The Board of Trustees approved the promotion of 189 faculty across the Purdue University system
for the 2026-27 academic year. The total includes 164 from the main campus — including two with university tenure in Indianapolis — 16 from Purdue Fort Wayne and nine from Purdue Northwest. Trustees annually approve promotions in April, per the Purdue academic tenure and promotion policy.
Trustees approved the purchase of property at 420-422 W. Michigan St. and 510 Indiana Ave. in downtown Indianapolis as part of the university’s efforts to enhance students’ urban experience.
The Board of Trustees endorsed the merit increase for fiscal year 2026-27 for the main campus, which includes a 2% recurring increase, plus a 0.5% nonrecurring amount for recognition and retention of exceptional employees
In his report to the Board of Trustees, President Mung Chiang acknowledged the recent deaths of Phil Low, drug discovery scholar and faculty member, and
Tom Spurgeon,
former trustee and longtime benefactor. He also recognized faculty who received major awards from November 2025 through March 2026 and thanked friends of the university for their recent generous contributions. Additionally, Chiang provided a summation of four strategic pillars of Purdue’s Next Moves, which were announced in 2021: Transformative Education 2.0, National Security and Technology, Purdue Applied Research Institute and Plant Sciences 2.0.
Purdue Fort Wayne Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer provided trustees with a brief update on the university, including curriculum enhancements, regional workforce needs, enrollment challenges, reputation and recognition, and student engagement opportunities. He also reported on campus construction projects scheduled to wrap up this summer, including the
Surack-Sweetwater Music Industry Building and the 600-bed
Trace at Purdue Fort Wayne student housing complex, as well as a new, donor-funded art gallery that is in the planning stages.
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