The faculty, staff, and students of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) want to help our EMS students get off to a great start! TEEMS* (Total Engagement with Earth and Mineral Sciences) is an off-campus, pre-semester program designed specifically for first-year students at the University Park campus who are new to the College of EMS.
For fall 2024, TEEMS will be held from August 20-23, 2024. Over these four days, students will move into the residence halls (if living on campus) and then go to Lake Raystown Resort where they will have the opportunity to do the following:
- Meet fellow first-year students – develop a network of students with common interests before their classes begin
- Get to know EMS faculty, staff, alumni, and current students in an informal setting and get helpful tips for success
- Learn about EMS student organizations that they can join
- Participate in fun activities including campfires, s’mores, water park, and bowling
By attending TEEMS, students will be ahead of the curve having already moved in and developed a network, including professors! The college provides food, housing, and transportation, as well as admission fees to the water park and the cost of any activities while on the retreat. Participants pay a $100 fee to help defray the cost of the lodging. If the fee associated with TEEMS presents a barrier, please reach out to us; we do not want the fee to prevent anyone from attending.
Early Move-in:
TEEMS begins on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 with the opportunity for students to move into residence halls early with the assistance of friendly EMS students, faculty and staff. International students must arrive on campus on Monday August 19, 2024 in order to attend a mandatory meeting with Penn State Global on Tuesday morning. EMS provides a well-earned lunch for students and their families after move in on Tuesday morning. Commuter students check in at the Ryan Family Student Center in the Deike Building to join TEEMS activities.
Lake Raystown:
After lunch and good-byes with their family, students board a bus for beautiful Lake Raystown Resort, 50 miles from the Penn State University Park campus. Students lodge with 4-5 other students in the cabins, which are complete with linens, bathrooms, electricity, wifi, televisions, window air conditioning units, and kitchens. Gender-inclusive cabin assignments are available upon request. We are also happy to accommodate dietary restrictions.
New Student Orientation (NSO): Important Date Information!
Incoming students must complete new student orientation before the start of TEEMS. If you need to reschedule your NSO date, please call the NSO office at 814-865-4178.
Online Registration:
Registration will open in May; incoming EMS students will receive an email containing registration information.
Space is limited, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis! (Registration Deadline is typically mid-July) If the registration portal indicates that the program is full, there will be a wait-list process.
Please contact us at (TEEMS@psu.edu) with questions.
The University’s priorities continue to be the health and well-being of its students, faculty, staff and local communities. The plans for TEEMS have the flexibility to quickly respond to changing pandemic conditions, if necessary, but we are planning an in-person event.
* The event formerly known as TOTEMS has been re-named TEEMS: Total Engagement with EMS.
Out of respect for the totem being a Native American religious and community symbol, we have decided to re-title our signature event with an acronym that is aligned with the goals and outcomes of the experience. The geologic Obelisk, constructed near Old Main lawn by EMS in 1896, serves as an enduring symbol of the college and the educational foundation it provides.