At its meeting on Sunday, the Undergraduate Assembly discussed the proposition of a new pre-orientation program dedicated to research.
A research-focused pre-orientation program would expose students to a variety of research disciplines, while providing positive first experiences with research, College and Wharton junior Robert Hsu said.
“A lot of us think research is just pipetting and mice,” he explained.
Penn would be the first school in the Ivy League to establish such a program, UA Representative and College junior Joyce Kim said. The Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships has expressed interest in hosting it, UA Representative and College sophomore Yessenia Moreno added.
Hsu also suggested that the program reach out to students of low socioeconomic status, adding that the program may lead to increased Penn representation among Rhodes and Marshall Scholars. A Penn student has not won a Rhodes scholarship in the past four years.
The UA also returned to the subject of mental health, addressing the development of a comprehensive mental health resource guide for Penn students.
Related: UA discusses mental health and add/drop
Moreno suggested that the completed guide should be sent to freshmen before their arrival at Penn, so that students can arrive with knowledge of available mental health resources.
UA Representative and College sophomore Julie Bittar proposed the creation of an online mental health forum like the Penn Admirers Facebook page, where students could ask anonymous questions to health professionals and share inspirational TED talks.
Finally, the UA discussed last Wednesday’s launch of the Penn Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention group’s “Got Consent?” campaign. The group took photographs of various student groups, including the UA, and made posters advertising the importance of consent.
Kim said the UA plans to continue working with ASAP to spread sexual harassment awareness on campus.
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