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Grandparents University
Grandparents University

FAQ

FAQ

PARTICIPATION and ELIGIBILITY

PARTICIPATION and ELIGIBILITY

Each child must always be accompanied by an adult. One adult can bring two children, provided that all three attend the same class and stay together as a group. In some sessions, this will mean sharing equipment and working together as one unit. Participants registered in the same group will be placed in the same major and field trip.

While this program is designed for grandparents and grandchildren, we recognize that situations may arise where a grandparent is unable to attend. In these cases, a child’s relative—excluding a parent—may accompany them to the program. The child’s parent or legal guardian is required to sign permission forms prior to the event.

Children must be 7–14 years old.

All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times, so each child would need at least one adult with them. To be placed in separate majors, you must register in separate groups.

No! Grandparents University is open to all family, friends, and fans of the university.

Yes, parents or guardians of participating children may attend the graduation ceremony in the Elliott Hall of Music.

GETTING AROUND CAMPUS, PARKING, and BIKES

GETTING AROUND CAMPUS, PARKING, and BIKES

The locations of several of our majors are within walking distance from the Purdue Memorial Union, which is where our main activities will take place. Buses will be available on a limited route for majors that require transportation. While these buses may not be able to offer door-to-door service, they reduce the amount of walking. A campus map will be provided upon arrival.

Commuting participants are encouraged to park in the Wood Street Garage at the posted hourly rate or use parking meters that use the Passport mobile app; payment of fees is required as posted. Please note Grant Street Garage will be inaccessible for the summer of 2024. Visitors may also purchase a visitor permit online. Visitors must still observe special postings including reserved spaces or spaces for accessible parking.

Campus visitors can purchase a daily permit, which costs $5 per day. With a daily permit, unless restrictions are posted that indicate otherwise, visitors may park in any “A,” “B,” or “C” space—excluding the Grant Street and Harrison Street parking garages. Daily permit parking is valid Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please visit Purdue’s visitor parking page to purchase a daily permit and learn more about parking options around campus.

No. However, if you need assistance getting to the main activities from the residence hall, please indicate that on your registration under Special Accommodations.

EVENT RULES and CODE of CONDUCT

EVENT RULES and CODE of CONDUCT

Purdue University encourages programs and activities that enhance learning and stimulate creativity in youth. The success of these programs depends on careful planning that makes safety the highest priority. The Programs Involving Minors Policy (III.A.6) and its associated Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors reinforce the safety of minors by putting in place requirements for background checks, program registration, training, and other safeguards based on the type of program.

DISABILITY and ACCESSIBILITY

DISABILITY and ACCESSIBILITY

A $5 daily permit will allow visitors to utilize spaces that require an “A” permit and a disability license plate or official placard. Please visit Purdue’s parking website to purchase a daily permit and learn more about accessible parking options around campus.

We want to make sure our program is accessible to everyone. For that reason, there is space on the GPU registration form to list any accommodations you may need. We also have included the activity levels for both majors and field trips on our website. Please read those carefully before completing your registration.

Classes

Classes

Registering early is key, so please be aware of registration dates and times. Some of the majors are limited in size due to availability of equipment or the venue. No guarantees can be made for any major.

Reminder: Participants registered in the same group will be placed in the same major and field trip. To be placed in separate majors, you must register in separate groups.

During the registration process, you will rank your major preferences from one to five, with one being your favorite. Major assignments will be sent to the primary registrant’s email in early June. Personalized schedules with details will be sent out one week before the event.

On March 1, a full list of our 2024 majors—as well as their descriptions and activities—will be available on our website. Field trips can be found under the “Event Details” tab.

You will receive an email in early June, that includes both your major and field trip information.

Our team went through a thorough and thoughtful process to ensure everyone was placed in one of their top five majors. Many factors were taken into consideration when assigning majors, including classroom ratios, availability of equipment and facilities, and keeping families together. We understand it can be disappointing to not receive one of your top choices, but hopefully you can use this opportunity to build excitement about learning something new together.

The Grandparents University program makes every effort to contact and encourage participation from each college at Purdue. Due to prior commitments and space constraints, not all colleges can participate each year.

Do you have a request for a college or course? Let us know at specialevents@purdueforlife.org.

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

We will be offering two sessions for Grandparents University 2024: July 18–19 and July 25–26.

Specific details will be sent to participants two weeks before the event.

HOUSING and MEALS

HOUSING and MEALS

Yes. We have secured a room block at the Union Club Hotel on campus. Please check out the Lodging page for room rates and hotel information.

Frieda Parker Hall was selected based on several important requirements, including availability, accessibility, and private bathrooms. It offers semi-suite style rooms that accommodate four people per suite.

One semi-suite includes two rooms and four single beds. If your party exceeds four people, you must purchase an additional semi-suite.

No. If you have medicine or other health-related items that need to be refrigerated, please indicate this in the “Special Accommodations” section of your registration or notify us prior to arriving on campus. Arrangements can be made if we receive advance notice.

Your GPU registration fee includes one breakfast on Friday morning, two lunches, and one dinner. On Thursday morning, light refreshments and breakfast snacks will be available throughout registration. Snacks will also be provided during breaks.

All allergies are taken very seriously and communicated with our culinary teams. If you or your grandchild has a food allergy, please make sure to indicate that during the registration process under “Special Accommodations.”

CANCELLATIONS

CANCELLATIONS

You must cancel your registration by Friday, May 31, 2024, to receive a refund. (The $50 administrative fee is nonrefundable.) Many of the costs associated with GPU are incurred prior to the program. Please consider the cancellation date carefully when registering. In the event of a family emergency, special arrangements will be considered. 

Substitutions are allowed if the substitute completes the necessary waivers and returns them to us—signed—at least 30 days prior to the program start date. Substitutes must be in the same age group of the person they are replacing.

FEES

FEES

The registration fee includes five meals, five and a half hours of class time, admission to evening activities, an event T-shirt, transportation around campus, and other program items. You may wish to bring money for vending machines and souvenirs.

HEALTH and SAFETY

HEALTH and SAFETY

Purdue University prohibits the possession, use, or distribution of any explosives, guns, or other deadly or dangerous materials or weapons reasonably calculated to cause bodily injury in university facilities.

No illegal drugs or alcoholic beverages are allowed during the GPU program. GPU staff members reserve the right to remove participants who are under the influence or prohibit them from participating in the GPU program.

Questions? Contact Us!

Office of Special Events
765-494-0900
specialevents@purdueforlife.org

Keagan’s story

I’m walking with Grandparents University tour group near the steps of Hovde Hall. It’s a Thursday morning in July, and the only students around are between the ages of 7 and 14. I catch a snippet of a conversation between a grandmother and her grandson as she details the pranks she pulled with her friends around this area.

I smile because just a few months ago I was doing the same thing.

Grandparents University (GPU) is a two-day event where grandparents and their grandchildren embrace Purdue and all it has to offer.

Participants choose a specific major to study and attend a class taught by Boilermaker experts. The majors aren’t exactly like the ones we have here at Purdue, but they do get to do cool activities like creating hot sauce, designing monsters, flying drones, and cooking in a Purdue kitchen. It’s a great opportunity to see wisdom and curiosity combined in the classroom, as grandparents and their grandchildren collaborate on these projects. They’re equally willing to learn from the instructors —and from each other—while creating lasting memories.

They might not know it yet, but this Purdue experience at such a young age will help with their college decision in a few years.

My mother started working at Purdue when she was pregnant with me, so I’ve been familiar with the university my whole life. Many of my childhood memories are associated with different parts of campus, and these memories played a big part in my decision to attend Purdue. I was going to a place that I knew—a place I already considered a home away from home. In the same way, when these children make their college decisions, they will already have built connections with Purdue through Grandparents University.

It will also help they already have a Purdue degree!

At the end of GPU, the kids graduate just like regular students by walking across the stage of Elliott Hall of Music. They even have their own caps to decorate and keep—which is great because robe rentals would be a nightmare.

I had been to nine commencement ceremonies before my own in May, so I’m well-versed in Purdue graduations. Nevertheless, it was still fun to watch this one.

These children had learned so much more than what was taught in their major. They learned more about their grandparents and strengthened their connection with them. They learned about the university and what’s in store for them when they (hopefully) become Boilermakers. And at the Block Party, they befriended students they had never met before and hung out on Memorial Mall—just like regular college students.

It was almost exactly what I experienced throughout my college career. Yes, I got my degree and now  have a job as was intended on this life path. But I also made lifelong friendships and went outside my comfort zone in ways that helped me grow as an individual.

Purdue shaped me and continues to shape me. I credit a lot of my growth as a person and a professional to my college career here, and a lot of what I know to the professors and instructors I had throughout my education.

Through Grandparents University, you have the opportunity to provide the same transformative experience for future Boilermakers. You can be the Purdue instructor that inspires a path that lasts a lifetime.

Patsy J. Mellott

BS College of Health and Human Sciences, 1969
Fishers, IN

Patsy earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition in business from Purdue in 1969, in addition to an MBA in food marketing from Michigan State University in 1970. She retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 after 36 years in corporate food marketing and marketing communications management.

A community volunteer, Patsy serves on the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Advisory Board and the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council, in addition to the President’s Council Advisory Board. She is a former member of the Health and Human Sciences Alumni Board. Patsy held several offices from 2006 through 2013, including president and treasurer. She serves her community’s Discover Indianapolis Club in Fishers, holding several leadership roles for over 10 years.

Patsy has received several honors, including the Purdue University Nutrition Science Department Hall of Fame recipient in 2009 and the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. She also received the college’s Gold and Black Award in 2016, an honor reserved for donors who have moved the college forward by committing exceptional financial resources.

In addition to endowing two scholarships, the Patsy J. Mellott Scholarship and Patsy J. Mellott HHS Scholarship, she established the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award in the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2013. In 2015, she endowed the Patsy J. Mellott Women’s Tennis Coach Performance Award. She is a lead donor in the Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award and the Purdue Women’s Network Virginia C. Meredith Scholarship for the College of Health and Human Sciences.