Potential January Term to be topic of campuswide conversation

Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, will host a virtual campuswide conversation to discuss the possibility of adding a January Term to the academic calendar.

The virtual conversation is scheduled for 1-2 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 25). All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to read the proposal, submit their questions and join the virtual conversation here.

“Purdue has explored the idea of some form of ‘Winter Session’ at various points over time, and students and instructors have continued to ask about the possibilities of offering such a session,” Akridge said. “In response to instructor and student interest, this idea has been raised again by our deans as something Purdue should consider post COVID-19.”

Kris Wong Davis, vice provost for enrollment management (chair), and Marion Underwood, dean of health and human sciences (co-chair), have led the proposal development group and will be on the panel. They will be joined by Erik Otarola-Castillo, chair, Educational Policy Committee, and Alex Francis, chair, Faculty Affairs Committee, University Senate; Hannah Darr, vice president, Purdue Student Government; and Jenna Rickus, vice provost for teaching and learning, in responding to questions about the January Term idea.

The four-week January Term would allow students to take courses needed to progress toward their degrees, study abroad, enroll in immersive experiences, or take courses in subjects of interest that don’t fit into their normal semester schedule. Undergraduate and graduate J-term courses could be offered through face-to-face, online or hybrid instruction. The proposed January Term would be managed much like the summer session and would be completely optional and voluntary for both students and instructors.