Dean's Community Message

June 11, 2021

Dear College of Engineering Community,

I hope you had a great week! Juneteenth, on June 19, is right around the corner. This year’s Juneteenth will mark 156 years since the true end of slavery in the United States—when news of abolition reached the last slaves six months after it was legalized. As I shared last year, this day reminds me that we can remember “moments” and commemorate dates, but time does not make for change alone. It takes persistent hard work, determination, and perseverance for as long as it takes. I share this same message this year because our work is not done.

True change is generational, and it requires each of us to continue to identify injustice and work toward an equitable world. The most influential advocate for change comes from those consistently demanding progress. I encourage you to continue to advocate for those around you and yourself, engage in open dialogue, actively listen, educate yourself, and get involved—on Juneteenth and every day.

The State College NAACP and the State College Borough will host its second annual Juneteenth Commemoration on Saturday, June 19, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza on Fraser Street. The event will include local performances, music, spoken word, drumming, and discussion.

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
—Maya Angelou

June is also when we commemorate the Stonewall uprising that led to the birth of the modern-day LGBTQ+ rights movement. During Pride Month, we celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community and their perseverance and courage through times of ignorance and discrimination. For the LGBTQ+ members of the engineering community: You are important. We welcome you and support you.

For more information about resources and Pride Month activities, follow the Penn State Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity on social media (@PennStateLGBTQ). I also encourage engineering faculty members to participate in the Rainbow Engineering Network, which supports and facilitates research training for LGBTQ+ undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff.

“History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable. It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.”
—Marsha P. Johnson

Here are today’s updates:

Penn State’s Masking and Distancing Updates

The University announced plans to transition its masking and physical distancing requirements on June 28 to more closely align with changes recently announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health that relax COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals. The changes will apply to all Penn State campuses except the College of Medicine. Students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated — and share their vaccination status with the University — as soon as possible. More information is available here.

Applications Open for Second Round of CRRSAA Student Emergency Grants

Penn State students in need of financial assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for emergency aid in a second round of funding from the University’s federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II allocation. The funding, which provides $27.5 million specifically for student grants, is part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) that was signed into law in December 2020. Students in need can apply for a grant online now through the Office of Student Aid. More information is available here.

Updates to the Return to Work System

On June 4, the following enhancements took effect:

  • The approval for returning to work for any employee is now handled at the Unit Executive level. Prior approval was required by the University Executive Leadership (VP for HR and Provost). Any prior requests that have already been approved by Unit Executives and are waiting for approval by the University Executive Leadership will be approved.
  • Additional employees can be added to a prior return to work request as long as the rationale for the request remains the same. The original requestor will need to go back into the prior request and add the additional employee(s) returning. If the request is not the same, then a new request must be made for the returning employee(s).

In addition, the Back-to-State Guide has been updated to reflect the newest University guidance. The guide can be found on the Return to Work website under Quick Links. This information will continue to be updated as appropriate.

Teaching Tip #93 – Ed Tech Tools

If you would like to investigate some of the digital teaching tools available to College of Engineering faculty, check out the Tech Tools page on the Office for Digital Learning site. From here you can link to information on how each tool is used, benefits and considerations to think about, as well as tutorials and other resources about the tools. If you are using one of these tools already, let us know!

As a reminder, the college and University is strongly encouraging you to get vaccinated if you have not already done so. More information on vaccines, including where to receive one, is available here.

Please remember that you are always welcome to connect with me via email or LinkedIn! Have a wonderful weekend!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering