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mid-January 2021 Newsletter
COVID-19 Information from Purdue
Although we are continuing to keep families updates with information sent to the Purdue community, for the most up-to-date information and FAQ's please visit the Protect Purdue website, and the Purdue COVID-19 Dashboard.
Return-to-campus COVID-19 student testing planned for spring 2021
Purdue is making plans for return-to-campus COVID-19 testing for spring 2021, in a manner similar to the pre-arrival residential student testing conducted before the start of the fall 2020 semester. Students planning to experience the spring 2021 semester in-person will be required to complete this process.
More information about Spring 2021 on-campus experience
More information about Spring 2021 online option experience
How to Get Tested
Testing center will continue in gymnasiums (Gold & Black Gym 1 – 3) on the northwest side of the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center (Co-Rec). Please enter the gymnasiums directly from the outside (i.e., do not enter from the Co-Rec main doors). Outside signage will provide guidance to the appropriate exterior doors. This map also shows where to enter the building, and these pictures show the entrances to use if individuals are symptomatic or asymptomatic.
COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy driven by state guidelines
The state of Indiana continues to issue and update guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and distribution throughout Indiana. Working in coordination with the state and with local health experts, Purdue’s COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Task Force is providing the following information on state plans and will follow with future updates as they become available. More.
Featured Stories
West Lafayette was named one of the nations safest college towns by saftey.com
WLFI, a local news station recently reported West Lafayette was named one of the safest college towns in the nation, according to a saftey.com ranking. The city ranked third, behind Durham, New Hampshire and Moraga, California.
The website used data from a 2019 FBI crime report as well as other factors to determine their rankings. West Lafayette was given praise for its low violent crime rate (0.65 per 1,000 residents) as well as its contributing resources such as animal control and parking patrol.
Mayor John Dennis attributes communication between police, fire department, and citizens to the low crime rate and quality of life.
You can find the full rankings here.
Purdue to hold spring commencement at Ross-Ade Stadium
In-person commencement will return in May 2021 at Purdue University, which announced Monday (Dec. 14) that it will hold the Spring ’21 commencement at Ross-Ade Stadium, allowing graduates to share the special experience safely with family and friends. The in-person event for undergraduate and professional candidates will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15.
“We have all been disappointed that in-person commencements were impossible in 2020,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. “We created the best virtual commencement ceremonies among our peers, but it isn’t the same as celebrating this important milestone in person. I know our team is hard at work to make a Ross-Ade ceremony memorable for everyone involved. When it is safe to get back to Elliott Hall, we will.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Purdue held its May, August and December commencement ceremonies virtually. In a typical spring the university would hold six ceremonies, virtually unique among large universities, with each student’s name called as they walk across the Elliott Hall stage. The move to the university’s football stadium allows for a safe in-person experience that will follow any and all public health and Purdue safety protocols.
- Graduates will receive their diploma and cover in person as they check in for the ceremony.
- Names will be shown on the vast new stadium video boards before the ceremony and during the procession.
- The ceremony is for undergraduate and professional candidates only.
- The Graduate School will host master’s and doctoral degree commencement programming with details to be announced.
“We want everyone to have this chance to safely celebrate and commemorate their time on campus and are working on making this as memorable as possible,” said Chris Pass, senior assistant registrar.
The event will be held in accordance with Protect Purdue guidelines. Any specific health and safety information will be communicated closer to the ceremony. Graduates will receive a to-be-determined number of tickets to distribute and the Purdue Athletic Ticket Office will assist with seating.
Information for 1098T
Purdue now reports in Box 1 of the 1098T which represents the amount of Qualified Tuition & Related Expenses (QTRE) paid during the year.
Depending on the students’ income (or family income, if the student is a dependent), whether the student is considered full or half-time enrolled, and the amount of the qualified educational expenses for the year, the student maybe eligible for a federal education tax credit. (Detailed information about claiming education tax credits are available on the IRS website, publication 970.
The dollar amounts reported on the Form 1098-T may assist in completing IRS Form 8863 – the form used for calculating the education tax credits that a taxpayer may claim as part of their tax return.
Reminder: due to the Winter Recess, any mailed payments including 529s had to be received in our office by December 17th to be processed and included on the 2020 1098-T. Any payments made online electronically & posted by December 31, 2020 were included.
Purdue University is unable to provide individual tax advice, but should you have questions, please seek the counsel of an informed tax preparer or adviser.
For your general reference, below is a blank sample of the 2020 Form 1098-T, that you will receive electronically via the student account in January 2021. For more information and additional resources about Form 1098-T, visit the Office of the Bursar website.
Undergraduate Technology Advocate initiative pilots spring semester at West Lafayette – applications now open
Technology Advocates are part of a new initiative at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus that aims to improve student learning and reduce instructional technology burdens. The Office of the Provost will hire up to 100 Technology Advocates to provide instructional support to West Lafayette instructors and students during spring 2021.
Feedback on fall 2020 from instructors and students identified course technology as an area where more support was needed for spring 2021. Technology Advocates can assist instructors with their Brightspace course, streaming and lecture capture tools (e.g., BoilerCast), and other instructional technologies related to their courses. They can also answer student questions on these topics. A Technology Advocate will serve as a point of contact who is connected to Purdue's technology support infrastructure.
Full-time staff will serve as supervisors on an overload basis. Supervisors will oversee and coordinate teams of Technology Advocates, and will establish the initial relationship with interested faculty so they can determine how best to meet each instructor's needs. Supervisors will be liaisons to Innovative Learning and ITaP when additional support is needed.
This initiative is a collaboration between Teaching & Learning, college IT staff, Innovative Learning, and ITaP. It builds on existing relationships within colleges when possible, and Innovative Learning educational technology experts are helping to develop the training plan for students and their supervisors. Victory Soe, a Senior Instructional Technologist in the Computer Science department, will be leading the team.
Students who want to apply to be Technology Advocates should start the process by completing this application form.
For additional questions, contact: Sheila Hurt, Senior Program Director, Boiler Success Team at sfhurt@purdue.edu.
Purdue Convocations pivots to new forms of live performance
Due to the cancellation of university-sponsored on-campus events under the guidelines of Protect Purdue, the Purdue Convocations team has had to adapt to new forms of live powerful performance, illuminating discourse and learning experiences.
Normally, Convocations offers the region 30-40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theater, dance, world music, and more. All of them share a vision for connecting artists and audiences in artistic dialogue and for drawing in academic discourse, exploring human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media. More.
Parent & Family Virtual Events
Parent & Family Connections was excited to bring families virtual opportunities to learn more about resources at Purdue so you can best guide your student. If you missed any of the Fall Semester Virtual Events, you can find a list of previous events on the Parent & Family Connections website. Stay tuned for Spring 2021 events!
Purdue WL community: Adverse winter weather procedures
If adverse weather conditions necessitate that a wind chill, snow or ice emergency be declared for the West Lafayette campus, special procedures pertaining to classes, operations, parking, pay and/or attendance will become effective.
New Learning Online 101 course for all undergraduates launches Jan. 11 to support hybrid/online learning, navigating Brightspace
All Purdue West Lafayette undergraduate students will have access on Jan. 11 to a new resource to assist them in preparing for hybrid and online learning in the Brightspace learning management system. Undergraduate students will automatically be enrolled in Learning Online 101, which will appear alongside their other courses in Brightspace and remain available while they are at Purdue.
Students are encouraged to engage with Learning Online 101 as a way to get a jump on spring 2021 courses, which begin Jan. 19. The self-paced, elective course features a range of materials developed specifically for students and from the student perspective. These include video tutorials, simple document guides, and links to key Purdue resources, organized into four modules that can be completed conveniently and quickly (15 to 30 minutes for each module):
- The Mindset and Readiness module is designed to help students feel more confident and prepared to learn online.
- Foundations for Academic Success offers a variety of learning best practices.
- The Navigating Brightspace module helps students operate the tools and functionality inside of Brightspace, and recognize the structure and organization in other Brightspace courses.
- Connecting in Your Online Classroom explores how students can develop connections with peers and course facilitators in virtual environments.
Students who were part of the Learning Online 101 review found the course well-designed and informative, even as they were taking other courses using Brightspace. Further details are available on the Innovative Learning News webpage.
News from CCO
Spring 2021 Purdue JCPenney Suit-Up Online Event January 24 – 30, 2021. A coupon is required to take advantage of an extra 30% off on select merchandise and it can be used either online or in-store. If you prefer to wait to use your coupon, it will be valid for a one-time purchase January 14 – May 2, 2021.
University Residences
Meal Plan Changes
- Meal plan changes effective for the 2021 Spring Semester may be submitted beginning Monday, January 4, 2021 at noon. Meal plan changes should be made in the housing contract portal.
- The deadline to submit a request to lower the number of meal swipes is Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time
- Students may increase the number of meal swipes at any time.
- Current residents of Hawkins Hall or Hilltop Apartments who currently have a room-only plan may also add a meal plan.
Extended Spring Check-in Times Announced!
Extended move-in hours for Spring 2021 are now open and available. Your student can visit the link below to book their move-in time.
Contracting for 2021-2022 Academic Year
Contract Renewal is a phased process – based upon where the resident currently lives and their current University classification. With the exception of November 3, 2020, each phase becomes active at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time and remains active until the end of the contract renewal process, which is February 28, 2021, at 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time.
For the 2021-2022 academic year:
- Aspire and Salisbury Campus Apartments will no longer be master leased through University Residences for the upcoming academic year. Students living in these locations will receive an email regarding being in a displaced status for contract renewal.
- Several rooms in various halls will be unavailable for returners due to changes in Learning Community usage, gender reconfiguration, or other repurposing. These residents and all Honor College and Residences spaces will be displaced. Current residents in these rooms will have priority as a displaced resident for choosing a different space.
2021-2022 Contract Renewal Phase Dates
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Return to Your Same Room |
November 3 (noon) – November 6, 2020 |
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Renew Your Contract for a Different Room |
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Current Seniors, Senior Specials1 and HACs2 |
November 11, 2020 |
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Current Juniors and Junior Specials1 |
November 13, 2020 |
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Displaced Residents3 |
November 16, 2020 |
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Current Sophomores and Sophomore Specials1 |
November 19, 2020 |
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Current Freshmen and Freshmen Specials1 |
November 23, 2020 |
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New Spring Semester Residents4 |
January 19, 2021 |
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Deadline To Renew Your Contract |
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All Students Eligible for Contract Renewal |
February 28, 2021 |
1. Specials are students who left University Residences for Industrial Co-op, Study Abroad, called to Military Duty, or for a medical reason and plan to return to University Residences for the 2021-2022 Academic Year. For the 2021-2022 Academic Year specials will also include those students who had signed a 2020-2021 academic year housing contract but canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. HACs are students with approved housing accommodations.
3. A displaced resident is one whose room will not be available during the contract period. Most rooms become unavailable due to requirements for Honors College, Learning/Living Communities, or a change in space management.
4. New spring semester residents are all students, regardless of classification, who have a signed housing contract for the spring semester online
- Current Honors College residents who want to live in one of the designated returning Honors College spaces will be required to have a roommate from Honors College.
- Your student will have the opportunity to request a roommate in Contract Renewal – after the “Return to Your Same Room” phase. Very Important! If your student's roommate request is accepted, your student will also need to assign their accepted roommate request to a space with you beginning with the start date of your students current University classification phase date (see priority phase dates above).
- If your student wants to request a new incoming beginner freshman to University Residences for the 2021-2022 Academic Year, their friend must have already started a housing contract in the new student housing contract portal for the 2021-2022 Academic Year. The new student housing contract portal will open around January 15, 2021 at noon Eastern Time. (Note: Your student will not be able to request a current student presently living off campus or an incoming Transfer student for their roommate as these students will be required to place their name on a waiting list to sign a housing contract – if space is available after May 5, 2021.)
- Your student may make changes to or cancel their signed housing contract at any time during the Contract Renewal process. Contract Renewal closes February 28, 2021, at 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time, at which time all signed contracts in the system become legally binding. Beginning February 28, 2021, at 11:56 p.m. your student's signed contract for the 2021-2022 Academic Year may only be canceled if they will NOT be attending Purdue University during the 2021-2022 Academic Year contract term.
- As a displaced resident, students will have opportunity to select an available space in Contract Renewal on November 16, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. unless they are a senior or junior, in which they will be eligible to select a different space beginning November 11, 2020 or November 13, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. respectively.
Dates
January 19, Spring Semester Begins
January 27, Last Day to Register Without a Late Fee
February 1, Last Day to Cancel a Course Assignment Without It Appearing on Record
February 12, Last Day to Withdraw a Course With a Grade of W or To Add/Modify a Course with Instructor and Advisor Signature
February 17, Reading Day
February 22, Last Day for Grade Correction for Fall 2020 Semester
March 15, Second 8-week Courses Begin
March 15, Schedule of Classes Published for Fall 2021
March 18, Reading Day
March 22, Last Day to Withdraw from a Course with a W or WF grade
March 22, Last Day to Add/Modify a Course with Instructor, Advisor, and Department Head Signature
April 13, Reading Day
May 1, Classes End
May 3-8, Final Exams
May 8, Semester Ends
May 8, Deadline for Pending Spring 2020 Incomplete Grades to Become Failing Grades
May 15, Commencement
May 16, Commencement