.Student Life Recognitions
Purdue Student Legal Services Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Student Legal Services celebrated 10 years of impact on the Purdue community in fall 2023 and held an event to commemorate its first decade of service to Purdue students.
Student Legal Services (SLS), part of the Office of the Dean of Students and under the auspices of the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Life, provides free and confidential legal services available to all Purdue students. Services offered include landlord/tenant dispute, criminal issues, power of attorney, traffic tickets, garnishment and collection matters, notary services, family law issues, name change, city or county ordinance violations and small claims. SLS was created after being identified as a need by Purdue Student Government.
SLS typically receives 600-700 requests for services each year. At an average rate of $250 per hour for attorneys in the Greater Lafayette area, SLS has saved Purdue students more than $1 million in legal fees since its inception. Students report a 95 percent satisfaction rate with services provided by SLS.
Glee Club Performs at Regional Conference
The Purdue Varsity Glee Club performed at the Regional American Choral Director’s Association Conference, held in February in Omaha, Nebraska. The Glee Club was selected from among entries of audio samples from across the region and were honored to perform a 25-minute concert at the Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha. The conference was attended by thousands of choral directors from across 10 states in the Midwest.
The Purdue Varsity Glee Club is part of Purdue Musical Organizations, which serves as the university’s vocal music department. PMO offers six choral ensembles and one handbell choir. PMO offers opportunities for students to learn, perform and grow together while engaging audiences on campus, across the country and around the world.
Steps to Leaps Recognized by NASPA
Purdue’s Steps to Leaps initiative was recognized with a 2023-24 NASPA Excellence Award, presented by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Steps to Leaps received a bronze award in the category of Athletics, Recreation, Counseling, Health, Wellness, and related.
Steps to Leaps engages students and staff directly through a newsletter, newly re-designed website, well-being tips, learning modules, student spotlights and more. The Discussion and Dialogue series and other events provide professional development and networking opportunities for faculty and staff. Students can join a registered student organization for leadership development workshops, relaxation and well-being activities, alumni networking events, collaborative campus programs and more. Members of the Steps to Leaps Steering Committee and Steps to Leaps Research Collaborative have lent their expertise to nationwide efforts to promote well-being on college campuses.
Steps to Leaps is a collaborative, campus-wide effort focused on enhancing and promoting holistic well-being. Steps to Leaps focuses on the key pillar areas of well-being, leadership, impact, building networks and grit/persistence. Steps to Leaps was created by students for students and today engages many segments of campus to help students flourish and become their best selves.
Gephart Honored by National Band Association
Jay Gephart, the Al G. Wright Chair and Director of Bands at Purdue Bands & Orchestras, received the National Band Association’s prestigious Al & Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award at the Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago. Gephart was honored for his exceptional dedication to music education throughout his career. He has been a faculty member at Purdue since 1995. Prior to that, he completed 12 years as a public school band director and has been an active member of numerous professional organizations.
Gephart is the director of the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band and the Purdue University Wind Ensemble and serves as the coordinator of the concert band program. Under his direction, the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band has performed around the world including in Beijing, China, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and La Feria de las Flores in Medellin, Colombia.
FSCL Community Receives National Accolades
Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life at Purdue (FSCL) was recognized with a College Panhellenic Excellence Award by the College Panhellenic Association. The award is bestowed for demonstration of outstanding contributions in academic innovation, community impact, judicial procedure, leadership, marketing and recruitment during the 2022-23 academic year.
Two outstanding individuals from the Purdue FSCL community also received accolades from the North American Interfraternity Conference. Nicolas Medel of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, who served as vice president of membership for the Interfraternity Council, received the Undergraduate Award of Distinction, given to fraternity men who have found an outlet for development as a leader and man. Patrick Jessee of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity was honored with the Alumni Award of Distinction, awarded to a fraternity man who has given specifically of his time, talents and service to the betterment of the fraternity or campus community.
Additionally, the Purdue Sigma Nu Fraternity chapter received “Rock Chapter” status at their Grand Chapter meeting in Florida. The honor is the highest recognition a chapter can receive within Sigma Nu nationally.
FSCL at Purdue houses more than 90 organizations, including 11 cooperative houses and more than 80 fraternities and sororities, The FSCL community focuses on scholarship, service, philanthropic giving, leadership and brotherhood/sisterhood. Purdue boasts one of the nation’s largest fraternity, sorority and cooperative communities, with nearly 20 percent of Purdue undergraduates holding membership in a FSCL organization.