A recording of Chancellor Doug Girod’s State of the University Address is available online. On Oct. 16 at the Jayhawk Welcome Center, Girod shared recent achievements and initiatives, as well as opportunities and strategies for the year ahead.  

Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer’s State of the Campus Address is also available to watch online. On Oct. 27 at the Kansas Union Ballroom, Bichelmeyer spoke about the past year’s successes, the university’s financial challenges and embracing change on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses.

On Thursday, KU announced the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program, which allows administrators to offer eligible employees incentives for an accelerated departure. 

The financial impact of several external factors has led to a revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year, and it is anticipated that the impact will continue into the 2027 fiscal year. University leadership is exploring a number of cost-saving measures that can help the university operate long into the future.

Through VSIP, eligible KU employees who voluntarily elect and are approved can retire from KU with an incentive payout. This program will allow for greater flexibility with financial planning and strategic decisions in academic programming.

More information about the program can be found on the 2025 VSIP website, including guidelines and FAQs.  

Important VSIP Dates:

In early October, the Campus Constituent Survey Implementation Team provided updates addressing recommendations from the most recent faculty, staff, undergraduate student and graduate student surveys. At that meeting, the team reviewed recommendations from the 2024 National Survey of Student Engagement and the 2024 Graduate Student Experience Survey. 

The team meets three times each year to address constituent requests and concerns and improve leadership accountability. The constituent survey results also inform the Jayhawks Rising Strategic Plan.

Updates to recommendations related to NSSE 2024 and GSES 2024 include:  

Undergraduate Student Recommendation: Expand first-year courses to expose 50% of first-year students to student success/career-related strategies, including how to navigate a large university. 

Updates:

Graduate Student Recommendation: Establish policies and/or procedures to require that graduate student handbooks for all master’s and doctoral programs are provided to graduate students in their first semester of their program and are available to students through program completion. 

Updates:

Human Resources has posted recordings of keynote addresses and several breakout sessions from the Staff Leadership Summit.  

Recordings include: 

KU will be open, and classes will take place on Veterans Day, which is observed on Nov. 11. Employees and supervisors should discuss staffing arrangements for this state and federal holiday.  

Employees required to work will receive holiday compensation if they are eligible for holiday leave. Eligible non-exempt (hourly) employees will receive holiday compensatory time accrued at 1.5 hours for each hour worked. 

Supervisors will be asked to submit a list of exempt employees and their hours worked to the HR Transaction team. For questions, contact hrtransactions@ku.edu. 

In honor of Veterans Day, KU will offer a variety of events from Nov. 8-12. A full list is available online.  

The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Office of International Affairs will host a two-part internationalization symposium on Nov. 17 in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union.  

In celebration of International Education, the Teaching Without Borders: Course Internationalization Symposium will explore how to integrate global engagement into the classroom through options ranging from modifying a single assignment to partnering with a classroom abroad, developing a transnational group project, or adding a study abroad component. 

The first session, International Eats and Academic Feats, from noon to 1:20 p.m., will include an internationally inspired buffet lunch while a faculty panel showcases how they added global dimensions to their courses.  

The second part, Brainstorming Session: Internationalizing your Course, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. will allow for a guided discussion, brainstorming and preliminary planning for internationalizing a course.  

Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions but can register for what fits their schedule. Registration is required. 

The KU Bookstore has launched in-house apparel printing services, making it easier for campus departments and student organizations to create custom apparel. From staff shirts to special event merchandise, the KU Bookstore will take orders directly. 

Departments and organizations can partner with the KU Bookstore to have their custom items sold in-store and online at kubookstore.com. These groups can take advantage of the retail partnership option, where a portion of the proceeds from sales returns directly to them. 

Along with in-house apparel printing, the KU Bookstore has also introduced the KU Bookstore Originals – a new line featuring designs created by the internal marketing team.

The Center for Digital Inclusion, the Institute for Policy & Social Research and the Life Span Institute are co-hosting a science communication workshop designed to strengthen how researchers share their work with the public. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Malott Room of the Kansas Union. Lunch will be provided. 

The workshop aims to help scholars bridge that gap by bringing together KU faculty, researchers and communication professionals to share strategies, build networks and develop collaborative approaches for communicating science and research more effectively. 

Registration is required. 

When campus systems or services take an unexpected pause, a quick alert can save time and confusion. Stay informed by signing up for email updates or by checking the IT Alerts Status page.

To receive email notifications for major services, such as email, Wi-Fi, or HR Pay, visit the Group Subscriptions page, find IT ALERTS -DL, and toggle your subscription on or off. 

The KU Center for Technology Commercialization released its FY 2025 Annual Report, which highlighted key achievements, ongoing initiatives and efforts to make innovation and commercialization more approachable. 

Among this year’s highlights are a 10-year high for invention disclosures, the launch of dedicated marketing campaigns, completion of a strategic plan and the rollout of the Rock Chalk Ready program.  

KUCTC is KU’s technology transfer office and a One KU unit, supporting innovators across all KU campuses. 

Local families can apply to host an international student over Thanksgiving as part of the 71st Annual Betty Grimwood Thanksgiving Program.  

A KU tradition, this program offers international students an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with a host family and have an authentic American cultural experience. Families can host students for Thanksgiving dinner or an extended stay over the holiday break.

Individuals interested in hosting one or several international students for Thanksgiving dinner should apply by Nov. 12. Learn more about the Thanksgiving program on the ISS website.

The Office of Civil Rights & Title IX is offering a series of introductory presentations on mandatory reporting for KU staff and faculty. These sessions will provide an opportunity to learn more about the office's work, including the mandatory reporting obligations for staff and faculty, as well as KU policies and procedures regarding harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct.    

The final session of the semester will be held at 3 p.m. Friday in the Kansas Union in the Jayhawk Room.   

Sessions are open to anyone who is unable to attend unit-level training or who wants to learn more about OCRTIX’s work. More details and registration are available on the OCRTIX website.   

The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX will discuss the intersection of disability with other identities and accessibility in its next installment of the Belonging @ KU series. The virtual presentation, Exploring Disability & Identities, will be held from 1-2:15 p.m. Nov. 19. 

The discussion will feature Stephanie Ruppen, program coordinator in the Center for Service Learning and chair-elect for the Faculty Staff Council on Disability Inclusion; Sean Swindler, project manager at the Kansas University Center on Disabilities; and Jean Hall, former director of the Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies. 

Registration is required for this free virtual event. All KU students, staff, faculty and affiliates are welcome to attend.

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.