MASKING UPDATES, EDMONDSON LOOKS TOWARDS SUMMER

After almost three years, things are finally returning to normal and no one could be more glad to see that than Penn State Greater Allegheny’s (PSUGA) Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson.

With the most recent update to the Penn State masking policy–masks are no longer required in many of the common areas on campus and they are now optional in classroom spaces– Edmondson said that it might be a smart idea to carry around a mask, just in case, especially since some professors and staff may still require masks in their offices.

Edmondson expected that this was going to occur because “there are no more spikes in COVID cases in Allegheny County. If there is a new variant or spikes in cases, we may find that masks are necessary again,” she said.

Also, since March 26, the unvaccinated at PSUGA will no longer have to partake in weekly COVID testing. Penn State is putting a pause on that, but there is no say whether it will come back.

Director of Student Services, Lorraine Craven, stated, “I would encourage students to check their email for future updates, as well as read the Penn State News.”

With the spring semester coming to an end in just a few weeks, seniors can look forward to finally graduating…commencement exercises are going to be held on May 7 at 11 a.m. in the Wunderley Gymnasium.

Tickets will be required for each graduate, faculty and staff attending and details will be coming soon. Edmondson stated, “If the virus rates remain low in Allegheny County, we may not need masks (at commencement).” Similarly, there may not be a restriction on how many guests each graduate can bring.

Looking further into the summer, PSUGA will again be hosting classes, including a summer program called PaSSS, which stands for Pathways to Success: Summer Start. This provides the opportunity for students to get a “jump start” on their Penn State degree and their overall college experience and helps them to
successfully transition from high school.

Students will earn six credits in a more relaxed summer environment, receive personalized math instruction, and even start to build a resume through work experience (if available) while taking advantage of special services and campus programs.

The past two years have been difficult for everyone, Edmondson said. “Our campus is known to be a tight-knit community that is committed to our students and student success and that has not changed throughout the pandemic. I am so proud of our campus for the way people came together to support one another during this challenging time,” she said.

Edmondson is also looking forward to many of the opportunities to come that will help bring the community even closer together.

The reporter on this story also participated in the PSUGA PaSSS Program in Summer 2021.

Story by: Carlin Whalen (cjw6426@psu.edu)