Editor's Note: This article was originally published by The Exponent, Purdue West Lafayette's student publication.
By Olivia Poulopoulos (Staff Reporter)
It’s hard to imagine starting a fresh university without much recognition. This is being seen in Purdue in Indianapolis, with questions on whether the spirit of Purdue is similar to that in West Lafayette.
Jonathan Rienstra-Kiracofe, the associate dean for the College of Science at Purdue in Indianapolis and a professor in the Tarpo Department of Chemistry, has had his foot set in both campuses.
From an academic standpoint, Indianapolis and West Lafayette are similar, he said. Students in Indianapolis could expect the same courses, learning objectives, assessment tools, homework and exams as those in West Lafayette.
Rienstra-Kiracofe said that at both locations, he sees Purdue students feel comfortable asking questions, going to office hours, and taking advantage of learning resources.
Although Purdue in Indianapolis may be similar to West Lafayette in education, it is difficult to say they have the same campus life. Compared to West Lafayette, with students given centuries of tradition, students at Indianapolis need to start from scratch.
“We’re the pioneers, I guess. We have to pave the way, and there’s not going to be stuff here that’s been here for hundreds of years,” said Ethan Twu, a freshman computer engineering student at Purdue in Indianapolis.
Twu explained that for some students, the difference in campus life led some to believe that college is merely a stepping stone for a job. However, there are still students that have hope to make Purdue in Indianapolis feel like true boilermakers.
“You can’t expect everything. You have to start making things,” Twu said, adding that students have felt the pressure to create clubs, which aren’t as numerous as those in West Lafayette.
Another factor that defines the differences in both campuses is the lack of representation around Purdue in Indianapolis.
“Their presence hasn’t been fully known yet,” Twu said.
This is felt even on Purdue in Indianapolis ground, with Indiana University logos pasted around campus, and even how students enter buildings, with students needing to have their own CrimsonCard.
Sharon Miller, Assistant Vice Provost for Purdue in Indianapolis and associate professor of practice in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, explained that this should not be seen as a downside to Purdue in Indianapolis, since students have the opportunity to collaborate with those in Indiana University and join organizations from both spaces.
“It’s a plus,” Miller said.
Since the separation of IUPUI in 2024, some students are still able to pursue the paths they were on at the formerly-merged campus.
“We still have partnership with IU Indianapolis in a way that students still have access to some of the coursework that was required on their plans of study, particularly for students that may have been at IUPUI,” Miller said.
While students from both West Lafayette and Indianapolis don the black and gold, their experiences are unique.
“I think both celebrate being a Boilermaker in different ways,” Miller said.
Purdue in Indianapolis holds a multitude of programs that are unique to them, which gives them opportunities and chances to be collaborative with the environment around them.
“I am always, if given the opportunity, raising the voices of the great work that our students do here in Indianapolis,” Miller said.
Purdue in Indianapolis, although smaller, seems to have the Boilermaker spirit. Rienstra-Kiracofe sees the Purdue in Indianapolis campus in the way they are always working to create the best experience for themselves.
“These are Purdue students,” Rienstra-Kiracofe said. “That’s what makes me convinced, more than anything, that what we’re doing in Indianapolis is truly an extension of Purdue West Lafayette.”
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