University Spotlight
Purdue Announces Updated Leadership Team to Take Purdue Global to Next Level
With a goal of continued growth and success, trustees of Purdue University and Purdue Global will announce on Tuesday (May 21) an updated leadership structure for the university’s online education solution for working adults.
“Our commitment to this embodiment of our land-grant mission has never wavered,” trustees chair Mike Berghoff said. “This new commitment to three outstanding leaders and leadership will ensure growth and continued quality improvements for Purdue Global’s faculty, staff and students well into the future.”
Effective immediately and approved by the Purdue Global Board of Trustees, the following organizational structure is in place:
Chris Ruhl, Purdue University’s chief financial officer and treasurer, will serve also as Purdue Global’s interim CEO and in this role will report to the Purdue Global board as representative for Purdue University President Mung Chiang. Ruhl will be responsible for the overall Purdue Global entity.
Reporting to Ruhl will be:
Frank Dooley, who will continue in his vital role as Purdue Global chancellor, responsible for all academic operations.
Eva Nodine, Purdue vice president and deputy chief financial officer, who will take on the role of Purdue Global CFO and chief operating officer, responsible for all non-academic operations. Read more.
PG News and Updates
Reminder: Mandatory Alternative Assignment for Canceled Seminars
As a reminder, faculty must assign an alternative activity for any canceled seminar, including seminars not held due to a university-recognized holiday.
Faculty must not grant points to a student for an assignment or seminar that was canceled or otherwise not completed by the student. Awarding unearned points can result in students receiving a failing grade when they should have been withdrawn from the course.
If a seminar is canceled, faculty must post instructions on how to complete an alternative assignment in the classroom announcements and email the information to students. Students should be directed to ask their instructor questions about the alternative assignment.
Upcoming university-recognized holidays include:
Memorial Day: Monday, May 27
Juneteenth: Wednesday, June 19
Independence Day: Thursday, July 4
View the complete holiday schedule for additional dates. Faculty with questions about alternative assignments should reach out to their academic chair.
Read&Write is Now Available to All Faculty & Staff
As shared in a May 15 email, Student Accessibility Services (SAS) has teamed up with TextHelp to provide all students, faculty, and staff with the Read&Write Text-to-Speech program. This is a free resource available to all with a Purdue Global email address.
Read&Write works within many of our campus learning environments such as:
Google Docs
Within our Learning Management System (Brightspace)
On websites
Within documents such as PDFs
Read&Write has over 20 different tools to help you work more effectively. Some of these are:
Text read aloud within documents or on the web (text-to-speech)
Dictation when writing papers or brainstorming
Highlighters & ability to collect highlighted content into a new document
Annotation tools - ability to markup a document
Dictionaries
Translation
Grammar/spell checking
Click here to set up a Read&Write extension. The installation guide can be found here. You can refer to the TextHelp Academy for tutorials on how to use the Read&Write extension.
NEW: Kaltura Auto-Captioning
On Thursday, May 9, 2024, the auto-captioning feature was enabled for the Kaltura video tool available to faculty and students through the Brightspace LMS.
Videos recorded after May 9 using Kaltura Capture, Express Capture, and uploaded videos will automatically have closed captions generated as part of the video processing.
Selecting the closed caption button will show the language used to generate the captions and the text (Auto-Generated), indicating that the captions were automatically generated. See image for reference.
Users will be able to edit auto-generated captions as needed for accuracy. All existing videos that did not have captions before the update will need to request that captions be generated. Please see the Faculty Guide and Student Guide for more information about Kaltura.
Reminder: Artificial Intelligence Training
Purdue Global is excited to provide Artificial Intelligence training to faculty and staff through LinkedIn Learning. These trainings are available now through May 24. The AI Task Force selected courses on the following topics:
What is Generative AI
What is Conversational AI
How to use AI Tools
How to Boost Productivity
How to use AI in the Workplace
These courses invite employees to learn the basics of generative and conversational AI. Practical applications will also be explored, including how to collaborate with AI tools. These trainings help you understand how to incorporate AI into your everyday tasks and suggest ways to streamline tasks to achieve better results. If you have any questions about this engagement and incentive opportunity, please reach out to APLhelp@purdueglobal.edu.
PGLA Fast Facts as of May 17, 2024
Weekly update regarding the usage and engagement of the Purdue Global Learning Assistant (PGLA).
Across the University
Celebrating Excellence: Recognizing Outstanding FWS Students
Purdue Global and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) department take immense pride in announcing the recognition of our exceptional Federal Work-Study students. These individuals have demonstrated unparalleled dedication and prowess in their roles, earning nominations from their supervisors for the prestigious National Student Employee of the Year Award (NSEA). Coordinated by the National Student Employee Association, this award recognizes the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college.
While this marks Purdue Global's inaugural participation in the NSEA awards, we are thrilled to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of our students, even if they did not secure the award. Their remarkable strengths and accomplishments have been duly recognized by their superiors and the broader organization. We believe it is imperative to celebrate and honor their contributions.
We are pleased to introduce our nominated students:
Aysha Rahman, Master in Public Health
Nominated by: PG Office of Organizational Culture and Inclusive Excellence, Kristin Early
NSEA Award Nomination Category: Graduate Student of the Year
Testimonial: “Ms. Rahman has been able to navigate mixed methods research to support all staff members. She has adeptly integrated a public health approach to her work, offering interdisciplinary interpretations of our analyses and strategic planning.”
Amanda Coviello, B.S. Communication
Nominated by: PG School of Nursing, Adrienne Samos
NSEA Award Nomination Category: Critical Thinking
Testimonial: “Amanda's proactive approach to learning and applying new skills is commendable, benefiting her professional development and enhancing departmental efficiency.”
Sarah Mills, B.S. in Health Science
Nominated by: Crisis Text Line, Noe Gutierrez
NSEA Award Nomination Category: Community Service
Testimonial: “Sarah's active involvement in mental health volunteering, alongside rigorous training, has equipped her with expertise to contribute meaningfully to fostering a community that prioritizes mental health and well-being.”
Alexandrea Sawyer, B.S. in Health Care Administration
Nominated by: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Kimberly Clements McColley, J.D.
NSEA Award Nomination Category: Outstanding Diversity and Inclusion Service Award
Testimonial: “Alexandrea has been an invaluable asset, consistently displaying exceptional skills and dedication toward the welfare of all of our clients, giving a voice to those who sometimes feel voiceless.”
These outstanding students have consistently demonstrated professionalism, reliability, and a strong work ethic throughout their tenure as Federal Work-Study students. Their contributions have enhanced their respective work environments and significantly contributed to the success of organizational and departmental initiatives. They serve as an inspiration to their peers and embody the values of our organization.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these exceptional Federal Work-Study students for their outstanding contributions and dedication. Their accomplishments reinforce our commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a culture of excellence within Purdue Global.
Meet Professor Nelly Mulleneaux, Proud Military Spouse
With a drive to introduce others to the opportunities education presents, this tech professor knows how to support students
Nelly Mulleneaux is a Purdue Global professor in technology and the spouse of a retired U.S. Army veteran. She’s a recipient of the Yellow Rose of Texas award for her powerful advocacy for, and empowerment of, students and military families. Here, she speaks on her experience as a military spouse and how it guides her philosophy on education.
Deployment, for the partner and family left behind, is a singular type of loss. They carry the grief, but they can’t move on. The place they call home becomes an empty shell where they put their lives on hold until their service member returns. Moving around, leaving family and friends behind was a difficult part of my experience, but the most challenging thing was to see him prepare for deployment and then go. Learn more about Nelly.
Purdue Global Launches New Partnership with Los Angeles County Fire Department
Purdue Global student and Los Angeles County Fire Capt. David Parigan has a passion for the fire services and education — passions he combined to spearhead a partnership between Purdue Global and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
A Ventura County native, Parigan began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps. After serving as part of the initial invasion during combat operations in Iraq, Parigan saw an opportunity to shift his career focus as he began taking fire technology classes and prerequisites for paramedic school.
Fast-forward 17 years, Parigan, now a fire captain, enrolled at Purdue Global with the goal of finishing his degree. While teaching the Company Officer Series for Aspiring Fire Captains, Parigan noticed that many firefighters had taken a plethora of classes over the years, whether through the department or at various colleges in person or online. Read more.
Judges Needed for WAC Awards
Every year, the Writing Across the Curriculum Advisory Committee seeks to recognize the impactful writing of our Purdue Global students and employees with our annual WAC Awards. The awards are also designed to support DEIB. We need at least one judge from each school and department to help us review nominations and select this year’s winners. This service project is short-term and rewarding. If you are interested in being a judge this year, please reach out to the WAC Advisory Committee at WAConcierge@purdueglobal.edu. Winners will be announced during the Literary Festival on June 25 and 26.
Work/Life/School - A Note From GetSet
Check out this week's post from GetSet, a student-facing virtual community where our students can network, interact, and support one another. This is a great example of our students' hopes and dreams and a reminder of why we do what we do.
Upcoming Events
Check out more information about upcoming events on the Purdue Global Calendar.
Monday, May 20
11:00 am ET
Join this Purdue Global-wide meditation session to help foster self-care to better serve your family, students, and colleagues. Meditation sessions are open to all at Purdue Global; experience is not required. Students may access the link to enter via announcements in PG411 Help! Student Success Connection. Meditations in May will honor Mental Health Month, Nurse’s Month, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, underlining the importance of self-care for everyone.
2:00 pm ET
WAC Advisory Committee AI Presentation
Join Writing Across the Curriculum experts to learn about using AI tools and strategies for productivity and teaching.
Friday, May 24
12:00 pm ET
Accessibility: Announcements and Discussion Threads
This session will share accessibility opportunities, challenges, and tools for announcements and discussion boards in the Brightspace LMS.