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Tuesday, 4/10/2001	5 day quick link 4/9 \| 4/6 \| 4/5 \| 4/4 \| 4/3

University drafts strategic plan

By Laura Pelner
Campus Editor

Rabindra Mukerjea

Purdue University has no clear vision, but with the help of strategic planning efforts it should be getting one soon.

On March 1, Rabindra Mukerjea began as Purdue's first director of strategic planning and assessment. In one month he helped create task forces that have drafted the University's mission and vision statements.

"There isn't any clear vision statement in document so we are preparing a new vision and mission statement based on the different kinds of expectations and different reports that Purdue has issued in the past," said Mukerjea.

President Martin Jischke said strategic planning is about achieving goals that will take the University to the next level. To that end, Jischke said the first step in the process is coming to an agreement and understanding about Purdue's role in higher education. The mission statement will provide this.

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Purdue to place fences around campus fountains

Courtesy of the University News Service

INCREASING SAFETY: This artist's rendition of the Loeb Fountain by the Liberal Arts and Education Building shows the fountain with a fence around it. This fountain and the Class of 1939 water sculpture on Purdue Mall's engineering campus will soon have 4-foot fences around them.

An informal University tradition will soon come to an end — by mid-May Purdue's two biggest fountains will have 4-foot fences around them, preventing people from running through the water.

The Class of 1939 water sculpture on Purdue Mall's engineering campus and the Loeb Fountain at Founders Park by the Liberal Arts and Education Building will both have fences around them made of stainless steel. The design of the fences will be the same as the handrails on the steps of Hovde Hall. The structures will be placed between existing concrete parts of the fountains so students will still be able to sit on them.

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Family awaits Purdue graduate's return from China

After everyone gets home from work at the Sonon household, at least one person is by the phone at all times.

They are waiting by the phone in case someone calls about their daughter, Marcia, who is one of the 24 American crewmembers being detained in China.

Navy Lt. Marcia Sonon is a 1993 graduate of Purdue with a degree in computer technology.

"She told me when she went into the Navy sometime or another something would happen — now they told me she's in China," said Fern Sonon, Marcia's mother.

Fern said the family members understand that there is nothing they can do to resolve the situation, but they have not let it affect them. They still go to work every day but when they are home, they constantly watch the news and keep someone stationed by the phone.

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