Dean's Community Message

October 23, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

I hope everyone is doing well as we go into this fall weekend. It’s late October — about ten weeks since students began returning to campus, and we have another four weeks until we transition to fully remote instruction after Thanksgiving break.

These ten weeks have, at times, moved slowly, and, at other times, flown by. In so many ways, these two months plus have been like nothing we’ve seen before. This could, understandably, be a time of collapse, but not for the College of Engineering. The dedication, creativity, stamina, and care demonstrated by our faculty, staff, and students — I am so proud and impressed. With few exceptions, we have risen to the occasion, masked-up and socially distanced, to help and support each other.

I know that all of you are under significantly greater stress than ever before, especially during these past ten weeks. This will, unfortunately, be ongoing as we, as a nation, continue to battle the pandemic.

In the four weeks until Thanksgiving break, a lot will happen locally and nationally. It is important not to let your guard down or your mask slip.

Tomorrow is our first football game of the season. I understand the temptation of thinking that the COVID numbers are down, so one watch party might not be a big deal. It is a big deal. Please resist the temptation — this weekend, next weekend, and the rest of the football season. The virus doesn’t care about the big game, it doesn’t make exceptions for a party, and the past seven months have demonstrated how one gathering can trigger a cascade of viral transmission.

Eleven days from now, voting will conclude on Election Day. We all feel the tension across the nation as we contemplate the future after the election, regardless of political view. I know many of you are concerned, or even scared, about public reactions to the election outcome. I ask that all of us, whatever our political views, remember that the bedrock of an open democracy is mutual respect. Just as masking shows our commitment to each other’s health, so does a respectful election process. Of course, we all want our candidate to win, but it’s most important that our country and our society win.

We are standing on the shoulders of 244 years of American democracy. This is not a perfect system. At times it is messy, and our nation’s history has had both major pitfalls and significant successes. The United States stands for the ideals of liberty and justice for all — a relentless pursuit of those ideals is the thread connecting us. The day-to-day can consume us, so let us try to keep our eyes on the longer arc of history.

Lastly, on a practical note, I hope the students who are going to leave campus on/around Nov. 20 have received the message regarding the availability of optional COVID-19 testing before you leave. I hope you will use that opportunity to get tested before travelling.

“Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.”
—Harry Emerson Fosdick

Here are today’s updates:

REMINDER: Mail-In Ballot Application Deadline

The last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 27. The application must be received by your county election board by that date. More information is available here.

Monday, Oct. 26: Webinar on Mindfulness

On Monday, Oct. 26, from noon to 1:00 p.m., Dr. Angie Hissong, professor-in-charge and teaching professor in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Penn State Mont Alto, will lead a webinar on using the “Mindful Nittany Pause” to help navigate and negotiate stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic. More information is available here.

Plans for Fall Departure and Transition to Remote Instruction

The University announced the fall departure plan for transition to remote instruction. Highlights include opportunities and expectations for departure testing, continued walk-sup testing and random surveillance, move out and travel guidance. As a reminder, on-campus students must leave their residence by 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 22 at University Park and by 4:00 p.m. on Nov. 21 at other campuses. Students who need to remain in on-campus housing through Thanksgiving break and beyond should receive an email from the University with more specific details soon.

Recording: President Barron Webinar: Testing and Mitigation

On Oct. 22, a group of faculty experts joined President Eric Barron to discuss the University’s coronavirus testing and efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. More details and the recoding can be found here.

Teaching Tip #52: Estimating Student Learning Time for Online and Mixed-Mode Courses

In new teaching modes, it may be difficult to estimate how much time students are required to spend outside of “class” to complete course requirements. This Hours of Instructional Activity Estimator can help faculty easily see how hours are distributed across various types of learning activities and estimate how many hours of student learning time are involved in your course plan.

Take care!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering