A&A Intranet
Message from the Dean
MESSAGE
Message from the Dean
(Posted 6/29)
In the current historical moment we are addressing increasing circumstances of social concern brought on by COVID-19 and racial injustice. As is the case for the rest of the University, in the college we are still working out details, asking questions, questioning answers, and piecing together responses on these fronts.
As you are aware, the University has announced plans to resume on-campus work and instruction in the fall. The announcement, “Back to State,” outlines guidance to date for resuming “on-campus, in-person classes and other activities this fall in a limited fashion.” Current guidance on teaching can be found on the “Keep Teaching” site, with other resources available on Penn State’s primary coronavirus website.
The goal of the University is to provide campus experiences and campus-based residential instruction for students in the fall, and the Back to State plan offers guidance on how to do so safely. The plan promises “a highly flexible mix of in-person, remote, and online instruction throughout the semester,” and the provision for a range of modes, including in-residence, hybrid, and remote instruction. The semester will begin August 24 and, regardless of the initial mode of instruction, all courses will shift to remote delivery following the Thanksgiving break. While all courses with enrollments of 250 and higher are mandated for remote delivery, there are courses with fewer than 250 students that will need to be offered in hybrid or remote/online modes. Guidance from the University is evolving on a daily basis as we ask more questions and make informed decisions accordingly.
From the onset of the remote teaching/remote working mandate, I have maintained a position that privileges the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students, and a commitment to not endanger the lives of the larger college community when we can do otherwise. As I have interpreted the University guidance for the college, instructors are in the best position to make decisions on the delivery mode of courses for fall semester based on their pedagogical and discipline-specific content knowledge. To do so, units will have to establish the standards that facilitate safe and pedagogically appropriate teaching and learning within their disciplines. Instructors can decide to teach on-campus as long as they are confident they are working in safe conditions and the course delivery mode is pedagogically sound. The guidance from the University provides information about maintaining social distancing, cleaning and sanitation, contact tracing, and enforcement of student behavior outside of class/off-campus, including mask-wearing. Even with this guidance, I know you have many questions.
I want to emphasize it is my position and that of the college leadership that instructors are in the best position to make decisions on the delivery mode of their courses in fall based on the current safety protocols and guidance on keeping themselves and students as safe as possible, as well as the most appropriate pedagogies to foster learning. The University plan is intended to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19, yet instructors must weigh their own situation and determine what is best for them.
I support instructors teaching in classrooms or studios during COVID-19 only if they are comfortable doing so. In our college, this decision is informed by the approaches to teaching and learning that take place in studios, performance spaces, and other learning contexts, as well as conventional classroom spaces. At this point, I imagine most instructors have already communicated with their school director or department head about the delivery mode of their fall courses. Instructors who have not done so already should initiate a conversation as we need this information to work on room assignments to meet safe instructional guidelines.
It is possible some students will remain home while enrolled in their programs. I realize some instructors have raised questions about the rights of students to opt out of a residential mode of class delivery if they do not feel comfortable. Some students may request adaptations for health or travel restrictions. Instructors will need to make adjustments for students to access remotely the in-residence version of courses.
The University expects students will make progress toward their degree even if they are unable to be on campus and need to learn remotely. We anticipate more guidance soon about experiential learning, the kind of learning that takes place in many of our studio, design, and performance areas.
A phased University plan for returning to campus offices is in place. Employees in administrative and unit offices have been working on plans for their own safe return to the workplace. The position in the college is people who can work remotely should continue to do so. We are currently assessing how to address student-related service responsibilities and extra-curricular events such as advising, club sponsorship, and use of facilities outside of class.
Thank you for your efforts this past spring as we converted much of what we do into remote, virtual, and socially-distanced modes. The resourcefulness and resilience of the college is inspirational.
B. Stephen Carpenter II
#MovingForwardTogether
Message from the Dean
(Posted 6/29)
In the current historical moment we are addressing increasing circumstances of social concern brought on by COVID-19 and racial injustice. As is the case for the rest of the University, in the college we are still working out details, asking questions, questioning answers, and piecing together responses on these fronts.
As you are aware, the University has announced plans to resume on-campus work and instruction in the fall. The announcement, “Back to State,” outlines guidance to date for resuming “on-campus, in-person classes and other activities this fall in a limited fashion.” Current guidance on teaching can be found on the “Keep Teaching” site, with other resources available on Penn State’s primary coronavirus website.
The goal of the University is to provide campus experiences and campus-based residential instruction for students in the fall, and the Back to State plan offers guidance on how to do so safely. The plan promises “a highly flexible mix of in-person, remote, and online instruction throughout the semester,” and the provision for a range of modes, including in-residence, hybrid, and remote instruction. The semester will begin August 24 and, regardless of the initial mode of instruction, all courses will shift to remote delivery following the Thanksgiving break. While all courses with enrollments of 250 and higher are mandated for remote delivery, there are courses with fewer than 250 students that will need to be offered in hybrid or remote/online modes. Guidance from the University is evolving on a daily basis as we ask more questions and make informed decisions accordingly.
From the onset of the remote teaching/remote working mandate, I have maintained a position that privileges the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students, and a commitment to not endanger the lives of the larger college community when we can do otherwise. As I have interpreted the University guidance for the college, instructors are in the best position to make decisions on the delivery mode of courses for fall semester based on their pedagogical and discipline-specific content knowledge. To do so, units will have to establish the standards that facilitate safe and pedagogically appropriate teaching and learning within their disciplines. Instructors can decide to teach on-campus as long as they are confident they are working in safe conditions and the course delivery mode is pedagogically sound. The guidance from the University provides information about maintaining social distancing, cleaning and sanitation, contact tracing, and enforcement of student behavior outside of class/off-campus, including mask-wearing. Even with this guidance, I know you have many questions.
I want to emphasize it is my position and that of the college leadership that instructors are in the best position to make decisions on the delivery mode of their courses in fall based on the current safety protocols and guidance on keeping themselves and students as safe as possible, as well as the most appropriate pedagogies to foster learning. The University plan is intended to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19, yet instructors must weigh their own situation and determine what is best for them.
I support instructors teaching in classrooms or studios during COVID-19 only if they are comfortable doing so. In our college, this decision is informed by the approaches to teaching and learning that take place in studios, performance spaces, and other learning contexts, as well as conventional classroom spaces. At this point, I imagine most instructors have already communicated with their school director or department head about the delivery mode of their fall courses. Instructors who have not done so already should initiate a conversation as we need this information to work on room assignments to meet safe instructional guidelines.
It is possible some students will remain home while enrolled in their programs. I realize some instructors have raised questions about the rights of students to opt out of a residential mode of class delivery if they do not feel comfortable. Some students may request adaptations for health or travel restrictions. Instructors will need to make adjustments for students to access remotely the in-residence version of courses.
The University expects students will make progress toward their degree even if they are unable to be on campus and need to learn remotely. We anticipate more guidance soon about experiential learning, the kind of learning that takes place in many of our studio, design, and performance areas.
A phased University plan for returning to campus offices is in place. Employees in administrative and unit offices have been working on plans for their own safe return to the workplace. The position in the college is people who can work remotely should continue to do so. We are currently assessing how to address student-related service responsibilities and extra-curricular events such as advising, club sponsorship, and use of facilities outside of class.
Thank you for your efforts this past spring as we converted much of what we do into remote, virtual, and socially-distanced modes. The resourcefulness and resilience of the college is inspirational.
B. Stephen Carpenter II
#MovingForwardTogether
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