Shippensburg University’s Council of Trustees heard updates on various aspects of campus life during its final meeting of the semester on Nov. 15.

As students are plagued by ongoing issues with PHEAA state grants, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing Megan Luft said SU’s financial aid office is working to add state grant funds to student accounts “as soon as possible.”

“This has been another turbulent piece of financial aid after the FAFSA delays. We are all hands on deck and continue to work with students as they need as issues come up with the PHEAA portal,” Luft said.

At President’s Hour on Oct. 24, SU President Charles Patterson said that “accurate distributions” were expected by the end of October, which did not happen for many students.

These students must now deal with lingering issues with their fall bills and spring 2025 semester bills, which were released last week.

In his report, Provost Darrell Newton welcomed Earth Sciences professor Sean Cornell to present on his work with the Chincoteague field station in Virginia. Cornell explained how he and his students visit the station several times throughout the semester and for three weeks during the summer term.

The diverse programs see Cornell and his students “literally getting our hands dirty,” Cornell said.

Dean of Students Lorie Sheetz noted the increased usage of Big Red’s Cupboard, which has seen 249 unique visitors this semester. According to data posted on the pantry’s Instagram page, 52% of those 249 clients visited the pantry more than once and 6% visited at least 10 times.

The university is encouraging donations to Big Red’s Cupboard with a promotion running until Nov. 25, which allows students to pay for parking tickets with a donation of non-perishable foods valued at $10 or more.

This was the trustees’ final public meeting of the calendar year, and they will reconvene next on Feb. 21, 2025, in the Ceddia Union Building.

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