Purdue Fort Wayne to Move to Online Classes Beginning on March 23

March 11, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

I wish to follow up on this morning’s message to campus regarding Purdue Fort Wayne’s response to the global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), which has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. We are dealing with highly unusual circumstances that prompt us to take unprecedented measures to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our campus community.

We would like to share some critically important information pertaining to the university’s delivery of classes going forward, as well as information regarding student housing, campus operations, and events.

As we communicated earlier today, Purdue Fort Wayne has extended its spring break for students for an additional week to align with Purdue University’s break. Purdue Fort Wayne’s spring break will now end on Sunday, March 22. Note that the extended spring break does not apply to Indiana University Fort Wayne students; those students will attend their IU classes, as scheduled, but their Purdue Fort Wayne classes will be delayed through March 22.

Purdue Fort Wayne faculty and staff should still report to work on Monday, March 16, as scheduled; however, there will be no instructional activity that week.

Beginning on Monday, March 23, all Purdue Fort Wayne classes will be taught online until further notice (potentially through the end of the semester). All students will begin taking their classes fully online on March 23 and will continue to do so until further notice.

Faculty and staff will be receiving additional information from the Center for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) in the next few days that will include details regarding course preparation and delivery via Blackboard. Likewise, students will be receiving information regarding how they will access online classes. For immediate questions regarding online classes, please contact Adam Dircksen, director of CELT, at [email protected].

To be clear, the campus is currently open and will remain open after spring break. All buildings, offices, and core services are open and will continue to operate on normal schedules. Faculty and staff should continue to report to work; however, students should not come to campus for classes, student activities, or recreation.

The final exam schedule for spring semester remains unchanged. We are looking at possible options for exam week, including exams being conducted online/remotely. Additionally, commencement is currently scheduled for May 13; any decisions on the commencement ceremony will be made at a later date.

Students who have questions that are not related to online classes or coursework—accommodations, services, programs, etc.—may send a message to [email protected].

Students who live in on-campus apartments or university-contracted off-campus apartments and are traveling on spring break have the option of choosing whether to return to campus and their apartments. Likewise, students currently living in apartments have the option of choosing whether they wish to remain. We will work to ensure that all students can complete their program of study online, whether they reside in campus housing or seek other accommodations. Additional information on housing will be sent to impacted students this evening. Students may send questions regarding student housing to [email protected].

I would like to stress that there are no cases of COVID-19 on campus, and we are committed to keeping the campus as healthy as possible. Our Campus Health Clinic and counseling services are open on normal schedules to serve students, faculty, and staff. Lutheran Health Network, which operates the clinic, has established a dedicated phone line to assist with COVID-19 screenings and referrals. Members of the university community may call this line directly at 260-435-5050.

March and April are typically filled with campus events. However, following Purdue University’s lead, and in an abundance of caution, we are canceling all university-sponsored events on campus until further notice. This includes, but is not limited to, large events like the remainder of the season for the Omnibus Speaker Series (March 31 and April 15), Spring Campus Visit Day (March 22), the Health Fair (March 25), the Career Fair (April 2), Mastodons Big Night (April 10), Employee Recognition Event (April 16), the Top 50 Dinner (April 17), and the Chancellor’s Signing Day (April 26). Some events may be rescheduled for fall 2020. Additional cancellations and postponements will be posted on the university’s events calendar in the days ahead.

We will continue to keep you updated via multiple communication channels. Beginning next week, Inside Purdue Fort Wayne, our faculty and staff newsletter, will temporarily shift focus to information specifically related to the university’s response to COVID-19 and other emergency management topics. Its delivery frequency may also increase, depending on need. Students will also begin receiving the newsletter via their official Purdue email during this time. As a reminder, the most recent information regarding the university’s status and operations, including regularly updated FAQs, will always be available on our COVID-19 website.

On behalf of the entire leadership team, I extend my thanks to everyone who is working so hard to ensure that our students have the resources they need to continue receiving the first-rate education provided by our dedicated faculty and staff.

We know we can rely on the entire community to be creative, flexible, and supportive as we continue to forge a path forward with new ideas, new plans, and new ways of serving our students.

Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Ron Elsenbaumer

Chancellor