Dean's Community Message

June 16, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

Good afternoon. As we continue to gather information on the University’s Back to State plans and the processes that will lead up to the fall semester, the College of Engineering is working to implement plans to transition our community back to campus. We will share updates on these processes as soon as possible. I want to thank everyone for their patience as we navigate our path forward, and I encourage you to reach out to our response team at COE_CORONA_CRISIS_TEAM@engr.psu.edu with questions or concerns.

Today’s inspirational quote was submitted by Jan Liberti, administrative support assistant for SEDTAPP:

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt

Here are today’s updates:

Application for Second Round of CARES Act Grants Now Open

Students who incurred qualifying expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 can now apply for emergency aid in a second round of funding from the University’s share of the federal High Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the CARES Act. Student can apply here. More information can be found here.

University to Host Town Hall Events to Address Questions Around Return to Campus

Penn State President Eric Barron will host a pair of virtual Town Hall events to answer questions from the campus community regarding the University's Back to State plans for returning to campus for the fall semester. The Town Hall for faculty and staff will take place on Monday, June 22 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and the Town Hall for students and families will follow on the same day starting at 3:30 p.m. Both events can be viewed at liveevents.psu.edu. More information can be found here.

Reminder: Town Halls Instructional Challenges and Opportunities in FA20

As a reminder, the Leonhard Center and the Office for Digital Learning will host two virtual town halls this week. The first one takes place tomorrow. Pre-registration is required:

• Theory/Analysis Courses: Instructional Challenges & Opportunities in FA20
  Wednesday, June 17, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
  Register
• Hands-on Courses (Labs/Design Courses): Instructional Challenges & Opportunities in FA20
  Friday, June 19, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
  Register

Remote Teaching Tip #17 – Be sure syllabus changes are communicated clearly

If you make changes to your syllabus, including academic integrity guidelines, Senate Policy states that changes to the syllabus must be given to students in written form (electronic or paper). Updating your syllabus in Canvas and sending your students a message in Canvas to notify them of the changes is one way to meet expectations of Senate Policy.

Please continue to email me your inspirational quotes. Penn State updates are available on the University’s coronavirus information site. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, and follow the college on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Be well!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering