The Office of Faculty Affairs is offering Policy Development Grants of up to $4,000 to support the alignment of unit-level policy with the UAKU collective bargaining agreement. UAKU members have voted to ratify the agreement, which will now go before the Kansas Board of Regents for approval.  

These grants support the creation and revision of policy within academic departments and research centers across the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. The resources may be used to support the broader scope of work undertaken by the unit or for a specific need related to the policy development work.   

Any KU-Lawrence or Edwards academic department, school or research center is eligible to apply. More information about the grants and application process can be found on the Faculty Affairs’ website. 

Priority will be given to proposals submitted by May 1. After this date, proposals may be considered on a rolling basis, contingent upon the availability of funds. 

New federal accessibility regulations that impact digital and online content – including course content, websites, dissertations and social media – will go into effect in late April.  

A variety of tools and support services are available to help instructors and others ensure that content is fully accessible to all.     

Additional resources and support – including workshops and personalized assistance –  will be available throughout the spring and summer. Learn more. 

From noon April 28 to noon April 29, Jayhawks from around the world will support the university they love through One Day One KU. Ambassadors can help make the day a success by highlighting the units or causes at KU that mean the most to them.  

Through social media, email, phone calls, texting and word of mouth, ambassadors spread the word and excitement about One Day One KU. Here is how it works:  

With federal immigration-related policies changing rapidly in recent months, Yuki Watanabe, assistant director of International Support Services, has helped her department and international students navigate those challenges. For her steadfast leadership and care, Watanabe has been selected as a March Employee of the Month. 

Watanabe oversees six immigration advisors from ISS’s advising and compliance team. She ensures the university stays compliant with its extensive reporting responsibilities while also being supportive of the needs of international students. 

The past year has seen complex and rapid changes to international policies.  

“Yuki has continued to offer guidance on these issues and ensure that our international students stand the best chance of being able to arrive at KU, are set up for success in pursuing higher education, and maintain legal status while in the U.S.,” Watanabe’s nominator said. 

As KU’s commissioned fire inspector, Josh Zielke’s deep understanding of fire and life safety codes helps keep the Lawrence and Edwards campuses safe. For his work, Zielke is being recognized as a March Employee of the Month. 

Zielke is a code compliance coordinator within Facilities Planning and Development. In that role, he conducts annual fire inspections for every building on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses — 99 of those inspections he completes directly and another 46 along with a Kansas State Fire Marshal inspector. He also reviews and approves the life safety designs for new construction building plans and renovation projects on campus, as well as attends inspections of those projects. 

“Josh's passion for fire safety, his knowledge of fire code and outstanding ability of communicating his concerns to different professionals is a unique gift,” his nominator said. 

Read more about Watanabe and Zielke's work on the Employee of the Month website.

KU leadership will celebrate outstanding employees and teams and mark faculty and staff members' years of service milestones at the Employee Recognition Ceremony at 1:30 p.m. May 7 in the Kansas Union Ballroom. 

Employees marking five-year milestones in employment will be honored. A full list of honorees and details about the event can be found on the Employee Recognition Ceremony website. 

Organizers will announce the Employee of the Year and Team of the Year, as well as honor the past year’s Employees of the Month and Team of the Year nominees. Those honorees are also listed on the website. 

Poppy Crum, a visionary leader and innovator at the forefront of artificial intelligence, machine learning and human-computer interaction, will give the 2026 Self Graduate Fellowship Symposium Lecture.   

Her talk, “Human Dimensions of AI: Balancing Innovations and Humanity in a Digital Era,” will be held at 3:30 p.m. April 24 in the Kansas Union's Big 12 Room. The event is free and open to the public.  

As the chief scientist at Dolby Laboratories for over a decade, Crum pioneered technologies that leveraged human physiology to enhance digital experiences. Later, as CTO of Trimble, Inc., she developed groundbreaking solutions connecting the physical and digital worlds. Now Crum is the founder of Goby Technologies, a consultancy for product and platform innovation with clients such as Google and Universal Music Group. She also serves as managing director at the venture fund Giant Step Capital, investing in space and deep tech innovations with the potential to transform entire industries. 

The Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship sponsors the Self Graduate Fellowship Symposium Lecture. 

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites faculty to take a day, or several, to reflect on their strengths, anticipate challenges, grow their skills and learn something new. 

Held May 18-22, Faculty Development Academies are day-long intensive sessions, focused on a particular topic, giving faculty time to delve deep and develop a core capacity in a chosen area. This year, Faculty Affairs has expanded its offerings to six topic areas:  

KU Faculty Development Academies Week is open to all faculty. Faculty are welcome to register for as many dates as they would like. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. All Academies Days take place on the Lawrence campus.

The deadline to register is May 4. 

Applications for the 2027-2028 Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program are now open. The program funds more than 380 awards in 120 countries for research and teaching opportunities around the world. 

KU International Affairs will host an online KU info session at 3 p.m. Friday. The session will be geared toward faculty and researchers, but all are welcome. Registration is required. 

Other ways to learn more about the program include:  

The application deadline for the Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program is Sept. 15. 

The Science DMZ Network and the Research File Server (ResFS) will be down each night between Wednesday and Friday for about 30 minutes between 6 p.m. and midnight for required maintenance. 

Those who manage a system or process that requires an uninterrupted network connection to the science DMZ and/or ResFS should prepare by pausing any tasks or jobs that require this connection during the outage window. Those who need assistance with preparation should contact their IT support team or the IT Help Desk at 785-864-8080.  

Those who experience any problems with these services following the changes should contact the KU IT Help Desk at 785-864-8080. 

Robert Warrior, Hall Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture, is part of this year’s team of 25 judges who will select the nation’s top works as part of the National Book Foundation’s 77th National Book Awards. The foundation honors books in five categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature. Warrior, who has a dual appointment in the departments of English and American Studies, will chair the nonfiction panel. The nonfiction category typically attracts between 600 and 700 entries. 

The award recognizes excellence in books published by U.S.-based publishers between Dec. 1, 2025 and Nov. 30, 2026. According to the National Book Foundation, judges will announce 50 longlisted titles, 10 per category, by mid-September. Twenty-five finalists will be announced in early October. As a panel chair, Warrior will announce the winner of the nonfiction category at the 77th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on Nov. 18. The event will also be livestreamed.  

Brett Bricker, head debate coach, was awarded the Ross K. Smith Debate Coach of the Year award at the 2026 National Debate Tournament in recognition of his career achievements in coaching. 

The award was presented at the opening assembly for this year’s National Debate Tournament, where three KU teams are competing.

Bricker has been KU’s head coach since 2014. In the past 13 seasons, he has coached teams that won the National Debate Tournament in 2018, finished second at the tournament three times and had a team reach the Final Four in seven of the past nine tournaments. 

Bricker is the third KU coach to win the prestigious award, joining Donn Parson in 1980 and Scott Harris in 2006. 

Read more about Bricker’s accomplishments in this KU News article. 

Don’t miss the Office of the Provost’s final TGIT of the academic year from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hawks Nest on the first floor of the Kansas Union. 

Faculty and staff are invited to pause and take time to visit with colleagues across campus and enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. RSVPs are encouraged for planning purposes.

Staff Senate honored two employees with its inaugural 2026 Staff Senate Awards.

Michelle Wilson, assistant director of academic and professional development for TRIO SES & STEM and lecturer for the Institute for Leadership Studies, received the Staff Senator Innovation Award.

Sean Barker, project manager in KU Information Technology’s Project & Organizational Change Management Office, was given the Staff Senate Integrity Award. 

These awards honor exceptional leadership and commitment to KU’s IRISE values. Recipients will be recognized during the first part of the Staff Senate Connection Session at 4 p.m.  Wednesday during the Staff Professional Development Conference at the Kansas Union. 

The Office of Faculty Affairs announced the first two recipients of the newly established Faculty Service Award.

This award recognizes faculty members who provide outstanding service to the KU community through institutional service at the department, school, college and university levels.  

The 2026 Faculty Service Award recipients are Joshua Arpin, assistant teaching professor in the School of Business, and Karen Moeller, clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.   

Both recipients received surprise visits from Provost Arash Mafi and members of the Office of Faculty Affairs. Each awardee will receive $2,000. Read more about their service to the university in this KU News article. 

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