As we approach the holiday season, it certainly is a time to pause and reflect, as well as express our gratitude.

Thank you to faculty and staff across the University for all their efforts this past year, which undoubtedly will go down as one of the most challenging in our history.

In particular, thank you to everyone at Penn State Great Valley for coming together to tackle the problems we faced. Our team’s efforts allowed us to pivot to remote course delivery and telecommuting without missing a beat. Despite the challenges, our faculty and staff worked hard to ensure we could continue to provide our students the best educational experience possible and positively impact our campus and local communities.

In a matter of days, our staff learned ways to remotely collaborate and maintain vital campus operations that otherwise might have taken months to learn. Faculty adopted new methods of instruction, innovating ways to teach, connect with, and mentor students remotely. Our first global immersion course seamlessly transitioned to remote learning after spring break study abroad programs were canceled.

While this year is one that I’m sure none of us want to repeat, it taught us valuable lessons.  We are resilient in the face of adversity, and when things are tough, we pull together, not apart – all for the common good.

— Penn State Great Valley Chancellor Jim Nemes