Dear Liberal Arts Undergraduates,
I trust that this message finds you reasonably well and continuing to persevere during these tumultuous times.
By now, you probably have reviewed President Eric Barron’s Back to State (https://virusinfo.psu.edu/back-to-state) announcement outlining the University’s plan for students, faculty, and staff returning to campus this fall. As Dr. Barron indicated:
- The fall semester will begin as originally scheduled on Monday, August 24. However, all campus-based, residential instruction will end Friday, November 20, with the remainder of the semester, including final examinations, being delivered remotely and online when classes resume after Thanksgiving break on Monday, November 30.
- Classes will be held on Labor Day (Monday, September 7) in order to minimize travel and lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus on campus.
- The semester will end following finals on December 18, as originally planned.
- Fall classes will be offered using a highly flexible mix of in-person, remote, and online instruction throughout the semester. All classes with more than 250 students will be delivered online and/or remotely. For students who are unable to return to any campus this fall (or are uncomfortable doing so), these flexible options will allow you to continue making progress toward completing your degrees.
- Some non-classroom spaces will be repurposed for instruction, and every class that meets in person will allow for appropriate physical distancing. Additional measures (such as assigned seating and monitoring of attendance to help facilitate contact tracing) will be deployed as considered necessary. These efforts, along with the flexible educational model, will allow the University to lower classroom density, facilitate physical distancing, and meet both educational and safety goals.
While this week’s announcement provides a general answer about returning to campus this fall, I realize you still may have specific questions about what a return to campus entails and how the fall semester on campus may look. I will be sure to reach out and share any details with you as they become available; in the meantime, I urge you to visit the University’s Back to State (https://virusinfo.psu.edu/back-to-state) page as frequently as you can, and I encourage you to attend President Barron’s virtual town hall for students and families (https://liveevents.psu.edu/) taking place at 3:30 p.m. EDT next Monday, June 22.
I also realize that a return to campus may heighten concerns you have about a COVID-19 resurgence occurring this fall. Again, while there is still a need to sort through some of the details, I assure you that the college and Penn State are working on comprehensive prevention and public health procedures and strategies to protect the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff. That, to me, is the overarching priority in resuming any on-campus work and learning activities this fall.
At the same time, I firmly believe that any measures for coming “Back to State” need to entail more than following physical distancing guidelines, wearing face coverings, enhancing daily cleaning and hygiene in classrooms, offices, and common spaces, and adopting other precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic — especially given the local and national events that have been unfolding over the past several weeks, including Black Lives Matter protests that have depicted the problem of racialized violence and the charged political atmosphere we can anticipate in the coming election season.
In my June 8 message to you (https://mailchi.mp/la.psu.edu/message-from-dean-lang-060820), I highlighted several of the steps I have taken in my first year as Dean to foster a more inclusive and equitable working and learning environment in the College of the Liberal Arts. While these efforts preceded the events that have transpired these last few weeks, they will continue well after this moment of crisis subsides. As I indicated last week, I remain professionally and personally committed to pursuing this path, no matter the surrounding political climate.
I understand that a recent post on the college’s social media channels — and our decision to delete that post — might have led some of you to think otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth. The intent behind the post was to reinforce to the college and Penn State communities the inclusive, democratic, and participatory values of the liberal arts, especially as we prepare to address the many difficulties facing us as we begin returning to campus this fall. I believe it is incumbent upon all of us to do what we can to help ensure that all students, faculty, and staff feel safe and valued when we return — a scenario that was going to be challenging to begin with because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now even more formidable in light of recent events.
I also realize, however, that the pandemic and recent events have created a very charged environment at this time — one in which messages like the one we shared, no matter how inclusive or well-intentioned they are, may not be received well. While we customarily do not believe in deleting posts, in this instance we felt the backlash it created had drowned out the democratic message we hoped to convey.
Please know, however, that removing the message does not signal any wavering commitment on my part — as an educator, scholar, and member of society, I believe that the vigorous exchange of ideas, especially those that clash, sharpens our collective abilities. And as your dean, I look forward to continuing our efforts to foster an environment within our college where all of you will feel genuinely welcome, as well as motivated to contest your own perspectives alongside others’.
I hope to have you back at Penn State this fall in whatever manner that safety and circumstances allow, and I will continue to be in touch with further developments. Until then, please continue to be healthy, be safe, and be wise.
Sincerely,
Dear Liberal Arts Undergraduates,
I trust that this message finds you reasonably well and continuing to persevere during these tumultuous times.
By now, you probably have reviewed President Eric Barron’s Back to State (https://virusinfo.psu.edu/back-to-state) announcement outlining the University’s plan for students, faculty, and staff returning to campus this fall. As Dr. Barron indicated:
- The fall semester will begin as originally scheduled on Monday, August 24. However, all campus-based, residential instruction will end Friday, November 20, with the remainder of the semester, including final examinations, being delivered remotely and online when classes resume after Thanksgiving break on Monday, November 30.
- Classes will be held on Labor Day (Monday, September 7) in order to minimize travel and lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus on campus.
- The semester will end following finals on December 18, as originally planned.
- Fall classes will be offered using a highly flexible mix of in-person, remote, and online instruction throughout the semester. All classes with more than 250 students will be delivered online and/or remotely. For students who are unable to return to any campus this fall (or are uncomfortable doing so), these flexible options will allow you to continue making progress toward completing your degrees.
- Some non-classroom spaces will be repurposed for instruction, and every class that meets in person will allow for appropriate physical distancing. Additional measures (such as assigned seating and monitoring of attendance to help facilitate contact tracing) will be deployed as considered necessary. These efforts, along with the flexible educational model, will allow the University to lower classroom density, facilitate physical distancing, and meet both educational and safety goals.
While this week’s announcement provides a general answer about returning to campus this fall, I realize you still may have specific questions about what a return to campus entails and how the fall semester on campus may look. I will be sure to reach out and share any details with you as they become available; in the meantime, I urge you to visit the University’s Back to State (https://virusinfo.psu.edu/back-to-state) page as frequently as you can, and I encourage you to attend President Barron’s virtual town hall for students and families (https://liveevents.psu.edu/) taking place at 3:30 p.m. EDT next Monday, June 22.
I also realize that a return to campus may heighten concerns you have about a COVID-19 resurgence occurring this fall. Again, while there is still a need to sort through some of the details, I assure you that the college and Penn State are working on comprehensive prevention and public health procedures and strategies to protect the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff. That, to me, is the overarching priority in resuming any on-campus work and learning activities this fall.
At the same time, I firmly believe that any measures for coming “Back to State” need to entail more than following physical distancing guidelines, wearing face coverings, enhancing daily cleaning and hygiene in classrooms, offices, and common spaces, and adopting other precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic — especially given the local and national events that have been unfolding over the past several weeks, including Black Lives Matter protests that have depicted the problem of racialized violence and the charged political atmosphere we can anticipate in the coming election season.
In my June 8 message to you (https://mailchi.mp/la.psu.edu/message-from-dean-lang-060820), I highlighted several of the steps I have taken in my first year as Dean to foster a more inclusive and equitable working and learning environment in the College of the Liberal Arts. While these efforts preceded the events that have transpired these last few weeks, they will continue well after this moment of crisis subsides. As I indicated last week, I remain professionally and personally committed to pursuing this path, no matter the surrounding political climate.
I understand that a recent post on the college’s social media channels — and our decision to delete that post — might have led some of you to think otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth. The intent behind the post was to reinforce to the college and Penn State communities the inclusive, democratic, and participatory values of the liberal arts, especially as we prepare to address the many difficulties facing us as we begin returning to campus this fall. I believe it is incumbent upon all of us to do what we can to help ensure that all students, faculty, and staff feel safe and valued when we return — a scenario that was going to be challenging to begin with because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now even more formidable in light of recent events.
I also realize, however, that the pandemic and recent events have created a very charged environment at this time — one in which messages like the one we shared, no matter how inclusive or well-intentioned they are, may not be received well. While we customarily do not believe in deleting posts, in this instance we felt the backlash it created had drowned out the democratic message we hoped to convey.
Please know, however, that removing the message does not signal any wavering commitment on my part — as an educator, scholar, and member of society, I believe that the vigorous exchange of ideas, especially those that clash, sharpens our collective abilities. And as your dean, I look forward to continuing our efforts to foster an environment within our college where all of you will feel genuinely welcome, as well as motivated to contest your own perspectives alongside others’.
I hope to have you back at Penn State this fall in whatever manner that safety and circumstances allow, and I will continue to be in touch with further developments. Until then, please continue to be healthy, be safe, and be wise.
Sincerely,
Dean Lang