Dean's Community Message

April 8, 2021

Dear College of Engineering Community,

I am emailing a day earlier than my normal weekly message to make sure you saw yesterday’s important announcement that a COVID-19 vaccination site will open tomorrow (April 9) in the Bryce Jordan Center. In State College, there are also other providers including Centre Volunteers in Medicine and Sam’s Club with open spots this weekend.

I join the University in strongly encouraging all students, faculty, and staff to sign up to get a vaccine as soon as you are eligible to receive one. You can read more about the BJC’s Regional Vaccination Clinic below.

At this time of hope and promise for a return to greater normalcy, it is important that we continue to take the necessary steps to safeguard and look out for each other. This includes COVID-19 protocols like masking and physical distancing, but also lending support in other ways – and as you are able – to those around you who may be in need or struggling.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
—Coretta Scott King

Here are today’s updates:


Bryce Jordan Center Clinic

The vaccination site will be open to anyone who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of county of residence, including eligible students from out of state and international students. Individuals can use the Department of Health’s Your Turn Tool to determine when they are eligible to receive a vaccine.

Appointments are required and can be made online or by calling 1-844-545-3450.

The site will open to administer vaccines at noon on April 9, with appointments available on April 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Beginning April 15, the hours of operation will be noon to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The clinic will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.


Spring 2021 Late Drop Deadline

Tomorrow (Friday, April 9) is the late drop deadline for most Spring 2021 courses. If you are a first- or second-year student and need to talk with an adviser, the Engineering Advising Center will be holding drop-in hours tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 pm. If you are an upperclass student and have questions about dropping one of your classes, please reach out directly to your academic adviser.


Upcoming Events

Spring is a busy time in the life of the college. Here are a few upcoming opportunities to engage:

  • The college’s Diversity Round Table is hosting an Engineering Equity Summit entitled “Evolving Behaviors to Make Strides in Policy.” The summit is a 2-day virtual event that will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. both days. The summit agenda and registration are available online.
  • The Leonhard Center is hosting a virtual workshop for faculty and staff on combating stress and burnout on Wednesday, April 14, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. After a year of working and living in the pandemic, moderators will provide a few strategies found in the literature that have helped others including caring for students, self-compassion, and practicing self-care. Register online and a Zoom link will be provided prior to the workshop.
  • The College of Engineering Research Symposium (CERS 2021) will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This annual event celebrates student research and provides a venue for networking. This year’s event will be hosted on GatherTown, a virtual event platform that enables simultaneous presentations, interactive posters, and smaller conversations in a larger event space. More information including an agenda, list of speakers, and a GatherTown event link is available at cers.psu.edu.

Teaching Tip #86 – Using Course Recordings for Summer Courses

When using class recordings from one semester in a later semester, we are required by law to remove all student personally identifiable information from the recordings. If you plan on using previously recorded course videos in the upcoming summer semester, contact the Office for Digital Learning no later than April 16 to discuss options for the use of these videos.


Be well!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering