Dean's Community Message

March 9, 2021

Dear College of Engineering Community,

I hope your week is off to a good start, and that you have the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful weather.

Last week, Marcus Whitehurst, vice provost of educational equity, and Roger Brindley, vice provost of global programs, published a letter in support of individuals of Asian descent in Penn State News. I reiterate what they and President Barron have said: “You are welcome here. Your presence enriches our University and the educational experience of all of our students.” All students, staff, and faculty of all backgrounds and identities are necessary not only for the College of Engineering, but also for the field of engineering. We all bring our perspectives to understand and solve the challenges facing our society, and we need each other to engineer the best, most effective solutions. I am glad you are part of our community.

“A kind word is like a spring day.”
—Russian proverb

Here are today’s updates:

CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated Individuals

The Centers for Disease Control released guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. Members of the University community should still wear a mask and physically distance from others in most situations, including in public and in class. Even after individuals are vaccinated, they are still expected to participate in University testing.

March 11 is a Wellness Day

I encourage you to make plans to participate in some of the scheduled programs focused on intellectual and spiritual wellness or find time to engage in other personal wellness activities. Instructors should not be holding classes, nor requiring students to complete additional work. This day should be treated much like a spring break day. It is time for you to practice self-care, and to help others do the same.

Reminder: Summer and Fall 2021 Course Registration Schedules

The University recently announced that the window for students to schedule summer and fall 2021 courses has been updated to align with the recently announced semester course plans. For summer 2021 registration, the schedule of courses will be available in LionPATH on March 17, with registration beginning on March 25 for both undergraduate and graduate students. For fall 2021 registration, the schedule of courses will be available in LionPATH on March 17, with registration beginning on April 10 for graduate students and April 11 for undergraduate students. Students are reminded that their first day to register is calculated by their total credits earned plus the number of credits for which they are currently enrolled. More information is available on the Registrar website. If students have questions about what courses to take in the coming semesters, they are encouraged to schedule a time to meet with their academic advisers. Please note that students do not have to wait until the schedule of courses is published or their scheduling dates arrive to speak with an academic adviser.

Reminder: Teaching Modes for Summer and Fall 2021

Following the University’s announcement of the fall and spring semester course plans, the University and the college are currently planning for this phased return and for the ability to quickly pivot if changing conditions warrant doing so. We will share more information as soon as it becomes available.

Teaching Tip #80 – Creating PDFs that are Accessible

Using accessible source documents (such as saving an accessible Word document as a PDF) improves the accessibility of the PDF document. If the source document is not available, you can check the accessibility of a PDF by following these steps.

Take care!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering