The health and safety of our campus community and the regional community that supports us is our priority as prepare to welcome students, faculty and staff back to campus this fall. Penn State’s Back-to-State plan was informed by medical, scientific and public-health data and recommendations and is a comprehensive plan that includes universal masking, social distancing and flexible learning options.
The fall semester will begin on Monday, August 24 and end on December 18 as originally scheduled. On-campus instruction and residency will end on Friday, Nov. 20 and the remainder of the semester will be delivered remotely following the Thanksgiving break. To help reduce travel and the risk of exposure to COVID-19, classes will be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 7.
Move-in day for new students will be Friday, August 21; returning students will move-in on Sunday, August 23. Information about move-in day will be shared with students and families soon.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have identified social distancing, wearing face masks, and handwashing as critical to mitigating the spread of COVID-19. To ensure that we can continue face-to-face, on-campus instruction through November 20, all campus community members must follow these guidelines. It is the University’s expectation, in accordance with CDC guidelines and Gov. Wolf’s universal masking order, that all students, faculty, and staff will practice social distancing and wear masks when on campus, including in classrooms and labs, public spaces, restrooms, the Mill, the library and when traveling across campus.
Student schedules are currently available in LionPATH; however, schedules may change between now and August 24 due to ongoing course registration. Meeting the expectations for higher education as outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires us to be adaptable in our course delivery. We will be using a combination of face-to-face, hybrid (face-to-face with an online or remote component) and remote delivery to ensure the safety of students and faculty. You can learn more about these modes of delivery at keeplearning.psu.edu.
We encourage students – returning and new – to reach out to their advisor with any questions they have about the fall semester. For students who are immunocompromised, unable to return to campus, or unable to wear a mask due to a pre-existing medical condition, we are committed to working with you to keep you on track.
For returning students, it won’t look or feel like quite like the Mont Alto you know; for incoming college students, your first year isn’t going to be as you imagined it. The precautions and safety measures we are taking are for your health and safety. What won’t change is the world-class education that Penn State is known for and that we deliver every day at Mont Alto. We will continue to be here for you every step of the way.