
out to see whether their expertise
matches your interests.
Model United Nations conference.
On Feb. 21-23, the International
Affairs Association of Penn State
Harrisburg, under the direction of
Clemmie Gilpin, coordinated the event.
Over 350 students from 19 local high
schools participated. Groups of students
were appointed delegates from various
U.N. member nations. Teachers from
the schools were sponsors, and the
Academic Affairs Personnel Searches
For Fall 1991 Appointments
Academic Administrators and Faculty Searches
Behavioral Science and Education
Director of Education Programs
Clinical/Community Psychology
Experimental Psychology (Hired Barbara A. Bremer)
Instructional Design/Educational Technology
Foundations/Secondary Education
Business Administration
School Director
Finance (Hired Harvey Arbelaez)
Information Systems (Hired Girish Subram an ian)
Information Systems
Management - 2 positions
Humanities
Humanities/Philosophy
Humanities/Writing
Library
Division Head
Librarian
Public Affairs
Division Head
Science, Engineering and Technology
Division Head
Civil/Surveying
Electrical (Hired Alireza Rahrooh)
Electrical
Continuing Education
Director
Area Representative - 2 positions
Computer and Information Systems
Director
Staff
Source: Penn State Harrisburg Office of the Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty
Beck also suggested that the
prospective candidate ask masters and
doctoral students of the schools you are
interseted in, to see if present students
are satisfied with the program.
"It is not as hard to get in to grad
school, as it is to decide which program
is right for you," Beck said. "There is
probably a grad school program
somewhere for you."
Beck suggested students look at the
copendiums of grad school listings
available in the Student Assistance
Center or Heindel Library. The library
also houses a complete set of grad
school catalogs on microfiche.
Beck advised students on grad school
admission "test anxiety," and suggested
I.A.A. members from Penn State
Harrisburg chaired the committee
meetings.
In the Student Center at the Capital
Union Building a U.N. committee
debated the Palestinian issue for News
Sight 21 cameras and waved large cards
identifying their country. Each was then
recognized by the speaker.
A Bahrain delegate said P.L.O.
by Division and School
Support Personnel
that prospective grad students get the
tests behind them as soon as possible.
About test prep courses, Beck said,
"Test prep material is like chicken soup.
We don't know how much it helps,
but we know it doesn't hurt."
After the class, Jennifer Burkey, 21,
a behavioral science major said she
previously had "no idea what was
required" of her. "I now have
guidelines," she said. "I know I need to
define my goals before I apply."
Latonia Childs, 22, currently a
graduate student here, said she felt "less
intimidated, less overwhelmed, and less
stressed out" after the lecture. Childs
seeks an eventual doctoral degree in
psychology.
violence would end if the Palestinians
had a homeland.
"Once they achieve their goal...they
will no longer need to go on with their
actions,” he said.
Delegates from other nations spoke
for and against the P.L.O. The U.S. and
Saudi Arabian delegates believed Israeli
troops should stay in the occupied
territories to prevent riots until
settlement of the Palestinian state.
In another room, a Gulf War debate
was underway. It was proposed that a
U.N. buffer force remain in the Gulf to
prevent further hostilities after the war.
Then an Iranian delegate asked how large
the force would be.
"That will be determined by the
General Assembly," said a Saudi
delegate.
He didn't think the force would have
to be large, and said that it would be
made up of many nations. He urged
members to vote against the proposed
amendment.
One of the sponsors was Steel High
teacher Carl Smith. His students
represented Cyprus, the Ivory Coast,
Oman, Bulgaria, and Iceland.
The Gulf War is "probably the most
talked about subject," he said. Some
resolutions were passed, but many were
defeated Smith said. He said this
conference showed students how hard it
can be for the U.N. to pass a resolution.
Sister Helen Mary sponsored students
from Bishop McDevitt High School.
Her students represented Indonesia and
Pakistan. She said students enjoyed
themselves and were better prepared than
in past years.
Wearing a white tag with the Turkish
flag on it, Harrisburg High School
student Aiisha Herring said the war was
the most talked about subject at the
conference. She pointed to a 25-point
list of resolutions about Kuwaiti relief
following the war.
Bill Stasiualatias, a Cumberland
Valley student delegate for Bolivia, said
this year was the first time he had
participated in the Model U.N.
Tina Batra, also from Cumberland
Valley, pointed out that there is a lot of
bureaucracy in the U.N. committee
meetings.
"It’s hard to be recognized [by the
speaker]," Batra said.