Special Dean's Community Message

August 20, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

On Monday, we will begin one of the most unusual semesters Penn State has seen in modern history. Faculty and staff have spent the last five and a half months working to bring students back safely. Since the University shift to remote learning began in March, many individuals across the institution have collectively put in thousands upon thousands of hours to create an environment where students can learn, instructors can teach, research can happen, and the college experience — albeit different — can move forward while still striving to safeguard the health of all community members.

We know students desperately want to return to normal; so do faculty and staff. I’m eagerly anticipating the day I can walk across campus without a mask, stopping to chat with colleagues and students.

Alas, merely wanting something does not make it so. Behaving as if we are not in the middle of a pandemic does not make the virus go away. From the now infamous student gathering outside of East Halls last night to the fraternity suspension to unmasked community members congregating outside of the Creamery, there are plenty of examples of how we are falling short.

Every new event of this sort is a gut punch. I am empathetic to students who are searching for that more typical college experience, and who are still so hopeful they can salvage some of it. But my compassion does not outweigh my concern. A party, planned or impromptu, is not worth the risk it poses to everyone, even those who did not attend.

We all have the power to make good decisions, to minimize the risks we take, to help protect one another. This moment, right now, will determine the rest of the semester, and perhaps next semester as well. We need to buckle down in order to step up. Join me in preserving our community by being a responsible community member.

Take care and be well,

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering