Public safety, health and well-being for students, staff and faculty

Dear Purdue students, faculty and staff colleagues,

Coming off the Labor Day holiday weekend, we want to share some reminders about physical safety, health and well-being and what we can do together to make this a successful semester. For all of us.

The reminders in this message are lengthy, but they are substantive and important. With our bustling Purdue community of students, faculty and staff now exceeding a population of 60,000, the more informed we are, the more prepared we can be to make the right decisions for the benefit and well-being of our fellow students and colleagues.

Safety and health reminders

For our community of students, faculty and staff that’s larger than many Indiana cities, we have seen since Boiler Gold Rush how busy campus can be. That’s been made even more pleasant with the beautiful late-summer days we’ve enjoyed since the start of the semester.

With the mix of pedestrians, bicycles, skateboards, and motorized and manual scooters, be vigilant in your campus comings and goings. Purdue police remind our students, faculty, staff and visitors to put safety first while navigating our busy streets, sidewalks and bicycle paths, asking everyone to play their part by simply paying attention to their surroundings. Additional information about pedestrian safety is available on the  Transportation Services website.

As we prepared for this semester, we worked with the city of West Lafayette to reduce the speed limits for roads and streets on and around campus. Lower vehicle speeds lead to safer pedestrian movement, especially on a large college campus like Purdue.

Students, faculty and staff in need of an escort to and from campus buildings for safety purposes also can utilize the Safe Walk Program 24 hours a day by calling 765-494-SAFE (7233).

Additional safeguards are nearly 300 Emergency Telephone System (ETS) boxes at almost every street intersection and other strategic locations on campus. The ETS boxes are yellow or black, have a blue light on top and are marked “EMERGENCY” or “911.”

We provided information for our campus community during the first week of classes, highlighting what we prepare for in case of an emergency and what a potential response might look like. Our comprehensive Emergency Procedures Guide has additional information for our response to a variety of scenarios.

A full list of resources available for addressing the health and well-being needs of all our students, staff and faculty is available below at the end of the message. These are in addition to your personal networks — those friends, family, advisors, coaches, supervisors, past teachers, clergy, mentors and others that you turn to when life’s challenges arise.

Cyberattack response plans

As we were recently reminded by our Big Ten peers, the Purdue community is not immune to either physical safety threats or potential cyberattack on our university information technology and network systems.

For the security of our systems, we have protective measures in place and communications procedures that can be pushed out through our social media channels in the event of a malicious cyberattack aimed at Purdue.

In an extreme situation, the Purdue.edu homepage will host the most vital information, and the @LifeAtPurdue Twitter/X account will provide clear and factual information. All other university-affiliated accounts will be locked down. Updates will be published every 15 minutes.

We also remind our students, faculty and staff to do your part in protecting yourselves and the information and equipment that belongs to you or to the university. Additional safety tips are designed to help thwart cybersecurity crimes.

Action Council on Student Housing and Well-being

The Action Council on Student Housing and Well-being, a universitywide initiative launched in January, has been busy working on the behalf of our students, faculty and staff to provide that environment for success. We’re listening, we’re responding and we’re making demonstrable progress with investments in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and approval of two new residence hall constructions.

There’s a strong spirit of collaboration and open dialogue on the Action Council as we work together to support and advance a culture for you — our undergraduate, master’s, doctorate and professional students — to pursue your highest aspirations and achieve them.

With that in mind, members of the Action Council are taking significant steps on behalf of our 38,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 master’s, professional and doctorate students, whose scholarship powers our research and teaching missions.

During this past week’s meeting, the Action Council, which brings together undergraduate and graduate student group leaders, university officials, parents and faculty, pledged to:

• Define the next steps related to graduate student housing.
  
• Work across the Big Ten Academic Alliance to enhance data collection and sharing, to continually assess our competitive position on graduate student stipends.
  
• Study and explore undergraduate hourly pay rates across the university.
  
• Consider recommendations from student representatives on the council to add a student well-being day and list two student-run mental health action weeks (one per semester) on the academic calendar.
  
• Explore allowing graduate students to utilize Purdue employee travel contracts and preferred rates.
  
• Collaborate with a move by the Purdue Graduate Student Government to send a team of students through mental health first-aid training to assist others.

Health and well-being additional support

As part of our persistent, ongoing efforts within the Action Council, we have listened and responded to our community by expanding the resources and support systems that address your physical and mental health and well-being. As part of that effort, we established Therapy Assistance Online (TAO).

A free, confidential well-being program, TAO evolved from a commitment we made earlier this year to grow our investment in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Urgency and responsiveness are critical during a crisis, and TAO is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Our campuswide efforts include the self-care tools that are part of the Steps to Leaps initiative, which is designed to bolster student success by offering tools, resources and support for all aspects of your life.

Just as important, if you are sick or not feeling well, it’s OK to stay home.

As our Fall 2023 semester gains momentum, we are grateful that each of you has chosen to be here with us as a valued member of our Purdue community. We wish you all a terrific semester. One brick higher each day: Boiler Up!

Patrick Wolfe, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity

Chris Ruhl, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Jay Wasson, Vice President and Chief Public Safety Officer

Health and well-being resources for students, staff and faculty:

• CAPS, Counseling and Psychological Services, has same-day or next-day appointments. Contact 765-494-6995 to make an appointment. Services are brief in nature. There are no predefined session limits. Crisis services are available 24/7. Call 911 if your crisis is life-threatening. After-hours support is available by calling the CAPS main number and pressing 1.
  
• TAO offers self-guided resources including short videos, brief exercises and self-reflection tools to help overcome anxiety, depression, loneliness and other concerns and to assist with topics including social support, relaxation and problem-solving. To enroll, click on the link and log in using your Purdue credentials.
  
• PUSH, the Purdue University Student Health center, strives to keep you healthy and well. If it is right for you, consider getting a COVID-19 booster and/or flu shot. If you are sick or have a fever, get checked out! Delaying care can lead to worsening conditions.
  
• Recreation and Wellness provides our community with activities that contribute to learning and the pursuit of an active, healthy lifestyle. This excellent resource offers exercise, fitness training, nutrition counseling, wellness coaching, a mindfulness space, financial literacy/ Boiler Financial Track and, in general, an excellent social outlet.
  
• ODOS Student Support Services: Some students may not need to see a licensed clinician to feel better and/or supported. The Office of the Dean of Students is staffed with professionals who care deeply about students and their success. To visit a student support specialist between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, visit the office on the second floor of Schleman Hall, and they can help.
  
• Student of Concern: Worried about another student? Report your concern through the Student of Concern Report.