Mitch Daniels has eased some faculty members' concerns about his remarks, broadcast last week on public radio, regarding the role regional campuses play in the state's higher education mission.
The Purdue University president responded to four professors at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne who on Friday asked Daniels to clarify his comments that regional campuses should not focus on research and doctoral programs.
In a letter Monday, Daniels said he agreed with the IPFW professors.
Daniels said Purdue's position is to align precisely with the direction of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
"As you correctly point out, research and scholarly activities, as defined and authorized by the commission's policy, are extremely important to the needs of your local and regional economies," Daniels write.
Daniels also said his comment during the radio broadcast was "more concise and general than it should have been" as he discussed the roles and different missions of the research institution in West Lafayette from Purdue's campuses in Fort Wayne, Calumet and Westville.
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