Weekly Briefing: Mitch Daniels Is Taking a Victory Lap. Justified?

If you look up "success" in the dictionary, will you see a reference to Purdue U.'s fall semester, or will the definition be something more complex? ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [logo] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up to receive your own copy.]( You’ll support our journalism and ensure that you continue to receive our emails. [Read this newsletter on the web](. Success is a messy picture when it comes to Covid-19. [image] Nikos Frazier, Journal & Courier In a year when we were mostly shut indoors, it was difficult to define personal success. What does success look like when a global pandemic is raging beyond the windows of your home office or dining-room table? How can you define it when an avalanche of domestic and work responsibilities hit you one March morning? There's no one right answer to those questions. But for colleges and their leaders, there was a simple way to define accomplishment. Victory for some campuses meant finishing the fall semester in person, avoiding a Covid-19 outbreak that would send students home. For other institutions, it was defined by low case numbers. Mitch Daniels sees Purdue University's in-person fall semester as an achievement. Daniels, a former Republican governor of Indiana and Purdue's president, and those who work at the institution are heroes of a sort, [according to his Thanksgiving message]( to the campus. In the message, Daniels defended Purdue from critics, and wrote, “Today’s Boilermakers emphatically refuted the cynical predictions that their behavior would overwhelm any protective actions the university attempted." In May, Daniels wrote a column for [The Washington Post]( saying that his students wanted to return to campus and that the risk students would get seriously ill from Covid-19 was low. Daniels was criticized for putting faculty members and residents of West Lafayette, Ind., at risk by bringing students back. Purdue plowed ahead, spending $50 million on testing and improving the physical and technological parts of campus to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. When students did test positive, Purdue provided a space for them to quarantine, and gave them additional medical and academic assistance. At the start of the semester, Daniels worked with West Lafayette's mayor, John Dennis, to impose a $300 fine on anyone who violated a mask-wearing mandate. The university also rolled out a public-health honor code, the "Protect Purdue Pledge." When students violated the university's social-distancing rules early in the semester, Daniels sent a clear message by expelling them. By the end of the semester, nearly 3,000 students had tested positive for Covid-19. One epidemiologist said that the number doesn't appear to exceed case numbers in Indiana as a whole. Still, it's tough to know whether someone who contracted the coronavirus would have gotten it if the university were operating remotely. Comparing Purdue with other institutions also is a challenge, given the variations in housing densities and testing practices from college to college. Some faculty members, however, weren't so convinced of Purdue's victory. Deborah L. Nichols, chair of the University Senate and an associate professor of human development and family studies, said the in-person reopening had taken a toll on her colleagues. Some instructors reported that anxiety was up and productivity was down. A survey sent to faculty, staff, and student workers near the semester's end found that employees were working longer hours but felt less productive. This year, success is also being measured by a college's ability to keep working and producing the intended results. Success needs to have a longer shelf life or a tailwind. Covid-19 has again become the wildfire that we've all feared would devastate the country this winter. Students will need to be tested before they return to campus for the spring semester. Even Daniels is concerned that university workers may get the virus from people in the surrounding community. So if you look up "success" in the dictionary, will you see a reference to Daniels and his fall semester? Or will the definition render something longer and more complex? [Read our Eric Kelderman's story on Purdue here](. Paid for and Created by Georgetown University [WE CAN ENSURE SAFER ROOFS OVER EVERYONE’S HEADS]( Collaborating with Georgetown University’s Office of Community Engagement, McCourt School of Public Policy students gain experiential learning opportunities by connecting with stakeholders and learning about day-to-day challenges. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( Subscribe to The Chronicle Our mission, at a time of crisis and uncertainty, is to ensure you have the information you need to make the best decisions for your institution, your career, and your students. Please consider subscribing today to sustain our continuing coverage. [Subscribe Today]( Lagniappe. - Learn. Want to give your loved ones something outrageous? Maybe you're in the market for a good laugh, not a gift, for yourself. Either way, [check out this list of silly gifts from cyberspace](. Nothing says 2020 like a glowing bread lamp. (The New York Times) - Read. NPR's story series [Art Where You're At]( showcases museum collections at galleries closed because of the pandemic or for readers who can't travel. The latest feature is on [three modernist Mexican artists](. (NPR) - Listen. Adrianne Lenker's solo album [Songs]( was recorded in [a New England cabin]( during the early days of the pandemic. She produced a wonderful, meditative, and weird album. If you want to avoid lyrics, Lenker also released [Instrumentals](. (The New Yorker, Spotify) - Watch. Here is The New York Times's list of the 20 [best movies of the year](. On the list, I endorse Dick Johnson Is Dead, Bacurau, and David Byrne's American Utopia. (The New York Times) Cheers, —Fernanda This Week‘s Top Reads RACIAL EQUITY [Students Unhappy With Financial-Aid Decisions Can Appeal. But Who Does That?]( By Vimal Patel [image] Many students of color aren’t aware that such appeals are even possible. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( BUDGET CUTS [‘A Tremendous Amount of Fear’: Will Major Cuts Threaten Research Universities’ Work?]( By Lindsay Ellis [image] Public flagship universities are bracing for a grim 2021. ADVICE [When My College Attacked Me, Professional Insurance Saved My Bacon]( By L.D. Burnett [image] Protection against disgruntled students, dangerous colleagues, and abusive administrators. Job Announcement Research Assistant Professor / Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University[Visit jobs.chronicle.com]( for more details. Paid for and Created by UC San Diego [A Safe Reopening Informed by Science]( A vital component of UC San Diego’s Return to Learn plan, the campus is leveraging an anonymous exposure notification system, alerting users if they’ve come into contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. The Chronicle's Featured Report: The Post-Pandemic College [Leading experts examine how the pandemic will shape higher education]( in the years to come and what the college of the future may look like. To recover well, colleges must develop a more externally-focused business model, direct resources to expand professional development in online teaching, and continue to expand mental-health services. Job Opportunities [Search the Chronicle's jobs database]( to view the latest jobs in higher education. What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( // [It was OK]( // [Loved it](. [logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. 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