How to use Purdue’s new, more interactive University calendar

Purdue University is introducing the fully branded Purdue University Events Calendar that comes with features to help the campus organize and promote events while presenting them in a fresh, meaningful way.

Purdue is partnering with software platform developer Localist on the new University calendar.

Here, we highlight how the campus community, visitors and the general public can use the calendar for personal event-going, submit events of general interest and interact regularly with its more robust features.

What’s new with the Purdue Events Calendar?

Event seekers can browse for events of interest and get essential details about events they have learned about elsewhere. Plus, they can create an account in the system and follow campus departments, organizations and venues to stay up to date on events. A personal “My Calendar” dashboard can be created, highlighting trending and upcoming happenings. Users also can build an Events Widget that can be embedded on any webpage to assist in promotional efforts.

Does the calendar have a way to customize events of interest?

Through a digest, the new calendar offers a customizable feature for users to create a profile on the site, allowing them to receive via email a personalized list of events weekly. The digests can be set to match your preferences for upcoming events. Choose the day of the week, and your inbox will have timely, upcoming events of particular interest to you. Digests also are a great way to stay informed and engaged in your community without having to proactively visit the site.

How are events published?

Users can submit events to the Purdue campus calendar once they have registered through Boiler Key. A user must be logged in to click on the submit event button. Only events sponsored or hosted by or in collaboration with a Purdue campus unit, college, department or student organization may be submitted to the Purdue calendar.

Please remember: Adding an event to the calendar does not schedule your space. You must still obtain proper approvals for the space and time before it can be added to the calendar. Use this link to schedule space for your event and reserve rooms at the Union Club Hotel.

What are some examples of eligible, ineligible events?

• Eligible activity examples
  • Special academic lectures or guest lectures open to the campus community.
  • Career fairs on campus or sponsored by a campus unit or a sanctioned student organization.
  • Admissions events and information sessions.
  • Athletics and club sport events.
    Department open houses.
  • Music and theater performances.
• Ineligible activity examples
  • Non-university social gatherings.
  • Closed office/departmental/organization/committee meetings.
  • Sales or special events by local businesses.
  • Non-university concerts, performances and sporting events that are not of interest to the Purdue community.

Who’s in charge of managing event postings?

Each Purdue unit has assigned a calendar administrator who will manage that department’s events calendar. The administrator will post events for their department as well as approve or deny events that have been submitted to be posted on the department’s calendar. Users should email eventcal@purdue.edu to request permission to gain administrative access to your unit’s calendar.

What guidelines are in place to post events?

It is recommended that you post your event as early as possible, but no later than one week before the event. Postings are approved by the administrator, who will review pending items a few times a week. The campus calendar also can be used as a planning resource. Postings will be restricted to events sponsored or co-sponsored by organizations or departments affiliated with Purdue, except under special circumstances. The calendar should not be used to submit a job posting or other non-event advertisements.

What sort of details are needed with a post?

The event submission form should include the event name, description of the event, time, date and location. Event names should use sentence capitalization, and event descriptions should be full sentences. Most campus locations are in the system. Please use the existing locations when possible. Events can be recurring. Events default as live (in-person) events, but there are options for online and hybrid events.  

What if there’s an admission charge for an event?

Ticketing and/or registration information can be part of an entry. The form allows ticket prices to be added along with a link to the purchase process. To register for free events, leave the price blank and provide a registration link. 

Can submitters use or upload an image to accompany their event?

Yes. Here are image recommendations: 

• JPG, PNG or GIF.
• Only landscape orientation and rectangular.
• Minimum size: 940 x 557 pixels.
• Maximum size: 1920 pixels wide.
• Recommended: 1080 pixels wide.
• Loosely cropped.

Where can I go for additional help?

The Localist support site, at support.localist.com, provides extensive and detailed information about the calendaring tool. Specific questions about Purdue’s calendar should be sent to eventcal@purdue.edu.