Dear Undergraduates:

I hope this message finds you well, and I hope that your finals are going as well as can be expected.

As students, we always hope that our college years will be memorable ones. This past year, though, has been historic — none of us could have imagined back in September a spring semester that saw study abroad experiences cut short, classes delivered remotely, and campus suddenly becoming a ghost town. It was certainly not the end to the year that any of us envisioned, and a lot was thrust upon your shoulders in a short amount of time. But you adapted — you stayed the course and persevered — and for that I am especially grateful.

With the end of the semester upon us, I hope you find the opportunity to unwind a bit once your finals are over — take some time for yourself; reconnect with family and friends, even if you must continue doing so remotely for the time being. For those of you taking courses over the summer, know that the college remains committed to providing quality remote learning experiences that enable you to pursue and achieve your academic goals. For those of you resuming your coursework this fall, we hope the circumstances will allow us to bring you back to campus. As you know, President Barron has indicated that Penn State will provide information about the fall semester by June 15 — I will be sure to share that information with you as it becomes available.

And to our Class of 2020, congratulations on reaching the finish line! As you begin your next chapter, please know that we are here to help in any way we can — you will, and always be, part of the Penn State family, and we look forward to welcoming you back as often as we can when we are allowed to do so. I hope you are able to participate in Penn State’s virtual commencement celebration (https://spring2020.commencement.psu.edu/) at 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, and I will be in touch with plans about any on-campus celebrations as they unfold.

Although it may not be weekly, I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone throughout the summer. Until the next time we connect, please continue to be well, be safe, be smart, and be careful!

Sincerely,
Dean Lang