KU won a nearly $700,000 grant to help raise awareness and extend the impact of KU’s IRISE Culture Charter for the Lawrence campus. 

The three-year, $699,287 grant, titled “Character Development at KU: The IRISE Virtues Initiative,” from the Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest University, will support KU’s efforts to bring greater awareness to the IRISE values, weave them into the fiber of the university culture and encourage KU community members to cultivate character within themselves. The grant follows a $46,040 capacity-building grant KU received last year from the Educating Character Initiative, titled “KU IRISE: Values Adoption Initiative.” 

The IRISE Culture Charter was developed in 2023 to articulate five shared values — integrity, respect, innovation, stewardship and excellence — Jayhawks embody as members of the university community. A committee co-chaired by university governance and administration leaders developed the IRISE Culture Charter and values with input from KU community members. 

“This latest grant will build on our initial work to develop a culture of character focused on the IRISE values as integral to the identity of being a Jayhawk,” said Nancy Snow, professor of philosophy and co-principal investigator on the grants.

On Sept. 6, the U.S. Department of State announced that applicants for nonimmigrant visas have to submit their visa application in their country of nationality or legal residence. This change in visa policy significantly affects international students, scholars and employees.  

Previously, individuals could apply for a visa in a third country. This option is no longer available except in limited cases where the U.S. does not provide visa services in an applicant’s home country. The change requires those who want to travel outside of the U.S. — including for conferences, research, family events or emergencies — to travel to their country of nationality or permanent residence prior to their return to the U.S. if they do not have a valid entry visa stamp in their passport. That additional time will need to be factored into planned leave from KU.  

International Support Services will continue to monitor developments and share updates when available. Students and scholars should reach out to ISS with questions or for support. Employees should reach out to Human Resources. 

Pictured above are the current and past presidents of the University Women’s Club. Front row, left to right, are Kay Henry, Eleanor Woodyard, Joan Reiber and Jannie Barron. Back row, left to right, are Marlene Mawson, current president; Lois Orth-Lopes; Susan Ralston; Judy Niebaum; Marlene Merrill and Kate Campbell.  

The University Women’s Club celebrated its 125th Anniversary on Sept. 4. With more than 300 members, it is the longest continuous KU-affiliated club.  

The anniversary event included remarks by Barbara Bichelmeyer, provost and executive vice chancellor, and Kim Warren, vice provost for undergraduate education; recognition of past presidents and honored members; and an overview of the club’s leaders and achievements by historian Kathryn Tuttle. A time capsule containing artifacts and mementos from the celebration will be opened in 2050. 

Through the club, KU women — including faculty, faculty spouses and graduates — have supported KU’s mission and fostered social relations through educational programming, interest groups, volunteer opportunities and scholarships for more than a century. 

Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer will host the next virtual town hall for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses at 1 p.m. Thursday.    

During the town hall, KU leaders will provide updates on federal relations, research, the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI programs, and student success initiatives as part of Jayhawks Rising. The town hall will be recorded for later viewing.   

Recordings of the Aug. 21 and 28 town halls are available to view behind KU single sign-on. Questions or comments for future town halls can be submitted anonymously online. 

Twelve people at the Lawrence and Edwards campuses earned instructional faculty promotions in the past year. Read the full list in KU Today. 

Promotions for instructional faculty are determined and awarded through school or departmental reviews, which concluded in the early summer. Promotions for tenure-track faculty and scholarly positions follow a separate process that includes review by the University Committee on Promotion and Tenure and final approval by the chancellor.  

Sections of Parking Lot 1, which sits behind Carruth-O’Leary, will close over the next few weeks as crews work to restore the building’s exterior. Spaces along the northeast side of the building closed on Saturday and will be closed through the end of the month. Spaces along the southeast side of the building will close for approximately two weeks in early October. 

All building entrances will remain open throughout the project. While the parking on the northeast side of the building is closed, accessible parking has moved to the circle drive in front of Joseph R. Pearson with the recommendation to use the west entrance into Carruth-O’Leary. Limited mobility parking spaces have moved to the southeast side of the building. The accessible and limited mobility parking spaces will return to the northeast side of the building in October.  

For the latest on road and parking lot construction projects, visit the Construction Information and Closures webpage. 

The Towering Toward the Blue visual branding updates are coming to all KU Sunflower CMS web pages, with the preview period ending this week. Please review sites for any styling issues and contact the KU IT Web Development team if assistance is needed. Sites not in Sunflower CMS will not receive automatic updates. Once the updates go live, support will continue to be available through the same form.  

Work during the preview period has helped make this transition smoother and brought KU’s web pages closer to a consistent brand identity. Even after the updates go live, content should continue to be aligned with the new brand by updating images, refining copy and pruning outdated content. 

Helpful resources include the CMS Guide on web writing, the brand guide for writing about KU and the Brand Center for updated guidelines and photos. For additional support, contact KU Marketing. 

KU and KU Endowment are hosting an event on Sept. 26 to celebrate the renewal of Potter Lake on the Lawrence campus. The event will start at 3 p.m. on the west hillside overlooking Potter Lake and will include brief remarks by Chancellor Douglas Girod and special guests.  

A cardboard boat regatta sponsored by Student Union Activities will follow the celebration program. The celebration event and the regatta are open to all members of the KU and Lawrence communities, including faculty, staff, alumni and students. KU parents and families are encouraged to attend with their students as part of Family Weekend activities.  

In addition to celebrating the revitalization work to Potter Lake, the event will kick off a LaunchKU fundraising campaign to support continuing beautification efforts. 

Potter Lake underwent an extreme makeover, featuring both aesthetic and functional improvements. The project included dredging to lower the lake bed, rebuilding portions of the original edge wall, improving the spillway and sediment basin, and adding new landscaping. 

Opportunities are still available to volunteer for Family Weekend, which will be held from Sept. 26-28. Spots remain open for two-hour shifts on Sept. 26. Volunteers are needed to welcome guests and support Family Weekend events.  

Volunteering during Family Weekend provides faculty and staff the chance to connect with students and their families and supporters.  

The Office of Family Engagement will hold an information session for volunteers this week to gather more information and answer questions. Those interested in volunteering can sign-up online. 

KU Libraries Makerspace will host the September Move-N-Learn event. KU employees and affiliates are invited to explore the space that encourages the community to tinker, create and collaborate with others.

Offered through KU Employee Wellness, the tour will highlight the tools available in the makerspace, including 3D printing, podcasting equipment and hands-on activities to facilitate creative discovery.

Several spots remain for the Thursday tour, while the Wednesday tour is at capacity. The event will be from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. on the second floor of Anschutz Library. KU employees can register in MyTalent and KU affiliates can email wellness@ku.edu.

KU Employee Wellness’ next Lunch-N-Learn will introduce #JayhawksTalk, a suicide prevention training designed for college faculty and staff. The virtual workshop will be held from 12 to 12:45 p.m. Sept. 24.

The Lunch-N-Learn presentation will be a modified version of the #JayhawksTalk training, covering the warning signs that someone may be considering suicide, how to respond to someone in crisis, referral options and how to assist students seeking help.

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

For those interested in the full, intensive #JayhawksTalk training, a session will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 7 in the first-floor conference room at the Watkins Health Center. Registration is required.

KU Dining is opening a new concept at the Ambler Recreation Center, Shake Smart. To celebrate the exciting addition, KU Dining will host a Free Shake Day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. All regular-sized shakes will be free. 

KU Alumni and the Homecoming Steering Committee recognize outstanding students, faculty and alumni. Award applications and nominations are open until Sept. 26 and can be submitted on the KU Alumni website.    

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.

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