Work on the Chi-Omega Fountain is on schedule and expected to be completed before the end of the spring semester. Thanks to generous donors, the fountain has undergone major reconstruction since October.  

The project includes installing new plumbing systems, recasting the fountain’s concrete, and adding a stone base and bronze center fountain and bowl. The renovations should be finished and the fountain operational by the end of the month. Crews plan to add landscaping around the fountain in the first week of May. 

Starting today a new shopping user interface, Redwood Self Service Procurement, will be available in Financials in the Cloud, KU's cloud-based financial system.  Announced in the spring edition of Rock Shop Jayhawk, the new shopping interface combines Oracle upgrades and KU Procurement enhancements to improve the shopping experience for those purchasing goods or services through FITC.

Redwood Self Service Procurement highlights include: 

To use the application, users need to have security access to FITC, which can be requested by completing an online form. 

Training is recommended for FITC shoppers and individuals who will be receiving goods and/or confirming services have been rendered. Training is available daily through April 18 and weekly starting April 23. Register for a training in MyTalent. The P2P Help Desk is available to provide deskside training and answer shopping questions.  

The Finance Shared Service Center has worked with the Service Experience Council to update its service offerings and service level agreement with campus partners.  

Campus has improved payment turnaround times, in part because of the services Finance SSC provides on campus. On average it takes one day for the Finance SSC to respond to an initial request and less than three days to complete the work.  

Departments and units can help improve this turnaround time. Finance SSC staff have noticed that payments are faster when departments or units are more responsive to information inquiries in the Finance Service Portal. 

Finance SSC is closely monitoring and following its responsiveness and ability to submit financial transactions quickly to ensure it's meeting the service level agreement standards for campus. 

All Jayhawks work to ensure the financial stewardship of our institution, and the Finance team is committed to providing training that supports your work. Help the Finance team tailor its financial education programs by taking a quick survey to share what topics interest you most — whether it’s travel reimbursements, procurement policies or something else.   

Your input will shape future training sessions, ensuring you get the knowledge and resources that matter most to you. The survey is available now through May 11. 

A new collaboration between Kansas Public Radio and the Office of Graduate Studies will highlight the contributions of graduate research to the economic, human, social, and environmental health and growth of Kansas and the nation. Called Research Matters, each installment will showcase a brief interview with a KU graduate student about their project, its impact on the state and the motivations driving the student’s research pursuits.

Starting today these two-minute installments are scheduled to broadcast on Mondays at 9:04 a.m., Wednesdays at 8:04 p.m. and Sundays at 1:04 p.m. They can be found on KPR 1 (FM 91.5) and KPR 2 (FM 96.1) as well as on the OGS and KPR websites. 

Human Resources sends its thanks to the employees who attended the 2025 Pre-Retirement and Financial Planning Seminars last month. Topics included wills, trusts and estate planning; long-term care; social security benefits and health insurance after retirement. KPERS and Voya representatives also held retirement planning information sessions. 

For those who were unable to attend, all the available handouts and recordings of the presentation are posted on Human Resources’ website. The recordings will be available to watch through May 15. 

To reduce spam and potential scams, KU IT is limiting who can message KU Teams users. Personal email addresses and unmanaged accounts can no longer initiate chats with KU accounts, and vice versa. 

Communication with trusted partners, such as KU Medical Center, other universities and vendors with managed accounts will continue as usual. To work with someone outside KU, you can still invite them to a Team as a guest. You can read more about the changes in this article. 

The Policy Library, the university’s official archive for policy, has completed its transition to the TeamDynamix platform. The transition enhances the overall user experience by improving search functionality, streamlining navigation, and offering advanced capabilities for policy and procedure reporting. The policy office encourages individuals to review the site and email the office with any questions. 

Due to travel plans and other prior commitments, there will be no virtual town hall today or on April 21.   

Individuals are encouraged to watch the Chancellor’s Weekly Update as well as recordings of the most recent Lawrence and Edwards Campus town halls located behind single sign-on. Topics for the April 7 town hall included a general federal activity update, guidance for KU’s international community members, changes to hiring and personnel processes, a finance update and impact on Pell grants. Topics for the March 24 town hall included a general federal activity update, guidance on updating website language, free speech, support efforts for members of KU’s international community, and research update and guidance. 

Submit questions for future virtual town halls online. 

April 17

Staff and faculty are invited to the upcoming Rapport event from 3:30-5:30 p.m. April 17 at The Pub at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. Hosted by Impact & Belonging, the Rapport series aims to foster community at KU by providing staff and faculty with intentional space to network, build their support systems and improve their quality of life. Please RSVP to the event to help with planning.  

April 22

Rachel Schwaller, a multi-term lecturer in religious studies and history, will lead an interactive conversation on religion, culture and community at the next Belonging @ KU event from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. April 22. Attendees will explore how religion and spirituality contribute to our cultures, identities and communities and affect our lives at KU and beyond. Registration is required for this virtual event.  

April 23

KU faculty and staff members are invited to join the International Faculty and Staff Council for a Happy Hour from 5 to 7 p.m. April 23 at 23rd Street Brewery. The Happy Hour is an opportunity to connect with the council and have a bite to eat. Please RSVP to ifsc@ku.edu. The International Faculty and Staff Council supports and encourages advocacy within the international community at KU.  

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 person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC 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. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or online and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or online.

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