Office of the Chancellor

Working Smart and Staying Safe

April 28, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

As our response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your dedication and perseverance in working toward a successful conclusion for this extraordinary spring semester. Classes are ending, final exams and grades will soon be complete, and in just a few weeks we will begin the first summer session in an entirely online environment.

We continue to face the daily challenge of charting the path forward amid a rapidly changing landscape of federal and state guidelines and requirements—balanced with our commitment to providing an outstanding education for our students in a safe and secure environment.

The most frequent question we have heard from members of our campus community during the past week is, what is the plan for returning to campus?

As you may be aware, Purdue University has issued preliminary guidelines for the West Lafayette campus, based on guidance from the university’s Safe Campus Task Force. Purdue Fort Wayne will generally follow that same plan; however, our own plan will also have nuances that are specific to our campus and our own community.

Most importantly, regardless of when Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb lifts the stay-at-home executive order, employees who can work remotely should continue to do so through the end of June. All instructional activity will continue online at least through the end of the first summer session.

Consistent with Purdue’s guidelines, and contingent upon ongoing assessment and guidance from public health and government officials, Purdue Fort Wayne hopes to begin an initial return to campus for those in student support roles beginning July 1. We will continue to strictly adhere to public health protocols issued by local, state, and federal agencies, including best practices for social distancing and personal protection.

All other employees are asked to continue to work remotely at least until July 1 or until further notice.

Additionally, I have asked each vice chancellor to assess their individual units and begin planning for safe, responsible, common-sense solutions for beginning to bring employees back to campus in an orderly and strategic fashion sometime after July 1, if public health conditions permit. The reality is that the safest solutions likely will be those that utilize a combination of employees working on campus and remotely. Each administrative and academic unit has unique considerations, including density of staffing, office layouts, disinfectant protocols, nature of the work, and public-facing responsibilities. The health and safety of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors continues to be the overarching driver of every decision we make. We have already devoted much time and effort to identifying and planning for the different scenarios we may encounter over the coming months. Our flexibility and ingenuity continue to serve us well during the COVID-19 response.

A reminder that all on-campus events have been canceled or postponed through June. We are in the process of making final decisions on commencement and the second summer session and will communicate additional information in the coming week.

Meanwhile, we will continue to keep you informed regarding the status of the university during these challenging times. This includes distributing the daily special edition of Inside Purdue Fort Wayne via email to all students, faculty, and staff. And the latest news and information will always be posted on the university’s comprehensive COVID-19 website.

Thank you for the flexibility, dedication, and compassion you have exhibited during the past weeks. I would have expected nothing less. After all, we are Mastodons—and we’re in this together.

Sincerely,

Ron Elsenbaumer
Chancellor