A new collaboration among multiple campus partners aims to improve student outcomes by providing effective and inclusive mentoring practices for faculty and staff:

• Faculty & Staff Learning Community focused on Mentoring for Inclusion, co-sponsored by CTE  and the BESST Program, 

• Entering Mentoring training sessions, led by Dr. Blair Schneider of the BESST Program and        co-sponsored by the ASTER program, CURF, the McNair Scholars program and the Office for Diversity in Science Training. 

Organizers will hold an information session from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the Pine Room at the Kansas Union. Faculty and staff from all academic areas can participate in either opportunity, regardless of the context of student mentoring (teaching, research, informally). Use this form to indicate your interest in these opportunities and/or RSVP for the info session. 

Christopher Koliba, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, will present his inaugural Distinguished Professor lecture, “‘We Don’t Know What We’ve Got ‘til It’s Gone’: Standards for Taking Democracy Seriously,” at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

The presentation, focused on the need for democratic resilience, will be held in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP for the event.

This is the final week for employees to make an election in the Membership Admin Portal. Information about the State Employee Health Plan is available in the 2025 Enrollment Guide and the 2025 Plan Rates and Health Plan Comparison Highlights Chart.

After Oct. 31, you will not be able to make changes to your plan elections until the next Open Enrollment period unless you have a qualifying life event. For questions, contact hrdept@ku.edu.

The eight dimensions of wellbeing address wellness extending beyond physical. Learn more during an interactive workshop 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Watkins Health Services.

Explore what your colleagues do to address their needs in each dimension, find what works for you and learn about the growing wellness resources available to KU employees. Register for this free event by Tuesday, Nov. 5.

A new Concur training session will take place from 1-2:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31. This virtual event will cover KU Travel Services and include a demo of the Concur system. Faculty and staff can learn to use Concur for requests, booking, trip management and more.

Register on MyTalent to get a Teams invite the day before the event. If you are unable to attend this session or want to learn more, visit the event page for details and training dates.

KU faculty and staff are invited to join the Impact & Belonging Team in the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, the KU Alumni Association, KU Athletics and Commerce Bank as KU Volleyball takes on Texas Tech.

The watch party will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30, at SPIN! Pizza on 6th and Wakarusa. There will be vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, halal and kosher food options available. RSVP for the watch party.

Your KU email account is the official channel for important university communications.

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.