Dear GSE Community,

As many of you know, public health officials are concerned about a potential “double whammy” this winter: a brutal flu season and a challenging surge in COVID cases.  

To get maximum protection going into Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, public health experts are encouraging all eligible people to get their flu shot and the updated (Bivalent) COVID-19 booster by Halloween. The updated booster is meant to protect against the original COVID-19 strain as well as the now-dominant BA.5 variant.    

You can protect yourself, your loved ones, and your colleagues here at GSE by staying up to date on all recommended vaccines. 

If you have already received your flu and updated booster shots, thank you! If you haven’t scheduled them yet, I encourage you to take 5 minutes right now to schedule a vaccination appointment through CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, or your preferred healthcare provider. 

Kate Hellings

Chief People Officer | HR Director

Dear GSE Community,

We have reached a point in the pandemic when individuals must make many of their own decisions about masking, testing, boosting, and other public health measures. The University’s updated guidance, issued earlier today, reflects this reality. I want to highlight key changes to Penn’s policies and how they affect our guidelines here at GSE.

Pre-arrival testing is highly recommended for residential students and required for executive-format students.

• We strongly encourage all residential students to administer a COVID-19 self-test before arriving on campus for the fall semester.
• Our executive-format programs will continue to require negative test attestation before travel to campus for in-person sessions. Program staff will provide instructions.

PennOpen Pass is discontinued; Penn ID is required for entrance to GSE buildings.

• Students, staff, and faculty are no longer required to show a green pass to enter GSE buildings or classrooms.
• For everyone’s safety, we are reinstating our Penn ID policy: All students, staff, and faculty must show their Penn ID to the security guard when entering 3700 Walnut via the main entrance; visitors must show photo ID and sign in.

Masking is strongly encouraged but not required; however, individual instructors can require masking in classrooms.

• GSE will continue to have masks available; for more details, visit our COVID-19 FAQ page.
• Individuals can choose to wear masks for any reason, and Penn recommends that people with underlying medical conditions wear masks indoors.
• If instructors require masking, they should communicate that expectation in their course syllabus and enforce it, as they do with other expectations for classroom behavior.
• Because we can’t always know the risks that others face, please honor individual masking requests.

Indoor events and gatherings with food are allowed, but we continue to recommend holding events outdoors when possible.

• As a courtesy, if you host an indoor gathering with food, please provide a “grab and go” option for people who are not comfortable eating indoors around others.

While many of you welcome these loosened restrictions, others are understandably concerned. We have tried to find a balance between these two perspectives in our guidance. So please, always have a mask on hand. Offer grab-and-go options if you host indoor events. And get your second booster. We might all be in different places when it comes to this pandemic, but our individual acts of courtesy and respect will keep us united as a community.

all my best,

Dean Pam Grossman

Dear GSE Community,

Because we’ve entered a relatively stable period in the pandemic, with low transmission rates of COVID in our area, and to be consistent with the larger university, we are revising our policies regarding COVID protocols.

Updated Masking Guidance 

Effective Monday, July 11, 2022, masking is no longer required in GSE buildings; however, in accordance with Penn’s Public Health Guidance, masks (preferably a surgical mask, KN95/KF94, N95, or Aries mask as opposed to a single-layer cloth mask) are strongly recommended in all indoor public and shared spaces, including meetings and classrooms. 

Although masks are no longer required in classrooms, individual instructors may require students to wear masks in their classroom, and those who do should make that clear on their syllabus and to their students in the classroom.

• Students wishing to request an accommodation should contact Student Disability Services or email Imani Harvin (imanij@upenn.edu) for assistance through the process.
• Faculty, staff, and postdocs needing workplace accommodations should visit the Office of Affirmative Action.

Please remember that masking is always an option for anyone, for any reason. Wearing a high-quality mask—especially a correctly fitted N95 mask—confers a great deal of individual protection even when others are not masked, especially when community transmissions levels are low.

Because we can’t always know the risks that others face, please honor individual masking requests. If a colleague asks you to wear a mask when entering their private office or work area, or if instructors request that you wear a mask during class, please do so without asking for an explanation.

Updated Indoor Dining Guidance 

Effective Monday, July 11, 2022, GSE will allow the consumption of food and beverages at indoor events. If you hold an indoor event with food and beverages, we ask that you provide grab-and-go options for people who do not feel comfortable eating indoors.

Additionally, we encourage you to follow these best practices:

• Prioritize outdoor meals over indoor meals. (For small outdoor meetings and casual gatherings, consider some of the campus spots featured in this Daily Pennsylvanian photo essay.)
• Prioritize pre-packaged or boxed meals over buffet-style meals.
• Make sure that hand sanitizer is widely available.

As we have been doing throughout the pandemic, GSE leadership will reevaluate these policies if there is a change in health risk and/or University policy. Thank you, as always, for your patience and support.

all my best,

Pam

Dear GSE Community,

Given the rapid rise in COVID cases, we are reinstating the indoor mask requirement for Penn GSE beginning on Monday, May 23. Even though the requirement doesn’t take effect until Monday, I strongly encourage you to begin masking immediately. Masking continues to be our best defense against transmission.

We will also require masks on Sunday at our indoor events for our 2020 and 2021 graduates.

We understand that many of you are worried about this rise in cases. For our faculty and staff, we are asking all teams to be flexible about allowing employees to work remotely as we weather this latest surge.

Please continue to use PennOpen Pass to report any symptoms or positive tests.

This is certainly not how any of us wanted to end this year, but it’s one more reminder that while we may be done with Covid, Covid is not done with us! I can’t thank you enough for your patience and fortitude.

all my best,

Pam

Dear GSE Community,

I’m writing to follow up on the University’s message earlier today about the return to indoor masking in all campus buildings while in shared or public spaces. Although the requirement officially begins on Monday, April 18, I want to echo Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein in strongly encouraging our community to begin masking immediately. The steps we take now will pay off in the days and weeks to come in protecting ourselves and those around us.

Please also keep in mind that GSE continues to prohibit consuming food and drinks at indoor gatherings. You are encouraged to use the courtyard tents for gatherings where food is served. For details on reserving the tents, visit the GSE Room Reservations page.

Many of you have questions about how this rise in COVID cases will affect upcoming campus celebrations around commencement and other events. Here’s what we know right now:

• All Penn commencement ceremonies in the Palestra (including GSE’s ceremony) will require attendees to wear masks and fill out PennOpen Pass or PennOpen Campus.
• GSE will have the same requirements the following weekend when we celebrate our 2020 and 2021 graduates.
• Because we don’t know what food and beverage restrictions will be in place in May, we are asking all programs to have contingency plans for food and beverage offerings at all commencement celebrations. Program staff should contact the Office of Student Services if they need assistance.

We will provide more details as they become available. I want to assure you that no matter what restrictions we must work with during commencement, we will do what it takes to provide the joyful experiences that our students, alumni, and the larger GSE community deserve.

all my best,

Pam

Dear Penn GSE Community,

As COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalization rates continue to decline in Philadelphia, the University has lifted its masking requirements for fully vaccinated individuals. GSE is following Penn’s guidance on masking.

Masking is optional in GSE buildings; however, if you prefer to continue masking, you should feel free to do so. Wearing a high-quality mask confers a great deal of individual protection even when others are not masked, especially when community transmissions levels are low.

Masking continues to be required in classrooms until March 28.

Out of an abundance of caution, we are continuing to prohibit the consumption of food and beverages at indoor social events until March 28.

Because we can’t always know the risks that others face, please honor individual masking requests. If a colleague asks you to wear a mask when entering their private office or work area, or if instructors request that you mask during class after March 28, please do so without asking for an explanation.

In the weeks ahead, Penn will publish a set of specific COVID-19 response levels, based on the four levels created by the City of Philadelphia, that will guide our responses to any future changes that could impact the health and safety of our campus. So while you are welcome to put your masks aside for now, please keep them close.

I am so grateful for the grace with which our community has handled every twist and turn of this pandemic. And I am confident that we will continue to move through this latest phase with kindness and respect.

all my best,

Pam

Small Kindnesses
By Danusha Laméris

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”

Dear Penn GSE Community,

Today, Penn issued updated mask guidance. In keeping with Penn’s guidance, you are no longer required to double mask. However, we strongly encourage you to continue with stricter masking at GSE, which includes continuing to double mask (layering a cloth mask on top of a disposable mask) or to wear a KN95/KF94, N95, or Aries mask.

As is true across the university, masks will continue to be required indoors in public and shared spaces for all GSE community members, including those who are fully vaccinated. This includes classrooms.

We have N95 and surgical masks available for GSE students and employees. You can pick up masks from the following people:

• 3700 Walnut: Jasma Lee (security desk on the first floor) and Lizzie Petela (214A)
• 3440 Market: Sherri King (Room 390) and Tony Delgozzo (Room 560-128)
• Stiteler: Noel Lipki in the reception area on the second floor

Thank you for your patience and support.

all my best,

Pam

Dear GSE Community,

On Tuesday the University updated its public health guidance to allow for the consumption of food and drinks at indoor gatherings and events. At GSE we are taking a more cautious approach to lifting guidelines, as follows:

• Indoor gatherings are allowed.
  • No food or beverages may be consumed.
  • Masks are required at all times.
• Outdoor gatherings are encouraged.
  • Food and beverages can be served/consumed.
  • Masks are strongly recommended except when eating or drinking.

I encourage you to use the heated tent in the GSE courtyard for gatherings that include food and beverages. The tent can be reserved via the Perelman Quadrangle Room Reservation Search page. (After indicating your event’s date, time, and capacity, choose “Banquet” in the “Layout” column and “Services-PQ” in the “Building” column; if the tent is available, it should appear as an option in the “Room” column.)

We hope to be able to further ease restrictions in the near future. Our goal is to keep our community as safe as possible. Thank you, as always, for your patience and support. 

all my best,

Pam

Dear colleagues and friends,

I hope everyone’s semester is off to a good start. Thanks again for your flexibility in moving to remote instruction during the first few weeks of classes.

As you know, we will be resuming in-person classes as of January 24th. Penn has updated its mitigation strategy (e.g. including new masking guidelines and a booster requirement) and we are doing all we can to keep our community safe while also providing our students in-person learning opportunities. The School will be providing N95 as well as cloth and surgical masks (for those who wish to double mask) to the entire GSE community.

As we prepare to return to the classroom, I wanted to revisit our guidance for shifting classes to remote or hybrid formats that I shared in the fall.

Unless special exceptions have been made, all classes should be taught in person. If you have a documented health concern that might prevent you from teaching in person, please contact the Office of Affirmative Action to request a medical accommodation as soon as possible.

It will be helpful for each of us to have a plan for temporarily moving to remote or hybrid teaching if it becomes necessary. If you have a significant number of students who cannot attend, you will want to teach your class teach remotely (i.e., email the class and send a Zoom link) or teach in a hybrid format. IT offers a variety of support services for hybrid teaching, as Kim Eke outlined in her recent “Return to Campus: Hybrid Teaching and Working” message. I encourage you to take a few minutes to review these services now, so that you know what options are available in case you need them. Of course, individual students may need to miss a class because of illness—you should handle this as you would normally during cold and flu season.

Please continue to use PennOpen Pass on a daily basis to report any symptoms. If you receive a red status but feel well enough to teach, please do so remotely. Of course, if you are too sick to teach, proceed as you normally would (e.g., reschedule class or find other ways to address the materials for that day). There may be other situations that arise that prevent you from coming to campus—for example, a child may be quarantined because of potential exposure to COVID. Use your best judgement. Please let your division chair know if you need to miss a class. We are relying on chairs to gather data to help us get a sense of schoolwide trends.

Many of you have questions about how to respond to student absences and requests to attend class remotely. The only acceptable excuses for students to miss class are if they have been exposed to COVID and have been instructed to remain in quarantine, if they need to stay at home to care for a child who is in quarantine, or if they are ill or caring for a family member who is ill. If you have questions, reach out to me or the Office of Student Services.

We will continue keep you informed about what we hear from Penn Wellness about the evolving situation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. And again, thanks for your flexibility and for all you are doing to support our students.

Best wishes,

Matt

_________

Matthew Hartley

Associate Dean and Professor

Dear GSE Community,

I hope that the first week of the semester has gone smoothly for you, even with the temporary shift to remote learning and working. As you know, this period of remote classes and work was intended to protect the community from the post-holiday surge in COVID cases. Now that positivity rates on campus and in the surrounding community have fallen, we will resume in-person classes and 3-2 hybrid work schedules on Monday, January 24.

COVID is still spreading, of course, but by following Penn’s multilayered mitigation strategy, we are confident that we can safely resume in-person activities and finish out the semester on campus. To keep everyone healthy, it is essential that we all adhere to Penn’s public health guidance, including the following important requirements:

Update your masks to meet the new masking guidelines. All members of the Penn community in campus buildings are now required to double mask (layering a cloth mask on top of a surgical mask) or to wear a KN95 or N95 mask. You can pick up free N95, surgical, and Penn GSE–branded cloth masks from the following people:

• 3700 Walnut: Jasma Lee (security desk on the first floor) and Lizzie Petela (214A)
• 3440 Market: Sherri King (Room 390) and Tony Delgozzo (Room 560-128)
• Stiteler: Noel Lipki in the reception area on the second floor

Complete your PennOpen Pass daily, regardless of whether you have symptoms and even on days that you are not on campus. You will be asked to show your green pass before entering 3700 Walnut.

Get your required COVID booster & upload the documentation by January 31.

• Students should upload their booster documentation to their Student Health Portal.
• Faculty and staff should follow these instructions to upload their booster documentation to Workday.

Schedule and receive a gateway test by January 31.

For more information about these requirements and other COVID-related workplace practices (e.g., gatherings and events, visitors) visit Penn’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources page and our own Coronavirus FAQ page.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the apprehension that many people feel about returning to campus. In making this decision, we have been guided by Penn’s Chief Wellness Officer and public health experts at Penn Medicine, who assure us that Penn’s multilayered mitigation strategy makes it possible for us to safely resume our missions in person even with the coronavirus in our midst.

I look forward to seeing many of you on campus in the coming weeks.

all my best,

Pam

Dear colleagues,

As we return to campus, we wanted to remind you of services to support your hybrid teaching and working. 

1. We are pleased to announce our phone-friendly Classroom Tech Guide is live at https://bit.ly/gse-techguide. Select your building and room for details, photos, troubleshooting tips, and ways to get help.
2. Request IT in-class support for your first two classes now through our new service catalog (login required > “Request a Service”): https://tickets.gse.upenn.edu/support/catalog/items/48.Provide dates, times, and locations for us to follow up with you. 

• Since we are short-staffed, requests will be fulfilled in the order received.

• See table below for rooms in which hybrid kits are needed.

We hope the start of your in-class experiences go smoothly and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Kind regards,

Kim

GSE Classrooms

* Note: “Hybrid-ready” means the room has a camera, microphones, and display to enable both remote and in-person participants to be seen and heard.

Kimberly Eke, Ph.D. (she/her)
Senior Director of Information Technology
University Of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education
Room 219A
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4217
Phone: 215.746.7074
www.gse.upenn.edu

Dear Staff and Faculty,

I hope that you’re finding safe ways to spend time with family and friends during these frigid January days. 

As we prepare to return to campus on January 24, I want to remind you of three new COVID-related guidelines that require action on your part:

1. Get your required COVID booster & upload the documentation by January 31: All employees who are eligible for the COVID booster must upload proof of their booster shot to Workday by January 31. 

• Instructions for uploading proof of vaccination to Workday

• Free booster clinics: Penn is partnering with SunRay, a local pharmacy, to offer a free booster clinic at Pottruck Fitness Center on campus from 8am to 4pm on Friday, January 14, and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, January 17, 18, and 19. To schedule your appointment, visit SunRay’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic page. 

• Schedule a Penn Cares gateway test online here: covidscheduling.upenn.edu/.
• You can come to campus to work on the same day that you are tested; you do not need to wait for a negative test result. 

• As long as you can maintain 6 feet of distance from others, you can remove your mask while sitting at your desk. Please be considerate of the comfort level of the people around you when you make decisions about removing your mask.
• We have a limited number of N95 masks available for any staff and faculty who would like one now (inquire at front desk at 3700 or contact Jason or Greg), and we are ordering additional high-quality masks for distribution later this month.

As a reminder, please be sure to complete your PennOpen Pass daily, regardless of whether you have symptoms. 

For more information on Penn’s COVID updates, join us for a Q&A with Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dube on January 19 at 10am (see Zoom info below).

https://upenn.zoom.us/j/93497643114?pwd=VXJvR09ybklSTjh2LzNwRGRIS0RPQT09 

Meeting ID: 934 9764 3114

Passcode: 910467

You can also find guidance on the Penn Cares Public Health Guidance page, the University’s Guidance for the Spring 2022 Semester page, and the Penn GSE Coronavirus FAQ page. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

Thank you for continuing to adapt to new policies that are necessary to keep our community safe.

All my best,

Emma G. Grigore, PHR

Chief People Officer |HR Director | GSE HR

(she/her)

Dear GSE Faculty and Staff,

Our plans for beginning spring semester in-person have been upended by rising COVID-19 case numbers in the Philadelphia region and the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant. To do our part to keep everyone safe, all GSE spring semester classes and student activities will begin online but will then shift to a fully in-person format. Here are the details:

• All classes will be held online from Wednesday, January 12, through Sunday, January 23.
• Students who are in field/clinical placements need to follow the guidance of their field site. If field sites are open, students are expected to be in person for their fieldwork.
• Fully in-person classes will resume on Monday, January 24.

We are also recommending that all students plan to be in Philadelphia no later than January 19 so that they can be tested for COVID (gateway testing) before in-person classes begin. 

We made this decision out of an abundance of caution in the face of rising case numbers and the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant. 

For these same reasons, staff have the option to work from home January 5–21. Some essential staff may need to be onsite periodically as needed. The building will not be closed, so those who wish to come to their offices will be able to do so. We will resume our 3-2 hybrid schedules on January 24. 

In addition, please remember that Penn is requiring all eligible employees (staff, faculty, and postdocs) to receive a third dose/booster of the COVID vaccine by January 31. If you have not yet received a booster and are eligible for it, you must schedule one as soon as possible. If you have been boosted, please upload your vaccination information right away; you can find instructions for doing so here.

I know that I’ve thanked you dozens of times since the start of the pandemic, but my gratitude for your perseverance, kindness, and patience is boundless. Please take time to relax and recharge next week—you deserve it. I encourage you to turn off your GSE email and truly unplug from work.

all my best,

Pam

Dear GSE Students,

Our plans for beginning spring semester in-person have been upended by rising COVID-19 case numbers in the Philadelphia region and the rapid spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant. To do our part to keep everyone safe, all GSE spring semester classes and student activitieswill begin online but will then shift to a fully in-person format. Here are the details: 

• All classes will be held online from Wednesday, January 12, through Sunday, January 23.
• Students who are in field/clinical placements need to follow the guidance of their field site.If field sites are open, students are expected to be in person for their fieldwork.
• Fully in-person classes will resume on Monday, January 24.
• We recommend that all students plan to be in Philadelphia no later than January 19 so that they can be tested for COVID (gateway testing) before in-person classes begin. Please contact the Office of Student Services if you have questions or concerns.

We are of course dealing with a fluid situation. If it turns out that we need to extend the period of online classes and activities beyond January 24, I will let you know as soon as possible.

In addition, please remember that Penn is requiring all eligible students to receive a third dose/booster of the COVID vaccine by January 31. If you have not yet received a booster and are eligible for one, please schedule it as soon as possible. If you have been boosted, please update your immunization records right away.

This is certainly not the note that I wanted to send out at the very end of the semester, but I am optimistic that we will be able to resume in-person classes and activities in late January and finish out the semester together on campus. Thank you, once again, for your understanding and doing your part to keep our community safe.  

all my best,

Pam 

Dear GSE Community,

As the fall semester winds down, I wanted to pass along a few important reminders:

• Get boosted! The University is holding a FREE COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Clinic for all students, faculty, staff, and postdocs on December 15, 16, and 17at the Gimbel Gymnasium in the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. In addition to Penn’s clinic, you can get a booster at most Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens Because some people might experience temporary side effects (e.g., fatigue, headache) from the booster, we are asking for everyone’s flexibility and understanding.
• There should be no food or drinks consumed at indoor events and gatherings.Given the unseasonably warm weather forecast for this week, we encourage you to hold all social breaks and gatherings outside. In addition, anyone hosting an event, whether inside or outside, should make sure that everyone follows all safety protocols.
• If you will be traveling over the break, it’s a good idea to schedule a FREE screening testbefore you leave to help keep those around you safe. 
• We are planning for all classes to be in person for the spring semester. There is still no evidence of classroom transmission on campus. This outcome can be attributed to the Penn community’s high vaccination rate and strict adherence to the University’s public health guidelines.
• All students, faculty, and staff will be required to undergo gateway screening in early January to help keep our community safe.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe. And warm wishes for a peaceful and healthy holiday season.

all my best,

Dean Pam Grossman

Dear Faculty and Staff,

With COVID-19 positivity rates ticking up on campus and the emergence of the Omicron variant in North America, we must all take extra precautions in planning for and participating in holiday gatherings. Please keep in mind that all GSE holiday parties should be held outdoors if participants will be consuming food or drinks.

In addition, the University recently issued updated public health guidance on holiday gatherings. I encourage you to read the full guidance (available here, under “Holiday Gatherings for Faculty and Staff”) but want to call your attention to a few key recommendations:

• The University recommends that there be no eating or drinking at holiday gatherings.
• If food is offered, it should be done so with catering staff in order to minimize any transmission risk.
• Alternatively, there could be boxed foods/lunches/desserts/goodie bags and canned/bottled beverages for grab-and-go at the end of the event.
• Attendance should be limited to employees (no spouses or guests).
• All attendees should be fully vaccinated.
• All attendees are expected to have a green PennOpen Pass.

Even as we enter our second winter holiday season in the shadow of the pandemic, I am nonetheless grateful that our community is largely back on campus, learning and working together in person. The actions that we take in the coming weeks—among them following holiday gathering guidelines, avoiding eating with others indoors, wearing face coverings indoors, and getting tested—are critical for sustaining the progress that we have made over the past several months.

All my best,

Pam

Dear Penn GSE Students,

Some of you have been receiving (or will receive) the message below about receiving a Red Pass due to not taking the University’s required COVID-19 screening testing program. Please read the following carefully:

If you plan to come to campus this semester you MUST schedule a screening test AND test once every 2 weeks throughout the fall semester:

1. Those who are currently non-compliant should schedule or walk-in for a test as soon as possible, from now until close of business on Saturday, September 25.
2. Please view the Penn Cares COVID-19 Screening Test Locations and Hours.
3. Students who remain non-compliant will receive a Red Pass and will be unable to access some University buildings and services. Those who do not address their Red Pass may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

If you are an exec format student, who will come to campus on a modified schedule (~once per month) to campus this fall term:

1. Please follow the instructions given to you from your program on how to access campus and which tests you will be required to take prior to coming to campus.
2. You are still REQUIRED to upload your vaccine
3. Contact OSS if you are having trouble accessing services on campus due to your Penn Open Pass status.

If you are not coming to campus this fall term:

1. You are still REQUIRED to upload your vaccine
2. Contact OSS if you are having trouble accessing services on campus due to your Penn Open Pass status.

This message reiterates the importance of compliance with the University’s screening testing program – all fully vaccinated students should test once every 2 weeks throughout the fall semester (you will not get a reminder, please remember to schedule), as communicated in this August 25 University-wide message. Those with an approved COVID-19 vaccine exemption should test twice weekly.

One final reminder – ANY student who plans to come to GSE (3700 Walnut, Stiteler, Solomon) MUST present their Penn ID to receive approval to enter the buildings.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please reach out to the Office of Student Services or me directly if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Ann

Ann Tiao, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Student Services
Senior Fellow

-----------------------

From: Covid Testing <covidtesting@upenn.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2021 3:20 PM
To: WELLNESS-STUDENT@LISTS.UPENN.EDU
Subject: Non-Compliant with Penn's Screening Testing Requirement

Good afternoon,

You are at risk of receiving a Red PennOpen Pass. Please [covidscheduling.upenn.edu] schedule your COVID-19 screening test as soon as possible.

Our records indicate that you have not been compliant with the University’s COVID-19 screening testing requirement. Those who are non-compliant with our required screening testing program will begin to receive a non-compliant Red Pass through PennOpen Pass beginning next week.

Starting the week of September 13, all fully-vaccinated students were required to begin bi-weekly screening testing. You may have taken part in our initial Gateway Testing program; however, all students must participate in our continued screening testing program for the duration of the fall semester.

What does a non-compliant Red Pass mean?

Non-compliant Red Passes can affect your ability to utilize the following on-campus services:

• Entry into some School and Center buildings on campus
• COVID-19 testing sites and other clinical areas
• Library
• Pottruck Health & Fitness Center
• Penn Transit

Failure to address your non-compliant Red Pass may result in a referral to the Office of Student Conduct, which can impact your academic journey at Penn.

How do I avoid a Red Pass?

Schedule your COVID-19 screening appointment as soon as possible and be sure to SHOW UP to your appointment. Compliance is monitored as students check-in to their screening testing appointment. Students can also walk-in for an appointment at the Du Bois Tent location.

What should I do if I get a non-compliant Red Pass?

If you have a non-compliant Red Pass, schedule and show up for your screening test as soon as possible. Your Red Pass will be flipped to a Green Pass the day after your screening test. The Red Pass helps to protect the entire University community from the spread of COVID-19. Continue to follow Penn’s public health guidance, including wearing a mask.

For more information about Penn’s COVID-19 testing requirements and public health guidance, visit coronavirus.upenn.edu. You can also view the current Penn Cares COVID-19 screening testing sites and hours.

In good health,

The COVID-19 Response Team:

Mark Dingfield, Associate Provost, Finance and Planning
Benoit Dubé, Associate Provost and Chief Wellness Officer
Tom Murphy, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Viola MacInnes Professor, University Ombuds, and Executive Director, Center for Public Health Initiatives

Dear colleagues,

Please read the updated guidelines below (also updated on our FAQ page). Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe.

This note contains guidance on four important topics:

• The new PennOpen Campus screening tool for visitors
• GSE’s updated eating and drinking guidelines, including for events and gatherings
• Reminder to stay home if you have any cold or flu symptoms
• Campus flu vaccine clinic

Introducing PennOpen Campus for Visitors

To reduce the risk of visitors spreading COVID-19 within the Penn community, the University recently announced that all visitors to campus and University-sponsored events and gatherings must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement applies to occasional visitors (guest speakers, prospective students, job candidates), University program participants, vendors who are not regularly on campus, and non-badged contractors.

Visitors must attest to their vaccination status using the new PennOpen Campus screening tool. PennOpen Campus is similar to PennOpen Pass, but in addition to checking for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure it asks visitors to confirm that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Users are issued a Green Pass or a Red Pass depending on their responses.

If you are hosting a visitor or organizing an event that includes visitors, it is your responsibility to:

• Inform your visitors of the need to use PennOpen Campus on the day of their visit before they come to campus. Feel free to share a link to this “How it Works” guide with your visitors.
• Ask your visitors to show you their Green Pass when they arrive on campus.
• Register your visitors’ contact information in the case that follow-up from contact tracers is needed (PennOpen Campus does not substitute for any event registration or ticketing)

Please note that PennOpen Campus is for visitors, contractors, and exec format students only; members of the Penn community, including faculty, staff, and traditional students, should continue to use PennOpen Pass.

You can find more guidance on hosting visitors on campus on the Penn Coronavirus Visitors page.

GSE’s Indoor Eating/Drinking Guidelines

As you know, indoor eating is one of the higher risk activities for disease transmission. Eating outdoors remains a preferable and safer option but eating indoors is not prohibited. If you choose to eat or drink indoors, we ask that you maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others. Please also minimize unmasked socializing while eating and drinking indoors.

If you plan to serve food or beverages at an event or gathering, please note that GSE has adopted more stringent guidelines than the University:

• Food must be individually plated or packaged.
• For indoor dining, seating must be 6 feet apart, and participants should be encouraged to minimize unmasked socializing while eating.
• If possible, arrange for outdoor dining.
• Inform attendees in advance that the event includes food and beverages and that distancing rules are in place. Remind them that eating indoors remains one of the higher risk activities for disease transmission.
• Attendees may only remove face coverings indoors when actively eating and drinking.
• Maximum occupancy is limited to the School/Center/Department/Group’s ability to successfully adhere to University COVID-19 protocols.

Runny nose? Headache? Cough? Stay home!

Finally, as we enter cold and flu season, please remember to stay home if you have even mild cold or flu symptoms. Complete your daily PennOpen Pass to assist with testing and contact tracing. You can either work from home or take a sick day. In breakthrough COVID-19 infections for vaccinated individuals, the Delta variant often shows up as very mild cold symptoms, such as runny nose, cough, or headache. Staying home will help reduce the spread of infection and protect children under 12 and immunocompromised people.

Flu Shot

Penn’s 2021 Flu Clinic will take place October 4-8^th in Gimbel Gym and Pottruck. As always, flu vaccines are free to staff, faculty, and students. Please be sure to bring your Penn Card and show your daily green PennOpen Pass.

Take care,

Emma G. Grigore, PHR

Dear GSE faculty and staff,

I’m writing to follow up on the University’s announcement to the campus community on the start of the fall semester, which was sent out earlier this week. If you’ve had a chance to read the announcement, you know that it covers a lot of ground. Here I want to call your attention to the new policies that require action by each one of us to help keep our community safe. Because this note contains important information, please read it through to the end; in addition, here are the key takeaways:

• The University has extended the Penn Cares Gateway Screening requirement to all faculty, staff, and postdocs who will be on campus this fall.
• All faculty, staff, temps, and postdocs—regardless of their vaccination status—are now required to participate in Penn Cares Surveillance Testing.
• Daily use of PennOpen Pass is once again required by all members of the Penn community.
• The University now requires all faculty, staff, temps and postdocs to be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021.
• GSE will be distributing N95 masks and Penn-approved, GSE-branded cloth masks to all faculty and staff this week.

First, the University has extended the Penn Cares Gateway Screening requirement to all faculty, staff, and postdocs who will be on campus this fall. Those of us who participated in this saliva-based screening program last spring can vouch for how easy it is to schedule, and the testing itself takes only a few minutes.

• Schedule your gateway test online at https://covidscheduling.upenn.edu/ as soon as possible to secure a slot that works with your schedule.
• Complete your screening between September 7 andSeptember 17; failure to comply will result in a Red Pass in the PennOpen Pass
• Visit the Penn Cares Testing Program page for more information.

In addition, all faculty, staff, temps, and postdocs—regardless of their vaccination status—are now required to participate in Penn Cares Surveillance Testing. This was something many of you wanted, and it is an additional way to track transmission on campus.

• Unvaccinated faculty, staff, and postdocs (i.e., those who are not yet fully vaccinated, are exempt from vaccination, or have not recorded their fully vaccinated status) are required to take part in twice-weekly screening testing.
• Vaccinated faculty, staff, and postdocs will be selected randomly for testing and will be notified via email; they will have two weeks to take this saliva-based test.
• Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a Red Pass in the PennOpen Pass

Daily use of PennOpen Pass is once again required by all members of the Penn community.

• You must complete daily symptom checks using PennOpen Pass if you will be coming to campus this fall.
• You do not need to show a Green Pass to enter GSE buildings. Again, this is just another tool for keeping track of possible infections and to support immediate testing and contact tracing when necessary.
• If you learn that you’ve been in the presence of someone diagnosed with COVID, please report this using PennOpen Pass. A healthcare professional will be in touch to discuss the situation with you.

These public health measures are meant to help the University track transmission rates in the campus community so that it can respond accordingly, including conducting contact tracing to isolate outbreaks. While I am saddened that we are again dealing with the uptick in COVID cases, I am heartened that the university is responding to concerns about safely returning to campus in the wake of the Delta variant and has put in place measures to mitigate and monitor transmission. This guidance is based on the best scientific evidence available.

In addition to announcing these new requirements, yesterday’s note from the University offered clarifications and support around some existing public health measures.

Vaccination. Consistent with the recently revised Philadelphia Department of Public Health guidance, the University now requires all faculty, staff, temps and postdocs to be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021.

• To receive a medical or religious exemption to this requirement, you must submit an official request to the Office of Affirmative Action.
• Unless granted an exemption, failure to report full vaccination will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
• After October 15, those who have been granted a medical or religious exemption from vaccination will be required to continue to test twice a week.
• Note that to be fully vaccinated by the October 15 deadline, you must be two weeks out from your final dose. For guidance on timing Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J vaccinations to meet this deadline, see “Is the COVID-19 vaccine required for employees?” on our FAQ page.

Masking. As you know, the University requires that all members of the Penn community and visitors wear masks while indoors or in public or shared spaces with some exceptions, as detailed on Penn’s Public Health Guidance page.

• Anyone can now report non-compliance with the mask mandate through this simple online form.

Because the type of mask you wear matters, GSE will be distributing N95 masks and Penn-approved, GSE-branded cloth masks to all faculty and staff this week. If you do not receive these masks at your desk, you can get a mask from Lizzie Petela (3700 Walnut, second floor) or Sherri King (3440 Market, third floor).

I encourage you to check our COVID FAQ page for additional information, including updated guidance on large gatherings and Penn-sponsored events. You can also submit questions via the FAQ page.

Thank you, once again, for your patience and flexibility as we all do our part to keep our community safe while offering our students in-person instruction for the first time in a year and a half.

All my best,

Pam

Dear colleagues and friends,

I hope everyone has had a nice summer. As you know, we will be starting the academic year with in-person classes. Penn has instituted a number of policies based on current public health guidelines that we believe we can keep our community safe and healthy while also providing the majority of our students in-person learning opportunities for the first time in a year and a half. As we mentioned earlier, we will be distributing N95 masks to the entire community to maximize protection while on campus. Remember that you are welcome to sign up for free COVID screening at any time.

That said, we know we are facing a fluid situation. If conditions change for the worse, we may again pivot to remote instruction to keep everyone safe. Many thanks for your patience, support, and flexibility as we navigate these changes together. Our highest priority is to keep everyone safe while providing high quality learning experiences for students.

Unless special exceptions have been made, all classes should be taught in person. If you have a documented health concern that might prevent you from teaching in person, please contact the Office of Affirmative Action to request a medical accommodation as soon as possible.

All students are required to be vaccinated and to wear masks in class. The University has been communicating with our students about expectations for the fall, including masking guidelines. All students are required to be vaccinated, unless they are granted an exception. Any person who has not recorded his or her vaccination status with Penn will be required to use PennOpen Pass and to take a COVID test twice each week until they do so.

Each of us should have a plan for switching to remote teaching if it becomes necessary. For many of us this will be as straightforward as communicating with our class and sending a Zoom link. With the cold and flu season approaching, you may find yourself feeling unwell on a day you are scheduled to teach. Please complete Penn OpenPass. This tool will provide public health guidance and connect you to clinical support. You should also complete Penn Open Pass if you learn you have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID. If you receive a red status on Penn OpenPass but feel well enough to teach, please do so remotely. Of course, if you are too sick to teach, proceed as you normally would (e.g., reschedule class or find other ways to address the materials for that day). There may be other situations that arise as well that may prevent you from coming to campus—for example, a child may be quarantined because of potential exposure to COVID. Again, use your best judgement. Please let your division chair know if you need to miss a class. We will be relying on chairs to help us get a sense of schoolwide trends.

Many of you have questions about how to respond to student absences and requests to attend class remotely. The only acceptable excuses for students to miss class are if they have been exposed to COVID and have been instructed to remain in quarantine, if they need to stay at home to care for a child who is in quarantine, or if they are ill or caring for a family member who is ill. Some exceptions are also being granted to students in executive format programs because of challenges associated with travel.If you have students who need to miss more than one class because of COVID-related issues, please offer them the opportunity to attend your class remotely. IT is developing guidelines for enabling students in such situations to attend class remotely. Those will be sent by the end of this week. All of our classrooms have the ability to allow such hybrid learning (i.e. most students in class, some joining by Zoom.) GSE has a small number of students (less than 50 in total) who, because of challenges with visas or health issues, cannot join us in person. If you see that you have students enrolled remotely in a class and you have questions, please reach out to your program manager or division chair. Also, know that IT stands ready to offer support for teaching hybrid classes. Please reach out to them.

We will keep you informed about what we hear from Penn Wellness about the evolving situation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. And again, thanks for your flexibility and for all you are doing to support our students.

Best wishes,

Matt

_________

Matthew Hartley

Associate Dean and Professor

Dear GSE Students,

I hope you are all well and had a chance to unplug this summer—literally and figuratively. I know that as we approach the beginning of the fall semester there are concerns about COVID-19 and the potential impact of the Delta variant on our plans for fall. I’m writing with our current plans, although they are subject to change as the public health situation changes. 

We are planning for in-person instruction this fall here in Philadelphia and believe that we can keep our community safe and healthy by using all available guidance from the scientific community. 

However, for students in executive format programs that require monthly travel to campus to participate, we are providing these programs with flexibility about the mode of instruction. If you are an executive format student, please reach out to your program director or manager for details.

In addition, international students who have not yet obtained visas will be able to take classes this fall through either hybrid or online classes – and each of our programs has developed a plan to serve these students.

With the exception of these two scenarios, we are expecting all other classes to meet fully in person. Students who may need a medical accommodation must apply for one with Student Disability Services. Accommodations will be approved only for courses that are listed as hybrid.

Our single best safeguard against transmission continues to be vaccination. Even with the spread of the Delta variant, vaccination provides protection against serious illness or hospitalization to those who are vaccinated. For this reason, Penn is requiring vaccination for all faculty, staff, and students—a public health policy that has already yielded an extremely high vaccination rate in our community. If you have not already uploaded your vaccination information, be sure to do it today (self-service instructions can be accessed for new students here and for continuing students here). As a reminder, you must participate in Gateway Testing upon arrival to campus.

To help support this effort, Penn Cares is offering a vaccine clinic for students, faculty, staff, and postdocs this week: Wednesday, August 18, and Thursday, August 19 from 9AM to 1PM. The clinic is being held at the Mezzanine at 3535 Market Street. Vaccine appointments may be scheduled at https://covidscheduling.upenn.edu/; select “Schedule a Vaccine” and then the location “Mezzanine at 3535 Market Street (Vaccine Clinic).” You can also find out how to get a vaccine anywhere in the United States by visiting this link. You don’t have to get one at Penn – they are available for free at many locations.

After vaccination, our next best defense against infection is masking. As you all know, with the rise of cases we have returned to requiring masks indoors in public spaces, including in classrooms. We have ordered KN95 masks that will be available to the entire community within the week and will be distributed by the Office of Student Services. Please read the Office of Student Services’ fall updates to get information on the distribution method. We also need to remind each other to wear our masks and to wear them properly to protect the community.

We ask that if you are feeling sick, even with mild cold symptoms, please do not come to campus for classes or work. We have asked faculty and managers to be accommodating in these circumstances.

Other health precautions include frequent handwashing and thorough cleaning of our buildings. We will continue to provide hand sanitizer in all our buildings and ensure that the buildings are thoroughly cleaned. As most of our staff will be working from home 1 to 2 days a week, our buildings will already be less populated. Finally, we will continue to make sure that we don’t congregate or eat together in crowded indoor spaces. For this reason, we’ve confirmed that we will be able to tent the courtyard to further support and encourage outdoor gatherings. 

This is not the return to campus we had hoped for, but with our community pulling together and observing these precautions, we can at least be together this fall. As always, if conditions change, we will pivot, since our highest priority is to keep everyone safe. If we’ve learned nothing else in the past 17 months, we’ve learned that our community is flexible and resilient. 

I look forward to meeting you in person soon. In the meantime, please enjoy these last days of summer.

all my best,

Dean Pam Grossman

Dear GSE Faculty and Staff,

I hope you are all well and had a chance to unplug this summer—literally and figuratively. I know that as we approach the beginning of the fall semester there are concerns about COVID-19 and the potential impact of the Delta variant on our plans for fall. I’m writing with our current plans, although they are subject to change as the public health situation changes.

We are planning for in-person instruction this fall for our students here in Philadelphia and believe that we can keep our community safe and healthy by using all available guidance from the scientific community.

Our single best safeguard against transmission continues to be vaccination. Even with the spread of the Delta variant, vaccination provides protection against serious illness or hospitalization to those who are vaccinated. For this reason, Penn is requiring vaccination for all faculty, staff, and students—a public health policy that has already yielded an extremely high vaccination rate in our community. If you have not already uploaded your vaccination information, be sure to do it today (self-service instructions can be accessed on the Workday@Penn website).

To help support this effort, Penn Cares is offering a vaccine clinic for students, faculty, staff, and postdocs this week:Wednesday, August 18,and Thursday, August 19from 9AM to 1PM. The clinic is being held at the Mezzanine at 3535 Market Street. Vaccine appointments may be scheduled athttps://covidscheduling.upenn.edu/; select “Schedule a Vaccine” and then the location “Mezzanine at 3535 Market Street (Vaccine Clinic).”

After vaccination, our next best defense against infection is masking. As you all know, with the rise of cases we have returned to requiring masks indoors in public spaces, including in classrooms. We’ll be distributing GSE-branded masks later this month. Additionally, we have ordered KN95 masks that will be available for our entire community for extra protection. We also need to remind each other to wear our masks and to wear them properly to protect the entire community. We ask that if you are feeling sick, even with mild cold symptoms, please take a sick day to rest up or consider working remotely. If you want to schedule a free COVID test, more information can be found here. We ask that managers and faculty please be accommodating in these circumstances.

Other health precautions include frequent handwashing and thorough cleaning of our buildings. We will continue to provide hand sanitizer in all our buildings and ensure that the buildings are thoroughly cleaned. As most of our staff will be working from home 1 to 2 days a week, our buildings will already be less populated.

Finally, we will continue to make sure that we don’t congregate or eat together in crowded indoor spaces. For this reason, some of our larger meetings and community events will need to be online or held in larger spaces to allow for distancing, and we’ve confirmed that we will be able to tent the courtyard in September to further support and encourage outdoor gatherings.

Although we expect the vast majority of our classes to take place in person, there will be some exceptions for students in our executive format programs that require monthly travel to campus to participate. We have also promised international students who were unable to get visas that they will be able to take classes this fall through either hybrid or online classes, and each of our programs has developed a plan to serve these students. With the exception of these two scenarios, we are expecting all other classes to meet in person. Faculty or staff who have a documented health concern that might prevent you from being in person should work through the Office of Affirmative Action to request a medical accommodation.

This is not the return to campus we had hoped for, but with our community pulling together and observing these precautions, we can at least be together this fall. As always, if conditions change, we will pivot, since our highest priority is to keep everyone safe. If we’ve learned nothing else in the past 17 months, we’ve learned that our community is flexible and resilient.

I look forward to seeing you in person before too much longer. In the meantime, enjoy these last days of summer.

all my best,

Dean Pam Grossman

Dear GSE Colleagues,

I want to once again thank you for taking action to keep our campus safe from the spread of COVID-19 by becoming fully vaccinated and providing the information securely in Workday. Uploading your complete vaccination information (including both doses if vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine), and understanding vaccination rates on campus, is helping us to shape our public health guidance as we move into the fall semester.

Reminders:

• New hires, those returning from leaves of absence, and those who are not yet fully vaccinated can continue to upload their vaccine information to Workday at any time. Once their full vaccination completion information has been recorded, they will be exempt from ongoing Penn Cares screening testing.
• Those who are unvaccinated and/or have not yetuploaded their vaccine documentation into Workday must undergo twice-weekly Penn Cares screening testing.
• We encourage everyone to enroll in PennOpen Pass, our daily COVID-19 symptom and exposure tracker, which is required to enter healthcare facilities, including the Penn Cares testing site. Those who are unvaccinated must use PennOpen Pass daily to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within the community.
• Masks are now required indoors for all Penn community members and hosted visitors, including those who are fully vaccinated.
  • Exceptions to the masking requirement include single occupancy offices and shared spaces where 6ft distancing can be maintained, with roommates in our college house suites/rooms, and by permission in instructional settings for academic reasons.
• Voluntary testing is available on campus for those who are fully vaccinated, if they so desire.

Visit coronavirus.upenn.edu and the Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about vaccine safety and efficacy.

Thank you for doing your part to create a safe return to campus. Check coronavirus.upenn.edu or follow @COVIDPenn on social media for the latest public health guidance and updates.

Take care,

Emma G. Grigore, PHR

Chief People Officer |HR Director | GSE HR

(she/her)

Dear Colleagues,

Our school’s Return to Campus Plan has been finalized by the University. Below is an overview, which we will discuss in further detail at tomorrow’s staff meeting. Please come with questions and feedback! Also, take a look at our ever-evolving GSE FAQ for additional information, and note that today’s email from the University provides even more details about commuting, renewing your Penn Card (please check to see if it has expired), travel restrictions, etc.

Overview

Let’s start with some good news!

In recognition of the incredible work of our staff, GSE is offering an extended holiday in the form of an additional comp day to be taken either July 2 or July 6. Take that break! The University has also provided an additional administrative day offwhich can be taken at your discretion between now and December 31.

Additionally, the University is lifting its hiring and compensation freeze effective July 1. This means that the hiring of non-regular staff (PT faculty, temps, students) and additional pay will no longer need to go through the exception review process. That being said, please always remember to submit hiring documents to Payroll before an individual is engaged in work! Contact Coral Haas for any questions.

Vaccination and Testing

Per the University’s email on June 1, all current faculty, staff, and post-doctoral trainees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than August 1, 2021. If you haven’t done so already, please record your COVID-19 vaccination status in Workday. Vaccinated faculty, staff, and post-docs should enter their vaccination information by July 1. New hires and those vaccinated after July 1 should update their record as soon as possible. Effective July 1, individuals who have recorded being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in their Workday record will be exempt from regular Penn Cares screening testing and will not be required to wear a mask indoors (with some exceptions). Individuals who report their vaccination status after July 1 will be exempt thereafter. We recognize that some individuals will choose not to obtain vaccines for medical and religious reasons, and some may choose not to disclose their vaccine status. Faculty, staff, and post-doctoral trainees who are not fully vaccinated will be required to continue to participate in daily symptom checks on PennOpen Pass and weekly Penn Cares screening testing, as well as to continue to wear masks indoors.

Please note, vaccinated staff, faculty, and post-doctoral trainees must still be enrolled in PennOpen Pass as a way to report a COVID exposure (you are not required to fill out the daily symptom checker if you are vaccinated). More details will be forthcoming!

Please note, our current school-wide plan is a dynamic guide that will be periodically reviewed and adapted to changing conditions based on University, CDC, and/or governmental policy changes. Current COVID policies can be found here and GSE FAQs can be found here.

An updated Return to Campus Guide for faculty and staff has just been published. Please take a few minutes to read through this comprehensive guide.

Summer Phasing

As previously announced, we ask that all employees gradually transition back to on-campus work via the Summer PhasingPlan, which was outlined in our May 19 email. A summary of the Penn GSE plan is below:

• Our phase-in begins the week of July 12.
• We expect teams to convene on campus at least oncein July, and then 2–3 days/week in August. Those who wish to work on campus more often are welcome to do so!
• Teams should discuss how they can use this phase-in time for retreats, establishing working norms, working on projects, preparing for the fall semester, etc.
• Staff will be expected to return to a regular schedule, on campus, the week of August 23. [If you cannot phase into work according to this plan, please work with your manager and GSE HR.]
• We will be sending out more communications soon about summer initiatives to help make the transition supportive and engaging.

Fall Work Schedules

We are excited to offer more flexibility for our staff in the coming months. Senior leaders have submitted preliminary team schedules, and partially remote requests are currently being reviewed. Decisions are now being made at the department and school level to ensure that there is regular coverage in the building to support business needs. We’ll communicate with managers and employees any changes or recommendations by August 2. Revisions can be submitted by August 20. Employees will then begin their approved fall schedule by August 23.

Arrangements will be re-evaluated with managers and leaders in mid-October. Managers will communicate with staff on any needed revisions or adjustments.

Building and Safety Protocols

The University continues to update their guidelines, which closely mirror the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health Guidelines. Physical distancing and capacity restrictions are no longer required on campus. Beginning July 1, fully vaccinated students, faculty, staff, and postdocs will no longer be required to participate in weekly Penn Cares screening testing. Please read the updated guidance related to masking, distancing, and washing.

Beginning July 1, PennOpen Pass will not be required for building access. Also effective July 1, visitors will be permitted to enter campus buildings.

Technology

GSE IT is evaluating the current and future technology needs for a successful transition back to an in-person work and learning environment. Keep an eye out for more information related to:

• Signup for IT support during return to campus (computer set-up, updates, etc.)
• Opportunities to learn and test hybrid meetings and teaching. 

We know there is both excitement and hesitation about returning to on-campus work. As we resume fall on-campus operations, we recognize that we are transitioning into the future of work. There are valuable takeaways from this last year’s experiences and so many new things to adapt to. In that spirit, please save the date for the first all-staff Retreat on August 18. This will be an opportunity to come together to learn, explore, and thoughtfully experiment with new ways of working and improve existing practices. 

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Emma G. Grigore, PHR

Chief People Officer, HR Director | GSE HR

A Message to Faculty, Staff, and Postdoctoral Trainees on Returning to Campus

from
Amy Gutmann, President
Wendell Pritchett, Provost
Craig Carnaroli, Senior Executive Vice President
Beth Winkelstein, Deputy Provost

We are very pleased to announce that Penn will be fully reopening campus for the fall semester, while continuing to be guided by best practices in public health. After 15 months of masking and physical distancing, rearranging your lives to perform work under challenging circumstances, and vaccinating against COVID-19, Penn now has the lowest rate of COVID-19 in over a year. Penn’s low positivity rate is but one component of the broader slowdown of COVID-19 cases in our region and, as of June 11, the City of Philadelphia removed capacity restrictions on our facilities and related occupancy. The safety and wellness of our Penn community are of utmost importance, and this message is intended as a resource guide to help you return to campus with confidence over the next few weeks and months.

Enter Your COVID-19 Vaccination Information / Schedule Your Test

As we first wrote on June 1, all faculty, staff, and post-doctoral trainees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The deadline for proof of vaccination is August 1, 2021. (Note that employees of Penn’s health schools must follow any additional school-specific guidelines.) Proof of vaccination status will be conducted in Workday@Penn; recording your COVID-19 vaccination status is secure, confidential, and easy by completing a simple online form. Those who record their full vaccination are exempt from regular COVID-19 screening tests, as well as the daily completion of PennOpen Pass.

Individuals who choose not to vaccinate against COVID-19 for medical and religious reasons or choose not to disclose their vaccination status will be required to do the following for the public health of the Penn community: use PennOpen Pass on a daily basis to check for COVID-19 symptoms, complete weekly Penn Cares screening testing, and wear a mask while indoors. While the University requires mask use indoors by unvaccinated individuals, we also support mask use by vaccinated individuals who choose to wear one. No assumptions should be made about the vaccination status of colleagues who choose to wear a mask indoors.

Review Your Return to Campus Guide

Normal University on-campus operations will resume on September 7. We acknowledge that some members of our community may be observing the Rosh Hashanah holiday and will not return until later in the week. Deans, University Officers, and other senior administrators will have the flexibility to make individual arrangements accommodating remote work in our Schools and Centers based upon business and operational needs and job duties for the fall semester. Each School and Center has developed plans to achieve this phased return to campus between July 6 and September 7.

The University has developed a comprehensive guide for the return to in-person work, which will continue to be updated as needed.

Check Validity of Your PennCard

In support of the University’s return to campus, PennCard has created a special web page with general information, including hours of operation, office contacts, and guidance on obtaining replacements for lost, damaged, expired, and non-working cards. Please note that pre-scheduled appointments are required and that, for individuals sponsored through University departments, the PennCard office will need to receive an authorization form in advance before it can issue a PennCard. The office’s normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm. Be sure to bring your current PennCard and a valid US or state government-issued photo ID or a valid passport. In addition, each School, Center, and department will be responsible for developing its own policy for using PennCards for access to in-person meetings in Penn buildings. 

Plan Your Commute (Parking/SEPTA)

The Commuting at Penn portal offers detailed information about discounted public transit and bike commuter options, how Penn Transit can serve commuters who live near the University, campus parking options, information for parking patrons with suspended monthly permits, and other valuable resources and updates. The Penn Transportation and Parking Office is open Monday-Friday from 9 am-4 pm.

What to Expect on Campus this Fall

Facility Preparation: The University is preparing a deep clean of all facilities in anticipation of the return to campus, including rigorous and regular disinfecting of offices, conference rooms, bathrooms, lobbies, classrooms, labs, libraries, fitness centers and locker rooms, dining halls and college houses, and common spaces. Each building at Penn has specific heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). We have conducted building by building HVAC systems condition and performance reviews by Facilities and Real Estate Services and Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS). All occupied on-campus buildings are in compliance with the prevailing International Building Code and ASHRAE standards for ventilation. EHRS has also developed building and workplace signage, tips, and suggestions.

Changing “Work From” Address for Tax Purposes: Please note that as of September 7, 2021, the “work from” address will once again be our Philadelphia campus (if that was your primary place of work prior to the pandemic). For questions or exceptions to this policy, please contact your Human Resources Representative.

Policies for Penn-Affiliated Travel: The University has lifted its travel suspension and implemented restricted travel guidelines for all domestic and international Penn-related travel. Faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees must enter their vaccine information in Workday@Penn, the University’s system of record for Human Resources and Payroll.

In order to avoid any health-related challenges or complications, especially when traveling abroad, Penn recommends that all travelers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before initiating travel. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to delay travel until they are fully vaccinated.

Individuals who are not fully vaccinated who must travel should follow CDC guidance and be tested 1-3 days before their trip, adhere to strict masking, distancing and handwashing protocols while traveling, and be tested 3-5 days upon their return. This is also consistent with our campus public health guidance for unvaccinated individuals.

Faculty, staff, and students may travel domestically or to countries rated CDC Level 1 and Level 2 without a petition. Penn-affiliated group travel will be permitted starting July 1, 2021. Penn Travel Guidelines and Procedures apply to Penn-affiliated travel only. Personal travel and commuting are not considered Penn-affiliated travel and will continue to be governed by city, state, and federal guidelines.

All travelers are expected to follow local and state guidelines regarding quarantine, testing, masking, etc. and should be prepared for changes and modifications. As government restrictions and guidelines pertaining to domestic and international travel continue to evolve, we encourage anyone planning to travel to consult the Penn Global Travel Guidelines for the most up-to-date information. For questions about policies related to visitors to Penn, please see Expectations of Campus Visitors below.

Gatherings & Events: Consistent with guidance from the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the University is lifting the restriction on campus gatherings and events. Organizers and sponsors of gatherings and events must follow University safety and masking protocols. See our Events and Gatherings Guidelines for the complete policy.

• Gathering size limits are lifted for outdoor gatherings.
• Indoor gatherings may occur at up to the full capacity of a given indoor space, including work, classroom, and research spaces.
• Off-campus activities may resume.
• Individually packaged food and drink are allowed at gatherings.

Expectations of Campus Visitors: Visitors may include prospective students, Penn event attendees, and family or friends visiting campus. While most visitor restrictions have been lifted, except for summer camps, visitors to Penn’s campus must adhere to the University’s safety protocols, including masking indoors. See our Visitors Guidelines for the complete policy.

A Vibrant University City and Campus: One of the great benefits of working for Penn is that, regardless of what type of facility we work in – a lab or a dining hall, an arena or an office – we all belong to one of America’s most beautiful campuses: 300 acres of greenery with inspiring buildings, sculpture, and architecture. We encourage you to visit your favorite Shop Penn cafes, restaurants, and shops, which have been awaiting your arrival back to campus, as well as our vibrant arts scene, where there is always something happening, or our recreation and fitness centers to take advantage of the array of workout options. The University City District also maintains a robust calendar of events in and around University City.

Additional Questions/Information: If you have additional questions about what to expect on returning to campus, we invite you to:

• Visit the Penn HR Health and Safety website, which has extensive resources.
• Contact the COVID Resource Call Center at (215) 573-7096 or by email at covidresource@upenn.edu.
• Access the FAQ that will be coming soon to help assist you in your personal strategy for returning to in-person campus work.

We are grateful that, because of expert medical care, strategic public health policy, and the determined behavior of our fellow citizens, nearly 800,000 Philadelphians are vaccinated. A great sense of hope is present that we are able to safely, albeit carefully, coexist with the virus. We are poised to return to our public life and activities and to help reignite the economy. After 15 months of being distant and remote, it is truly exciting to welcome faculty, researchers, students, and staff to campus for in-person instruction, hands-on research, and the personal provision of critical University services. From Penn Dining and Libraries, to tutoring and financial aid counseling, athletic coaching and performing arts, IT support and facilities management, what makes Penn a thriving campus community is when we can integrate these activities in pursuit of our shared campus mission. We greatly look forward to seeing all of you back on campus in the months ahead.

Dear GSE Colleagues,

The return to campus and normal operations is near. To help protect you and those around you from the spread of COVID-19, the University is requiring current and active faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees to be fully vaccinated or to participate in weekly Penn Cares screening tests.

Faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees must enter their vaccine information in Workday@Penn, our system of record for human resources and payroll. This includes those who are in Workday for pay purposes. The information you enter is secure and confidential. The Workday process is not intended for student workers. Students will follow their customary process for uploading their immunization records through the Student Health Service portal.

Workday will send you an inbox notification and reminders. An announcement also appears on your Workday home page. Please access a video demonstration or follow these simple instructions to enter your vaccine information.

Log in to Workday@Penn 

• Go to https://www.myworkday.com/upenn/login.htmld
• Provide your PennKey username and password. Workday requires secure, two-factor authentication, so please have your mobile device or other method readily available if required. 

Go to Your Profile 

• Navigate to your profile by clicking the blue cloud icon in the upper right corner of the Workday home screen and click on your name.
• Click on the “Personal” menu on the left-hand column.
• Choose the “Individual Vaccination” tag along the top of that screen.
• If you are an academic affiliate, enter “Affiliate Vaccinations” in the search bar. Your process is then the same. 

Add Vaccination Information 

• Click the button marked “Add Vaccination.” 
• Fill in these fields: Date, Type, Manufacturer, and Dose. Dose will appear after you choose the manufacturer. Lot Number, Site/Location, and Proof of Vaccination are optional fields. If you choose to upload an image of your vaccination card, we recommend you add it only once after you complete the doses (some manufacturers require two doses separated by two to three weeks). 
• Review the terms/attestation; click the link to review the privacy policy if desired. 
• Check the box indicating your agreement.
• Click Ok.

If you make a mistake, delete your entry, and start over by clicking “Delete” at the far right of the entry line. If your vaccine required a second dose, you must repeat these steps to upload the information for each dose separately.  

Workday Assistance (PennKey Required) 

• The Self Service: Enter Vaccination Informationtip sheet provides more step-by-step instructions. 
• Video: A two-minute video provides a demonstration in Workday. 

Please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center at 215-898-7372 or solutioncenter@upenn.edu if you have any questions about the Workday process or HR policies.

Why Report Your Vaccinated Status? 

Effective July 1, those who have submitted their information on being fully vaccinated will no longer be required to schedule and take part in weekly Penn Cares screening testing or complete their daily screening questions through PennOpen Pass.

Additionally, beginning July 1, a Green Pass will not be required to enter University buildings or board Penn Transit. Penn Medicine will continue to require a Green Pass for health care facility entrance. 

Those who do not enter their information on being fully vaccinated into Workday will be required to schedule and take part in weekly Penn Cares screening testing and complete their daily screening through PennOpen Pass. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals are considered to be fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or 
• 2 weeks after a single dose, such as the Johnson & Johnson’s Janseen vaccine.

On August 1, the University campus will be fully open; by this point, you must either provide your information on being fully vaccinated or begin/continue to participate in Penn Cares testing.  

New hires, those who are returning from leaves of absence, and those who are not yet fully vaccinated can continue to upload their vaccine information on a rolling basis. Once your information on being fully vaccinated has been recorded, you will be exempt from ongoing Penn Cares screening testing.

For additional information about PennOpen Pass and Penn Cares screening testing, visit coronavirus.upenn.edu. Visit the University’s Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about vaccine safety and efficacy. 

Thank you for doing your part to create a safe return to campus.

Best,

Emma G. Grigore, PHR

Chief People Officer, HR Director | GSE HR

Dear GSE Faculty, Staff, and Students,

As we plan for the fall, we wanted to let you know that our goal is to welcome students back to campus in September and to offer classes primarily in person. Given the current situation, we believe that this is a realistic expectation. However, we will continue to track the public health situation and keep you posted as we get closer to fall. As always, decisions may need to be changed if the government or University guidance suggests otherwise.

While we look forward to welcoming students back to campus this fall, we are also fully aware of the current challenges facing international students as they work to obtain student visas to enter the United States. As such, we will provide online courses for incoming international students so that they can begin their studies remotely until they are able to join us in Philadelphia.

All other students will be expected to be in Philadelphia in the fall for classes. Although our hope is that most classes will be in person, some classes are likely to be offered in a virtual or hybrid format, depending upon class size and policies around room capacity.

For students continuing at Penn GSE next year, more specific information regarding fall courses will be shared by your program manager in the next few days. If you have thoughts or questions, please reach out to your program manager or the Office of Student Services at gse-oss@gse.upenn.edu.

For staff and faculty, more guidance regarding your return to the workplace will be shared in the coming weeks by Penn and GSE leadership. As previously stated, right now we do not expect anyone, other than essential personnel, on-campus until July 1 at the earliest.

Sincerely,

Dean Pam Grossman

Dear Penn GSE Community,

I hope you are all well as we head into spring break and that you take some time to recharge and enjoy the spring-like weather.

I know that many of you are beginning to make plans for summer, and so I wanted to share news of how Penn GSE will be operating. All Penn GSE Summer 2021 classes (May 24 to August 6) will be offered virtually, with limited in-person activities. Additionally, in keeping with the recent note sent by the Provost to staff and faculty, our expectation is that the vast majority of faculty and staff will continue working from home until at least July. We will be following up with more details in the coming weeks.

As always, we made the decision to remain remote to ensure broad access to our classes for all of our students and to ensure the health and safety of our community.

At this time, our hope is that we will be able to return to on-campus instruction in Fall 2021, and given the current situation, we believe that this is a realistic expectation. However, we will continue to track the public health situation and keep you posted as we get closer to fall.

Sincerely,

Pam Grossman

Dear GSE community,

I hope you’ve all had a relaxing winter break. In anticipation of the start of the spring semester, I wanted to share information about the new Penn Cares spring testing program, launching this month. Testing, as well as following all public health guidance – masking, maintaining a safe physical distance, and making sure to wash your hands often – are just pieces of the solution to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. This testing program significantly increases Penn’s testing capacity and enhances the University’s ability to assess COVID-19 prevalence in our community. Please read on to find out what role you will play in this historic transformation of our campus during the pandemic. 

Who should NOT participate in Penn Cares Screening Testing:

Anyone who comes to campus less than once per week and is not enrolled in the Penn Cares screening protocol. Classes and activities at Penn GSE will continue remotely for the spring semester. The expectation continues to be that the vast majority of GSE faculty and staff will continue working remotely until at least May. 

Who MUST get tested once per week:

• Graduate studentswho come to campus each week. These individuals must undergo gateway testing as described below, and then they should enroll in their regular testing schedule using the online scheduling application.
• Essential staff, faculty (including emeritus faculty and other retirees), postdocs, and academic affiliates who are on campus for four or more hours each week throughout the semester. These individuals must enroll and schedule their first screening using the online scheduling application the first week they are on campus. Compliance will be monitored starting the week of January 18, 2021.

Who MUST get tested twice per week:

• Faculty, postdoc, staff, graduate studentswho live on campus.
• Undergraduate students who live on/off campus in the Philadelphia area

Please remember that anyone coming to Penn GSE to work or conduct research must receive permission to do so. Students who need access to a Penn GSE building should complete this form. Faculty, postdocs, and staff must reserve a timeslot and complete the steps outlined here after enrolled in the Penn Cares screening protocol. 

Gateway Testing (for Students only) and the Quiet Period

Gateway testing, or day-of-arrival testing, is required of students only. This includes all grad students who want access to campus for the spring semester. This testing establishes the baseline prevalence of COVID-19. Students who live off campus must perform a gateway test as soon as they arrive, and no later than January 18. On the day of their arrival for the spring semester, students who are on-campus residents must drop off their belongings and report directly to a testing site. They must then return to their College House and quarantine until they receive their test results. As soon as students take their gateway test, they should enroll in their regular testing schedule using the online scheduling application.

From January 6 to 31, the University will observe a Quiet Period during which there will be no planned activities or large gatherings. The goal is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread in these first weeks together.

Use of PennOpen Pass 

Most of our GSE community will not return to campus or Philadelphia for the spring semester. For those who will continue to work remotely and do not fit the criteria to be on campus, the University still strongly encourages enrollment in PennOpen Pass. A Green Pass is required to enter University or Penn Medicine buildings or board Penn Transit, even for those who only occasionally make campus visits. Reporting symptoms or exposure in PennOpen Pass also expedites access to the clinical guidance of Penn Medicine clinicians, and diagnostic testing if necessary. 

For More Information

More information on the process and the program is available on the Penn COVID-19 Response website.

Sincerely,

Emma G. Grigore, PHR

Chief People Officer HR Director | GSE HR

Dear GSE Community,

I hope that everyone is staying safe and well. You may not have realized it, but we’re already halfway through the fall semester. I appreciate everything that faculty, staff, and students have been doing to create and sustain personal connections and productive learning environments in the face of so much stress and uncertainty.

Now that the university has communicated plans for the spring semester for undergraduates, we want to provide an update on how Penn GSE will be operating this spring. To ensure broad access to our classes for all our students and to ensure the health and safety of our community, classes and activities will continue remotely for the spring semester, with some limited hybrid activities. Additionally,our expectation is that the vast majority of faculty and staff will continue working from home until at least May. These decisions were made with the public health guidance of local, state, and federal officials, careful analysis of our facilities, and by the current location of our students. Almost two-thirds of our students are currently learning from outside of the Philadelphia/New Jersey area, which would make returning to campus for less than six months of classes especially challenging, particularly given visa and travel restrictions.

Spring classes will start on January 20, in alignment with the calendar announced by Penn a few weeks ago. However, GSE will be retaining its spring break schedule for March 6-14. This means that classes will end on May 11 (rather than the original May 5 date). Given the changing dates, we have decided to extend the last doctoral final defense date for August 2021 graduates (without paying summer tuition) to May 21, 2021. For faculty/staff, we will be updating you on the date spring grades are due shortly. Please note, ALL GSE students and faculty will be bound by this schedule, NOT the spring schedule the university sent out.

If you have questions or concerns about tuition or fees, please feel free to contact Jason Cronk in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at finaid@gse.upenn.edu. Please take a look at our frequently asked questions page (FAQ) for the answers to further questions – we will continue updating information in the coming weeks.

Although this year has been extraordinarily challenging, I have been heartened by the enormous energy and learning happening in our classrooms. Thanks to all of you, we have successfully navigated the transition to a fully online semester, and I think it’s fair to say that we’re all learning an enormous amount – faculty and students are finding new ways to connect and new ways to learn, and I am confident that Penn GSE’s rigorous, high-quality academic program will continue in our spring semester.

We are living through extraordinary times, full of urgency, loss, uncertainty, and isolation. And yet in the midst of all of this, our community still shows up to support one another, in ways large and small. We lean on each other to make it through and to work towards a more hopeful and just future. We carry the weight of these times, not alone, but together. Thank you for all the kindnesses you’ve shown to one another through these turbulent times, and I look forward to continuing to learn together, even as we continue to be physically apart.

Sincerely,
Pam Grossman

Dear Penn GSE Students, 

Happy New School Year! Welcome to all of our new incoming students to Penn GSE! As the Assistant Dean for Student Services, I will try to send periodic updates about all of the most relevant and important information that students need to know. As our continuing students already know, all of the changes and ongoing updates about life in our “new normal” will be addressed in these updates I send to students. Now that the new academic year is literally right around the corner, I want to give you some key updates about accessing Penn’s campus, your Fall 2020 bills, PennCards, your Penn Zoom license, and more.

I can’t stress enough that you need to read through this note carefully. While not every item applies to every student, many items will be important to you.

Accessing Penn GSE buildings and Penn’s campus

Given the trajectory of the pandemic, the university is actively trying to limit the number of people who are on campus this fall. With efforts to control the spread of COVID, limits on building occupancy, and the move to a remote semester, we have already asked all faculty and staff who can work remotely to continue to do so throughout the fall. We now ask the same of our GSE students. There are staff/faculty whose work and research requires them to be on campus, and we are prioritizing these needs in considering other requests. Unless you have an identified need to be on campus, we ask that you continue to study from home throughout the fall.

As you know, virtually all GSE classes will be online, as will meetings, student activities, speaker series, and community meetings. To ensure that we don’t exceed our 20% capacity occupancy limits, the GSE buildings will be open only to students who have authorized access.

If you have a specific reason you need to be in the GSE buildings this fall, please fill out this application, and we will be in touch with you about your request. If you are granted access, you will need to follow all Penn and GSE protocols, including filling out PennOpen Pass, signing up using our calendaring system, and abiding by social distancing and public health guidelines. See here for more details on what is involved. You will also need a COVID test before entering campus. Penn Wellness is offering free COVID testing at Houston Hall through September 12. You can schedule a test through Wellness Services.

GSE is also erecting a tent in the social sciences quad between our buildings, where student can have a sheltered space to access campus Wi-Fi. As with those planning to visit anywhere else on campus, anyone working in the tent will need to use PennOpen Pass, pass a COVID test, and follow other elements of Penn’s Campus Compact.

Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this challenging time—we look forward to welcoming you back to our buildings when it is safe.

Penn Student IDs

Since we are operating remotely this fall, most students will not need a PennCard, which is a Penn student ID. According to the University, the only students who would need a PennCard for the Fall semester are those who will be on campus AND have needs that are specifically tied to the card such as access to campus buildings, use of Penn transit services, and card-based payments (bursar account, dining, print labs). 

Here is what those students who do need a PennCard should do:

• Apply Online -- Students requiring a card must apply online, which entails submitting their photo and confirming their student information. At this time, no photos will be taken on site. The process is easy to do and available through Campus Express (campusexpress.upenn.edu). 
• Make an Appointment -- Students who do need to be on campus, should make an appointmentto have their COVID-19 test taken. On the day of their appointment, they should arrive at least 20 minutes before their test times to pick up their cards in Bodek Lounge (also located in Houston Hall). The PennCard center will be operating from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday - Friday. Testing hours may be different, so students who need PennCards should coordinate their appointments to allow them to both get their PennCards and tests. 
• Know how to Navigate -- The PennCard center will be in Bodek Lounge. Students should enter through the center door off Penn Commons. Once they get their cards, they will need to exit by the same door and walk around to the other side of the building to enter the testing area. Students may not linger in or access other areas of Houston Hall.
• Have Identification Documents -- In order to receive their PennCard students must present an ID. Domestic students must present in person a valid Federal or U.S. state/territorial government-issued photo I.D. such as a driver’s license, photo ID card, or passport. International students must present their passport in person. No other documentation can be accepted other than those above. For more information on required document visit the PennCard website. 
• Although it is not required to have a PennCard to get a test, it is preferable and more efficient if they have their PennCards before they take their tests. 

Fall 2020 Bills

I hope you have seen Dean Grossman’s August 12 announcement that Penn GSE will be rolling back tuition by 3.75 percent, to last year’s tuition levels. Understandably, many of you have questions about what this means for your bills.

For Master’s and Ed.D. students, please read below. Ph.D. students will receive an email with news about their bills shortly.

• Do the charges on my account currently reflect the reduced tuition and general fee rates?

GSE is working with SFS to adjust student bills to the new, lowered amounts, and expect to have this accomplished within 2-3 weeks.

• Will the billing due date be extended?

SFS will waive all late fees for students until 9/30. Please note: SFS has not officially extended the bill and so you may continue to receive billing notifications referencing the 8/30 deadline even though no penalty will be assessed until after 9/30.

• When will I get my financial aid refund?

Student refunds cannot be issued in their entirety until all charges are adjusted to reflect the tuition reduction announced by the Dean. GSE is working with SFS to adjust student bills to the new, lowered amounts, and expect to have this accomplished within 2-3 weeks. This puts the estimated time for a full refund towards the end of September. In the meantime, you can contact SFS at 215-898-1988 or graduateaid@pobox.upenn.edu to request an advance up to $1,500 on the anticipated refund. SFS will issue an advance up to $1,500 providing you have financial aid funds that will generate a credit for at least that amount after factoring in the tuition reduction.

• I have already paid my bill in full. Will I get a credit refund after the tuition is reduced?

The tuition and fees reduction will be issued as a credit directly to your student billing account. Any amount by which the credit exceeds current charges would be refunded directly to you- e.g., a student with a $0 balance at the time of the credit would receive the entire credit as a refund. The credit will first go towards satisfying any current balance on your account, and you will be refunded the difference, if any. SFS will issue the refund within ten business days after the credit posts to your account. If you have not already, please enroll in Direct Deposit via Penn In Touch. International students without a U.S. bank account should contact SFS directly for guidance on how to receive a refund.

• Whom Can I Contact for More Information?

Please contact Student Financial Services directly for assistance with loans, refunds, or advances by calling 215-898-1988 or emailing graduateaid@pobox.upenn.edu. Due to extremely high call volume at SFS, you may need to try your call again if you do not get through at first. Please allow 2-3 business days for a response to email. If you have general questions about this credit or your financial you may GSE Admissions & Financial Aid at finaid@gse.upenn.edu. Please note: GSE Admissions & Financial Aid cannot issue refunds or advances.

Changes to the academic calendar

Please note a recent change made to the GSE Fall 2020 academic calendar. In addition to the modified schedule during Thanksgiving week, classes will also meet on a modified schedule the week of December 7. These changes were made to ensure that all classes meet the same number of times over the course of the semester.

The first modified meeting schedule is the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. The second modified meeting schedule is the week of December 7. 

The modified schedules are as follows: 

• On Monday, November 23rdclasses will run on their regular Monday schedule 
• On Tuesday, November 24thclasses will run on a Thursday schedule 
• On Wednesday, November 25th, classes will run on a Friday Schedule 
• The University is closed on Thursday, November 26and Friday, November 27 
• On Thursday, December 10 classes will run on a Monday schedule (this means that Monday classes will meet twice this week- on December 7 and December 10).
• The final day of instruction at GSE is Thursday, December 17.

More reminders will be sent as the modified weeks approach, but you may wish to mark your calendars now.

Please also be sure to check GSE’s Fall 2020 academic calendar for other important dates. 

Student Zoom accounts

Penn is now offer Zoom Pro licenses to all students. You can access your account, which includes features like integrated Canvas, using your Penn email here. 

Updating PennInTouch

PennInTouch has now added a “Learning From Address” field for students to enter where they are located this semester. Students will be required to complete this field through a verification process when logging into PennInTouch. Because this information will alert faculty to your time zone, we strongly recommend you update PennInTouch before the start of classes.

Support for remote learning

Our faculty have spent time this summer retooling their classes specifically to be delivered online. Your professors and program managers will work with you to make sure you have what you need to succeed this semester. To find the login information for your classes, faculty will be reaching out with that information or including in on your class Canvas site.

Penn GSE has put together this a list of tips for taking virtual classes. We will continue updating this page throughout the semester.

Kicking off the semester

Penn GSE will start the fall semester with two welcoming events Monday, at 8:15 am and 6 pm EDT. Watch your email for an invitation. New Student Orientation will follow both of these events. You only need to attend one session.

Next week, individual programs and groups at GSE and across the University will have their own orientation and welcoming events. As these wind down, our office will be announcing a series of activities, events, speakers, and other opportunities for you to connect with your fellow students and the GSE community. You can find out what’s happening every week in our office’s newsletter. Check your inbox for that every Monday starting August 31.

As the semester gets rolling, you will likely have questions, concerns, and ideas. We want to hear them and find ways to help. Please reach out to your program managers or our office (gse-oss@gse.upenn.edu).

I’m excited to see you all on Monday!

Ann

Dear GSE Community,

Many of you have read yesterday’s message from the University of Pennsylvania about a virtual fall start for undergraduates and the university at large. At GSE, nothing has changed in this regard - we continue to move forward with our previously announced plans for a virtualfall.

We know that the coming year will be a challenging one for our community. One of my biggest priorities as dean has been to make a Penn GSE education affordable and accessible. In keeping with that goal, I wanted to share some welcome news about tuition, fees, and scholarships.

Tuition – I am happy to announce that Penn GSE tuition for the upcoming academic year will be rolled back by 3.75%, to Fall 2019 rates. If you have already paid your bill for summer or fall classes, your account will be credited. We are working with the University to determine the process and timing for these credits, so please be patient as we work the logistics out over the next couple of weeks.

Fees – The University announced a 10% reduction of the Penn General Fee for the fall semester, which applies to most GSE students. For a handful of executive-style programs that have their own fee structure, your program will communicate shortly if there are further changes.

Scholarships – One of my most important initiatives as a dean has been to pursue additional funding for student scholarships. I am proud to share that over the last two years, we have increased scholarships for our master’s degree students by $1.9 million in total, or over 40%. Over the past two years we have added need-based aid to our existing merit scholarships and have increased funding for both. Many of our current master’s students have benefited, with scholarships playing a significant role in further reducing the costs for our students this year.

If you have questions or concerns about tuition or fees, please feel free to contact Jason Cronk in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at finaid@gse.upenn.edu.

Although we will be dispersed physically for the fall semester, faculty and staff are working hard to build a robust community that will tackle the challenges facing education together. Every fall, I am inspired by our incoming students—by their passion, intelligence, commitment, and tenacity. I look forward to welcoming you back to school in just a few weeks and to being inspired by all of you!

Sincerely,

Pam Grossman

Dear Penn GSE community,

This is an unprecedented moment in history. The pandemic has disrupted the work of schools, colleges and universities, compelling them to find new ways to provide instruction and to bridge the digital divide. Protests across the United States and around the globe are calling for deep, systemic change to address racial oppression. We know that times of change bring uncertainty, but one thing is clear—there has never been a better time to join in the work of education. Education has always been one of the most powerful levers for social change, and the faculty, staff, and students of Penn GSE are at the center of that work.

We want to provide an update on how we will be operating this fall. To ensure broad access to our classes to all of our students and to ensure the health and safety of our community, classes and activities will be offered virtually for the fall semester, with limited exceptions for some executive format and clinical programs.

We have put an enormous amount of time and effort in planning for this move, with extra support for faculty and staff to develop robust virtual courses. Penn GSE is fortunate to have faculty members with deep expertise in online teaching and learning, and we have incorporated this research into our curriculum to ensure that our incoming students experience the most innovative, high-quality, and personalized educational experience possible.

At this time, we are hoping that we will be able to return to on-campus instruction in Spring 2021 and will certainly keep you updated regularly on that front. However, we will ensure that any student who wishes to complete their degree remotely in the Spring 2021 will be able to do so.

Students – Your program will be in touch shortly with more detailed information about the fall semester. We know you have lots of questions, and we are working hard to get you as many answers as quickly as possible. Your program manager, followed by the Office of Student Services, are your best points of contact for those questions.

Faculty and Staff – It is our expectation that most employees will continue to work remotely most of the time through the fall semester. In order to maintain a safe environment, we will be implementing new guidelines for staff and faculty who need to physically report to work. These will include staggered schedules for building entry, regular symptoms monitoring, workspace modifications, and other safety measures. We are also reviewing adjusted work hours and schedules to accommodate programs and departments that may be serving an international population.

Staying safe – Please note that the university has provided further details today on how we intend to operate as a campus community in the fall semester. This includes the “Student Campus Compact” each of us are being asked to follow that to maintain the health and safety of our campus and limit the spread of COVID-19.

Fall Schedule – The fall semester will begin on September 1 and end on December 21. Students who abide by the campus “compact” will have limited access to Penn GSE buildings. All students, regardless of where they are living, will have access to resources such as Penn Libraries, Career Services, Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), Student Health Services (SHS), Student Disabilities Services (SDS), and Weingarten Learning Resources Center.

Building Community – Penn GSE is committed to creating more one-on-one connections with students outside of the classroom as they chart a course for graduation. We will also make sure that students get to know each other through both the classroom experience and virtual community-building. Some of those events will be within programs, but there will be a robust new series of virtual opportunities enabling for students and unique opportunities to connect with GSE’s accomplished alumni network.

Similarly, we are continue providing opportunities for staff and faculty to connect and maintain our sense of community even as we work from different locations.

Please take a look at our frequently asked questions page (FAQ) for the answers to further questions – we will continue to add information in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we wish you safety and good health, and look forward to seeing you in person, as soon as that is possible. We need you more than ever to help address the evolving educational and social issues facing our world right now.

Sincerely,

Pam Grossman

Dear students,

We are thinking of you and miss seeing you all in person here in Philadelphia. We hope you are safe and healthy, sheltered in place, and connected with your families, faculty members, and peers. Since the pandemic closed campus last month, you, our students, have shown amazing resiliency as we have transformed our educational experience to teach and work remotely. At the same time, we know that this semester has been filled with disruptions and challenges to your lives, your studies, and your research. During these challenging times, Penn GSE continues to work to find ways to support you and your academic career. To that end, I’m writing with details about options to help students cope with these changes, including extending deadlines, emergency funding, PhD funding, and changes to our Leave of Absence policy.

We developed these options after talking with many of you about your needs and assessing what we are able to make happen. We also continue to work with the broader university to amplify and make visible the particular needs of our GSE students and graduate and professional students more generally. Please continue to keep reaching out to us with your concerns. We will work with you to seek solutions that will help you and our community through this unprecedented time.

Emergency fund for graduate students

We know that many of you have incurred unexpected expenses related to COVID-19.  A number of you have already applied for the technology grants through the university. These requests have been sent to us, and GSE will be following up with you to provide funds to address those needs. Now, through a generous partnership with GAPSA, the University has established the GAPSA-Provost COVID-19 Emergency Fund to support full- and part-time graduate and professional students who have incurred unexpected expenses directly related to the COVID-19 disruptions of this semester, including moving expenses, travel, insurance, rental costs, and other urgent needs as appropriate. The application for these funds will be open April 24-May 15; more information will be available on the Graduate Student Center website.

If you are told your COVID-19 expense is not covered by this fund, please contact gse-oss@gse.upenn.edu.  I know that Assistant Dean Tiao has been working tirelessly to make sure that students get the support they need.

Extended deadlines for coursework and final defenses

We also know the pandemic has created situations which make it difficult for some of you to complete coursework and dissertation defenses on the schedule you had originally planned.  Some of you are trying to work in with small children at home, others of you may not have had immediate access to technology or the internet.  We know this has not been easy. In response, Penn GSE is extending a few timelines without additional costs to students. 

Grade submissions

The faculty deadline for entering course grades into Courses in Touch (CIT) for the Spring 2020 semester has been extended. If needed, please contact your instructor to ask about the latest date you can submit coursework and still meet the new deadline to graduate in Spring 2020.

Extensions to allow students to graduate this summer

If you are a master’s student who was planning to graduate in spring 2020 and are now unable to finish your classwork because of COVID-19 disruptions, you will be able to complete assignments in Summer I and graduate in August without any additional cost.

If you would like to take advantage of this extension, you can apply for a scholarship, letting us know how COVID19 and the spring disruptions have affected your ability to finish. Details on applying will be available soon. 

If you plan to graduate in August, you must register by the Summer I drop/add date of June 2. Students MUST be registered in the semester they plan to graduate.

These scenarios will affect every student differently. If you have questions, please contact your faculty advisor, program manager, or the Office of Student Services.

Doctoral student final defenses

PhD and EdD students now have until June 26 to defend their dissertation and not pay Summer term tuition. This essentially gives students the entire Summer I term to complete what you had planned to complete in Spring 2020.  If students turn in their fully revised dissertations in final form to GSE by July 10 (the original date for summer deposit), they will not be charged tuition for the summer. 

If you do not turn in your dissertation by July 10, you will have to pay summer tuition or pay tuition in the Fall 2020 semester. If you pay tuition in Summer 2020, fall semester would be free for students who successfully pass, to provide time to complete revisions and submit the final dissertation.

PhD funding

Many PhD students have had their research interrupted or halted by the pandemic. Recognizing this significant disruption, Penn GSE is allowing PhD students in their final guaranteed year of funded work to apply for an additional semester of funding. Details about the application process will be available soon, but we will ask you to explain briefly how your research has been impeded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding extensions will be available only to those students who are currently in the final year of the funding package promised upon admission. Those who have deferred a final year due to external grants provided in the middle of a graduate career will still receive the original full package guaranteed to them. Those who have accepted a completion-year fellowship —whether from Penn or from an external source—after their full funding package has been expended—will not be considered for these emergency funds. We understand that international students may have particular challenges, and we will address those on a case-by-case basis.

We fully appreciate the fact that many students—not only those in the final year of funding—have experienced significant challenges, delays, and frustrations, and are understandably worried about the future. While we are navigating this time of uncertainty, we are moving to help PhD students with the most immediate need. 

Doctoral Leave of Absence

We want to acknowledge that the circumstances created by this pandemic has affected everyone in very different ways.  In order to give doctoral students the most flexibility in today’s times, ALL doctoral students will be allowed to take a Leave of Absence at any stage due to a COVID-19 related disruption to their research. Students will need to outline the reason for the disruption on the LOA form.

EdD and PhD students will not stop the clock with this leave, but extensions past the time limit will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

We hope that these options will alleviate some of the stress many of you may be feeling as we near the end of this tumultuous semester.  These are uncertain times, and certainly, none of us could have imagined how this semester would play out.  Please know that we are committed listening to you and doing everything we can to support you.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and one another.

all my best,

Pam

Dear GSE Students,

I hope you are staying healthy and staying connected to one another. Know that we are thinking of you all and sending our best wishes. If you haven’t already seen the Instagram messages that members of the GSE community have been sharing, be sure to take a look here!

I write because many of you have been asking about a pass/fail option for classes this semester. I wanted to let you know that today the faculty overwhelmingly approved a policy offering our students the option of Pass/Fail grading for the spring and summer 2020 terms. GSE’s policy follows the University’s stated policy for undergraduates and doctoral students, which was recently announced. 

• Courses with “Passing” grades now will be accepted towards all degrees conferred by GSE (M.S.Ed., M.Phil.Ed, Ed.D., Ph.D).
• In accordance with the university policy, this policy makes any grade of D or better a passing grade. 
• A grade of “Pass” would have no impact on a student’s GPA. 
• A failing grade would be factored in as a 0.0. 
• Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing and to graduate.
• Faculty will not be informed when a student opts to take a course Pass/Fail. 
• For spring semester, students must petition for Pass/Fail by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time (US) on April 13, 2020. Here is a link to the required form.

We understand that not all students will, or even should, elect this option. Students should seek their faculty’s advice about this, as in some cases licensure or certification programs or external fellowships may require grades. Please reach out to your program manager or faculty advisors if you have any questions about your own situation.

At a time with so much uncertainty and anxiety, we hope that we can at least relieve any anxiety you may have about the impact of COVID-19 disruptions on your grades. Please take good care of yourselves and each other.

All my best,

Pam

Hello, Penn GSE Students!

I want to check in with you as we finish our first week of remote learning. We are all new to this, but if we work together, we can finish the semester strong. The key to making this collaboration successful is communication. Please let your instructors, program managers, and us know what is working and what isn’t. Penn GSE is committed to creating solutions.

Dealing with harassment

If you have been harassed or intimidated because of the coronavirus, please tell us in the Office of Student Services (OSS). Even if the incident did not happen on Penn’s campus or have a direct Penn connection, we can begin the process to support you. In addition to providing personal support, it’s possible that university services can work outside of Penn’s campus boundaries with other jurisdictions.

Connectivity issues

We understand that there will be glitches and challenges to using video conferencing for classes and meetings. We have asked instructors to be flexible with students who encounter technical difficulties and to provide alternative ways that students can access course content.

Here are two additional tips:

• Try turning off video and using only the audio feature. To do this on BlueJeans, look at the audio-only settings for joining a BlueJeans meeting on your mobile phone. If you’re using Zoom, watch this video: Configuring Audio & Video on Zoom.
• Both BlueJeans and Zoom invitations also come with a dial-in option. If you cannot connect online, find the phone number on the invitation, enter the provided access code, and join your class by phone. If your faculty member has only sent an online link as a meeting invitation, please ask them to share the dial-in phone number. You can also find a local BlueJeans call in number here.

Changes in registration dates

The dates have changed again for Summer 2020 and Advanced Fall 2020 registration. The new dates are now April 14–April 24.

Graduation registration closes today!

A final reminder, if you are you plan to graduate in May or August you must register to graduate by 5 pm EDT today.

Looking to sublet your Philadelphia apartment?

We know many students moved out of their off-campus apartments earlier than expected. If you have an apartment that is ready to sublet and you would like to lease it to a fellow Penn GSE student, please contact OSS. We will try to match you with students who currently need housing in Philadelphia.

Seeking support

Between moving, job disruptions, finding new ways to care for ourselves and family members, and figuring out how to live in our new reality, we know circumstances have changed for many students in the last month. If you find yourself struggling please reach out.

• If you are encountering difficulties with your courses, please contact your program manager. If you are dealing with issues such as housing, food insecurity, or loneliness please contact OSS.
• And remember that Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) remains open and offers a number of ways to access a counselor, including 24/7 phone access.
• Finally, please continue to check Penn GSE’s Coronavirus FAQ page for the most up-to-date school-specific information.

In the next week, our office will roll out an expanded series of virtual events to help reconnect you with community members outside your courses and programs. However, don't just wait for us! Everyone is dealing with some feelings of isolation and loneliness right now. Check-in with your friends or people you met in a class last semester. Call, text, chat. Set up virtual happy hours or workouts, or whatever it is you like to do. It’s not a perfect substitute for grabbing falafel at Goldie together, but it’s important to continue connecting with your community. We are all in this together!

Thank you for your patience, your resilience, and your commitment to learning and to each other. 

Stay Strong, Penn GSE!

Ann

Dear Penn GSE Community,

“The only recognizable feature of hope is action.” Grace Paley

Today the university resumes classes through virtual teaching and learning, in the midst of tremendous uncertainty in so many aspects of our lives. In the past weeks, many of our students have had to move, in some cases across the world. Philadelphia residents, in addition to many others across the country, have been told to remain at home to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Our faculty and staff have spent the past week adjusting to working and teaching remotely, learning new tools, routines, modalities, even as they adapt to a new normal. Nothing is the same.

We recognize that this uncertainty brings up many feelings. Many people are feeling a sense of loss, loss for the events that won’t happen, at least in person, sadness for the opportunities missed, and longing to see the people who until recently were so much a part of daily lives. Many are trying to balance work and school with complex and difficult personal situations. We are all reeling from the enormous changes that have taken place around us and worried about how this global pandemic may affect our communities and world. If you’re feeling any of these things, know you are not alone. 

At this time, it’s also important that we focus on the things that have not changed. If the last few weeks have taught me anything, it is that the Penn GSE community is a resilient and generous one. Throughout the disruption, people have reached out to ensure that our students, staff, and faculty are safe. People from across the school have jumped in to develop resources for working and teaching remotely and to provide hours of training. Faculty have been redesigning syllabi to adapt to these changed circumstances, and many of our executive format programs have already been running virtual weekends, often with very limited notice. Staff have been helping each other stay in touch and maintain our operations. Students have met virtually to support one another. We have learned an enormous amount in the past two weeks about the strength of our community.

Although distance divides us right now, we are united as a community in our commitment to helping you through this tumultuous time – whether you are a student, staff member, or faculty. With luck, the resumption of classes will provide a much- needed sense of normalcy. We can continue to show up for each other and create the sense of human connection that is all the more important at a time of physical distance.

Thank you all for your patience, perseverance, and resilience. While we know the coming days and weeks will continue to be challenging, I know we will all continue to act--to take care of ourselves, to stay connected to each other, and to support our families, communities, and health workers by staying home. 

Take good care,

Pam 

Note: If you are feeling overwhelmed, know that Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) remains available for students, no matter where you are. For faculty and staff, the Employee Assistance Program can also provide support. You can also check on our COVID-19 page for resources updates. 

Dear Penn GSE Students,

As you might suspect, we are sending you an update after two very long weeks of constant change. Please note to read this ENTIRE email, since this is all important information you will need to know. 

While we might be experiencing physical distance, we are still part of one Penn GSE community, and our faculty and staff are working to support your individual needs. I want to highlight some things to consider as our extended spring break winds down, and we prepare to resume classes remotely next week.

Please be on the lookout for regular communications from Penn GSE’s Office of Student Services (OSS) and other offices, which will resume on Monday. They will contain key information about graduation, course registration, and the programming we are creating to help keep our community well informed and connected.

As we continue to communicate with you, please keep reaching out to us. In the last two weeks, Penn GSE has been able to help students find solutions to a wide array of problems. However, we could only do that because students reached out to us. Bring your concerns — about classes, about schedules, about your welfare — to program managers and OSS. We will work together with you to find a way forward.

As you all know, our current situation continues to evolve. Please continue to check Penn GSE’s Coronavirus FAQ page for the most up-to-date school-specific information.

Penn GSE’s buildings access is now restricted
Consistent with Gov. Wolf’s order suspending all businesses that are not life-sustaining, Penn GSE will need to restrict access to its buildings to essential personnel. This means students will not be able to enter the buildings and must prepare themselves to learn remotely without coming onto campus. If this makes accessing the internet a problem, please reach out to your instructors and program manager to let them know in advance. If you do not have connectivity at home in Philadelphia and were counting on GSE building access, please reach out to me in Student Services as soon as possible.

Remote learning
Remote teaching and learning will be a new experience for many of our students and faculty. We are all trying to stay flexible, and the faculty are focused on delivering a high-quality learning experience in this new modality. In addition, we have been working hard to develop some tips to help you prepare for class. Please check Penn GSE’s guide to remote learning for information on technology, communicating with instructors, and getting help from Penn GSE’s IT team. We recommend being proactive about understanding the technology before the semester really gets started again. Be sure to reach out to IT before your classes start if you have any difficult connecting to the applications that will be used for coursework. If you continue to experience issues while off campus, please ensure that your instructors know about the issue, and email me to let me know about the concerns you have or problems you are encountering.

If you become ill

• If you feel sick and are currently in the Philadelphia area/Delaware Valley, you should contact SHS at 215-746-3535, as you usually would. 
• If you have the symptoms or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are no longer in the region, please notify Ashlee Halbritter (ashleeh@upenn.edu) in Student Health Services, as well as Student Services at gse-oss@gse.upenn.edu. This information will not be shared with anyone else at GSE, but will be used to help retrace contacts and inform people who may have been in contact with you.
• If you are ill and cannot attend class and/or participate in class activities, just inform your instructor that you are ill and cannot go to classes or complete coursework. No other information is required. If you report that you are ill with COVID-19, your program staff will either contact SHS or ask you to do so per the instructions above.

Mental health support
In the wake of COVID-19, we understand this can be an isolating, stressful, and challenging time for many students. OSS would like to support students as best we can remotely. We will be hosting BlueJeans check-ins throughout the semester to get a sense of how students are doing, what you need from us, and any questions you may still have about transitioning and moving forward. Please complete this short form to sign up for a group check-in and to submit any questions you may have. For questions that may impact many students, we will post answers on Penn GSE’s Coronavirus FAQ page. We are here to support students during this difficult time, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Between moving, job disruptions, and finding new ways to care for ourselves and family members, we know circumstances have changed for many students since the start of break. If you find yourself struggling when classes resume, please don’t be afraid to talk to your instructor, program manager, or OSS. We will all work together to find a solution.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) remains open and offers a number of ways to access a counselor, including 24/7 phone access.

Graduation update
I hope you have all seen President Gutmann’s note that Penn’s on-campus commencement ceremonies, including Penn GSE’s ceremony, have been cancelled. While Penn plans for how we can celebrate your accomplishments in a safe way, it’s important to note that graduation and commencement are not the same thing. Students who are eligible will still earn a degree and graduate in May or August.

To do so, all students who are eligible to graduate in the spring or summer 2020 semesters must register for graduation by March 27. All students must apply here: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/student-forms/apply-to-graduate ($75 fee for applications submitted after this deadline).

PhD students must also apply here:

https://fission.sas.upenn.edu/sso/gas/degree/app-start.php/ ($100 fee for applications submitted after stated deadline).

We understand that your graduation date may change given our current situation. Regardless, you should still apply for graduation with your original intended graduation date. Graduation dates can be postponed with no penalty. However, you cannot graduate and receive a diploma if you do not APPLY to graduate.

Registration for summer and fall classes
Please note the following changes to the Academic Calendar due to the COVID19 response.

Registration for Summer 2020 has been moved to March 30.

Advance Registration for Fall 2020 has been moved to March 30 through April 12. Fall 2020 Course selection will re-open on April 22.

For Doctoral students: Information on Dissertation defenses
For the Spring 2020 semester only, the University has waived the requirement that most committee members must be physically present for Ph.D. proposals or defenses and will allow any number of committee members and/or the student to participate in thesis defenses remotely if necessary or desired. For Ed.D.s, GSE faculty have passed a resolution that says while in-person EdD defenses are preferable, where situations call for it (such as this semester), dissertation chairs may make the decision to allow people to participate virtually with the approval of the student’s division chair. For questions, please contact your dissertation chair, OSS, or the Student Records Office (gse-sro@gse.upenn.edu).

These last two weeks have been stressful for every member of our community. However, our students keep demonstrating their perseverance as we move forward in these difficult times. Our dean recently said that crises show what an organization is really like. I hope you will agree with me that Penn GSE has shown that it’s a stronger organization when everyone works together to bring about better outcomes for everyone. Bring your determination and sense of caring with you as we return to our virtual classrooms on Monday.

Most importantly, keep taking care of yourselves and each other.

Stay Strong, Penn GSE!
Ann

Dear Faculty,

Thank you for your patience and perseverance in these extraordinary times. I am thinking of all of you as you prepare to move to teaching your classes remotely under challenging circumstances. I hope the materials and resources we’ve provided have been useful. If there are other things we can be doing to support you, please let us know.

By now you should have seen Governor Wolf’s edict to suspend all businesses that are not life-sustaining and Penn’s follow-up statement about the need to respond. Here are some Penn-GSE specific points to know:

• BUILDING ACCESS – We believe that shortly only essential personnel will be allowed into our buildings – and only for an emergent situation. Those personnel, which include only a few people, will be notified. Should a “shelter-in-place” order for Pennsylvania be issued, which may happen and has already happened in California, no one will be allowed in the Penn GSE buildings. If you need anything out of your workspaces, we recommend that you retrieve it today or tomorrow.
• IT SUPPORT – IT will continue to be available to support our community’s needs, but remotely. To get assistance, please go to the IT resource page and submit a ticket at https://onepenn.gse.upenn.edu/information-technology
• WORKING REMOTELY -- All faculty should all be prepared to teach from home. If you need help, please reach out to IT ASAP. We know a few of you have been hoping to teach from an empty classroom; under this new ruling, it’s not clear that this will be possible. Remember, no support staff will be present on site to assist. All support will now be remote. 
• VIRTUAL DEFENSES/PROPOSALS for Ph.D. & Ed.D STUDENTS –
  • For Ph.D.s, -- this Spring 2020 semester only, the University has waived the requirement that most committee members must be physically present for Ph.D. proposals or defenses and will allow any number of committee members and/or the student to participate in thesis defenses remotely if necessary or desired.
  • For Ed.D.s – GSE faculty have just passed a resolution that says while in-person EdD defenses are preferable, where situations call for it (such as this semester), dissertation chairs may make the decision to allow people to participate virtually with the approval of the student’s division chair. For questions, please contact OSS or the Student Records Office (gse-sro@gse.upenn.edu).
• PASS/FAIL – Earlier today, the provost and vice provost for education sent out emails indicating sweeping policy changes allowing undergraduates and PhD students to take courses pass/fail. While the University is able to make decisions for these groups, they cannot make decisions about our professional degrees, including the MSEd and EdD. We will be discussing these matters with you in the days ahead to try to come to a solution that works best for all our students. Our current policies do not allow students to take most classes pass/fail.
• STUDENT ILLNESS -- If you learn that a student is ill for any reason and is physically present in the Philadelphia region, or has been within the last 14 days, please have them contact Student Health Services as you usually would. Additionally, if you are made aware of a student case of COVID-19 (suspected or otherwise), please send that information to Ashlee Halbritter in SHS (ashleeh@upenn.edu), cc:ing OSS at gse-oss@gse.upenn.edu, or have that student send the information. SHS will contact the student and ensure that they are getting the support they need and also follow up with anyone they may have been in contact with. [Note: under absolutely no circumstances should programs send/share/track this info with anyone else. Only Imani and Ann will be checking the OSS email, and will not be keeping specific information on file anywhere.]

Please reach out to me or appropriate staff if you have any questions or concerns. As always, I appreciate your flexibility and patience as we navigate this uncharted terrain—together.

Take good care of yourselves, your families, and your communities,
Pam

Hello everybody!

I wanted to thank everyone for making the extraordinary shift to a virtual Penn GSE go virtually seamlessly. These past few weeks have been marked with rapid decisions and constantly changing information – as well as the need for us to transition to unexpected new ways of working in incredibly short periods of time! I am humbled and amazed by how the staff has all come together to support one another and the School.

For the duration of remote working, our plan is to send out a regular communication (no more than once a week) with information, reminders, and community-building. Please send any ideas, recommendations on engagement or other feedback to: https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3pJbJgjMv3UpKsJ.

This note will allow us to stay abreast of resources, tips, and how to make the best of this situation. We’re thinking about including things like “our favorite thing on the Internet,” how to stay physically and mentally fit, establishing structure, book recommendations, and a weekly virtual lunch. We’d love for you to participate or share ideas!  Some Penn-GSE specific points to know now:

• Building Access – As a follow-up to Penn’s message about a more drastic closing of the university (in keeping with Governor Wolf’s edict to suspend all business that is not life-sustaining), only essential personnel will be allowed into our buildings (those personnel will be notified), and only for an emergent situation. If you need anything out of your workspaces, we recommend that you retrieve it today or tomorrow.
• Staying up-to-date – First, please check our GSE-specific coronavirus page for ongoing updates. The Communications team and Web team are working tirelessly to keep it up-to-date (especially the FAQs). If you have a question, or would like to see something posted, please email Jennifer Moore at jenmoo@upenn.edu
• Parking Permits - Employees have the option to temporarily cancel their permits and use the $6 daily rate. You can have the permit reactivated once you return to work; and you will not be charged again until you return. You will only be charged up to the date you request a temporary suspension of your permit. If you are interested in suspending your parking permit, send your name, PennID, and license plate number, along with a request to temporarily suspend your parking permit, to parking@upenn.edu. Penn Transportation and Parking’s website is found at: https://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/transportation/ 
• Guide to working remotely – Penn HR has posted a helpful guide to working remotely – take a look! The guide includes online trainings, tech advice and tips on establishing new norms and check-ins
• Refunding SEPTA passes – Partially used Monthly March 2020 Passes and Weekly Passes for the Weeks of March 9 & 16. SEPTA is offering credits for unused and partially used passes valid during these periods. More info can be found here.
• Of note regarding Ph.D. and Ed.D Students -- For the Spring 2020 semester only, the University has waived the requirement that most committee members must be physically present for Ph.D. proposals or defenses, and will allow any number of committee members and/or the student to participate in thesis defenses remotely if necessary or desired. For Ed.D.’s, GSE, has passed a resolution that says while in-person EdD defenses are preferable, where situations call for it, chairs may make the decision to allow people to participate virtually with the approval of the relevant division chair. More information is available on our FAQ.
• Student Illness -- If you learn that a student is ill for any reason and is physically present in the Philadelphia region (or within the last 14 days), please have them contact Student Health Services as you usually would. Additionally, if you are made aware of a student case of COVID-19 (suspected or otherwise), please send that information to Ashlee Halbritter in SHS (ashleeh@upenn.edu), cc:ing OSS at gse-oss@gse.upenn.edu, or have that student send the information. SHS will contact the student and ensure that they are getting the support they need and also follow up with anyone they may have been in contact with. [Note: under no circumstances should programs send/share/track this info with anyone else. Only Imani and Ann will be checking the OSS email, and will not be keeping specific information on file anywhere.]

How we can stay connected –

• Save the date for a virtual lunch with the Dean and Chief People Officer to ask any questions or share feedback on the current situation - Friday 3/27 from 12-1pm at https://bluejeans.com/9354149020. 
• Get the kinks out and join your fellow staffers for virtual Pilates with Erin Chambers next Tuesday and Thursday from 12-1pm at https://bluejeans.com/2057882566

We understand that there are many challenges to working at home. I am personally so grateful that the University is committed so strongly to our community. We will all be doing the best that we can, and I hope that this letter can be a way to stay connected.

Be well,

Emma Grigore
Chief People Officer

Dear Penn GSE Students,

As we start this extended week of spring break, I want to give you some updates about housing and accessing services. Please understand that this is an evolving situation. For the most up-to-date school-specific information, check Penn GSE’s Coronavirus FAQ page.

Housing update

There has been some confusion regarding on-campus housing, and we know some of you have been hearing conflicting information. The university is encouraging all students to move home for the semester. However, some of you are unable to return home. Our office is continuing to work with students to find a resolution. I want to make one point very clear: Penn GSE remains committed to making sure everyone who has been counting on campus housing has safe and secure housing for the rest of the semester. If you have any concerns please contact me immediately.

Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center closed

All Penn Libraries, including Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, are closed until further notice. Digital resources and virtual services remain available.  

https://www.library.upenn.edu/blogs/libraries-news/covid-19-libraries-policies-and-information

Mental health support

In the wake of COVID-19, we understand this can be an incredibly isolating, stressful, and challenging time for students. Penn GSE’s Office of Student Services (OSS) would like to support students as best we can remotely. We will be hosting BlueJeans check-ins later this week to get a sense of how students are doing, what you need from us, and any questions you may still have about transitioning and moving forward. Please complete the short form here to sign up for a group check-in and to submit any questions you may have. We are here to support students during this difficult time, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) remains open and offers a number of ways to access a counselor, including 24/7 phone access. Here is some helpful advice from Yale Medicine on managing anxiety amidst the coronavirus crisis.

Remote learning

We know many students are wondering what their classes will look like. Instructors are using this extended break to re-organize their lesson plans to meet instructional goals. You can expect to hear more details from your instructor in the next few days. 

Accessing the Office of Career and Professional Development

Until at least March 31, all appointments will be scheduled via Handshake, and all appointments will be conducted via BlueJeans. If you have questions, email Director Amy Benedict, but please understand that response times might be longer than usual. Drop-in hours will not be held during this time.

Graduate assistantships

All graduate assistants (GAs) who work within Penn GSE have the option to continue their work remotely through the semester. Contact your supervisor to discuss modifying your duties. 

GAs who work at Penn, but not at Penn GSE, or who work at a different organization should ask their supervisor about remote working options. If your organization cannot modify your work or will not continue to pay you, contact me. 

We will continue to be in touch as we prepare for classes to resume remotely next week. Please keep reaching out to program managers and OSS with your questions. We can only help solve the problems that we know about. We will work to find a solution. 

You have likely seen an email from Penn’s Chief Wellness Officer, Benoit Dubé, letting our community know that three undergraduate students have tested positive for COVID-19. The students, including one who returned to campus, are in isolation and are now receiving appropriate medical care. Penn has contacted people with whom these students were in contact. As Dubé said in his note, while we are taking drastic measures to reduce the spread of infection, we should continue to treat one another with compassion and respect. 

Whether you are with us in Philadelphia or in your home communities, please continue to take care of your physical and mental health. And thanks again for your patience, flexibility, and resilience. 

Stay strong, Penn GSE!

Ann

Dear Staff and Faculty,

 As a follow-up to the Provost’s note below that strongly encourages faculty and staff to work remotely, we wanted to share Penn GSE-specific information and guidance to staff and faculty. 

Remote work:

First of all, our goal is to rapidly decrease the number of people on campus to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. For this reason, we are urging people to work remotely if at all possible.

 Flexibility is key, as we work to continue university operations within a complex and constantly evolving situation. This will be a particular challenge as we simultaneously work to transition to remote teaching. Some staff will still be on campus to assist in this process. Teams are working on how to develop rotations so that fewer people are on campus at the same time.

 Our primary concern is your well-being and the well-being of our communities. Self-quarantining is a priority if you think you have been exposed. We also need to be sensitive to individual health risks, childcare challenges, connectivity challenges, etc. Please note, it is essential we respect any government guidance about quarantining or staying at home.

 Please see the highlighted questions below in the Provost’s email when considering remote work arrangement options. Communicate with your manager, who will determine whether – and which employees - can work remotely. Contact Emma Grigore for assistance if necessary.

Additional thoughts:

Meetings & Communications – at this point, every meeting should be moved to a virtual environment. Connect with the people that you work with and create a plan for the best modes of communicating – whether it’s email, Teams, Slack, or BlueJeans, or other means. Please make sure that you have telephone lists to reach out to each other by phone. If you have specific needs, please reach out to IT with any questions. If you’re responsible for a division or team or department, be sure to get this information from your team ASAP.

Forwarding your phones – please make sure you have the ability to pick up calls, either by forwarding to your home/cell phone or making sure that you can forward messages to your email account to listen to them. Instructions are below:

Call Forwarding and Phone Settings

You can configure your phone’s forwarding through the PennNet Phone Settings website.

1. Log into https://pps.voice.isc.upenn.edu/ with your PennKey.
2. Click Features and Voice Mail.

Click on the yellow information buttons () on the page for more information on specific features.

Scheduled Call Forwarding

Set Call Forward All to schedule to have your phone automatically forward to another line on specific days or times.

 IT Support - IT staff will continue to be available to support faculty and staff as they transition to virtual working and teaching.

• Ticketing – the best way to get your needs met is to open a help request at https://tickets.gse.upenn.edu. The team will be monitoring tickets during this weekend and beyond, and will be available to respond.
• Remote 1-on-1 assistance – we encourage you to schedule an appointment for remote assistance: https://calendly.com/gse-it/
• In-person assistance – we understand that some of you may need in-person assistance – we’ll host drop-in hours Monday-Thursday from 2-4 pm in 3700’s Rm 124.

Temps – those employees whose job functions do not allow them to work remotely, including temporary employees, should work with their supervisors to develop additional duties they can complete off-site. At this time, no University paid employee will be put in an unpaid status. Managers, if you have temps, please let them know ASAP about the University’s commitment to them at this time. Contact Emma Grigore if you need assistance determining remote work for any employees.

Mailroom and packages – mail delivery, for now, will continue. For packages, a guard will be available to accept package delivery. Moving forward, please do not have packages delivered to GSE because of limited storage capacity. If something is delivered, please pick it up – and consider re-routing beforehand if possible.

Visitors – per the Provost’s note, visitors are restricted from campus; that includes in-person visits to Admissions.

Planning for Staff Illness/Insurance coverage – plan for if you or a team member becomes ill; create plans that include sharing information so that work can continue. Please let Emma Grigore know if you have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19; this will be kept confidential, but will allow us to reach out to people who might have been exposed. Please note the important benefits update that can be found here. Highlights on Penn’s insurance coverage expansion include:

• Coverage of COVID-19 testing
• Coverage of treatment
• Available telemedicine on demand (215-615-2222)
• Free home delivery from CVS pharmacy for prescription medication

Adjusting Hours – if you need to adjust your working hours outside the traditional workday, please work with your supervisor and Emma Grigore.

Office Building Availability – extra cleaning and disinfecting will continue in all Penn GSE buildings. We anticipate that initially, a handful of employees over the next week may choose to work in their buildings during the transition to virtual teaching. Below is building availability, which of course, is subject to change.              

3700 Walnut

Security – Front Desk
Allied Universal officers will continue to be posted at the main entrance during hours of operation

Hours of Operation – main entrance
3700 Walnut Street, Floor 1, Rooms 200 and 203

M-Th 8:30am - 10:00pm
F 8:30am - 9:00pm
Sat 10:00am - 4:00pm

3700 Walnut Street, Floors 2, 3 & 4

24/7 swipe access for GSE faculty, staff and previously authorized students

Solomon Main entrance – moving to 24/7 swipe access with a valid Penn ID     

Stiteler – building hours change to 24/7 swipe access with valid Penn ID; 2^nd floor (no change) – swipe access limited to GSE faculty, staff and previously authorized students

3440 Market – currently, no change to building hours. However, 3^rd & 5^th floor will be 24/7 swipe for GSE faculty, staff and previously authorized students 

Thank you again for all your patience and perseverance as we pull together as a community – while maintaining our physical distance.  

All my best,

Pam

Read the provost's Message to Faculty and Staff Regarding University Operations

Dear colleagues,

As you’ve seen from the emails from the president and provost, spring break for students has been extended by a week to allow faculty time to prepare for remote instruction. We have been working hard to develop as many resources as possible to help you during this time. While this may seem daunting, the good news is that with the additional week of break, most of our class sessions are behind us for the semester. Please note that the semester has not been extended by a week. Our task now is to find ways that allow us to achieve the learning goals we’ve outlined in our syllabi via teaching remotely and to find ways to accommodate a shortened semester. 

Most of what we do in class—group discussions, small group discussions—can be replicated using BlueJeans. We have also secured licenses for Zoom for those of you who would prefer using that application. You can use either BlueJeans or Zoom to conduct a synchronous class session. However, remote streaming can prove a challenge at times. Some students may find it hard to connect, so it will be important to prepare asynchronous activities as well on Canvas—for example, providing guided questions for readings and setting up threaded conversations. This will also be important because it is inevitable that some of us will get sick and therefore be unable to attend class.

To help people develop a level of comfort in adapting to remote teaching, we will be providing a range of training activities. Our goal is to keep things as simple as possible. Of course, things won’t work seamlessly, and so we’ll all need to be flexible.

A few reminders: 

• If you had assignments due next week, please understand that next week is now an extended Spring Break, so we assume due dates will be adjusted.
• Please communicate with your students how you will be conducting class with them the week of March 23rd. The university is expecting that you will teach your class at the regularly scheduled time but will also provide asynchronous options. This may mean taping class sessions on BlueJeans or Zoom and posting them to Canvas for students to review.

Please visit this new page from Penn Human Resources regarding health insurance coverage related to COVID-19.

Dear Staff,

We are entering uncharted territory as a school and university over the next few weeks. We are all learning, and we greatly appreciate you sharing your questions and thoughts as we work to solve a wide array of new problems. We depend on you to let us know what concerns or issues we might be overlooking. Please keep it up – we are counting on you to help move the school forward!

Staying Healthy - The health and wellbeing of our entire community remains our top priority. We are asking for everyone’s support to keep our community healthy. First, we hope that everyone is practicing the basic healthy habits of frequent handwashing, avoiding touching your face, avoiding handshakes and hugs that experts have been recommending to avoid health risks. We also encourage you to provide increased “social distancing” by limiting the number of people at meetings, holding meetings in large rooms to provide more space between people, and providing for remote participation in meetings. If you feel ill, please do not report to work. As we stated before, if you have health concerns, underlying issues, or your child’s school has closed, please contact Emma to consider remote work options on a case by case basis.

Maintaining Operations -- We want to be able to maintain operations even as we adjust to a sudden shift to remote teaching and working. We are putting together workshops, virtual learning, curating resources, etc. to assist faculty who are focused on maintaining the quality of learning in a new environment. We will be working to support you as well in these efforts as we prepare for a possibility of needing to work remotely. We are sure that at this time most of you are having conversations in your respective areas about how to pivot quickly to implement all of these changes. This is an opportunity for us to use this time to plan for any future changes in university operations. The staff is critical to this effort. Please begin to make preparations in case we need to move to remote work.

Getting Information – Many of you attended the Tuesday staff meeting, where we were able to share information about planning, policies and resources around COVID-19, including adjusted leave policies related to COVID-19. In case you weren’t able to make the staff meeting, the presentation was recorded and is available here. You can also download the slides and obtain running GSE updates and resources around COVID-19 planning here, as well as links to the University’s information and resources around the virus. We will continue to communicate via emails, but please check GSE and Penn’s sites often to get the most up-to-date information. We will begin posting all correspondence and updates to our community, whether it is students, staff, or faculty, on our OnePennGSE coronavirus page, which also links you to Penn’s various coronavirus information pages here -- https://onepenn.gse.upenn.edu/deans-office/coronavirus

Be Compassionate – Be mindful that many people are spread very thin (especially IT & Student Services). Please be compassionate and understanding during this rapidly changing scenario. We also recognize that this is a very stressful time for you and your families, as you worry about vulnerable members of your family and how best to protect them. As a reminder, the Penn Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available 24/7 and provides resources such as counseling and help with navigating the healthcare landscape for you and your family (including your parents).

Everything may not run smoothly at first. Information and solutions may be imperfect, and we need to be generous with each other as we navigate the COVID-19 challenge.

Please reach out to Emma if you have questions, feedback, or are not sure how to navigate some aspect of this evolving situation. In the meantime, take good care of yourself and others. Crises are stressful, and the best way to mitigate that stress is to support one another. 

Emma G. Grigore
Chief People Officer HR Director | GSE HR

Pam Grossman
Dean and George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education

Dear Managers,

Thank you for your leadership as we pivot to remote teaching and learning. At this point, you have seen the other emails about resource pages, update pages, etc. We are making sure that we are preparing for any contingency. Here are a few things that I want to communicate to you as managers and leaders in your respective areas:

Stay informed – please read the guide for managers and become familiar with the responses to FAQs (but again, please involve me if someone believes that they have been exposed or is requesting that they work remotely). Check in with the OnePennGSE coronavirus page on a regular basis – we’ll be communicating all our updates there to students, staff and faculty, as well as resources (coming soon!). There may be a lot of questions you can’t answer – I’m happy to partner with you on this.

Meet with your team – please check in on your team members’ physical and emotional well-being; make sure that they can come to you to with concerns. If the University decides to move to remote work quickly, please prioritize thinking through how that would work and what the challenges might be. Please take some time to meet with your teams to discuss agile contingency plans, thinking through what happens if colleagues are working remotely or are ill and unable to work. What kind of “mission continuity” plans can you develop? What physical files need to be with employees, do phone numbers need to be exchanged? Have staff connect with IT to investigate how they might be able to work remotely and what preparations they may need to make. If you have an employee whose job cannot be done remotely, please connect me to discuss alternatives.

No Penn related travel & new guidelines for job interviews – in keeping with the Provost’s guidance regarding visitors from other cities and countries, as an alternative to on-campus interviews, please consider offering an online option to candidates. BlueJeans, Zoom, or Skype are all resources available. For candidates who do not have access to a computer with a camera, consider using BlueJeans or a telephone/conference line to conduct the interview by phone. Please also offer flexibility to candidates if they need to reschedule. Newly-released guidance for on-campus interviews during this time can be found here.

Please let me know if we are missing anything in our correspondence. It has been wonderful to see everyone pitching in and helping each other out. Remember to keep communication open, that everyone is trying their best, and it is important that we move forward in as a constructive a manner as possible.

Thank you,

Emma G. Grigore, PHR
Chief People Officer HR Director | GSE HR

Dear Members of the Penn GSE Community, 

By now, you should have received the email from the President and Provost letting us know that Penn will be extending spring break for students for another week and moving all university classes online by the week of March 23 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

We are hard at work as a university and as a school preparing for this unprecedented move.  I know this is a significant change for many of us, and it will require us all to be flexible and patient as we navigate this new reality.  Please know that we will do everything we can to support students, faculty, and staff as we transition to virtual teaching and learning.  The good news is that we have an additional week to prepare for the remainder of the semester.

Later this week, Kim Eke, our Director of IT, will be sending around detailed information to faculty and staff about logistics and support.  We are also developing a schedule of trainings to help faculty move their courses online. We have a number of tools at our disposal – such as Canvas, BlueJeans, Panopto – that will make this transition easier.  

GSE Students – Ann Tiao and her team in the Office of Student Services stand ready to support you as you think about the ramifications of this announcement for the rest of the semester. We understand that many of you are worried about transitioning to an unexpected format for learning, and that some of you are also concerned about loved ones. We are committed to working with you to find solutions that support you during this transition.  A few things to keep in mind:

• University housing will remain open for those who are unable to return home.
• University student services, including CAPS, SHS, and Weingarten Learning Center, will also remain open and able to provide support services.
• If you do not have internet access from home, there are many places across campus where you can access the internet, or we will work with you to find access in your community.
• If you are in a clinical setting as part of your required fieldwork, you can continue to fulfill these requirements in person.  If you are part of a vulnerable population, due to underlying health conditions, and concerned about remaining in school or community settings, please contact your program director or program manager, and we will work to find alternatives.

You will be receiving a follow-up message from the Office of Student Services later today that provides additional information. 

GSE Faculty/Instructional Staff:  We know that some of you may need support in transitioning your class to an online experience.  We are busy organizing training sessions for some of the most common tools you are likely to use, including Canvas, BlueJeans, Dropbox, and Panopto, all of which are supported by GSE.  Much of next week’s faculty meeting will be devoted to this topic and will provide opportunities to get assistance.  A few things to keep in mind:

• If you do not have a Canvas site set up for your class, please work on getting one set up immediately, as this will be one of your primary tools for communicating with students, posting assignments, and leading online discussions. 
• Be sure to download BlueJeans.  We urge you to begin experimenting with video conferencing with your colleagues. 
• If you have resources or ideas about teaching remotely, please share them with us.  We will be creating a Dropbox with resources for teaching online. 
• If you’re comfortable with teaching remotely and willing to help colleagues, please let Kat Stein know.  She will be compiling a list of people to reach out to for help.

Staff:  Yesterday’s staff meeting was devoted to the topic of preparing for working and teaching remotely. You can access the recording of the meeting and the slides here. Please be sure to review these materials if you weren’t at the meeting. At this point, the University expects staff to attend work as scheduled. Remote work options will be evaluated on a case by case basis for employees who are either in vulnerable populations or have family members who are in those populations.  Emma Grigore will be following up tomorrow with additional information.

We will continue to communicate updates via email, but we recommend you also check out the newly-launched University coronavirus pages, which have a growing list of answers to many of your questions at https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/. The University will continue to update these pages in the coming weeks. 

I want to thank all of you for pulling together as a community as we work to implement the University’s decision to move to remote learning for the remainder of the semester.  I am hoping that we can all use the next 10 days to prepare for this transition to online teaching.  Although the transition may be bumpy at times, I hope that as a community of educators, we can adopt a learning stance during this transition and assume that people are doing their best to provide high quality learning experiences under challenging circumstances.

I know that GSE is comprised of incredible people, and that one of the hallmarks of our school is the thoughtfulness and kindness we bring to the world. Let’s work together to keep our families and our Penn family safe in the coming weeks and to create the best possible virtual learning experiences for everyone.

All my best,
Pam

Access the recorded meeting at https://bluejeans.com/s/1URZj (you will be prompted to enter your Penn email address and single sign-on login information). Download the Slides. 

Stay up-to-date and find resources about the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at https://coronavirus.upenn.edu.