Dear Campus Community:

Without a doubt, 2020 wasn't what we expected, and we don't know what 2021 will bring. What we do know, is that when the Mont Alto campus comes together as a community and supports each other we can meet any challenge that arises.

Our students deserve a standing ovation for their commitment to remaining on campus this fall. This wasn’t the college experience they imagined, or deserved, but they understood that they played a big part in determining if we would continue face-to-face instruction through Nov. 20.  Collectively, they chose to Mask Up so that we didn’t Pack Up.

We knew that our students would need a lot of support to weather the pandemic environment, and our faculty, Academic Affairs staff, University Libraries staff, and Student Affairs team sprang into action to make sure that students had access to the research materials, tutoring and academic support services, mental health and wellness services, and engaging student activities to ensure they stayed on track academically while still feeling connected to our campus and to each other.

Our return to campus in the fall would not have been possible without the efforts of our Office of Physical Plant team and our Business and Finance and Housing and Food Services teams. By working together, these teams ensured that our campus procured the necessary cleaning and safety supplies to ensure a safe return and developed a plan for installation of safety equipment and daily cleaning procedures for campus spaces, often exceeding CDC guidelines.

The Office of Admissions and Public Relations and Marketing teams found creative ways to connect with prospective students and their families when we couldn’t offer on-campus events and tours. Continuing Education and LaunchBox reimagined their programming to continue offering workforce training and educational workshops in our region. Development and Alumni Relations found new ways to connect with alumni and donors to support fundraising efforts. Human Resources, Information Technology, and University Police and Public Safety all stepped up to provide extra support to our students, faculty and staff.

As I look back over last nine months, I am proud of the collective efforts of our campus community as we navigated the unknowns of COVID-19. Every time the situation got a little harder and pandemic fatigue started to creep in, our students, faculty, and staff showed their strength and resilience.

Thank you, to each of you, for your efforts and sacrifices.

We are Penn State.

— Francis K. Achampong, Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor