Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer will deliver the annual State of the Campus address at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Kansas Union Ballroom.   

All faculty and staff are invited to learn more about the successes, challenges and opportunities for Lawrence and Edwards campuses. The event will be livestreamed and recorded for those unable to attend in person. A community connection event with food and drink will follow the provost's address. 

Lawrence and Edwards campus faculty are invited to attend the Office of Graduate Studies and Office of Faculty Affairs' upcoming graduate mentoring workshops. The workshops will be informed by the foundational elements of the Entering Mentoring Training provided by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research and tailored to support the KU community.  

Several workshop sessions will be offered throughout the year. Workshops will be held from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, Jan. 15 and March 6. Lunch will be provided and the content will be the same at each session. Registration is required. 

Additional resources to support graduate student advising and mentoring relationships can be found on the Office of Graduate Studies website. For questions about these workshops or mentoring materials, please email Nicole Reiz, director of professional development and communications for the Office of Graduate Studies, at nreiz@ku.edu. 

A stolen password can drain your bank account, lead to unauthorized access to university systems and risk exposure of sensitive data. That’s why KU requires Duo multi-factor authentication (MFA).  

Good security doesn’t stop at work; these same practices can help protect your personal accounts, too. 

Strengthen Your Digital Foundation: 

Eligible KU employees are required to complete annual training modules by Nov. 14, reinforcing shared community values and responsibilities. 

Per the Required Training Policy, assigned required training must be completed by the specified deadline.  

Find the training modules under “Learning” in MyTalent or by using the links below. 

3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 5

Join the Office of Faculty Affairs from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 for The Faculty Idea Exchange: Student Surveys of Teaching Best Practices for Engagement and Application.    

During this session, faculty across campus will have the opportunity to discuss the Student Survey of Teaching. Focused on a dynamic and lively sharing of ideas and best practices, this Faculty Idea Exchange will encourage faculty to talk about how they foster student engagement with the surveys, use the feedback to improve teaching, and reflect on the data for annual and milestone reviews.

This session takes place online and is co-sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence. 

Deadline: Nov. 7

The Employee Tuition Assistance application for Spring 2026 is due by Nov. 7. Timely submission is strongly encouraged, and late applications may be denied.   

The Employee Tuition Assistance Program provides eligible employees with assistance to cover tuition for up to 12 credit hours per calendar year. Please visit Human Resources’ tuition assistance webpage for more information. 

As part of next week’s KU homecoming activities, Jayhawks will have the opportunity to celebrate what it means to be a Jayhawk by participating in community service projects that bring together alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members. 

3:30 p.m. Wednesday

The Office of Civil Rights & Title IX is partnering with the Office of Mental Health & Wellbeing to hold a Wellness Rapport event on Wednesday. Appetizers and drinks will be provided from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Kansas Memorial Union at the Hawks Nest & Baumgartner Terrace.   

Rapport events aim to cultivate community by creating opportunities for connection and building intentional spaces for networking and belonging. Wednesday’s event will focus on well-being by sharing campus resources, offering chair massages and having a jazz band performance.  

An RSVP is requested. 

University Distinguished Professor Hyunjin Seo will draw from her interdisciplinary research and long-term collaborations with community partners during her inaugural distinguished professor lecture, “From Digital Literacy to Civic Engagement: University-Community Partnerships for Economic Mobility and Community Capacity Building.”  

The lecture will take place at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Big 12 Room of the Kansas Union. Individuals can register to attend the lecture in person or via livestream, and a recording of the lecture will be posted afterward on the Office of Faculty Affairs website.  

Seo’s award-winning research, published in leading academic journals, explores networked communication in the context of social change, collective action and civic engagement. During her presentation, Seo will explore how community-engaged scholarship reduces persistent gaps in technology access and fosters learning and civic participation in the United States.

The International Faculty and Staff Council is hosting its first happy hour of the semester from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Sunflower Café and Pub. All KU faculty and staff are welcome to attend the happy hour for some friendly conversation and food. Please RSVP to ifsc@ku.edu so the council can have a head count for reservations.  

The council, which supports and encourages advocacy within the international community at KU, has been active for the past six years and is looking for new members to take on active roles. Those interested in joining the council should complete a membership form.   

The group is one of ten faculty staff councils that bring KU employees together around a common topic, identity or interest. All faculty and staff at KU are welcome to join any faculty staff council.  

12:10 p.m. Tuesday

Fall is a great time to get outside, so this week’s Movetober theme is moving in nature. KU employees are invited to meet at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday to walk from the Memorial Campanile to the Audio Reader Sensory Garden.  

Those who can’t join the walk in person can share a photo or reflection from a nature-inspired movement in the Movetober Teams channel.  

From Oct. 5 to Oct. 31, Movetober is a KU Employee Wellness initiative encouraging movements in all forms. Participants should log last week’s activity in the Movetober Weekly Tracker by noon today to be eligible to win prizes. 

12 p.m. Oct. 29

Motivation doesn’t have to end when Movetober does. Join Sabrena Jo, senior director of science and education for the American Council on Exercise, for a fun and interactive lunch-and-learn to discover how to keep moving year-round. The virtual Lunch-N-Learn is from 12 to 12:50 p.m. Oct. 29. 

Learn why motivation naturally shifts after the first month, explore simple strategies grounded in motivational science, and leave with practical tools to make physical activity joyful, sustainable and unique.   

Employees can register in MyTalent and KU affiliates can email wellness@ku.edu. 

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday

Faculty and staff can buy one, get one free salad or acai bowl at the Blend in Kansa Union’s The Market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 22. Those participating must show a KU ID at checkout. The offer is only available in person.  

2 p.m. Oct. 29

The Chronicle of Higher Education is hosting the free virtual forum “AI on Campus: Emerging Governance Models” at 2 p.m. Oct. 29. Topics include AI governance models, centralizing AI campus efforts and strategies for using AI. 

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.