Student leadership made Protect Purdue a success

When COVID-19 upended daily routines around the world, the Purdue community rallied together and managed to pull off what some universities refused to even attempt.

By adhering to the “Protect Purdue” pledge, the University’s faculty, staff and especially its students helped Purdue keep its doors open during this uncertain time. And not only did Purdue remain open, it did so while providing a learning environment that proved to be remarkably safe.

As he reflected back on the year since COVID-19 motivated Boilermakers to “Protect Purdue,” President Mitch Daniels offered special thanks to the students who made the university’s health and safety efforts successful:

“I must have been asked 100 times how it was that we were able to operate Purdue and keep it open this fall when so many others didn’t try or tried and failed,” Daniels said. “Every time, I said that the indispensable element was our students and the, not merely compliance, but leadership that you showed all year. And not only that, that you did it for the right reasons: to protect others and to protect this institution at least as much as yourselves. I just want to say thank you, and congratulations.”