COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information For ME Graduate Students
Purdue COVID-19 Info: https://protect.purdue.edu
Purdue COVID-19 Call Center: 765-496-INFO (765-496-4636)
Immigration Changes: https://www.purdue.edu/ippu/iss/immigrationChanges.html
Alternative Delivery of DRC Services to Students and Faculty: https://www.purdue.edu/drc/about/updates.php
How do I get cleared to be on campus?
I just tested positive for COVID-19. What do I do?
I'm a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant, and I have questions about COVID.
UPDATED January 26, 2021: Process for students to submit documentation (transcripts, diplomas, etc.) to the Graduate School Office of Graduate Admissions for Spring 2021. The Graduate School (Young Hall, Room 170) will have very limited office hours this semester as most employees are continuing to work remotely. Here are the times the office will be open. These times and dates will also be posted on the office door. These are the ONLY days and times that students will be able to submit their documentation.
- Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to Noon
- Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to Noon
- Fridays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The process for submission of documents will be the SAME as in the fall semester as members of the admission team will not be meeting face-to-face with students.
- Students will come to Young Hall, Room 170 to submit documentation
- The documents will be placed in a drop-box located at the front desk, which is behind plexiglass
- Documents will not be processed at the time of submission which would include any documentation that requires a copy to be made and the original returned (diplomas)
- Students will be contacted by email when the documents have been verified and ready to be picked up. They will need to bring their PUID with them at time of pick-up.
All students (who have not already submitted the documents) admitted with a condition of continued enrollment since Spring 2020 will have a hold date of March 1, 2021. This will also include students in distance programs or those who have opted for the online option for this semester.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 6, 2020: If you opted in fully online for Fall 2020, you will have option to stay in fully online or switch to in-person class for Spring 2021. If you chose in-person class for Fall 2020, you can’t opt in fully online for Spring 2021. You can still take class remotely with instructor permission and you will pay regular rate tuition for Spring 2021.
If you deferred your admission to Spring 2021 and would like to start online class for Spring 2021, please email your request to megradoffice@purdue.edu ASAP but no later than spring classes start.
UPDATED JULY 28, 2020: I am coming to campus from an international location. How do I make self-quarantine arrangements? (from https://protect.purdue.edu/students/campus-2020/#international-students)
All students returning to campus from an international location are required to self-quarantine for 14-days before resuming any campus activities.
At this time, all available quarantine space through Purdue has been reserved. Students are responsible for making their own arrangements for quarantine space off campus.
Once you have determined where you will self-quarantine, please contact the Protect Purdue Health Center 24/7 at 765-496-INFO (4636) or toll-free at 833-571-1043 (press option “1”) to discuss your quarantine arrangements. You’ll be connected with a nurse case manager, who will give you exact instructions to follow during your quarantine period.
The Protect Purdue Health Center will also help you make COVID-19 testing arrangements for during your quarantine period, and will be the entity that provides you with medical clearance to return to campus.
How do I self-quarantine? (from https://protect.purdue.edu/updates/ufaqs/how-do-i-self-quarantine-updated-may-31/)
Anyone undergoing a self-quarantine should follow the CDC’s self-quarantine guidelines.
Returning international travelers should contact the Protect Purdue Health Center 24/7 at 765-496-INFO (4636) or 833-571-1043 (toll free) (press option “1”) to discuss quarantine arrangements. A nurse case manager will give you exact instructions to follow during your quarantine period. They will also give you medical clearance to return to campus after your self-quarantine is complete. If you are unable to contact the PPHC via phone, you may email quarantine@121.health.
For additional questions on monitoring your health, contact the Protect Purdue Health Center at 765-496-INFO (4636) or 833-571-1043 (toll free) (press option “1”).
If I travel during the semester, do I have to quarantine when I return to campus?
It is strongly advised that you do not travel during the semester. If you are traveling to a high-risk area, you will need to self-quarantine for 14 days when you return to campus, and you are advised to get tested 5-7 days after returning to determine if you are infected. Some states will require you to quarantine before entering their state, so you would be adding the additional quarantine time to your trip. International travel is restricted and requires 14 days of quarantine and a negative test before returning to campus. We advise you to use common sense, and if you leave the Purdue community, to quarantine upon return. See the Protect Purdue site for more information about travel, self-quarantine, and testing requirements.
What is the required testing for current, international arriving, or new domestic students? What is the difference between isolation and quarantine?
Any individual traveling internationally must quarantine at home or off-campus for a full 14 days upon return to the US and prior to returning to the Purdue campus for any reason. During quarantine, individuals should minimize contact with others, monitor for COVID-19 related symptoms, and report any change in health status to the Protect Purdue Health Center (PPHC). You may leave your quarantine location to pick up food or supplies, with proper precautions, such as wearing a mask and social distancing. It does not mean you should go out for social events, eat at restaurants, or come to campus. For more information on quarantine, please see the CDC website.
In addition to quarantine, all students must complete a COVID-19 virus test and report results to the PPHC, especially if your test is not conducted through the PPHC. Please contact the PPHC to coordinate getting your test scheduled, free of charge.
Any student testing positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for 10 days from when symptoms first appeared or your COVID-19 test was taken. Isolation can be at home or off-campus. A positive test result indicates that an individual has been infected with the COVID-19 virus, which requires total isolation from others to prevent the spread of the disease. If you live with others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area and away from other people or animals, including pets. Use a separate bathroom, if available, or increase cleaning of multiple use facilities. You should not leave your isolation location except for medical appointments. For more information on isolation vs quarantine, please see the CDC website.
If you need assistance with coordinating your responsibilities while in isolation, contact megradoffice@purdue.edu.
Even in normal times, but especially during COVID, you should prepare a sheet of contact information listing your major professor, employment supervisor if different than your major professor, instructors, lab mates, and others who may need to know if you are unable to participate in courses or work. Should you need assistance, you might need to share this information with your graduate contact or other individuals who might follow up with these persons on your behalf, if necessary. All employees should have an updated emergency contact on file with the university.
Graduate Teaching Assistants are encouraged to know the steps to be taken should they be unable to teach a class, either in person or online. This should be provided by your supervisor but, if not, ask! Leave policies are summarized on the Graduate School FAQ webpage.
As with any emergency preparedness discussion, planning for all options is critical. Just as you would have a few days of food available in case of tornados or seasonal flu, consider having appropriate food reserves and other household items that might be necessary. Additional medical supplies are very important. We encourage you to read the CDC website for how to prepare for quarantine or isolation. This is a time to step up and help each other should a friend or lab mate need to isolate. Please reach out and offer assistance if necessary.
UPDATE May 12, 2020: For master’s or PhD students who are conducting research off-campus for greater than 22 days, the new G.S. Form 19 is required to be completed and submitted to the grad school. Students will need to file this form at least one month prior to each session they plan to be conducting off-campus research. For PhDs it should be used when the student has not completed prelims or coursework. For PhD students conducting research off campus that have already completed prelims and coursework, they need to file a Research in Absentia form (G.S. Form 12). G.S Form 19 & 12 can be found on the Grad School Forms website,https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/faculty/forms.html. (If you are also in a RA position, you will need to complete a Change of Duty Station through the RLA mechanism from the engineering employment center (engremployment@purdue.edu)
Incoming International Students
Spring 2021 semester courses will start on January 18, 2021. Students need to be on campus by that time. If you are unable to arrive on time, you are allowed to defer your admission once, and up to one year from your originally admitted term. For example, if you are admitted to Spring 2021, you can defer to Summer 2021, Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 . Deferment beyond Spring 2022 requires re-applying to the graduate school. If you want to defer, first, accept your admission. Then, send your deferral request, by January 11, 2021, via email to Xiaomin Qian.
Frequently Asked Questions
For Current and Newly Admitted Graduate Students
What should I do if my graduate supervisor is pressuring me to come into work sick, or otherwise ignore social distancing protocols such as 6ft distance / sanitizing / sticking to "skeleton crew" lab shifts? How should I report this? You should immediately report this to the Department Head or Graduate Chair so they can take action on your behalf. Another option is to report anonymously to the Purdue Hotline (purdue.edu/hotline). Graduate-education-related issues reported to the hotline will come to the Graduate School, where we can investigate.
I had planned to take my preliminary examination during Spring 2020 or Summer 2020. If I have to delay until Summer 2020 or Fall 2020 to take my preliminary examination due to COVID-19, do I still have to register for two academic sessions before the session in which I am eligible to take my final examination? No, the Graduate School is relaxing this policy. If you are ready to take your final examination in the semester after, or two semesters after, you take your preliminary examination, you may do so. In these situations, you can include a supplemental note on the final exam request that you are ready to take your final examination and confirm that your examination has been impacted by COVID-19-related interruptions. No additional review or approval is needed. This option is available for students who take preliminary examinations during Summer 2020 or Fall 2020. The Graduate School expects to see enrollment in research registration each session between the time of the preliminary examination and final examination. The change in the effective hold date does not affect those students who have a GPA hold or English proficiency hold on their account. Those dates remain the same.
What should I do if COVID-19 had disrupted my research plans or progress toward graduation. How do I modify my Graduate Research Credit approved plans (typically 69800 and 69900)? You are a vital part of the research community at Purdue and it is possible that COVID-19 disruptions may slow or inhibit progress to your degree. We encourage all graduate students to have a conversation with their research advisor to discuss how you might revise expectations for meeting graduate research credit grade requirements for spring semester and graduation research requirements while working remotely. You might need to adjust your deliverables on a project, or adjust your research proposal objectives.
I am a graduate student and need to come to campus to check on an experiment or assist in teaching an online class, where can I park? Are existing parking restrictions in place for graduate students? If you can work from home you should, but if you need to come to campus, and have a vehicle, we are providing temporary parking permits to assist current circumstances. The temporary permit will allow parking in the B and C lots. Parking Services will communicate when this permit expires. If you have a current parking permit but new arrangements require other parking options, please contact Parking Services. If you don’t have a current parking permit, submit an application on the Parking Portal (https://purdue.t2hosted.com/Account/Portal) under “Special Permit Requests,” and then “Graduate Student Spring 2020 Permit.” Please direct any questions to Parking Services by emailing parking@purdue.edu. We hope that this will allow you to safely come to campus without the worrying about getting to your lab or office. Remember, if you come, please continue to practice safe distancing protocols.
If a student has been on the candidate roster twice and will need to be on it a third time because of COVID-19 related delays, will the Late Graduation Deadline Fee be waived? At this time those fees are not being waived. The student can go through the appeal process and describe how the COVID delayed their graduation, and it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Does Purdue offer any financial support for an unexpected situation? The Critical Need Fund also known as the Disaster and Emergency Student Assistance Fund was established by the Office of the Dean of Students, a unit of Student Life, to help ensure that Purdue University students have access to the support and resources they need to successfully recover from unexpected financial crises and stay on track academically. Examples of assistance have including transportation costs, emergency housing, food, and replacement of essential belongings. The goal of these funds is to prevent one small emergency or unexpected expense from derailing a student’s progress towards a degree. The fund is made possible from generous donors committed to helping students. Considering the significant disruptions caused by the current global crisis as it relates to COVID-19, we invite students to submit requests for these funds. Our process is intended to be simple and quick. The federal government has relaxed some financial aid regulations that allow for us to help students with even more efficiency.
The general process for emergency fund requests includes:
· Students contacts ODOS and discusses the need (odos@purdue.edu /765-494-1747) Approvals are made on a case-by-case basis o Generally speaking, funds awarded will not typically exceed $500; exceptions may apply
· Unmet need is reviewed with Department of Financial Aid (DFA)
· Upon approval of request, student signs a form electronically
· In approximately 1-3 business days a Chase Quick Pay is complete
· Some items can be paid for/purchased immediately
ME Graduate Office
585 Purdue Mall (Room 1003)
West Lafayette, IN 47907
MEgradoffice@purdue.edu
(765) 494-5730