KU provides opportunities to engage on campus and within the community. The Center for Service Learning (CSL) is one example of KU's commitment to advancing community-engaged scholarship and civic engagement that fosters participation in a diverse and global society. CSL offers support and mini-grants to faculty who would like to incorporate service learning components into their courses. The CSL Service Learning and Civic Engagement Ambassador Program is another way to get started on integrating community and civic engagement into your work. 

More broadly, the Big Event at KU offers an opportunity for faculty to engage directly with KU and the Lawrence community. By recruiting thousands of student, faculty, and staff volunteers to work at hundreds of local job sites during one day of service, the Big Event provides a helping hand to Lawrence residents by completing projects in their neighborhoods. This year, the Big Event takes place on October 18. Want to get involved? You can sign up now to help out this fall!

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.

What is the Hill?

The KU Lawrence campus is built on a hill that overlooks Lawrence and the Kansas River; classes were first taught on this hill in 1869. The reference to KU being built on a hill is celebrated today, with our campus often referred to as "The Hill" and "Mount Oread." 

On the second Sunday of May, KU’s Commencement ceremony brims with tradition and buzzes with excitement. The ceremony’s centerpiece is the walk down the hill —graduating students’ first steps toward the future.

Old North College, the first building on KU Campus, overlooking Lawrence and the Kansas River, ca. 1867

Have questions before the semester begins? Get a head start with our Drop-In and "How to at KU" sessions.

All summer Drop-In and OFA "How to at KU" sessions are virtual and will feature an expert(s) on the topic who is available to answer any questions you might have and help you get started in planning for your fall semester.

Join us for out next Drop-In session next week and meet some of the Office of Faculty Affairs team! Bring any questions you might have about your faculty role at KU. No registration is required for Drop-Ins; simply join from Zoom. Need to install Zoom on your device? Visit here. 

Upcoming Drop-In session:

Wednesday, July 30 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. (CST) (come and go)

Drop In: The KU Faculty Experience

If you are interested in our upcoming "How to at KU" sessions, please register ahead of time, so we can prepare!

Upcoming "How to at KU" sessions:

TOMORROW Thursday, July 24 from 10:00- 11:00 a.m. (CST)

Thursday, Aug. 7 from 12-1:00 p.m. (CST) 

How to at KU: Setting up Your Lab

How to at KU: Setting up Your KU Benefits

Register for New Faculty Orientation by August 1!

Our New Faculty Orientation takes place on August 11 & 12 and 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. *Psst - we also heard that a special guest may be joining us for day two - find a clue to who this guest might be in our June 18 Summer Connect!*

On Wednesday, August 13, join us for a New Faculty Orientation campus tour. We will have coffee and donuts, and a guided tour to learn more about our beautiful campus.

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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