UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State undergraduates at the University Park campus can join a weekly student-led accountability group that will provide a supportive environment and dedicated time for academic study.
Organized by the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success, the 14 new accountability groups will be capped at eight members. Groups will meet for 90 minutes each week through the last week of classes. Each meeting starts with a check-in and goal setting, followed by dedicated work time and concluding with action plans and reflection. Groups will be facilitated and attended by one of the center’s peer success coaches, who are trained to help students navigate resources, get organized and make the most of their study time.
All currently enrolled undergraduates are welcome to join an accountability group, and sign-ups will remain open until all groups are filled or until April 1. Find sign-up and additional information at success.psu.edu.
Kayla Hood, student success advocate at the Chaiken Center, said students come to the center for coaching for a wide variety of reasons. Accountability groups could be helpful for those who might not have the best environment for studying, or who need other people to help keep them on track by providing support and expectations.
“It’s designed to be a structured, supportive environment where students can come and get their work done,” Hood said. “Groups will also be a space for figuring out what you want to accomplish this semester and what goals you’ll set for getting there.”
Accountability groups are part of the Chaiken Center’s Peer Success Coaching program, which launched in fall 2025. Students can schedule an appointment or drop in to 325 Boucke and meet with a peer success coach. Coaches are trained to help students identify their strengths, establish positive systems and routines that will work for them, and address challenges they are facing on the path to holistic success.
Peer success coaching also is available through other units, colleges and campuses across Penn State. At the University Park campus, the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center for Student Success offers peer coaching for Liberal Arts students, and the Journey Success Center in the College of Education also offers peer coaching. Students are encouraged to explore their options and identify what best fits their specific needs.
Ryan Bell, a junior majoring in cybersecurity, will lead one of this semester’s 14 accountability groups. Bell served as a peer success coach during the summer 2025 Learning Edge Academic Program and returned for the fall semester.
“I feel like I was successful in helping students, especially with things like resource navigation, figuring out Canvas, and staying on top of schedules,” Bell said of his time so far as a peer success coach. “I was able to share techniques with them, and different perspectives as well.”
He said the new accountability groups will give students a dedicated block to focus on work.
“You’re not procrastinating, you’re getting work done, and you’re able to hold each other accountable,” Bell said. “I think it will be really beneficial for a lot of students.”
About the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success
The Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success serves all undergraduates at the University Park campus and is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.
Peer success coaching and accountability groups are part of the larger Academic Success Coaching program through the Penn State Chaiken Center. Undergraduates looking for additional support can schedule a one-on-one appointment with a staff academic success coach.
The Penn State Chaiken Center also offers a drop-in school supplies closet, support for first-generation students, the summer Learning Edge Academic Program, and more.
About the Chaiken Centers at Penn State
Gene (Penn State class of 1962) and Roz Chaiken are the generous benefactors of five success centers at Penn State. In 2021, they created the Chaiken Center for Student Success in the College of the Liberal Arts — a center designed to provide students with the resources, programming, and other support needed to help them succeed in their studies. A subsequent gift in 2024 led to the naming of four additional Chaiken Centers across the University: the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success in Undergraduate Education, the Chaiken Center for Student Success in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, the Chaiken Center for Student Success at Penn State World Campus, and the Chaiken Center for Student Success at Penn State Abington.