A&A Intranet

Message from the Dean: Town Hall Follow-up
(Posted 10 Aug 2021)

Greetings Arts and Architecture Staff and Faculty:

I am writing to share a few comments regarding the August 3 Town Hall and the guidance published about the new plans for the University as we approach the start of fall 2021. You can read more about the Town Hall and the University’s plans in this Penn State News story and on the Penn State Coronavirus website.

The increased spread of the Delta variant is the factor that has motivated the new guidance and measures shared by the University. While this situation is evolving, the guidance we received demands we attend actively to contingency planning for all aspects of our operations in the college—among which include classes and instruction, meetings, and work arrangements.

The CDC COVID data tracker documents the spread of COVID by county. While Centre County is currently yellow, indicating moderate spread, the University announced this evening that effective immediately, masking is required inside all University buildings, regardless of vaccination status, until further notice.This decision was made today after several counties with Penn State campuses moved to orange status, indicating substantial COVID-19 transmission.

I acknowledge that some information shared in the Town Hall is more concrete than other information at this point. I trust what I am sharing here will provide some clarity. I also want to note that I, like the other University Park deans and Commonwealth Campus chancellors, had little advance notice of what was conveyed yesterday. As a result, I am still working through how to interpret and apply what we learned.

What follows are some initial thoughts based on what we have to work with at this point, provided in an FAQ format. Additional information on how the new guidance will impact the college will follow in the coming days.

Q: Is Penn State mandating vaccinations?

A: Penn State is not imposing a vaccine mandate, in contrast to some other peer institutions in the B1GTEN and several other universities in Pennsylvania.

Q: What is Penn State doing in the absence of a vaccine mandate?

A: In the absence of a vaccine mandate, the University has decided to conduct regular COVID testing for all unvaccinated students and employees, as well as individuals who do not disclose their vaccination status. While we have no indication on consequences for employees who do not comply with the regular testing, we know students who do not share their status will face weekly testing. There is no indication at this point the University will require vaccinations, despite recent requests from student groups and faculty to do so. My sense is should non-compliance with the regular testing requirements become an issue, we might see a change in this position. The special session of the Faculty Senate might shed new light on some of this guidance and what we might expect next.

Q: Can I ask students or peers about their vaccination status?

A: While it is not permissible for employees to ask students or their peers of their vaccination status, supervisors can inquire of their direct reports. Any information shared from direct report to supervisor is to remain confidential and is to be used only for purposes of making staffing decisions.

 Q: What about in-person office working arrangements for staff for the fall 2021 semester?

A: Based on information in the Town Hall, I recognize there may be some confusion about guidance for on-campus working arrangements in the college. Each unit has been working on drafting adjustment plans for in-person staffing presence for public-facing offices during the work week. These plans are due to the Dean’s Office the week of August 9 and must be designed to provide flexibility for staff members while also providing in-person office presence across our college in response to the expectations of the University. Non-public facing offices may have most or all staff working remotely whereas public-facing offices will need to have an in-person presence. By in-person presence, I mean someone needs to be in the office during working hours, and office coverage can be accomplished through an equitable rotation schedule. This requirement is subject to change based on revised expectations from the University.

Q: When are employees expected to return to campus?

A: We are returning to on-campus work on August 16; however, if you are in need of a formal adjustment to in-person teaching due to COVID , please see the Faculty Guidance section of the Penn State Coronavirus website. As offices make their on-campus arrangements, staff members should work with their supervisors to discuss adjustments as necessary. For more information about working on campus, visit virusinfo.psu.edu/faculty-staff/working-on-campus. Any questions about returning to in-person work arrangements should be directed to Jerry Henry (gkh2@psu.edu).

Q: How will the University decide and share updates on shifts in COVID status?

A: At this point, we have no guidance yet on how a shift in status will be communicated to the University community. I suspect the University will share information by way of email from Old Main, as well as articles in Penn State Today. Keep in mind, any shifts in guidance from the University will inform our contingency planning. I am particularly thinking about our plans for performances in the School of Theatre, the School of Music, or the Center for the Performing Arts. I will engage leadership from these units as we develop this guidance.

Q: When should units work on contingency plans?

A: As we have been doing since March 2020, all of our plans should have contingency plans. In this spirit, all units need to work on contingency plans for all events for fall, whether approved or in development.

Q: What about events with food?

A: Some of the on-campus events we have already planned in the College include food service. We have developed and distributed guidance for on-campus gatherings and food service and we will make adjustments in response to new guidance from the University (see https://intranet.arts.psu.edu/#opp). Canceling the food will need to be part of a contingency plan for events if COVID conditions become more severe.

Q: What should instructors do if students are placed in quarantine or isolation because they have contracted COVID?

A: An important takeaway from the Town Hall is we are returning to in-person instruction with no remote instruction expectation of instructors who are teaching in person. Students who are admitted into quarantine and isolation must work with faculty members for adjustments to complete assignments just as they would for pre-COVID absences due to illness.

Q: Will we need to be physically distanced in our classes?

A: The University has not indicated a change in physical distancing expectations for classes for the fall. Similarly, we have no sense yet about adjustments or guidance for fieldtrips or density in vehicles.

Q: Can a faculty member change the delivery mode of their courses?

A: Faculty members cannot decide to change the mode of delivery for their courses without following the University’s formal process. Any considerations for such changes must be discussed with the department head or school director and then with Associate Dean Thornton (dht2@psu.edu).

Thank you for the work you have already committed to making it possible for us all to return to in-person work on campus and in-residence instruction. The path forward is as unclear now as at any previous moment during the pandemic. What is crystal clear to me is the faculty and staff in the College are doing our best to work with the evolving guidance to enable a healthy and successful semester.

Steve

B. Stephen Carpenter II
Dean, College of Arts and Architecture