Dean's Community Message

October 27, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

I hope you all had a chance to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather last week because it seems fall weather has officially arrived. Despite the uncertainties of this year, at least we can depend on the changing seasons.

You can view some of the changing leaves via the West Campus construction webcams. Beyond the trees, you can also view the construction of West 2.

• View One
• View Two

“In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here are today’s updates:

Faculty Reminder: Spring 2021 Textbook Adoptions for Penn State Bookstore

As a reminder, the Penn State Bookstore needs spring 2021 textbook adoptions as soon as possible. In preparation for the upcoming spring semester, the bookstore wants to ensure that students get the books and supplies they need in a timely manner. The bookstore recognizes that textbook adoptions take time and effort from both faculty and the bookstore, so please reach out with any questions you may have. Email your textbook requests and/or questions to Tom Fankhauser at tmf2@psu.edu or Erin McMonigle at ewm5302@psu.edu. Spring 2021 textbook adoptions can be submitted at facultyenlight.com.

Self-Care Resources

In recognition of the challenging times that members of our community may be facing, here are a few resources and informational articles for those who are looking for additional support:

• Mental Health Resources:
  Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
  YOU at PSU
  Centre County Center for Community Resources: Crisis/Emergency Services
• Resources for Coping with Stress during Election Season
  Practicing Self-Care during Election Season (Tips from University of San Francisco)
  Mental Health During Election Season (Article from Ginger Roots)
• Penn State IT Support Resources
  Penn State technology support, including equipment loans

University Response to Large Student Gatherings

In response to reports of large gathering of students in off-campus apartment complexes in State College during this past weekend’s Penn State football game, the University announced joint planning, enforcement, and outreach measures designed to help prevent similar gatherings in the future. Large gatherings of mostly unmasked individuals not practicing social distancing are in violation of the State College Borough ordinance, which limits gatherings to no more than 10 people. More information on the University’s response can be found here.

Upcoming University Q&A: Oct. 29

President Barron will be joined by Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs, and Kelly Wolgast, director of the COVID-19 Operations Control Center, for a live webinar on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. They will discuss the University’s continuing response to the coronavirus and other related topics in a Q&A format. More information can be found here.

Teaching Tip #53 – Using Canvas chat for study groups

If your students are looking for ways to engage with their classmates for study groups, consider enabling the chat tool in your Canvas course and recommending that students log into the chat when they are studying. Canvas will show them who else from the class is online at that time so they can communicate via chat or make arrangements to log into a Zoom call together.

Take care!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering