Dean's Community Message

June 30, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

Good afternoon. I hope you all had a chance to tune in for the University’s virtual town hall that took place yesterday. President Barron, co-chairs of the new racism, bias and community safety commission, and other University leaders discussed how Penn State plans to fight ignorance and intolerance, model inclusivity, and embrace diversity. The archived town hall is available for viewing or you can read a summary. As the President noted, the goal is to set the stage for lasting impact at Penn State:

“I really believe this is a profound moment. We have to make sure we take this moment and take the action steps that we need to do to make sure that we have a significant impact on systemic racism. We’re listening. And that’s because I recognize — we recognize — we don’t have all of the answers.”

Here are today’s updates:

Reminder: College of Engineering Return to Instruction Town Hall

As a reminder, the college will be hosting a virtual town hall for faculty and instructional staff tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. This town hall will be focused on the return to instruction and the questions surrounding this topic.

Upcoming Series: Virtual Diversity Roundtable Discussions

Marcus Whitehurst, vice provost for educational equity, will be hosting a new three-part series of diversity roundtable discussions titled, “Toward Racial Equity at Penn State: Social Difference, Social Equity and Social Change.” The first session took place today, but the next sessions are scheduled for Sept. 8 and Nov. 5.

Workshops on Instructional Strategies and Technologies for FA20

The Leonhard Center and the Office for Digital Learning will offer a weekly workshop series and targeted office hours throughout July to help you prepare for teaching in the fall. The workshops will be offered in pairs: the first workshop focuses on instructional strategies and the second on instructional technologies. The topics for the workshops are: student engagement/active learning, teams/collaboration, building community, and assessments. Registration is required for the workshops. Details are provided in the attached document.

First pair of workshops:

• Student engagement strategies: Setting up your course for engagement in any environment
  Tuesday, July 7, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
  Registration
• Digital Tools for increased student engagement
  Thursday, July 9, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
  Registration
• Office for Digital Learning Office Hours on Digital Engagement Tools
  Friday, July 10, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  No registration needed – Join

In addition to the July workshop series, the Office for Digital Learning will offer an additional workshop on Digital Tools for Virtual Labs on Thursday, August 6, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. Please see the attached document for more details. For more information, contact Tom Litzinger (tal2@psu.edu) or Cathy Holsing (cjh145@psu.edu).

Remote Teaching Tip #21 – Fall 2020 Instructional Modes

When planning for Fall 2020, keep in mind the University’s Keep Teaching website. There you will find more detailed information on the flexible instructional modes: In-person, Mixed Mode, Remote Synchronous, and Remote Asynchronous. Contact the Office for Digital Learning for more information.

Remember that you can always connect with me on LinkedIn and follow the college on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Updates and FAQs are available on the University’s Coronavirus Information site.

Be well!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering