Planning for an In-Person Fall Semester at PNW

Dear PNW Students, Faculty and Staff:

We are very pleased to confirm that we are planning for an in-person Fall Semester at Purdue Northwest. As initially shared by Provost Holford in early February, we expect that we will see a return to robust operations of the university with significant interactive classroom experiences by the beginning of the fall 2021 semester.

Our decisions, as always, are based first and foremost on the health and safety of our university community. The Senior Leadership Team continues to closely monitor community spread of COVID-19. We are extremely proud of PNW’s response to the pandemic and the collective responsibility students, faculty and staff have shown for nearly a year now in helping to keep the number of cases reported on our campuses low. A special thanks to our Return to Campus Task Force who have worked diligently this past year.

We need to remain collectively vigilant. Our university protocols to protect each other remain in place at this time. We expect that some of the measures to protect public health will continue in the fall.  We expect most people who wish to be vaccinated will be by that time.

Classes will begin August 23 with priority registration for fall semester beginning March 29, and we encourage all current students to talk with your academic advisors to stay on track with your plan of study.

As a community of scholars, it is important for all of us to be present on campus to help make PNW a dynamic environment for students and to contribute to the university’s mission, vision and goals. Faculty should plan to be on campus for the fall semester to teach, hold office hours, and otherwise engage with students, colleagues and the activities of their departments and the university.

Of course, all of us have learned together through the experience of the past year that flexibility and adaptability are important parts of powering onward through this historic time together. While we are planning to resume in-person instruction and on-campus student activities, we must be ready to adjust should conditions indicate further precautions for the health and safety of our community.

Because of the outstanding efforts of our PNW community throughout this year, we want to emphasize that we are confident we will successfully return to a lively university this fall. We look forward to welcoming students and faculty back to the classrooms of our Westville and Hammond campuses, and once again sharing in the vibrant day-to-day connectedness of PNW.

Chancellor Thomas L. Keon and Provost Kenneth C. Holford