In the wake of this week’s tragic events, a number of Penn State administrators took to email in order to share their thoughts with the community. We have collected as many as possible and included them below. If you received a note that is not below, please forward it to us today!

Notes from Deans/Administrators

Arts & Architecture

Barbara Korner

Dear College of Arts and Architecture Student,

While the entire Penn State community is still coming to grips with the sad and shocking events of the past week, I wanted to reach out to you and re-emphasize the sentiments in the statement made yesterday by the university’s president, Dr. Rodney Erickson (online at http://live.psu.edu/story/56307). His message is one of resolve, reassurance and confidence in our future. He asks for our support and help in restoring the public’s trust and reaffirming the university’s commitment to its core values.

Penn State is, first and foremost, an academic institution. The university rests on a solid foundation of educating future generations of students who will always be leaders in their fields and who will serve with integrity as they build their careers on the knowledge and networks formed here. While we are deeply troubled by the news of recent days, we also know that adversity and crisis require us to tap into our deepest reserves of integrity, energy and creativity.

Students in our college are demonstrating their leadership and compassion by planning to provide music in conjunction with tonight’s candlelight vigil for abuse victims and leading the “Blue Out” movement for tomorrow’s football game. You are proving that the soul and reputation of Penn State rests on thousands of people who are making the right choices every single day. Please continue to support each other and to focus on our common commitment to creativity, scholarship and leadership that represents Penn State at its very best, now and in the future.

With encouragement,
Barbara Korner, Dean
College of Arts & Architecture

Development

William Easterling

To our alumni, friends, and benefactors,

As one of Penn State’s most generous supporters and most loyal alumni and friends, you have demonstrated extraordinary faith in this University and its future, and I know that faith was challenged by the tragic news of this week. The Board of Trustees has made difficult first steps toward helping Penn State to emerge from this crisis as a better, stronger, and prouder institution. One of those steps has been the appointment of Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost, as interim president. Dr. Erickson shared the following message with the Penn State community this morning. I would like to share it with you as well and ask you to support Dr. Erickson as he begins to lead Penn State on a path toward renewed national standing and respect. Thank you.

Rod Kirsch

Dickinson School of Law
Phil McConnaughay

In the wake of the allegations concerning Penn State employees released in the grand jury presentment last week, The Dickinson School of Law community has been struggling along with the rest of the University community and public to come to terms with the horrific details as they emerge. We feel deep sadness for the children involved, outrage at their alleged treatment, and shame over allegations that members of the University’s administration may have missed opportunities to expose and stop the alleged abuse.

We find some solace during this difficult time in The Dickinson School of Law’s longstanding leadership in the representation of abused and neglected children, in our Children’s Advocacy Clinic, in our Center for Immigrants’ Rights, and in our Family Law Clinic.

In our Children’s Advocacy Clinic, Law School students under the direction of Clinical Professor Lucy Johnston-Walsh ’97, an expert in the issues pertaining to child sex abuse, team with medical students from Penn State Hershey and social work students from Shippensburg University to evaluate the health, educational and placement needs of abused and neglected children and then advocate on behalf of the children before local courts and agencies. We are proud that our Children’s Advocacy Clinic partnered with Penn State Hershey’s Children’s Hospital to establish the nationally acclaimed child abuse reporting hotline and informational web site, http://lookoutforchildabuse.org/. The Clinic and Penn State Hershey also jointly conduct child abuse training programs for hospital personnel.

The Law School’s Center for Immigrant Rights also works on behalf of children in need. For example, the Center recently partnered with Kids in Need of Defense, a Microsoft Corporation-funded project, to produce a defense manual for pro bono attorneys representing children whose parents are accused of entering the United States illegally or who may have been the victims of international sex trafficking. And, of course, the Law School’s Family Law Clinic for over thirty years has represented children and mothers seeking Protection from Abuse Orders.

We also remain proud at this time of the scholarly and prosecutorial expertise pertaining to sexual abuse/sex crimes possessed by our faculty colleague, Dermot Groome, who now serves as lead prosecutor of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague, The Netherlands, where he also supervises the Law School’s semester-long International Justice Externship program.

It won’t surprise you to learn that our students also have responded proactively to the grand jury presentment. They are distributing blue ribbons promoting child abuse prevention and awareness, and raising donations for local non-profit organizations that combat child abuse. Many law students will be participating in the candlelight vigil being held at the University this evening as an expression of support for the victims of this case.

I encourage you to reach out to the Law School with your expressions of concern and any suggestions you may have as we continue our efforts to protect and advocate for children.

With thanks for your ongoing support,

Phil McConnaughay

Earth and Mineral Sciences

William Easterling

Colleagues,

I, probably like most of you, am in an angry state of shock in the wake of the events of the past few days. I don’t really have any dramatic new news or insights about the situation to share with you now, but I do feel compelled to reach out to you to let you know that you, your welfare and future are top-most on my mind. The dismissal of President Spanier last night marked the end of an era and the beginning of a major transition that will take a long time to complete. The task is daunting: leaders to be hired, cultures to be retrained, trust to be regained, and reputations to be rebuilt.

The facts are simple. Provost Erickson is our interim President. I urge us to rally around Rod. He is a good man who was oblivious to any wrong-doing before last week. The academic side of Penn State, while surely damaged by the ugliness of what has come to light, is and always was detached from the alleged crimes and subsequent handling of them. There is too much good about the institution to accept that the damage is irreversible.

In a week or so, the television trucks and reporters will tire of this story and go elsewhere. Shortly thereafter, cocktail conversations will turn to other topics, except when the periodic milestones of trials and hires arise. Gradually, the university will return to its normal business and rhythms, albeit changed by this experience in nearly every respect.

Lessons learned from this awful moment will be instilled into our everyday lives, and that is how the healing starts. I promise you that I am trying to learn from this experience and will bring what I learn to bear on the leadership of this great college. I know that many of you are very disturbed by these unwanted events. Talking about them is healthy. I will be as open and transparent about what I am told while we are going through this transition as I can be. And I will seek your views at every step of the way.

Thank you for all you do for EMS and Penn State,

Bill

Education
David Monk

Dear College of Education Students –

As educators and future educators, the allegations that began to emerge in the past week are particularly and profoundly disturbing to us all. The University’s trustees have responded decisively and are demonstrating their commitment to learning from the past and moving the University in positive directions. We look forward to working with Dr. Erickson in his new role, and Penn State is very fortunate to be able to turn to a leader of Dr. Erickson’s caliber and stature during this challenging period.

We encourage you to contact your academic adviser or our Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Studies, Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson ([email protected]) if you have specific questions or concerns about the changes in leadership at Penn State.

The College and University will move forward in the days and weeks ahead. We have much to be proud of in this College, particularly among our students, and it is vitally important for this good work to continue.

Again, many thanks.

David H. Monk

Penn State Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine
Harold Paz

As Penn State’s interim president Rodney Erickson communicated to everyone earlier today, this has been one of the saddest weeks in the history of Penn State. As we all struggle to comprehend the unimaginable events of this week I want to take a moment to reach out to you–our faculty, students and staff–to share a few thoughts and ask for your support as we recover and move forward.

First and foremost, I know that each of us has intense feelings about the events of the past week. As a community focused on health care, each of us feels tremendous sympathy for the children and families at the center of the alleged acts of abuse. We also share intense feelings of sadness and anger. After all, we are not only an integral part of Penn State, we are an institution that counts among its fundamental responsibilities the care and protection of children. That any child could be violated in the manner described earlier this week is unthinkable.

Through it all we must remember that our patients, students and colleagues continue to depend on us in many ways. Our response at this critical time must be to lead by example, live our Penn State Hershey values and strive to serve our communities to the best of our ability.

No institution, be it a university or its medical center campus, is defined by a single individual or a single act. Collectively, we make a difference every day–in affecting the lives of families who are facing illness and injury, improving health, making life-changing discoveries or preparing a new generation of caregivers and scientists.

As we begin the healing process, I ask all of you to stay focused on these significant and meaningful contributions. Our continued focus on excellence, trust and compassion is important not only for all those whom we serve but also for our university so that it may heal and honor our proud tradition. Thank you.

Harold L. Paz, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Penn State Hershey Medical Center
Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, Pennsylvania State University
and Dean, Penn State College of Medicine

Engineering
David Wormely 

Dear College of Engineering Faculty and Staff,

This has been a challenging week for all of us here at Penn State, and I want to thank you for your dedication to the College at this difficult time. The events described are terrible, and it is important that we keep the children and their families in our thoughts as they work to recover.

I am forwarding to you the message from our Interim President Dr. Rodney Erickson, which I think expresses very well many of our collective feelings about what is happening. We are committed to working with Dr. Erickson to help rebuild the trust and confidence that so many people have had in our University and our College for so many years. It is with your assistance that we will succeed.

I am heartened by the messages of support we have been receiving from our alumni, supporters and friends. They are looking to all of us to continue our good work in support of our students.

Sincerely,

David Wormley

IST
David Hall

Colleagues,

In light of the recent events taking place here at Penn State, I would ask first and foremost that each of you keep the victims and their families of this recently uncovered tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. The pain these families are enduring is unimaginable. While these recent revelations have stirred up a number of highly charged emotions within each of us, I ask that you do everything in your power to temper those feelings while the legal process unfolds and authorities have time to sift through the mountain of evidence presented to them.

As Penn State faculty and staff members, you have always shown your Penn State pride in the quality of work that you do each and every day on behalf of the students we serve. That should and must continue. I would also respectfully ask that you show reasonable restraint before getting caught up in the vitriolic rhetoric that is filling social media sites. This kind of inflammatory language solves nothing.

We have been fielding numerous calls from both parents of current students and parents of perspective students asking questions about recent events. If fielding calls of this nature, I would ask that you be respectful and honest in your responses by letting folks know that at this time we simply do not have all of the answers and that we must wait, just like everyone else, for clarification and direction from the Board of Trustees and from our interim president, Dr. Rodney Erickson. Until then, we must ask folks to be patient.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping our students, our college and our institution get through this difficult and most unfortunate situation.

With gratitude,

David L. Hall

Liberal Arts
Susan Welch

Liberal arts faculty and staff colleagues,

These have been a tough few days for Penn State with abrupt changes and a firestorm of publicity. All of us are grieving for the victims of these despicable deeds. We are grieving too for our institution, and our feelings range from anger, sadness, and disbelief to hurt and embarrassment about what has happened. We don’t know what lies in front of the people involved in these sad events. As we express foremost our concern for the children and their families, and then deal with our own feelings, please don’t forget that our faculty, staff, and students continue to do their important work. In the College of the Liberal Arts, we are are trying to stay focused, to keep doing those things that have made Penn State an outstanding academic institution, and to identify how we can make a positive difference in these difficult times. Remember our students need us now more than ever.

The College has intellectual resources that we believe can help our institution and community in the aftermath of this crisis. The Rock Ethics Institute, our organizational psychologists, and the Child Studies Center are just some of the entities that will be involved in helping Penn State through this period of change. This is also a time of self reflection and evaluation and we are committed to seeing that lessons are learned from this tragedy.

I know that you are all doing your job to ensure that Penn State remains the great academic institution that it is. Let us all give our support to interim president Rod Erickson as he works to meet the difficult challenges that lie ahead. If you need help through this crisis, please know that the Employee Assistance Program exists to help faculty and staff going through tough times. You can call the toll-free number at 866-749-1735 anytime, 7 days a week.

Let me close with a quote that Chris Long brought to my attention (it’s good to have a philosopher in the house!): “Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” — Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903 in Letters to a Young Poet.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions and concerns.

With regards,

Susan

Chris Long

Dear Liberal Arts Student Colleagues:

As we process the events of the past week, it is difficult to grapple with what we and others are thinking and feeling. Each of us responds to these events from where we live, from our perspectives as individuals and as members of an educational community to which we have dedicated our time, our energy, our lives.

As students in the liberal arts, you have many resources to bring to bear on these difficult experiences. As humanists, you know something of the finite nature of human existence, of the complex and often tragic nature of human relationships, and of the healing power of words well placed; as social scientists, you know something about the role power plays in social interactions, the nature of psychological and physical trauma, and the intricacies of healthy human communities. I ask you to bring to bear on this difficult situation the wisdom of your disciplines, the power of your learning and the depth of your commitment to your friends, your teachers and your institution.

As we try to come to some terms with this experience in all its complexity, I hope we find ways to notice the beautiful and good things that are done at Penn State everyday even as we face the things we must as we learn more about what happened. Your good academic work, your integrity as students and your well placed energy contribute to what is valuable about Penn State.

Thank you.

If you or any of your colleagues need to talk with a professional counsellor, please don’t hesitate to call Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 814-863-0395 or go online at: http://www.sa.psu.edu/caps/schedule_appointment.shtml For emergencies: http://www.sa.psu.edu/caps/crisis.shtml

Once, in the course of my own education in the liberal arts, I came across a passage from Rilke. My wife reminded me of it last night and it seems to be helping me at the moment; perhaps it might be of some help to you today:

“Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903 in Letters to a Young Poet

Sincerely,
Christopher Long

Outreach
Craig Weidmann

Colleagues,

The last several days have been extremely difficult for all of us. Like you, I am shocked, sad, disappointed, and angry.

I am deeply grateful to all of you for showing up every day and working so hard to address the needs of our students, clients, viewers, listeners, and prospective students as these tragic details have unfolded around you. I feel very blessed to work with such great people and I am counting on all of you to continue to advance our important work.

I have rearranged my schedule this afternoon and will be stopping by the Outreach Building, the Penn Stater, and the 329 Building. I will be sending a longer note from Dr. Erickson very soon.

Penn State is a great institution, with a tremendous legacy. Thank you for your leadership to preserve this tradition. We will get through this together.

Craig

Research
Hank Foley (sent by his administrative assistant)

At the request of the Collegian, Hank wrote the following letter. He asked that I share it directly with all of you.

Megan,

Thank you for asking. Here are my thoughts on the matter as a parent, as an educator, and as a Penn State alum.

This has been the most trying five days of my career. I am scientist and an engineer, so I live in a largely intellectual realm. So this is like nothing I have ever known, but I am far from alone in that. For the last five days, like most of us who are so deeply invested in Penn State – her students, alumni, faculty and staff – I was going through a process of grieving with all its attendant stages.

For me it has been agonizing since last Friday evening. The news from Harrisburg was a complete shock – I felt utter disbelief. Until this presentment came forth, I had no idea that anything of this kind had ever even allegedly transpired at Penn State. I thought that Mr. Sandusky was supposedly a good man, one who was helping underprivileged kids. The information presented was shocking. After shock other feelings soon emerged as well – disbelief, sadness and anger.

My depth of feeling on the matter I realized stemmed from my being a parent much more than from my being an educator. Is there anything worse than sexual abuse of children? For most of us nothing is worse. I found it very hard not to dwell on this and on those kids, the alleged victims. So the allegations tore at me and many of us in the most visceral of ways. We all felt a pain unlike any other that I know. We came to work for years thinking and believing that we are a part of one of the greatest educational institutions in the country, but then we found that in one part of the institution someone had allegedly undermined all that we do and allegedly had done so with children in the most heinous of ways. This is what was so utterly unbelievable – literally, not figuratively. My shock, was soon mixed with an abiding sadness, a sadness for the kids.

Appropriately, and not unexpectedly, my shock, disbelief and sadness turned to anger. I was so angry because my colleagues in all fields across Penn State work every day to make life better for everyone through education that is by teaching, doing research and by outreach. We don’t just say it, we believe it. So the feelings we have for those children and their families are very, very real and I can assure you that that feeling of anger mixed with sadness will not go away.

Now, I am moving on to acceptance, even though I oscillate a bit among the other stages. I accept that this has happened, I accept that allegedly a great wrong has been done. Out of acceptance, in this case has come for me the lesson of resolve. We must resolve to be vigilant at all times. As administrators, faculty members and as students, we all have a role to play from now on to never let this happen again, not to children, not to any other student, not to a visitor, or anyone else. We must not let anyone who is stronger dominate and abuse someone who is weaker, not here and not ever. We must never ever forget this or ever become complacent.

Penn State is a superb institution because the basic academic elements of the school are more than very sound; they are deeply founded in the pursuit of true excellence. So the core elements of the university, those that make up that which we are here to do, will survive and, hopefully, with hard work they will continue to thrive. Having said that the school and none of us who are a part of it will ever be the same; I won’t be, you won’t be, our alums will not be, and we will have to invest months and years to rebuild our reputation and to regain trust, we must do so block by block, and brick by brick, there is no quick way to do this. We have to accept that we won’t be the same, but so too those kids who were allegedly abused will never be the same either. So we must never forget that this happened, we must learn why it happened, and then we must dedicate ourselves to never letting it happen again.

At THON the motto is “For the Kids,” or FTK. For me it will be “for the kids” from now on and all the time. This is how it must be now. When I hear “We Are” my reply will be “For the Kids.” As I looked out my office window yesterday at our students on the lawn in rank and file in front of Old Main, not in protest, but amassed to mark 100 days before THON, it looked to me like a vigil and I thought, yes, for the kids, indeed.

For the Glory,
Hank Foley
PSU PhD 1982

School of Nursing
Dean Paula Milone-Nuzzo

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am writing to you in the wake of a serious crisis in Penn State’s history. I know you all share my concern for the children and families who have been at the center of this situation. This has been difficult for everyone involved.

While I know we have been distracted by the activities of the last few days, I encourage you to remember the important work that happens at the School of Nursing. We cannot, and will not, be derailed from our mission to improve health care for all people. The good work of our faculty in teaching and research has to remain our focus. The support of our staff in those activities is essential.

I am asking all students to remember why you came to Penn State…to get the best education as a professional in nursing. That has not changed. Remain focused on your studies and your development as a nurse, practitioner or scholar. As always, we stand ready to help you achieve that goal. Consider your role as a professional as you go through these difficult times.

I know the School of Nursing will continue to be strong because of the incredible work each of you does to contribute to its mission. Let’s help each other get through this difficult time.

Dean Paula Milone-Nuzzo

Schreyer Honors College
Dean Christian Brady

I am writing this on Monday, a new day of beginning following a most tumultuous week here at Penn State. So much has happened in such a short period of time – horrific allegations of abuse and cover-up, leadership upheaval, raucous protests, a media siege, vigils, and a game that came to represent so much more than football. On this day, the confusion, anger, disillusionment, and hurt remain but raw emotion has been blunted a bit and, thanks to the sure guidance of our new president, Dr. Rod Erickson, our equilibrium has begun to be restored.

If you were at the vigil on Friday night or in Beaver Stadium Saturday or watched what transpired on that field before and after such hard-fought play, you witnessed a deep resolve to push through these dark days and show that all that is good and great about this University will shine once more. Perhaps what makes me most proud and confident of our future is that you, our students, led all these efforts.

We have a long, difficult road ahead of us. We have strong leaders committed to being moral leaders and maintaining transparency. (See President Erickson’s “Promise to the Penn State Community,” http://live.psu.edu/story/56329) We have faculty and staff who are equally committed to maintaining the integrity and quality of our Academic Mission. And we have students who lead by example. We have every reason, therefore, to be “bullish” on the future of Penn State.

This is journey that we must take together and I look forward to talking and working with you all. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will also be at the Student Council meeting tomorrow night, November 15, and we will have a series of round table discussions after Thanksgiving. Be sure to check the listserv for times and places.

For the glory,

Dean Brady

Smeal College of Business
Jim Thomas

Colleagues,

As you continue to process the disturbing news from the weekend and the chaotic past few hours, it’s natural to question what it means to be a Penn Stater and to be part of the Smeal College of Business community. And, of course, what it all means for Penn State.

We all struggle to explain recent events to our students, our friends, and to our children. We debate, discuss, and are in shock by every aspect of this and it will continue for some time. Our prayers for the victims and their families are strong and many.

I have spoken to many members of our community over the last few days, from students and alumni to faculty and staff. Each has been affected by the report from the grand jury, the resulting news coverage, the steps being taken at the University, and reactions to those steps last night. I am still coming to terms with all the twists and turns of this … and all the implications for us at Smeal.

Here’s what I do know as a PSU alum (’74), a nearly 25-year PSU employee, and dean of Smeal:

• I will not let the horrible alleged actions of one and the inaction of a few others dent my love for this University with its 45,000 employees, 95,000 students, and 550,000 alumni. Penn State is much more than any one or a few individuals … it lives in and through all of us.
• I am completely confident that the interim leadership team and the Board of Trustees will continue to work tirelessly on our behalf to reestablish this wonderful institution. New President Rod Erickson is a great leader. I have worked as a dean for him for 13 years and I have total confidence that he is the right person to bring us back. This isn’t a platitude … he is for real.
• Many (students, alumni, friends) will look to all of us for stability and continuity—a sense of hope. I will just ask that we speak as a supportive, positive whole. Now we need to help bring the University back—to help rebuild its brand and reputation. Condemnation and judgment is for the courts at this point. Our job is to get us moving forward.

That’s where I will focus my efforts on behalf of the college.

The bottom-line for the college and me is that we remain focused on our core objective—providing a world-class business education to our more than 5,000 students. While the University finds its balance, conducts its internal reviews, and the legal system does its job, the business of business education at Smeal must, and does, go on.

I am meeting immediately with our deans, department heads, and program managers to assess how all of this will impact us, where we need to be concerned, and how we need to move forward if there are problems. I meet with all of our staff on Monday.

We have one of the most-respected business faculties in the world, a passionate and professional staff, and our students are No. 1 among recruiters. Our family is strong. We will be working harder than ever to ensure that this remains the case—that we continue to act and be regarded as a “Top 5.”

I am here for any questions, problems, referrals, or just to talk. Refer problems to me if you need; let me know where things go well or where we need to react.

Best regards,

Jim ’74

PS. I have sent this to the immediate faculty and staff lists at Smeal. If you have boards or constituents with whom you would like to share this, it is fine.

Student Affairs/Undergraduate Education
Damon Sims and Robert Pangborn

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

Many of us are asking how we can help and make a difference, as together we work to rebuild after what President Rodney Erickson has described as “one of the saddest weeks in the history of Penn State.” We ask everyone on the faculty and staff to continue to reach out to our students: Listen to them and acknowledge their ideas and feelings of disappointment, anxiety and anger. Let students know that the media attention besieging the University is not an attack on the integrity of Penn State students, faculty and staff. Help our students understand that we still have the same distinguished faculty, dedicated staff, great academic programs and wealth of opportunities and educational activities.

Setting aside time in class for these conversations is an important way to help our community heal and move forward. When appropriate, connect the discussion to course content. Be prepared for students who may find themselves in crisis because of their personal experiences or circumstances. Encourage students to use resources such as Counseling & Psychological Services, the Center for Women Students and the LGBTA Student Resource Center. Point students to information and assistance from the Center for Ethics & Religious Affairs, Multicultural Resource Center, Paul Robeson Cultural Center and Residence Life. The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence can provide useful strategies and guidance for faculty.

Finally, recognize that this will be a long process, and the important ongoing efforts of faculty and staff will make a difference over the months to come. Your continuing support of our students is deeply appreciated.

World Campus/Continuing Education
Wayne Smutz

Dear Academic Outreach Staff Members,

I had the privilege and honor today to accept on behalf of the World Campus the Sloan C Award for Institutional Excellence in Online Learning. At a time of darkness in the history of Penn State, this was a small shining moment. Whether you are a member of the World Campus, Continuing Education, or our Support Units, you all have made a contribution to making us worthy of such acknowledgement by our peer institutions. This is truly an award for ALL of us.

The incidents and behaviors that have led us to where we are at this moment are tragic, especially for the victims and their families. I know that the hearts of each and every one of us goes out to them. Their lives have been damaged in unimaginable ways. For the rest of us, our beliefs and trust in an institution we have served faithfully have been shaken. It is a sad time indeed.

We now need to begin to look to the future. As we have been learning across the last eighteen months, each one of us will be making choices. I cannot choose for you. What I can do, however, is tell you what my choice is.

I will choose to work as hard as I can to re-build the confidence of students and prospects in Penn State as a great University.
I will choose to take steps to ensure that we live up to the values Penn State espouses and from which it slipped.
I will choose to re-dedicate myself to providing students with an extraordinary educational experience.
I will choose to continue our work to build a culture where everyone’s voice can be heard and everyone speaks authentically. It is through such a culture that the kinds of damage we have recently witnessed cannot occur.
I will choose to help each of you re-new your commitment to making Penn State a special University.

Each and every one of us has the opportunity to contribute to making Penn State great again. It will not be easy. Let’s join together for the sake of our students—and for one another— to do just that!

Let me end with this: Thanks to all of you for performing in such professional ways during a time of personal dismay. We will make it through this one day at a time.

Wayne

Notes from Commonwealth Campus Chancellors

Abington
Karen Sandler

Dear Penn State Abington Students,

We are all saddened and shocked by the events that have unfolded in the past few days regarding the Sandusky indictments. I am writing to assure you of my confidence in the Commonwealth’s legal system as well as in the commitment of Penn State to bring truth to light and ensure justice for all parties.
For the most recent information from the university, I encourage you to review the statement from Penn State’s Board of Trustees found at http://live.psu.edu/story/562385. This statement outlines the Board’s commitment to an internal review, full accountability, and public reporting of all findings. This process will begin immediately following the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday.

As events unfold, I encourage you to remember that you are part of a great institution, composed of many good people, and founded on enduring principles. Be proud that you are part of an institution that seeks truth and justice. Please feel free to reach out to any faculty or staff member for support and guidance during these challenging days.

We are committed to your education and preparation for active leadership in a global society.

Sincerely,

Karen Wiley Sandler, Ph. D.
Penn State Abington College Chancellor