Greetings to all LDT Online Students!
If we asked you to list everything in your life that has changed over the past 110 days, that list would span every available emotion. It would be sad, absurd, confusing, ridiculous, enraging, hopeful, thankful, spiteful, and disorienting… to say the least. The LDT Online Program’s faculty, staff, and students are all experiencing the same challenges, and looking to the same hopes. We are acutely aware that each person is affected differently by the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet the fact that we are all affected can bind us together.
What has stayed the same for you in the past 110 days? We hope many good things remain consistent for you. As far as our program goes, a few things have stayed the same:
- We’ve continued to offer our online courses. There have been a few modifications as needed, but in this pandemic our online course delivery has not faltered.
- Our students have continued to complete their coursework. We’ve been flexible and understanding when students have communicated their challenges, and with that flexibility our students continue to make progress with their studies.
- Our programs’ content is more relevant than ever. Educational technology, aided by principles of design and theories of learning, is making education continue to happen for millions of learners who would otherwise be shut-out of their educational progress.
We will continue to offer our courses in the Fall 2020 term, and we want you to join us. Much scrutiny is being given by university administrators right now about our enrollment numbers. Although we regularly urge, prompt, and prod our students to register for their courses in a timely manner, we now have a sense of urgency. If you are considering to take one or more LDT courses in the Fall 2020 term, please register for the course(s) in LionPATH as soon as possible. We need your interest and intent to be “on the books” so to speak, which will ensure that we are able to offer the courses that we’ve advertised since March. In case this helps, please remember that your tuition bill for Fall 2020 courses will come due in August, so registering for your courses now does not hasten the bill’s due date.
If you do not intend to register for any courses in Fall 2020, please send a quick note to Dr. Kirby or your assigned faculty advisor. We want to know how you are faring in these bizarre times. We also want to be sure to understand your personal circumstances and offer to you any and all available resources to help you proceed and complete your program of study in LDT with Penn State.
Overall, we want you and your loved ones to be healthy and well, and we want you to achieve the professional development goals that you have established for yourself. We look forward to seeing you in class.
Sincerely,
The LDT Faculty and Staff