You may have heard, enrollment is growing at KU! While an increase in enrollment, retention, and graduation rates are all integral in making a university stand out, knowing our students' stories, providing mentorship, and creating access to resources is key to our collective success. 

Be sure to join us on October 10 from 3-4:15 p.m. (CST), when Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Tammara Durham and Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Chris Corbett, join us for a New Faculty Foundations event. They will share more about our student populations and all things student support-related. We know KU may feel large, but knowing where the supports are and how to access them for students will help you in assisting students as issues arise and as they show interests outside your expertise. See below in our New Faculty Foundations series events to RSVP for this session!

Meet some of our students now

At our May commencement ceremony, student stories were shared in videos featuring recent graduates, who read letters to their younger selves. Take a moment to hear their stories:

The Commons is both a physical and intellectual space in which people come together to establish understanding. A unique space on a university campus, The Commons hosts regular opportunities to connect with peers and scholars around diverse topics.

The Commons was established by three partner units at the University--the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum; the Hall Center for the Humanities, and the Spencer Museum of Art--to create a space on campus to address the grand challenges of the 21st century. 

The Commons offers a bi-weekly newsletter. This is the best place to find information on Commons programming and opportunities.

Our Getting Started with Canvas "how to" is happening tomorrow!

Additionally, our next "how to": A Walkthrough of your Faculty Insight Profile, is coming up in September. Faculty Insight is the university's official database in which faculty record and update their research, teaching, and service activities. 

Join us for one or both of our upcoming "How to at KU" sessions and please register ahead of time, so we can prepare!

Upcoming "how-to at KU":

TOMORROW August 1 from 10-11 a.m. (CST)

Topic: Getting started with Canvas

Monday, September 23 from 3-4 p.m. (CST)

Topic: Faculty Insight Walkthrough

Simple Syllabus is a centralized, template-driven platform that allows instructors to personalize and publish interactive class syllabi. When using the syllabus tool, syllabi are automatically populated with the language and components required by KU’s Syllabus Policy, and at the same time, provide accessible digital syllabi for students. The tool can easily sync Canvas assignment information, such as due dates, into the syllabus and provides reporting functions to instructors. 

IT will offer three Simple Syllabus workshops in August that will cover accessing, editing and submitting syllabi within the Simple Syllabus system. Visit their workshop calendar at this link to register for a training.

Register for New Faculty Orientation by Friday, August 9!

Our New Faculty Orientation is a full-day event that takes place on Monday, August 19. It serves as an opportunity to hear from campus leaders; learn more about KU’s students; and become acquainted with key units that support teaching and research, provide course design resources, help with grant writing and funding, and foster professional development. Most importantly, New Faculty Orientation will provide you with a chance to connect with each other. 

Additionally, we are hosting a New Faculty Orientation campus tour on the following Tuesday morning (Aug. 20). Join us in the rotunda of Strong Hall for coffee, donuts, and a guided tour to learn more about our beautiful campus.

Join us this fall for New Faculty Foundations Series events!

New faculty are welcome to join us for New Faculty Foundations 1.0 or 2.0. However, 1.0 sessions are tailored specifically for faculty in their first year at KU. 

Find all of our 1.0 and 2.0 upcoming events at this link. Registration for upcoming 1.0 sessions are also available by clicking the buttons below.