April 2021 Newsletter

Remember the Protect Purdue Pledge when participating in outdoor activities, traveling

Being a part of the Boilermaker community means that each of us must take steps to stay well and persistently protect each other, on campus and off campus. The Protect Purdue Pledge outlines these steps, which include proper and consistent wearing of face masks, social distancing, frequent hand-washing, and monitoring and reporting symptoms to the Protect Purdue Health Center. More.

The next giant leap in protecting Purdue: COVID-19 Vaccines

Three safe and highly effective COVID-19 vaccines are now available in the United States. All Boilermakers, especially the most vulnerable, are strongly encouraged to receive a vaccine as soon as they are eligible. Information on vaccine eligibility, the Purdue COVID-19 vaccine allocation task force and answers to common questions are available on the Protect Purdue vaccine webpage.  

Reminder: Face masks must be worn even if a you have received the COVID-19 vaccine

Anyone on campus, including students, staff, faculty, contractors, vendors, suppliers and visitors, is required to follow Protect Purdue protocols, including correctly and consistently wearing face masks. Those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine and/or been infected with the virus are still required to correctly wear a face mask and follow other Protect Purdue protocols. Read more.  

Campus COVID-19 vaccine site

Purdue's campus COVID-19 vaccine distribution site opened April 6 to help vaccinate as many students as possible before the end of the spring semester. The campus vaccine clinic will prioritize Purdue West Lafayette students, per Indiana Department of Health guidance. Read more. 

Purdue asks campus community to participate in new COVID-19 vaccine verification program

All faculty, staff and students affiliated with the West Lafayette campus are encouraged to participate in a new verification program once they’ve been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to assist Protect Purdue efforts in managing the health and safety of the campus community. Read more.

Summer 2021 Campus Experience

Guided by current public health and safety recommendations, our plan for summer 2021 will look much like spring 2021. For example, mask wearing, social distancing and contact tracing will continue. Some important details are included below to help students plan for summer enrollment. More.

Archives and Special Collections seeking submissions for COVID Stories project

Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, in conjunction with Purdue Libraries administration, the Office of the Provost and WBAA public radio, is asking faculty, staff and students to submit their personal stories for inclusion in the newly launched Purdue COVID Stories project. Read more.

Featured Stories    

Save the Date - Purdue Day of Giving

Mark your calendars for 2021's Purdue Day of Giving - Wednesday, April 28! More information on challenges will be on Purdue Parent & Family Connections Facebook and the mid-April newsletter.

Steps to Leaps - Well Being Tips

Dr. Louis Tay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. He has expertise in well-being, assessments, and data science. Each week Steps to Leaps provides an weekly wellness tip - this week's tip is Overcoming Challenges One Step at a Time.

Now's the time to Think Summer

Is your student interested in living on campus for a portion of the summer? Purdue offers housing contracts ranging from 4 weeks to 12 weeks in length and the Purdue Student Union Board will be hosting more than 25 student events. More information about summer housing contracts can be found on the University Residences website. If your student can’t make it to campus, more than 400 online courses are available.

Summer programming to return in 2021; Protect Purdue summer guidelines announced

As campus leaders work closely with medical advisors to safely bring campus life closer to normal, Purdue University announces the return of select summer academic programs and updates to various Protect Purdue protocols and guidelines for the summer session, which will take effect May 9. 

“As case numbers recede and more of our campus community becomes vaccinated against COVID-19, we are excited to resume many of our typical great summer programs,” said John Gipson, director of Summer Session. “We have worked very carefully with university leadership and the Medical Advisory Team to ensure we continue to do everything possible to keep our community safe as we deliver an outstanding Boilermaker experience this summer.” Click here for more updates.

Office of the Dean of Students available to assist students in need of support

As the semester continues, the Office of the Dean of Students wants to remind the campus community that ODOS remains available to assist in providing support for students who are on campus as well as with students who are working remotely. 

ODOS can help students navigate challenges they are experiencing both personally and academically. Faculty and staff who recognize a student who may be in need of support or additional care are encouraged to share their concern with ODOS. A list of common reported concerns is available online.

Here are some examples of concerns in a remote learning environment:

• Concerning comments in electronic communication or social media.
• Change in behavior (lack of engagement in coursework; marked drop in performance).
• Stopped communication (no longer responding to academic outreach). 

Additionally, students affected by COVID-19 (self or family diagnoses, financial insecurity, etc.) also can be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students for support.

Student of Concern Reports prompt individualized outreach to students by members of the Office of the Dean of Students and can be submitted online.

Reminder: CAPS is Open!

CAPS is available to assist students in addressing their mental health concerns, which may have been affected by the global pandemic and civil unrest. The CAPS staff is happy to serve currently enrolled, degree-seeking Purdue students. As the campus mental health providers, CAPS is strongly committed to serving a diverse student body including students of all racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds, sexual/affectional orientations, gender identities, mental and physical abilities, languages, classes, ages, religion and spirituality, socioeconomic backgrounds, and more.

CAPS is currently offering remote services which includes Brief Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Workshops, Psychiatric Services, Care Management, Crisis and Emergency Services, and Outreach and Consultation. If your student is seeking CAPS services, they should call 765-494-6995 to schedule a brief phone screening with a counselor. CAPS brief screenings are available within 1-2 business days to ensure staff can be connected as quickly as possible. At the end of the screening, the counselor will provide the student with services that best meet their mental health needs at CAPS, other Purdue services or in the community.

Want to learn more about CAPS? Visit the CAPS website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts for more information.

Did you know CAPS also offers self-help resources? WellTrack is an online, self-help resource that is available to all Purdue students.

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 our events thus far, you can find a list of previous events on the Parent & Family Connections website. Watch your inbox for additional Spring 2021 events!

Commencement Information

Purdue commencement team releases initial details for May ceremonies

Purdue University commencement organizers are releasing initial details for the university’s commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 15-16 in West Lafayette.

Undergraduate candidates (all schools and colleges), professional candidates (Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Doctor of Pharmacy) and master’s degree candidates will participate in a ceremony at 10 a.m. May 15 at Ross-Ade Stadium. Candidates will need to check in at Lambert Fieldhouse based on the schedule that has been published on the commencement website. Candidates will line up in Parking Lot A starting at 7:15 a.m. The processional will begin at 8:45 a.m. for the 4,679 undergraduate candidates, 213 professional candidates and 612 master’s candidates.

The Graduate School will have its Ph.D. ceremony at 10 a.m. May 16 at Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music. Candidates will need to check in at the Armory (north entrance) starting at 8:30 a.m. The processional will begin at 9:10 a.m. for the 198 doctoral candidates.

The release of tickets will be announced the week of May 10. All guests of candidates in the Ross-Ade ceremony will need to follow the Ross-Ade Stadium bag check as well as follow the policy of clear bags. Limited seating meeting standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act will be available. Parking and shuttle service details for both ceremonies will be released closer to commencement.

Graduate School guests at Elliott Hall of Music will need to have bags checked before entering the building.

Currently, Purdue is allowing a maximum of two guest tickets. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tickets will be for assigned seating at the stadium and Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets cannot be transferred to others. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels will speak at the May 15 ceremony and Purdue Provost Jay Akridge will speak at the May 16 ceremony.

“We are excited to have the ability to have two commencement ceremonies to celebrate the accomplishments and next giant leaps of Boilermakers,” said Chris Pass, senior assistant registrar. “Our large commencement working group has been working nonstop in planning the ceremonies and various details needed to make these events special for the Class of 2021.

The ceremonies will be held in accordance with Protect Purdue event and visitor guidelines for Commencement week. Any additional specific health and safety information will be communicated closer to the ceremony.

For more information, visit the Purdue the Spring 2021 FAQ page or commencement website.

Dates

April 13, Reading Day

April 30, Last Day to Withdraw from a Course with a W or WF grade

April 30, Last Day to Add/Modify a Course with Instructor, Advisor, and Department Head Signature

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