In August, KU welcomed 31,464 students back to campus, a record-high enrollment. This year’s freshman class of 4,834 students was the fourth largest in KU history. As part of that process, hundreds of faculty, staff and students volunteered to support students as they arrived on campus.   

More than 90 faculty and staff and 350 students volunteered to help move 5,000-plus students into on-campus housing. The volunteers unloaded vehicles, carried belongings, directed traffic, answered questions, and welcomed students and their families. In this Student Affairs article, read more about families and students’ move-in experience and Housing & Residence Life’s months of preparation before their arrival.  

Additionally, 70 volunteers and 127 facilitators led more than 4,000 first-year students through Jayhawks Give A Flock, KU’s bystander intervention program organized by the Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center. The two-hour-long sessions allow students to practice intervening when a peer needs support. Read more about the success of this year’s program on the Student Affairs website. 

KU celebrated the opening of two new facilities at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Hutchinson with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, marking a major milestone in expanding training opportunities for Kansas law enforcement and public safety partners. 

Designed by Hoefer Welker and built by McCownGordon Construction, the project includes office space, eight multipurpose classrooms that provide flexibility for real-world training scenarios and a 46-suite dormitory for students attending extended courses. 

The State of Kansas made the $20 million project possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The investment in KU and KLETC will expand the center's ability to provide law enforcement professionals with the training and resources they need to serve communities across Kansas.  

KLETC, a KU unit, directly trains the overwhelming majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers in Kansas, and oversees, supervises and monitors the training of the remaining officers at eight authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law enforcement agencies.

For more information, read the KU News article. 

This month Watkins Health Services will offer flu vaccine clinics at eight different locations on the Lawrence campus for students, faculty, staff and affiliates.  

Flu shots provided by Watkins Health Services are covered in full as a preventive care benefit for current employees and their spouses enrolled in the State Employee Health Plan. Otherwise, the cost for a regular dose of flu vaccine is $41. Those 65 years and older wanting the high-dose vaccine, which comes with a higher cost, must schedule an appointment at Watkins.  

Be sure to bring a health insurance card and save time by completing the necessary forms, which should be printed, filled out and brought to the clinic. 

Flu Shot Schedule  

In preparation for Tuesday’s Concert on the Hill, campus parking areas near the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium will be restricted, and access to the Hill will be limited.  

Parking in Lot 91, just north of the Spencer Museum of Art, will be unavailable through Tuesday and at reduced capacity on Wednesday. Lots 50, 52, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, and 65, directly west of the football stadium, will close to permit parking at 2 p.m. Tuesday. See campus parking map for locations.

Students and employees should park in lots where their color-zone permit is valid on the south side of campus. Anyone with a valid KU parking permit may park in the Central District Parking Garage or Allen Fieldhouse Parking Garage. On Tuesday, Mississippi Street Garage will also be available for valid KU permits and concert parking. 

Access to the Hill is currently closed and expected to reopen Wednesday afternoon. Soundcheck will occur on Tuesday afternoon, and increased traffic is expected before and after the concert.  

The Grammy-winning band Turnstile will headline Concert on the Hill and will be joined by Slayyyter and Die Spitz. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. 

This month KU and the KU Medical Center benefits departments will host online information sessions about Open Enrollment for the State Employee Health Plan. These sessions will provide an overview of the enrollment process, highlight benefit plan changes for 2027 and offer employees an opportunity to ask questions to KU benefits staff members. 

Open Enrollment for the 2027 plan year will run Oct. 1-31 for coverage beginning Jan. 1. All employees with current coverage or wishing to have 2027 coverage must enroll through the Membership Administration Portal (MAP). Review the SEHP Open Enrollment Guide to learn more about changes for 2027 and to select a plan. 

Open Enrollment Sessions: 

To register, click on the preferred info session above, which will go to the MyTalent portal. Registration is required to attend each online session.

Last week, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX shared the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) with the campus community.  

The ASFSR contains information on campus safety and security, including crime reporting policies, campus alerts, fire safety policies and procedures, and programs to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, as well as the procedures the institution follows when one of these crimes is reported. 

The report also contains crime statistics from the past three years, including reported Clery crimes that occurred on-campus; in on-campus student housing facilities; in non-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the institution or a recognized student organization; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an on-campus student housing facility during the same time period.  

A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request by emailing civilrights@ku.edu or can be viewed on the OCRTIX website. 

Earthquakes occur every year in Kansas and can be strong enough for residents to feel. On Oct. 15, KU Lawrence and Edwards campuses will have the opportunity to prepare for such an event as part of the national Great ShakeOut Drill.  

At 10:40 a.m. on the Lawrence campus, faculty, staff and students will receive a RAVE emergency alert via email or text message. Additionally, the Emergency Public Address system will be activated to broadcast simulated emergency messaging.  

On the Edwards Campus, the drill will occur at 11:30 a.m. with faculty, staff and students receiving a RAVE alert via email or text message.  

An all-clear alert will be sent five minutes after each message to conclude the drill.

To participate in the drill: 

For more information, visit the Office of Emergency Management website. 

Movetober — KU Employee Wellness’ movement challenge — begins today. To launch the month-long initiative, this week’s theme is “Move Your Way,” which encourages employees to pick a movement pathway that is meaningful to them. Movement pathways include moving more overall, more frequently throughout the day, with a focus on strength, outside or with others.  
 
Here’s how employees can join the movement:  

Beginning today, the sidewalks on both the north and south sides of 11th Street between Illinois and Mississippi streets will be temporarily closed for construction.  

Pedestrians are encouraged to follow posted signage and use the designated detour route on 10th Street while the sidewalks are closed. The sidewalk closure is part of the renovation of the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and is expected to remain in place through Oct. 20.  

See map for more details. 

Angela Cervantes, KU alumna and an award-winning children’s author, will return to KU on Oct. 17 for a family-friendly event at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library.  

The Kansas City-based author behind American Girl’s 2026 Girl of the Year, Raquel Reyes, will discuss her writing journey, Mexican American heritage and the creation of a character with local roots. The event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, American Girl’s 40th anniversary and the power of stories to connect people across generations.  

The doors open at 10 a.m., with the conversation with Cervantes beginning at 10:30 a.m. and running approximately 25-30 minutes. Book signings and photos with the author will follow. There will not be copies of the book for sale at the event, so participants are asked to bring personal copies for signatures. 

Visitors can also explore a display of Spencer Library collection items inspired by Raquel’s story. Tickets are free, though advance registration is requested. 

KU has announced the initial stages of the search for the next dean of the School of Music.

In a message to faculty, staff and students of the school, Provost Arash Mafi provided a timeline for major aspects of the search and invited members of the school community to nominate colleagues and classmates to serve on the search committee.  

The committee, which will be co-chaired by Dean of Business Jide Wintoki and Spencer Museum of Art Director Saralyn Reece Hardy, will work on a leadership profile this fall and begin a call for candidates. After careful review of the candidate pool, the committee will invite highly qualified candidates to Lawrence for on-campus, in-person interviews with a variety of stakeholder groups. Information about the candidate finalists will be shared with the campus community and posted on the search website when details are available. 

Executive search consultant WittKieffer will assist with the search. 

Nominations for the 2027 University Scholarly Achievement Awards are due Oct. 16. Each year, up to four mid-career faculty members receive the $10,000 award in recognition of a significant scholarly or research contribution, creative work, or a series of closely related contributions. The award covers all fields of scholarship represented at KU.   

The Chancellor will announce recipients of the awards in April. Candidates may be nominated by colleagues or submit a self-nomination. More information about the award selection process, criteria, eligibility, nomination process and timeline is on the awards website.

The Office of Civil Rights & Title IX invites students, staff, faculty and affiliates to attend an Introduction to Mandatory Reporting training from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Wednesday or on Nov. 11 via Zoom.  

During this session, participants will explore the mandatory reporting obligations for staff and faculty; examine KU’s policies and procedures regarding harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct; and learn more about OCRTIX’s many facets and responsibilities. 

More information can be found on the OCRTIX 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.

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