Purdue University is a public university system in the U.S. state of Indiana. A land-grant university, its main campus is in West Lafayette. With nearly 75,000 students, it is one of the largest university systems in the United States and includes four campuses, a statewide technology program, extension centers and continuing education programs. The main campus of Purdue University is noted for its engineering, agriculture, and business administration programs, which consistently rank among the best in the country and the world.
Purdue West Lafayette
Purdue University’s main and largest campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana on the banks of the Wabash River. This main campus anchors the Purdue system statewide, which comprises regional campuses, satellite technology-training centers, and county agricultural extension offices.
Purdue statewide
Regional campuses
Purdue University formerly operated two regional campuses, Purdue Calumet in Hammond and Purdue North Central near Westville. In 2016 Purdue combined the curriculum for its two regional campuses and now house it under one name: Purdue University Northwest (PNW). PNW runs two campuses in Northwest Indiana. Purdue also jointly operates three campuses with Indiana University: IPFW in Fort Wayne, IUPUI in Indianapolis, and IUPUC in Columbus. Of these joint campuses, two are semi-autonomous (including independent control of their own academic curricula) and degree-granting in over 175 programs each: IPFW (which is budgetarily administered under the auspices of Purdue University) and IUPUI (which is integrated into Indiana University's budget). IU-PU Columbus is a regional campus, similar to Purdue Northwest, but administered through IUPUI.
Technology centers
Purdue Polytechnic Institute operates eight satellite learning centers across Indiana. Degree programs at each location are regionally determined by current and projected workforce needs within the region. These technology centers throughout Indiana are in Anderson, Columbus, Kokomo, Lafayette, New Albany, Richmond, Vincennes, and South Bend. These locations offer certificate, associate, and/or bachelor's degrees, some of which are ABET-accredited technical degrees.
County cooperative extension offices
In conjunction with the state of Indiana, Purdue University operates one cooperative extension office in each of the 92 counties comprising Indiana. Each of these cooperative extension offices provides information and analysis for farmers, agricultural-industry employees, gardeners, naturalists, and homeowners. Cooperative Extension also includes youth development, family and consumer sciences, and community development.
History
Founding of the main campus
The state of Indiana received a gift of $150,000 from John Purdue, a Lafayette business leader and philanthropist, along with $50,000 from Tippecanoe County, and 150 acres (0.6 km²) of land from Lafayette residents in support of the project. In 1869, it was decided that the college would be founded near the city of Lafayette and established as Purdue University, in the name of the institution’s principal benefactor.
Classes first began at the Purdue main campus on September 16, 1874. Purdue issued its first degree, a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, in 1875. Architecturally, Purdue University buildings at the West Lafayette campus generally feature red brick.
Extension centers become degree-granting regional campuses
After the return of a large number of veterans at the close of World War II, Purdue University opened over forty extension centers throughout Indiana. Through these many extension centers Purdue University offered freshman-level classes for both the purpose of the convenience of students starting their college studies close to their residence before taking the more major step of transferring to the main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana as well as the purpose of off-loading a substantial number of freshmen from scarce residential and classroom resources of which the main campus was in short supply to handle a rapid major expansion in its enrollment following the periods of smaller enrollment during both the Great Depression and World War II.
Of these over forty extension centers, five were retained over the multiple decades since WWII and transformed into institutions that grant degrees that require four or more years of study. Of these five, three of themâ€"IPFW, IUPUI, and Purdue Calumet (now part of Purdue Northwest)â€"are medium-sized residential, research universities that each grant 100 to 200 different degrees, majors, or programs across a wide diversity of areas of study. In fact, with enrollment approaching 30,000 students, IUPUI is more properly categorized as a large university in its own right that grants doctorate degrees as well as masters, bachelors, and associate degrees, but at IUPUI the number of Indiana University programs and students is significantly larger than the number of Purdue University programs and students at IUPUI.
IPFW
Following the lead of Indiana University's downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana extension center that was established in 1917, Purdue University founded the Purdue Fort Wayne Extension Center downtown in the fall of 1941 to provide a site in Fort Wayne for students to begin their undergraduate studies prior to transferring to the West Lafayette main campus to complete their degree. Under the direction of Purdue University president Frederick Hovde, Indiana University President Herman Wells, IU trustee John Hastings, and Purdue Trustee Alfred Kettler, Sr, the Indiana University and Purdue University extension centers began merging in 1958. To serve the extension centers' now combined mission in Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne's Indiana-Purdue Foundation purchased 216 acres (0.87 km2) of farmland at the then-suburban northern edge of Fort Wayne. The new Indiana Universityâ€"Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) campus opened on September 17, 1964 following nearly two years of construction that began on October 18, 1962. IPFW is now a 520-acre (2.1 km2) campus on both sides of the Saint Joseph River with 13 educational buildings, plus student residences and various other athletic facilities and parking structures. IPFW awarded its first four-year degree in 1968 after awarding two-year degrees through the IU Fort Wayne extension center prior to the formation of the joint IPFW campus. Most of IPFW is administered through Purdue University, although the medical programs and the library are administered through Indiana University. IPFW's degrees are awarded by either Purdue University or Indiana University on a program-by-program basis. IPFW's curriculum contains over 170 degrees, majors, or programs. Architecturally, IPFW buildings generally feature brown or tan brick as a variation on Purdue West Lafayette's red brick.
IUPUI
Following the model of the downtown Indianapolis, Indiana permanent extension center established by Indiana University in 1916, Purdue University founded the Purdue Indianapolis Extension Center downtown in the fall of 1946 to provide a site in Indianapolis for students to begin their undergraduate studies prior to transferring to the West Lafayette main campus to complete their degree. The Indiana University School of Medicine was established at Indianapolis in phases between 1911 and 1919. In 1944, Indiana University acquired the Indiana Law School, which is now the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. In 1969, the Purdue University Indianapolis Extension Center merged into the Indiana University Indianapolis campus to form IUPUI. IUPUI awarded its first four-year undergraduate degree in 1970, having previously awarded graduate degrees in law and medicine for decades through the Indiana University Indianapolis campus. In 1974 Indiana University was reorganized to make the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses the two core campuses of the Indiana University system. IUPUI is administered through Indiana University. IUPUI's Purdue University programs are in two schools that are academically affiliated with Purdue University. IUPUI's degrees are awarded by either Purdue University or Indiana University on a program-by-program basis. IUPUI's curriculum contains over 170 degrees, majors, or programs. Architecturally, IUPUI buildings generally feature Indiana limestone, as IU Bloomington buildings do as well. IUPUI is located on a 285-acre (1.15Â km2) campus west of downtown Indianapolis. The Purdue University programs at the Purdue Indianapolis Extension Center awarded their first two-year degrees in 1947.
IUPUC
Indiana University first opened their extension center in Columbus, Indiana in the fall of 1941. Purdue University first opened their extension center in Columbus in the fall of 1942. IUPUI Columbus began operations on 17 August 1970 as an extension of IUPUI. The building which currently houses IUPUC was first occupied by IUPUI Columbus in 1974. The name of IUPUI Columbus was changed to IUPUC in 1994. IUPUC is administered through IUPUI. IUPUC's degrees are awarded by either Purdue University or Indiana University on a program-by-program basis. Because IUPUC grants only one master's degree, 15 bachelor's degrees, and 6 associate degrees, IUPUC is still in the early part of the transformation from feeder-campus status (where students are expected to transfer to the main campuses of IUPUI, Purdue University, or Indiana University Bloomington for completion of their degree) to full university status (where students can pursue at the same campus any one of a wide diversity of degrees, majors, or programs offered by any of multiple colleges or schools based at that campus).
Purdue University Calumet
Purdue University Calumet first opened for classes at its current site in 1951 after having started offering classes in Hammond in 1946. Purdue University Calumet is located on 194 acres (0.79Â km2) in Hammond, Indiana. Purdue University Calumet awarded its first two-year degree in the spring of 1967. Purdue University Calumet views itself as very closely affiliated with the main campus although its size and diversity reveals that Purdue University Calumet is a stand-alone institution in its own right. As of 2016 Purdue University Calumet, and Purdue University North Central have merged and created a new University known as Purdue University Northwest.
Purdue University North Central
Purdue University North Central's first permanent site in which classes were offered was in John Barker's former mansion in 1948 in Michigan City, Indiana, which was donated by his heirs. In the fall of 1967 Purdue North Central relocated to a 155-acre (0.63Â km2) site north of Westville, Indiana, which is now expanded to 268 acres (1.08Â km2). Because Purdue University North Central grants only two master's degrees, 12 bachelor's degrees and 11 associate degrees and is academically organized into 10 departments which do not belong to PNC-based schools or PNC-based colleges, Purdue University North Central is still in the early part of the transformation from feeder-campus status (where students are expected to transfer to the main campus for completion of their degree) to full university status (where students can pursue at the same campus any one of a wide diversity of degrees, majors, or programs offered by any of multiple colleges or schools based at that campus). As of 2016 Purdue University Calumet, and Purdue University North Central have merged and created a new University known as Purdue University Northwest.
Purdue University Northwest
Purdue University Northwest was created as a merger of Purdue North Central and Purdue Calumet. The merger was announced in 2015. New students are being accepted as Purdue University Northwest students. The first cohort of students will enter Purdue Northwest for the fall 2016 semester.
Athletics
Three campuses of the Purdue University system sponsor Division I or IA NCAA teams. The West Lafayette main campus sponsors 18 Division I/IA NCAA teams (the Purdue Boilermakers). IPFW sponsors 16 Division I NCAA teams (the Fort Wayne Mastodons). IUPUI sponsors 14 Division I NCAA teams (the IUPUI Jaguars).
Administration
Purdue University is managed by a ten-member board of trustees who are appointed by the governor of Indiana. Three of these trustees are Purdue graduates nominated by the alumni association, while another must be a current full-time student.
The university president is the chief executive officer of Purdue. Each campusâ€"with the exceptions of West Lafayette and IUPUCâ€"also has a chancellor. The powers of a chancellor at the West Lafayette campus are exercised by the president. IUPUC's leader has the title of vice-chancellor and serves under the chancellor of IUPUI.
See also
- Wikipedia Books: Purdue University â€" System, Academics, Athletics, Campus, Student life, and People
References
External links
- Purdue University main campus
- Indiana Universityâ€"Purdue University Columbus
- Indiana Universityâ€"Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Indiana Universityâ€"Purdue University Indianapolis
- Purdue University Calumet
- Purdue University North Central
- Purdue University Data Digest
- Purdue University Extension Service
- Purdue University College of Technology Statewide
