Dean's Community Message

July 9, 2021

Dear College of Engineering Community,

I hope you are doing well and had a wonderful Fourth of July holiday. As you know, the college has been celebrating its 125th anniversary throughout 2021. One of the key figures in that history and a predecessor of mine in the role of dean from 1988-1991 was John Brighton, who also served Penn State as executive vice president and provost from 1991-1999. John recently passed away after a long struggle with dementia, and while I did not know him personally, I certainly know of his stellar reputation as an educator, researcher, and transformative leader in higher education.

As President Barron noted in this remembrance, “John served Penn State in various capacities and he not only helped the University in times of need, but beyond, as many of his inventions are still in use today. John’s life and work have not only influenced our University, but also impacted our nation.”

As I think about the history of our college, I am repeatedly reminded of the countless contributions of so many who have shaped the trajectory of engineering at Penn State and made us who we are today — people like John Brighton, who will be greatly missed.

“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference.”
—Nelson Mandela

Here are today’s updates:

Engineering Staff – Return to Onsite Work

A separate email to college staff, outlining next steps in the planning process for the return to onsite work for the fall semester, will be coming by early next week. As a reminder, there will also be a virtual open staff forum on Thursday, July 15, at 1:30 p.m. You should have received an email reminder yesterday with a link to RSVP and pre-submit questions.

Updated Travel Guidelines

As of July 1, 2021, employees may resume University-affiliated domestic travel without unit executive approvals, and the requirement for domestic travelers using University funds to be fully vaccinated has been relaxed. All University-sponsored international travel involving students, faculty, and staff continues to be suspended until further notice. Employee requests for mission-critical international travel must be submitted at least 30-days in advance via ECAT for unit executive approval; and, if approved by the dean, will be forwarded for provost review and approval. Requests for international travel must be approved by the provost prior to purchasing airline tickets, hotel accommodations, etc. as well as Travel Safety Network registration. See the University travel guidelines for additional information.

Vaccination Status Survey

If you have not already done so, please complete the short and important anonymous survey about your vaccination status, which will help to inform what, if any, additional mitigation strategies may need to be implemented when on-campus activities fully resume in August. Students were sent an email on July 7 containing the survey URL. A separate survey was sent to faculty and staff on June 30.

Fall Semester Move-In Planning/Schedule

Students who plan to live in on-campus residence halls may begin scheduling required move-in dates starting at noon on Tuesday, July 20, via eLiving, once fall room assignments are posted. At the University Park campus, first-year students will move in Aug. 16-20 and returning students will move in Aug. 20-22. Move-in dates for all campuses, as well as details on the arrival process, what to pack and other key information and resources, are available at arrival.psu.edu/.

Teaching Tip #95 – Piazza moving to paid model

The Piazza online discussion platform, which was formerly free, is now moving to a paid model. A free version of Piazza can be used, however, starting Aug. 1, 2021, premium features such as polls, statistics, and class locking capabilities will only be available in the paid version. Contact the Office for Digital Learning to learn more about other options to meet your teaching needs.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering