Office of the Chancellor

Summer Work Schedule and Changes to Remote Work

April 16, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

As we move toward the summer months, I’m pleased to announce that the university will once again implement a modified summer work schedule.

As we implement the schedule, which is outlined below, the university will also transition away from standardized or guaranteed remote work days. Unlike many organizations, universities—especially regional universities like Purdue Fort Wayne—are rooted in place. Universities are not faceless institutions, but living communities shaped by the people who gather, teach, learn, and grow together.

Across Indiana and the country, there is renewed recognition of the value of in-person connection, particularly in educational settings where students thrive through real-time engagement with faculty, staff, and peers. Indeed, directives at both the state and federal levels are mandating in-person work.

In that spirit—and given the rapidly evolving landscape in both the public and private sectors—we are making necessary adjustments to our summer schedule and workplace expectations that reflect both our mission and our students’ needs.

The parameters of this year’s summer program are that campus offices will be open for regular business Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, Employees are still expected to work a 40-hour week, with a typical work schedule of 9-hour work days Monday through Thursday and a 4-hour work day on Friday. Outside of those requirements, departments will continue to have the flexibility to set their scheduled hours, as needed and approved.

The university will be discontinuing scheduled remote work days for all departments; however, a supervisor may permit an employee to infrequently work remotely on an as-needed basis with advance supervisor approval.

These summer hours will be in effect from Monday, May 19, through Friday, August 1. Normal campus office hours with all in-person work schedules will resume on Monday, August 4, in order to fully prepare for the incoming fall class and operations for the next academic year.

The head of your department/unit will communicate specific summer hours for your area, and there may be some exceptions to accommodate university priorities. For instance, there are multiple New Student Orientation events scheduled over the next few months that will require some employees to be on campus outside of summer work schedules. Please direct any questions to your supervisor or to Human Resources.

I want to express my sincere appreciation for all that you do to support our students and one another. Your continued commitment is what makes our university not just a place of learning, but a vibrant and purposeful community.

Sincerely,

Ron Elsenbaumer
Chancellor