August 11, 2005

West Lafayette joins Purdue to welcome, inform graduate students

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Graduate School at Purdue University will sponsor an informative program for new graduate students from 9-10 a.m. on Friday (Aug. 19) in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

Friday’s event will serve to introduce students to the services available through the Graduate School, as well as offer an introduction to Purdue and West Lafayette.

"Most graduate programs on campus feature their own departmental orientation, but we want to give new students a broader vision of the community and encourage their active involvement," said Associate Dean Thomas W. Atkinson. "We want to show new residents that as they become a part of the Purdue family, they are welcomed by the entire greater Lafayette community."

Students will hear about topics including professional development programs, research opportunities, student organizations and quality of life.

In addition to university representatives, West Lafayette Mayor Jan Mills will talk about the city and its resources and ways in which students can become involved in the community.

After the convocation, the school will sponsor a light breakfast and information fair until 11:30 a.m. in Stewart Center, rooms 202 and 214.

The 30 organizations participating in the fair include the West Lafayette and Lafayette municipal offices, university religious organizations, Purdue Graduate Student Government and the Black Graduate Association, the Center for Instructional Excellence, and several Graduate School offices. Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union has provided financial support for the event.

Purdue offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 70 areas, including 10 interdisciplinary programs. Since its inception in 1929, the Purdue University Graduate School has conferred more than 58,000 master's degrees and 20,000 doctoral degrees.

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu

Source: Thomas Atkinson, (765) 494-0245, tatkinson@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Journalists are invited to attend both the Graduate School convocation and the activities fair. Journalists will be able to speak to Graduate School Dean John Contreni and West Lafayette Mayor Jan Mills, as well as incoming graduate students. At the activities fair, more than 30 campus and community organizations will be on hand, and representatives from each can talk about the importance of graduate students to the campus and West Lafayette communities.

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