From Penn State College of Education Dean Kimberly A. Lawless:
As it says on the cover of our fall alumni magazine, "We Are … Back!" Back on campus, back in our classrooms and offices. It has been incredible to see our colleagues and students in our classrooms, halls and on our campus. I can feel the energy and excitement that only a residential academic environment can generate in the air. It has been rejuvenating after so much social distancing!
Back in March 2020, we thought it was hard to shut down in-person operations due to a pandemic. What we’ve been finding out this fall is that it’s even harder to open back up. We’re still not “back to normal.” We still are dealing with a lot related to the pandemic, along with our regular stressors. We are all reorienting to working/learning with one another in the same space, and we are doing so when we still have a number of COVID mediation rules in place.
At the same time, there is optimism.
While we have dedicated much of our attention to environmental conditions related to the pandemic, and will continue to do so, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the multitude of exciting initiatives that we are engaged in to push us forward. We have developed and begun implementation on an exciting strategic plan. We are revising existing and designing new programmatic options for students. We held our inaugural College of Education Research Day. Many of us are engaging in professional development or learning communities to expand our perspectives and broaden our practices. We are putting into practice many of the lessons we learned over the past 18 months. The list goes on and on … there is so much positive progress for us to focus on!
This positive progress is possible because we have remained a community — a community that is unified in the purpose of changing education by educating for change.
I’m truly excited to see how we will use our creative energy, our collective intellect and our faith in the transformative power of education to navigate this moment and emerge as a more just, equitable and empathetic community, both here on campus and beyond. I am honored to be on this journey with all of you.
There is a lot of good news in our fall alumni issue, and I’m excited to be sharing all of it with you. Our featured story is about our exceptional advising team and how they worked with our students during this pandemic to help them stay on track and make academic progress in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty that came with this pandemic. Their energy, go-with-the-flow attitude and enthusiasm for what they do is evident not only through the words of the story, but also through the photos that accompany it. (Hint: they would not pose for a “boring, serious” photo!)
A year ago, we started sharing our mantra of “Changing education by educating for change.” There are several stories in the fall alumni issue that exemplify that ongoing effort. Learn about our pilot initiative getting ready to launch in Reading, Pennsylvania, to address the teacher shortage and lack of diversity in Title I school districts; an international exchange program that went virtual rather than cancel due to the pandemic; an alumna who helped get a library built in Malawi; the college’s new online D.Ed. program; and research that addresses many important topics, among other stories.
Finally, I want to call your attention to the #GivingTuesday article. This year’s event — which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 30 — marks the seventh year that Penn State has participated in the international celebration of philanthropy. In the College of Education, we are using that day to raise financial support for the Office of Education and Social Equity (OESE). Visit https://raise.psu.edu/givingtuesdayedu to learn how you can lend your support this Nov. 30.