WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue officials announced Wednesday (Dec. 2) that they are reviewing allegations that two factories, which supplied products to Nike contractors, did not pay severance to workers after closing factories in Honduras, in violation of Honduran law.

The university also will consider whether the contractors should take over responsibility for the severance pay.

“We take these licensing matters seriously and work to ascertain all the facts before making any determinations, in fairness to all parties,” said James Almond, senior vice president for business services.

This Central American country has been in the throes of widespread political unrest, including a military coup in June and the just-completed presidential election. Industry there also has been seriously impacted by the global recession causing hardship for the Honduran workers.

“While all of these cases are difficult to unravel with certainty, the complaint involving Nike is more complex than most,” Almond said. “What is clear is the Honduran factories have closed and only some of the severance has been paid by those companies.”

A watchdog group, the Worker Rights Consortium, contends that because there are no other potential sources of funds besides the plants’ customers, Nike should make every effort to get the contractors to pay the workers, Almond said. Both contractors contend they do not have a legal liability nor financial ability to pay. There also is a dispute as to whether and how much collegiate-licensed product the two factories produced.

“The WRC has recommended Nike use all of its influence to compel the contractors to pay money owed by the closed factories,” Almond said. “The WRC acknowledges that while it is debatable whether university licensing codes of conduct obligate a licensee like Nike to pay workers through its own resources, they contend the licensee must do whatever it reasonably can to compel contractors to do so.”

In this case, while Nike and the WRC agree the matter has been discussed with the contractors, no progress has been made in getting them to pay. The Purdue Organization for Labor Equality contends Purdue should terminate its licensing contract with Nike unless the remaining dollars are paid.

The business relationships also are complex. Nike’s contractors, Liberty and HB Sports/New Holland, subcontracted work to the two factories that closed in January. Nike says its records indicate that Liberty’s last Nike products were completed by the end of 2007 and HB Sports’ were completed in December 2008. (Nike statement). Nike also states that these subcontractors did not manufacture collegiate-licensed apparel for Nike except for a one-time order in 2007, although Nike acknowledges that collegiate license tags were found in one of the plants. Nike says the tags had been “erroneously used on blank product,” not on collegiate-licensed apparel. Nike also says that one of its independent licensees doing business with one of the subcontractors incorrectly listed itself as a collegiate supplier.

“From Nike’s point of view, the company worked in good faith with its primary contractors, giving them significant advance notice that it would terminate its relationship with them,” Almond said. “At the time of the closing, the factories were producing brands unrelated to Nike. Information provided by the Worker Rights Consortium contradicts some of Nike’s findings, so we are seeking more information from Nike.”

The Worker Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association – the two watchdog groups of which Purdue is a member – also are not in agreement. The WRC has asked colleges to sanction Nike. FLA, on the other hand, has taken no position. WRC has accused the FLA of a conflict of interest.

“Purdue appreciates the WRC and student Purdue Organization for Labor Equality for bringing these allegations to our attention,” Almond said. “We expect to make our decision by the end of the year.”

Purdue grants licenses to manufacturers of logo-bearing merchandise under a standard licensing agreement that requires licensees to pay the university royalty based on the wholesale price of the goods. Purdue’s projected total revenue is just under $1 million this fiscal year. All revenue beyond administrative costs is divided between athletic scholarships and the general scholarship fund.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — When 18-year-old Naina Singh first arrived at Purdue, she was homesick like most freshmen and making the tough transition to college. But thanks to Purdue’s Boiler Gold Rush orientation program, she not only hung on, but two years later went on to chair the very same event.

College freshmen can improve their chances of academic success by participating in orientation and back-to-class activities, such as Purdue's Boiler Gold Rush, shown here. Experts say making social connections early in a student's academic career is an important factor in whether the student stays in school. (Purdue University photo/Andrew Hancock)

Singh is one of the thousands of Purdue students who benefit each year from numerous first-year programs, which have been designed and implemented to provide academic, financial and social support to freshmen students.

As figures indicate, the programs boost retention rates. This fall the retention rate of students from freshman to sophomore year at Purdue University is 87.2 percent – an all time high – according to numbers recently released by the university’s enrollment management office.

“Purdue has these first-year programs because student success is at the core of what we do,” said Andrew Koch, director of Student Access, Transition and Success Programs. “We have high expectations from our students, and so we give them high support.

“We admit students because we believe they can succeed, and we’ve worked hard to put resources in place that they can use to help them reach their goals.”

In August U.S.News & World Report included Purdue in its list of 24 public universities that offer the most outstanding first-year experience programming in the nation. The same month, Princeton Review quoted a student as saying: “Purdue boasts an ‘absolutely amazing’ freshman orientation program.”

Michael Knabel, a 19-year-old student majoring in pre-pharmacy from Zionsville, Ind., participates in learning communities, a program in which a group of 20-30 freshmen enroll in two or more courses based on a major or theme and can choose to live in the same residence hall.

In 2008-09, freshmen participating in learning communities had a 7.3 percent higher retention rate than those not taking part, Koch said. About 1,390 freshmen participated in learning communities this year, he said.

“I honestly think that learning communities are great,” Knabel said. “You are with people you can relate to and get to make some great friendships. I also think being in a learning community can really boost your GPA and teach you how to work well with others.

“At the residence hall where I live, my floor last year was great because we were in the same program with the same classes, so I basically had homework help and study partners around me 24/7. To top it all, I made some lifelong friends in the learning community.”

This year Knabel and his learning community peers have chosen to live on the same floor at Shreve Hall.

“I made tons of friends and stand a good chance of getting into pharmacy school partly because of them and all the support I was able to give and get,” he said.

Isaiah Johnson, a 19-year-old sophomore from Columbus, Ind., majoring in education, is mentoring students in Purdue Promise, a new grant and support program for Twenty-first Century Scholars studying at Purdue. Twenty-first Century Scholars, coming from families with a combined income of $40,000 or less, are eligible to get funding through Purdue Promise. They also are required to take part in a rigorous support program for the duration of the four-year award. Johnson also participated in Boiler Gold Rush this year as a team leader.

Boiler Gold Rush is a weeklong orientation program that takes place before the fall semester begins. The program addresses a wide range of academic, personal and social college transition needs. During the week, groups of 12-15 freshmen team up with a current Purdue student who answers their questions and helps them adjust to their new life on campus.

“Programs like Purdue Promise and Boiler Gold Rush really help students succeed because they know someone’s there for them,” Johnson said. “This semester, as a mentor with Purdue Promise, I’m helping teach students various life skills and assisting them with their transition into college. It’s also a great way to meet people and make friends.”

Singh, who’s from Granger, Ind., and majoring in neurobiology and physiology, agreed.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for programs like Boiler Gold Rush,” she said. “The program made me feel a sense of belonging and was just plain fun. The other Student Access, Transition and Success programs are equally important. They’ve made differences in hundreds of students’ lives.”

On average, freshmen taking part in Boiler Gold Rush in 2008-09 had a 6.67 percent higher retention rate than those who didn’t participate, Koch said. About 5,300 freshmen and transfer students participated in Boiler Gold Rush this year, he said. Around 170 freshmen scholars joined the new Purdue Promise initiative this fall, which is projected to have as many as 850 participants by fall 2012, he said.

The camaraderie among participants in programs that boost retention fosters strong working relationships between students and professors as well.

Marcy Towns, an associate professor of chemistry who has taught general chemistry in a learning community class, found the student interaction invaluable.

“It was a great experience because the classes are small and you really get to know the students,” she said. “In a cozy setting, there’s more student-to-student interaction, which builds a community and gives students study partners and a support system.

“There is also a lot of student-to-professor interaction. I continue to write letters of recommendation for my students from the learning community class.”

Towns also speaks to thousands of students during Boiler Gold Rush, giving tips on how to succeed in their freshman year and beyond.

“We tell them things they need to do to be successful,” she said. “They are things like making a weekly schedule or meeting regularly with their professors during office hours. And it has worked. I’ve heard some professors say that after they taught the first class of the semester, all the freshmen students came down wanting to introduce themselves.”

Summer Transition, Advising and Registration (STAR), another retention-boosting program, is a mandatory one-day advisement and registration program held on campus during summer before classes begin. At the program, all first-year and transfer students meet with an adviser and register for classes. They also visit their residence hall, get student IDs and receive other important information they need before the semester starts.

This fall during the STAR event, more than 6,000 students were given a copy of “Stealing Buddha’s Dinner,” a multi-award winning book by Bich Minh Nguyen, to kick off the new common reading program at Purdue.

“Common reading efforts are a growing part of the coordinated first-year experience at many U.S. colleges and universities,” Koch said. “Reading the same book gives students a common academic experience and enhances synergies across disciplines and administrative units.”

All of the programs are geared to meet an overall university goal of increasing student access and success.

“These coordinated campus-wide efforts bolster an array of college- and department-specific efforts,” Koch said. “These efforts combine to help Purdue record gains in retention and garner accolades, such as being listed among institutions for their first-year experience by U.S.News & World Report.

“It also helps us fulfill our access and success mission, which is to ensure that qualified students can enter Purdue’s competitive environment and that they successfully complete their programs of study.”

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus will become smoke free except in limited areas beginning July 1, 2009.

The new policy will confine smoking to limited designated campus areas and will prohibit smoking in all vehicles owned or leased by Purdue. Until the new policy takes effect, smoking on the West Lafayette campus will be allowed outdoors at a distance of at least 30 feet from university facilities and in designated areas within the Union Club Hotel.

The Purdue West Lafayette campus will become smoke free except in limited areas beginning July 1, 2009.

The campus-wide smoking policy was announced Thursday (Nov 19) – coinciding with the 33rd annual Great American Smokeout – following input from faculty, staff and students.

“Following feedback from a campus-wide survey as well as meetings with several campus groups, we modified the proposed policy from one that called for a total ban to one that will allow smoking in a few areas,” said Al Diaz, executive vice president for business and finance, treasurer. The responsibility for choosing those areas will fall to Diaz.

A number of health problems, such as heart disease, cancer and respiratory problems, have been linked to smoking as well as to secondhand smoke. Smoking by faculty and staff also leads to increased medical costs, higher insurance rates, maintenance expenses, lower productivity and higher absenteeism, Diaz said.

“We set the start date as July 1 to give everyone ample opportunity to take advantage of our smoking cessation programs,” Diaz said.

The programs are available through the Student Wellness Office and WorkLife Programs.

“We are counting on cooperation from our smokers,” Diaz said. “Initially, we hope that peer-to-peer reminders will be effective. The new policy will be enforced in the same way as other university rules, and violators can be subject to appropriate discipline by supervisors and the Office of the Dean of Students. Individuals can report violations using the Smoke Free Campus Concern Form that will be provided on the Web.

More than 300 universities nationwide are smoke free. All Purdue regional campuses have non-smoking policies. Details for each are set by administrators at those locations.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University will award degrees at its West Lafayette campus on Dec. 20 and at its Calumet campus on Dec. 15.

Ceremonies for the West Lafayette campus are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in Elliott Hall of Music. The Calumet campus ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. in the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Ind.

Purdue President France A. Córdova will address graduates during the West Lafayette ceremonies, while Chancellor Howard Cohen will do the honors at the Calumet ceremony.

There are 2,803 students who are candidates for degrees at the West Lafayette campus, including 1,901 undergraduates, 440 doctoral students, 458 master’s students, one education specialist and three professional degree-seekers. At the Calumet campus, an estimated 505 students are candidates for degrees, with 145 set to receive master’s degrees and 360 receiving bachelor’s degrees.

The morning ceremony at West Lafayette will be for students in the colleges of Agriculture, Education, Engineering and Liberal Arts. The afternoon event will be for students in the colleges of Consumer and Family Sciences; Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences; Technology; and Science; and the schools of Management and Veterinary Medicine.

Robert B. Teall of Bristol, Ind., who will receive a bachelor’s degree from the College of Education, will provide the student response during the morning ceremony. Jessica A. Mensah of Indianapolis, who is to receive a bachelor’s degree from the School of Management, will give the student response at the afternoon ceremony.

At the West Lafayette ceremonies, two large video screens above the stage will show a close-up image of the graduates as they receive their diplomas. The event will be aired live on Comcast Channel 5 and Boiler TV. It also will be shown live via Webcast at mms://video.dis.purdue.edu/graduation. Windows Media Player, which can be downloaded for free, is required for viewing the Webcast.

Commencement videos will be available at $30 per DVD. Order forms can be obtained at the Loeb Playhouse Box Office, online at http://www.purdue.edu/registrar/pdf/DVD_Form.pdf or by calling 765-494-3933. Forms may be submitted both before and after the ceremony within two weeks of the event.

Tickets are required for admission. Doors will open 90 minutes before each ceremony.

Candidates requiring special assistance to participate in the West Lafayette commencement exercise should contact Christine DeHahn Pass, assistant registrar, at 765-494-6163, dehahn@purdue.edu

For more information, call 765-494-6157 or e-mail commencement@purdue.edu

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Students interested in transferring to Purdue University can use a new online tool to help them evaluate any credits that might transfer.

“In addition to the transfer credit database that will help prospective students determine if credit from other institutions will transfer to Purdue, this also will help current students evaluate whether a course they want to take at a hometown school during summer break will be accepted,” said Karan Bowerman, an assistant director who supervises credit evaluation in the Office of Admissions.

The transfer credit database, as well as information about transferring credit to Purdue, can be found at http://www.admissions.purdue.edu under the “Applying” header.

In the past, students relied on Purdue credit evaluation staff to provide a report. This new public site allows students to plug in a course name and number from another institution. The database immediately lets the user know if the course will be accepted.

This database also covers classes taken at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis because many of the courses there are offered by Indiana University. The credit evaluation is not applicable to Purdue’s Calumet, Fort Wayne and North Central regional campuses courses at those locations are offered by Purdue.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings released its list of the top universities on Wednesday (Oct. 7), and Purdue University is ranked 87th.

Purdue jumped 12 ranks in 2009 (from 99th in 08). Purdue tied this year with Prince William's alma mater, the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom.

This is a 12-place increase for Purdue, which was ranked 99th in 2008. Purdue tied this year with the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom.

“This dramatic rise in rankings reaffirms Purdue’s status as a world-class university,” said Purdue President France A. Córdova. “Purdue’s international reputation continues to grow thanks to our international students and study abroad programs, and well-known researchers who are making a difference, such as professor Gebisa Ejeta, who just won the World Food Prize.”

Purdue’s engineering and information technology programs also are ranked 37th, while life sciences and biomedicine ranked 79th, and natural sciences ranked 94th. The complete listings are available at http://www.topuniversities.com/

“This world-wide recognition of our academics, scholarship and global impact tells prospective students that Purdue will prepare them to successfully compete and collaborate in a global economy and helps us recruit the very best educators and scholars to the university,” said Randy Woodson, Purdue’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

The other top 100 Big Ten institutions ranked are University of Michigan at No. 19, University of Wisconsin at No. 61 and University of Illinois at No. 63.

The rankings were based on reviews or data related to peer institutions, employers, students, research performance, and international faculty and students. In total 9,386 academics and 3,281 employers responded to the surveys related to these rankings.

The Times Higher Education, which was founded in 1971, is a weekly magazine of universities from around the world. Top Universities Guide, the official guide to the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, contains advice on selecting, applying and financing higher education.

These rankings also are reported by U.S.News & World Report and will be available at http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/worlds-best-colleges/index.html

In August 2009 U.S.News & World Report ranked Purdue 22nd among the nation’s public universities. This was a four-place increase from 26th in 2008. Purdue also was ranked 61st among all universities, and this too was an improvement from 66th in 2008.

In April 2009, the magazine also ranked several of Purdue’s graduate programs, including areas in engineering, management, education, liberal arts, science and pharmacy, as among the nation’s best.