A Message to Students From Associate Dean Craig Harvey

LSU College of Engineering Students,

Each of us are experiencing a new normal with the coronavirus pandemic. While it is a challenge, we must try to go about our daily activities while also maintaining social distancing (a new term we have all had to learn). We hope with the resumption of classes, you will all find yourselves in a somewhat more normal environment. That said, the challenge of moving all classes to an online format will be a new experience for students, faculty, and staff alike. Thus, I encourage you to consider that each of us is learning to how to deal with this new normal of remote learning and college operations.

Some things I want to share:

Student Services: Our student services staff is still here to help you with traditional academic issues (e.g., major change, minor additions). They are also here to help you navigate more difficult issues, such as a potential school withdrawal, etc., if they arise due to the pandemic. While you won’t be able to meet them in person, you can reach out to them by scheduling appointments on EAB-Navigate, and you can have a Zoom conference call (I’ll discuss that technology later). They have been working all week to get their operations up and running, and they are here to help you through this time. For more information on how to reach your counselor, click here: https://www.lsu.edu/eng/current/advising/index.php.

Faculty Preparation: Our faculty have been joining in on remote teaching classes and learning to use remote technology, so they can carry on your classes. I suspect your faculty have been communicating with you about changes to dates/syllabi as needed. In some cases, you could see changes to the syllabus to accommodate this new normal. Remember, we are all learning how to navigate this new means of teaching and learning in a short time period. We all must remain flexible and adjust to this new environment.

Technology for Remote Learning: It is likely many of you are familiar with technology like Zoom, discussion boards, etc., but let me address at least two things so everyone is aware.

  • Accessing Technology That is Available Only On-Campus: What you may not be familiar with is how to use some on-campus technology remotely. Under certain conditions, you will be able to use an on-campus technology through the Internet but only when connected to LSU’s network. In those cases, you will have to establish a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that connects you to LSU’s network. To connect to the LSU VPN, please refer to the instructions on the new GlobalProtect VPN available here: https://grok.lsu.edu/Article.aspx?articleid=20097.
  • Video Conferencing: There will be team meetings and/or faculty meetings you will need to “attend.” You may have heard the word Zoom thrown around and may not know what it is. Zoom is a video conferencing software that can be used for one-on-one meetings or even large classroom meetings. Here is a quick guide on using Zoom: https://grok.lsu.edu/article.aspx?articleid=19933. Our staff and faculty have been using it for all of our meetings and discussions this past week. While it takes some getting used to, it is a tool you are likely to use beyond this pandemic in your work environment, and this is a good time to learn about it.

Finishing Strong: None of us prefer the current environment or asked for it, of course. At the same time, we are LSU Engineers, and thus, we know how to handle a challenge. It is part of our DNA. So, I encourage you to stay strong as we all face this challenge. Even though none of us can see our friends face-to-face, Zoom them, Facetime them, or stay in touch some other way just remotely. That also goes for staying in touch with your faculty and our staff. We all want you to be successful, and working together, we can all weather this storm.

For safety tips and updates from LSU, visit www.lsu.edu/coronavirus.

Thanks, and have a good remainder to your semester.