MARCH 2025

Dear Colleagues,

I hope you all are doing well. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to our students and the College community every day. 

I'm writing with two purposes today:

1. Invite you to the 2025 State of the College presentation. 
2. Follow up on the College Conversation.

Please reserve Tuesday, March 25, 3:30 to 5 p.m., and plan to join me and your colleagues at this year’s State of the College presentation. I’ll be reflecting on the past year and sharing my aspirations for the future. I’ll also announce the recipients of the Dean’s Excellence Awards, hold a Q&A session, and celebrate our collective successes this past year with a reception. I hope to see you all there. More details below. 

Secondly, thank you for your active participation in the College Conversation. You can now read key findings from that event, as well as a full spreadsheet of all the responses, on this website. I hope you take a moment to review the feedback received from fellow College faculty and staff. Your input gave us valuable guidance on how to successfully continue moving the College forward. You’ll find some of your feedback incorporated into my State of the College presentation this year. 

If you were unable to join us at the College Conversation last fall, please plan on attending the make-up session March 10 at 11:30 a.m. RSVP and details on this follow-up event are below.   

I know this semester has been challenging for many of us. I see you and appreciate you. It is my privilege to lead such a dedicated and resilient community.

Sincerely,

Arash Mafi, Ph.D.
Executive Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Professor, Physics & Astronomy

Join Executive Dean Mafi as he reflects on the College's progress over the past year and announces the recipients of the Dean's Excellence Awards. The event will feature a presentation, a Q&A session, and a reception to celebrate the College's accomplishments and its bright future.

The event will not be livestreamed but will be recorded for later viewing. 

In October, many of you joined us for our first-ever College Conversation. If you missed the October event, we invite you to join us next week so that we can hear your ideas and feedback on the direction of the College

Space is limited. Lunch will be provided.

*Please note that this session is specifically for those who were unable to attend in October. If you were present at the original event, there is no need to attend again.

Struggling with Chat GPT and other AI apps in the classroom? Doug Ward in the Center for Teaching Excellence has some great resources addressing these challenges. At the links below you'll find links to articles, KU resources, and the option to join an AI work-group. Please check them out to learn more. 

Special thank you to David Cateforis, chair and professor of History of Art, for helping to promote Doug's work and encouraging the Dean's Office to share out. 

CRL #9: Artificial Intelligence
Wed., March 12 | 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Malott Room, Kansas Union

Bringing together individuals with diverse research experience to expand networks and open new research pathways.

It's time to celebrate your graduating students. Share the names of your outstanding grads, and we'll help send them off.  

Your annual training covering IT security promotes knowledge and a shared understanding of our individual contributions toward a safer campus and a more secure online environment. Faculty and staff are required to complete the IT security training by March 25. Please check your email for more details on how to access and complete the training in MyTalent. 

You've most likely noticed new design elements on signs, in emails, and more around campus. KU recently launched the new branding campaign, "Towering Toward the Blue." While it may seem like the new branding is just about grids, stars, and seals — there's a lot more to it.

The primary objective of the new brand strategy is to emphasize KU’s significant contributions to teaching, research, Kansas, and higher education. It's meant to elevate everything at the heart of what we do. The College Communications team soon will be inviting College Communicators to a meeting with KU Marketing to learn more about the brand, how to incorporate the design into your department communications, and talk through the messaging of "Towering Toward the Blue." To find out more on your own, be sure to check out the information on KU Marketing's brand center. 

Have specific questions? Please email Heather Anderson for help.