Greetings faculty colleagues,
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In the Office of Faculty Affairs, we value our partnerships and sense of community with KU’s talented faculty and leaders. Nearly everything we do is in partnership with faculty experts, academic units, and support teams across the university.
And one of our favorite ways to celebrate our community is during Faculty Finals Fest, which takes place on December 3 and 4 in 36 Strong Hall. This event offers a welcoming space, snacks, and activities to help faculty unwind and connect before finals week begins. Drop by any time between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, either day, and enjoy good company and refreshments.
Community can also be cultivated through scholarly collaborations. The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship offers a collaborative opportunity for faculty to engage with faculty and students at another Big 12-member institution, while the Keeler Family Intra-University Professorship allows faculty members to collaborate across disciplines with other experts right here at KU. Applications are open now for the 2026-27 academic year – consider applying now!
Faculty Affairs also initiates collaboration through several leadership opportunities. The KU Provost Fellow position will partner with our team on policy-related projects and initiatives that intersect with the roles and responsibilities of faculty at KU. We are also seeking Chair Fellows, who will participate in and help with the delivery of our chair programs and provide insight and support across OFA faculty development initiatives. Application deadlines are November 7 for the Provost Fellow and November 24 for Chair Fellows.
Lastly, please check out our upcoming programming below in the “Upcoming OFA Events” section. As the semester winds down, there are still many opportunities to connect and learn together. One such opportunity takes place this afternoon from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Join us from the comfort of your own space during our Faculty Idea Exchange, where we will discuss all things Student Surveys of Teaching, facilitated by associate vice provost Meagan Patterson and provided in partnership with The Center for Teaching Excellence.
We look forward to seeing you and continuing to build community as we close out the fall semester.
With gratitude,
Amy Mendenhall
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Professor, Social Welfare
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Spotlight on Faculty Excellence
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External Activity Requests
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Do you engage in professional activities outside of the university? If so, be sure you know the KU and KBOR policies related to commitment of time and conflict of interest.
To help clarify processes for engaging in and reporting on professional activities outside of KU, has been added to our . This resource outlines which external activities require completion of the External Activity Request Form, as outlined in the . Additionally, frequently asked questions can be found for both submitters and reviewers in this process.
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Collective bargaining updates |
This fall, the University and the United Academics of KU (UAKU) have met for 12 meetings, passing a total of 55 proposals/counterproposals and 6 tentative agreements over the course of the semester. Most recently, tentative agreements on non-discrimination and anti-harassment, and facilities and equipment were passed. In total, there have been 43 negotiating sessions, with 121 University proposals/counterproposals, 120 UAKU proposals/counterproposals, and 15 proposals with tentative agreements since collective bargaining began. Keep track of proposals and agreements made on our Collective Bargaining Updates page.
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Early Career "How to at KU": Faculty annual evaluations and setting goals for what’s ahead
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The Office of Faculty Affairs invites all New & Early Career Faculty to attend our fall "How to at KU" series. Our November session will feature the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Amy Mendenhall, as she walks through the annual evaluation process, what you can expect, how to gather and track your accomplishments, and key questions to ask as a new faculty member. Goal-setting resources will also be provided to support your progress as you look ahead to the upcoming semesters. Plan to bring your questions, as there will be time available for Q&A.
Monday, November 17, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Online via Zoom, registration required
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As we near the end of the fall semester, the KU Office of Faculty Affairs understands that finals can be a stressful time, not only for students, but also faculty. Ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge to be successful in their coursework takes time, careful planning, and a lot of energy. To recognize these efforts and to celebrate all that faculty do throughout the semester, we invite our faculty colleagues to our annual "Faculty Finals Fest," an open house event with snacks, informal networking, and a few fun, low-key activities to help you recharge before finals week.
Drop in: Wednesday, December 3 + Thursday, December 4, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
36 Strong Hall
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Graduate Mentoring Workshop Series
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The Graduate Mentoring Workshop is presented by the Office of Graduate Studies and the Office of Faculty Affairs. It is informed by the foundational elements of the Entering Mentoring Training provided by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) and tailored to support our KU community. This training focuses on four key areas: setting and aligning expectations, effective communication with mentees, using Individual Development Plans (IDPs) in your mentoring practice, and supporting your mentees in developing resilience, self-efficacy, and independence.
All sessions present the same content. Please register for the date that best fits your schedule:
Thursday, December 11, from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. SESSION FULL!
Thursday, January 15, from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6, from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
All sessions take place on the Lawrence campus; lunch is provided
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Faculty "How to at KU": Supercharge your canvas course
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Kick off the spring semester with a revamped Canvas course designed for enhanced student engagement and “supercharging” the learning experience! The Office of Faculty Affairs invites all faculty to join us for “Faculty How To at KU: Supercharge your Canvas course” this spring.
From those new to Canvas to our campus pros, there is always something to learn about optimizing the use of this tool. This event will be held virtually, so you can join us from anywhere!
Friday, January 9, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom, registration required
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Friday, Nov. 14: Red Hot Research: Body, Land, Memory featuring KU faculty from Anthropology/Biodiversity Institute/Indigenous Studies; Geography & Atmospheric Science; Social Welfare; Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Classics
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Friday, Nov. 14: Join KU Libraries for a 90-minute workshop to help you brainstorm and plan how you might incorporate the KU Common Book into your curriculum in spring 2026. We will discuss different ways to use the text in the classroom, share sample assignments, and discuss how your students might contribute to the public digital humanities project, “Lawrence Reviewed.” Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Please register here.
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NCFDD membership and programming |
NCFDD often takes a pause to assess their own effectiveness and programs – and encourages you to do the same!
Consider exploring the NCFDD resources you have access to and what might be worth checking out and making time for toward the end of this semester. They also provide a suggested monthly core curriculum to help you organize your learning. All this can be found in their recent Monday Motivator.
As a reminder, KU is an institutional member of NCFDD, which ensures all KU academic faculty and staff can register for an NCFDD membership at no additional cost. To join the NCFDD community, be sure to sign up here.
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Calls you don't want to miss |
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Monday, Dec. 1: New for Spring 2026! We are excited to launch The Faculty Collaborative: Faculty Vitality at the Mid-Career Stage, a faculty development initiative! This program will consist of four sessions throughout the spring semester, bringing faculty together to focus on topics specifically related to faculty experiences and development at mid-career. The program is designed around a cohort model, and all full-time faculty and academic staff with a minimum of 6 years of experience (at KU or total) are invited to apply for this opportunity. More information can be found on The Faculty Collaborative website.
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Monday, Dec. 1: The Office of Faculty Affairs is accepting nominations for the Faculty Service Award, which recognizes faculty members who have provided outstanding service to the KU community via institutional service at the department, school/college, and/or university levels. Learn more about the award and apply by December 1.
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Monday, Dec. 15: The Chancellor’s Office is now accepting nominations for the 2026 University Scholarly Achievement Award. Up to four mid-career faculty will be awarded and recognized during the spring University Research Awards ceremony.
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David Johnson, Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was recently recognized as a 2025 KBOR Faculty of the Year! Nominations for this award are selected by the faculty senates at the state universities and awarded by the Regents.
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Dates to be aware of and share with students
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Wednesday, November 12: Last day to withdraw from a class or the University, second period drop ends, new student enrollment begins for SP26
- Wednesday, November 26 – Sunday, November 30: Thanksgiving break
- Monday, December 1: Enrollment for new non-degree seeking students, community members and special student populations
- Thursday, December 4: Last day of classes
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Friday, December 5: Stop Day
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All dates above apply to full semester courses. Some deadlines may exclude certain schools and colleges. See the entire Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 calendar on the Registrar’s website.
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Tracking Community Engaged activity
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Faculty Insight now allows faculty to designate many records as “community-engaged activity.” In the system, “community-engaged activity” has been defined as a collaboration or partnership between institutions of higher education (students, faculty and/or staff) and the larger community (local, regional, national, or global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. This definition has been provided by the Office of Community Impact. For more support in your community engaged scholarship, please visit the Community Engagement website.
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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. 2025.
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