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Mid-September 2020 Newsletter
COVID-19 Information from Purdue
Although we are continuing to keep families updates with information sent to the Purdue community, for the most up-to-date information and FAQ's please visit the Protect Purdue website, and the Purdue COVID-19 Dashboard.
Spring 2021 Alternative Academic Calendar
Spring 2021 instruction will begin Tuesday, Jan. 19; to allow for this later start and to minimize mass travel to and from campus during the semester, the customary spring break period has been eliminated. In its place, three reading days have been added throughout the semester. More about the Spring semester announcement.
Reminder - students must upload flu vaccination documentation by October 31
Receiving the annual flu vaccination this fall is a condition to being on campus. Students may receive their flu shot during one of several campus flu shot events. Proof of the flu shot from a medical provider is required; students will need to scan or photograph their documentation and submit it to the Student Health Center portal. More information is available here.
Where to study, print and eat on campus
If your student is looking for a place to study on campus this fall, Purdue University and the Libraries have many socially distant options available both indoors and out! Additional information about using Purdue libraries resources can be found here. Information is also available for students looking for a place to print or a place to eat.
New team tackles more frequent, intensive disinfection on West Lafayette campus
Nine zones, more than 80 buildings, thousands of high-touch surfaces and one, central mission – to help Protect Purdue. The newly formed Expanded Disinfecting Operations Team (EDOT) is working each day to help protect the health and safety of the campus community.
Students, faculty and visitors will find EDOT team members wearing black vests and personal protective equipment (PPE) while wiping down handrails, doorknobs, faucets and other frequently touched surfaces. EDOT is part of Physical Facilities Building Services and was formed in July to conduct more frequent and intensive disinfection practices. EDOT is made up of nine smaller teams that are assigned to different zones across the West Lafayette campus. More.
Protect Purdue Health Center (PPHC)
Ask your student to program the PPHC phone number into their cell
Faculty, staff and students are being encouraged to program the Protect Purdue Health Center (PPHC) phone number into their phone to ensure they are aware if PPHC is attempting to contact them. The phone number for the PPHC is 765-496-4636.
Remind them what to do if they are sick
All faculty, staff and students are expected to monitor for and report all symptoms of COVID-19 to the Protect Purdue Health Center.
First Steps
- If you they are sick, experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, students should stay home and do not attend work or class. If students are at work or in class when symptoms begin, they should go home immediately.
- Students should inform their supervisor and/or instructor of their absence and contact the Protect Purdue Health Center 24/7 at 765-496-INFO (4636) or toll-free at 833-571-1043 by pressing “1.” (A call tree option is available after hours.) Your student will be connected with a registered nurse case manager, who will help determine the appropriate course of care, which could include self-quarantine and a COVID-19 test.
Next Steps
- Students, faculty and staff are expected to follow the directions provided by the case manager from the Protect Purdue Health Center, including any testing, contact tracing and quarantine or isolation instructions.
- Students, faculty or staff should not return to work or class until they receive clearance to do so from the Protect Purdue Health Center.
Protect Purdue Mask Design Contest
The Protect Purdue Ambassadors are running a mask design competition open to all students. Students are able to download the digital template file and either digitally design or hand draw a design onto the template. Submitted designs will then be voted on using the official Purdue social media channels. The winning mask design will be printed and distributed to the student body at various Protect Purdue events.
Featured Stories
U.S. News & World Report rankings: Purdue nation’s 5th-most innovative school
Purdue University is the fifth-most innovative school in the country in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, released Monday (Sept. 14). It’s a one-spot improvement over last year’s rankings, with Purdue overtaking Stanford University for the fifth spot. More.
Steps to Leaps
Next week on Wednesday, September 23, 7-8 p.m. EST and Thursday, September 24, 12-1 p.m. EST, students are invited to chat with alumni on how the Steps to Leaps Pillars have been incorporated into their time as students and leading into their personal and professional lives during the Boiler to Boiler networking event. For registration information and ways to prepare students can visit the Steps to Leaps website.
Parent & Family Virtual Events
Parent & Family Connections is excited to bring families virtual opportunities to learn more about resources at Purdue so you can best guide your student. Save the date for Tuesday, September 22 from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Eastern to learn more about Support Services available through the Dean of Students and Counseling and Psychological Services. Login information for Tuesday's event will be sent to families Tuesday morning. Not receiving our communications? Subscribe here!
A look inside a HyFlex classroom: How blending remote and face-to-face instruction helps students, instructors succeed
Weeks before Purdue University made the shift to remote learning last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nathan Mentzer, an associate professor in Purdue’s Polytechnic Institute and College of Education, started blending both face-to-face and online instruction in his classrooms for 680 students.
As he watched the world respond to the pandemic in anticipation of how it would soon affect his own students, Mentzer wanted to give his students the option to stay home and participate in class in real-time online or physically attend on any given day. That “hybrid-flexible” model – also known as HyFlex – has proved to be successful. More.
Purdue announces fall enrollment numbers
Purdue University’s enrollment at its flagship campus is the highest ever.
This year’s total enrollment at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus reached a record of 46,114 students. This includes 35,122 undergraduates, over 18,000 of whom are Indiana residents and over 8,700 of whom are considered domestic minorities. The incoming class of 8,925 students includes 4,367 Indiana residents.
This year’s incoming class is the largest in Purdue history, signaling continued student demand for a Purdue education. To prepare for the larger number of students, Purdue has opened two new campus residence halls, a new science teaching lab building and additional dining retail food options. More.
Purdue draws record number of high achievers from historically underserved populations through new Emerging Leaders Science Scholars program
The program – Emerging Leaders Science Scholars – accepted its first cohort of students this summer and fall, and is already proving to be an immensely successful pilot on behalf of all of Purdue. Most of the program’s students are on campus taking in-person and hybrid classes, while other students are participating in online learning. More.
Mackey Arena to Serve as Vote Center in 2020 Election
Purdue University and the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections have announced that Mackey Arena will serve as a vote center for the 2020 Election.
The facility will be open from 11 a.m., to 6 p.m. ET, on Oct. 14, for on-campus early voting and then again from 6 a.m., to 6 p.m., on Nov. 3, for day-of voting.
The vote center, which will consist of 10 voting stations on Oct. 14, and 15 on Nov. 3, will be open to Purdue faculty, staff, students and all visitors. By Indiana State Election Law, all vote centers must be open to the general public. The Mackey Arena location allows for a vote center without bringing visitors to the center of campus. More about the vote center in Mackey. For updates about voting at Purdue, visit the Purdue Votes webpage, follow Purdue Votes Coalition on Instagram at @CELDPurdue or on Facebook.
Voter Registration
In person
If your student is registering to vote locally (in Tippecanoe County), they can Purdue Votes in Krach 336 to register. They are open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. They can also provide assistance with registering to vote in student's hometown and have stamps available for absentee ballot request forms.
Online
If your student has an Indiana Driver’s License or Indiana state-issued ID, they can visit indianavoters.com. If they are registering in their home state (not Indiana), they should visit https://allintovote.org/register/ to register to vote, confirm their voter registration status, and determine how and where to vote.
In the state of Indiana, voters have to bring an acceptable ID with a photo and printed expiration date. The following qualify as acceptable forms of identification:
- Indiana Driver’s License
- Indiana state-issued ID
- United States Passport
- Updated Purdue ID with printed expiration date
- Or a military or veteran's ID will also work (no expiration date required)
If your student does not have any of the above forms of identification or they need to update their Purdue ID, students can email leadership@purdue.edu to be assisted through the process. The League of Women Voters of Greater Lafayette is reimbursing students needing to update their PurdueID to obtain one with an expiration date - more info.
Dates
October 5, Last day for grade correction for spring semester 2019-20 and 2020 Summer Session (5 p.m. Eastern)
October 12, Schedule of classes published for Spring 2020 Term
October 16, Second 8-week courses begin
October 24, Boilermaker football resumes
October 27, Last day to withdraw from a course with a W or WF grade; Last day to add/modify a course with instructor, advisor, and department head signature (5 p.m. Eastern)
October 31, students must submit flu vaccination documentation
November 24, Face-to-face instruction ends
November 25-28, Thanksgiving Vacation
November 30, Remote instruction (through end of semester)
December 5, Classes end
December 7-12, Final Exams
December 12, Semester Ends
January 19, Spring Semester Begins