A. Board of Trustees

The acts of the Indiana General Assembly in 1869 that established Purdue University set up a Board of Trustees having, by law, full governance and control of the University. These laws state in part that the trustees shall provide a seal; have power to elect all professors and teachers, removable at their pleasure; fix and regulate compensations; do all acts necessary and expedient to put and keep said University in operation; and make all bylaws, rules, and regulations required or proper to conduct and manage the same. This authority and responsibility can be changed only by legislative acts of the General Assembly. The Board of Trustees consists of 10 members appointed by the governor of the state, each member serving for a term of three years, except the student member who serves for two years.

B. Administration of the University
The chief administrative officer of the University is the president who is appointed by the Board of Trustees. He/She is charged to organize and establish the administrative staff of the University not otherwise established by the trustees and delegate each administrative office with appropriate duties and responsibilities.

Among his/her responsibilities are admission and registration, student conduct and counseling, the administration and scheduling of classes and space, the administration of student athletics and organized extracurricular activities, the libraries, the appointment of the faculty and conditions of their employment, the appointment of all nonfaculty employees and the conditions of employment, the general organization of the University, and the planning and administration of the University budget. In addition to these, the president has many other responsibilities as chief administrator of the University.

The Board of Trustees also appoints other major officers of the University:

1. The provost serves as the chief academic officer for the University with responsibility for instruction, research, extension, continuing education, student services, Purdue University Press, and the libraries. He/She acts for the president with administrative authority for planning, organizing, and developing in all of these areas of the University.
2. The executive vice president and treasurer serves as the chief business and financial officer for the University, with responsibility for all business offices, the physical plant, residence halls, facilities development, investments, and trusts. He/She acts for the president with administrative authority for managing, developing, and planning in all of these areas.
3. The senior vice president for advancement directs and coordinates all development and fund-raising activities for the University, other than those that pertain to sponsored programs or governmental appropriations.
4. The vice president for business services and assistant treasurer assists and acts for the executive vice president and treasurer with administrative responsibility for business and financial operations.
5. The vice president for student services has administrative responsibility for the following areas: Admissions, Aerospace Studies, Convocations and Lectures, Dean of Students Office, Financial Aid, International Students and Scholars, Military Science, Naval Science, Purdue Musical Organizations, Purdue University Student Health Center, Recreational Sports, Registrar’s Office, Counseling and Psychological Services, University Bands, and the University Placement Service.
6. The vice president for physical facilities assists and acts for the executive vice president and treasurer with responsibility for operation of the physical plant and facilities planning and construction.
7. The vice president for housing and food services assists and acts for the executive vice president and treasurer with administrative responsibility for the operation of the residence halls, student family housing, the graduate houses, and the Purdue Memorial Union.
8. The vice president for university relations, as the chief public relations officer of the University, is responsible for media relations, publications, and community relations. He/She serves as public relations advisor to administrators and faculty and is the designated spokesperson for the University on matters of policy.
9. The vice president for human relations is responsible for defining, developing, and implementing policies and programs to better the quality of life for all members of the University community. He/She has administrative responsibility for Affirmative Action, Women’s Resources, and Diversity Resources.
10. The vice president for governmental relations coordinates interactions with state agencies, including the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System. He/She also provides liaison and coordinates communication with the Indiana General Assembly and the governor’s office.
11. The vice president for information technology assists and acts for the executive vice president and treasurer and the provost with responsibility for information technology operations across the University including voice, video and data networks, and administrative, instructional and research computing services.
12. The vice president for research has broad responsibility for support and oversight of the University research program and environment. These responsibilities include assisting faculty in making contacts with potential sponsors, developing proposals for research, and in general research administration; promoting research integrity and the responsible conduct of research; and administering University intellectual property policy.
13. The chancellor at each regional campus, acting for the president of the University, is the chief academic officer of the regional campus and is responsible for and reports to the president for all academic and student affairs at that campus with the exception of those vested in the faculty by the Board of Trustees.

C. Campuses of the University
In addition to the main campus at West Lafayette, the University operates regional campuses at Hammond (Calumet Campus), Fort Wayne, and Westville (North Central Campus). The University also offers degree programs on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

D. Academic Programs
Undergraduate academic programs at the West Lafayette and North Central campuses are organized under the colleges of Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences, Education, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering, and the schools of Managment and Veterinary Medicine.

The primary program of the School of Veterinary Medicine is the professional curriculum leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

Undergraduate programs at the Calumet Campus are organized under the College of Engineering, School of Mathematics and Science; School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; School of Professional Programs; and the School of Technology.

Undergraduate programs available at the North Central Campus at Westville are offered through the auspices of the various undergraduate schools at the West Lafayette Campus with the exception of programs offered by the Community College of the North Central Campus.

The University offers undergraduate degree programs at the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

The Purdue University academic mission areas at that campus are organized under the College of Engineering, the School of Technology, the School of Science, and the School of Physical Education.

The academic control of all graduate programs is vested in the Graduate School in cooperation with several schools of the University. Each regional campus except North Central is authorized to offer work leading to specified master’s degrees. However, responsibility for supervision and administration of all graduate programs is assigned to the vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School and the Graduate Council.

E. Faculty of the University
Subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees and in consultation with the president, each faculty has the general power and responsibility to adopt policies, regulations, and procedures intended to achieve the educational objectives of the University and the general welfare of those involved in these educational processes. In general, they develop the various curricula, course content, instructional and examination procedures, and undergraduate degree requirements in the various schools of the University. They establish the academic calendar and the general policies for scheduling classes and advise the president concerning various policies and procedures of the University.

The faculty of Purdue University is comprised of tenured, tenure-track, and clinical professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors. In addition, some adjunct professors, adjunct associate professors, and adjunct assistant professors not receiving compensation from Purdue University may be granted certain faculty privileges.

The governing body of the faculty at the West Lafayette and North Central campuses is the University Senate, composed of representatives from the various schools. Reporting to the University Senate are various committees, both standing and temporary, which work on policies, procedures, and concerns of the faculty. The chairperson of the University Senate attends the open meetings of the Board of Trustees.

F. Students
The major responsibility of students is the acquisition of knowledge, research, and professional skills as well as general personal development that will aid them in achieving whatever individual goals they may seek. While students are not administrators in the general organization of the University, they have considerable opportunity to provide input into the policies and procedures of the University through various student governing groups and organizations such as the Purdue Student Government and the Purdue Graduate Student Government at the West Lafayette Campus.

It is also the studied policy of the University to include, wherever feasible, students on various faculty and administrative committees that deal directly with affairs closely concerning students. On most of these committees the students have not only a voice but a vote. They are, of course, subject to rules and regulations necessary for the conduct of any well-ordered community with a purpose. These rules and regulations are stated in the various sections of this handbook.