Greetings faculty colleagues,

As we near the end of 2023, the Office of Faculty Affairs would like to take a moment to recognize all of our KU faculty for the incredible work you have done this past year and to express our excitement for the year that is to come. As I mentioned in our September newsletter, the Office of Faculty Affairs grounds all that we do in our values of care, community, and equity. Within these values, we have made progress in policy work, procedures and programming, and we have targeted plans around care, community, and equity for the spring.  

As you receive this newsletter, we are currently in the middle of our inaugural Faculty Finals Fest. Our office designed this event with faculty care in mind and from our commitment to recognize and appreciate our KU faculty for all the hard work that goes into each and every semester. If you have not stopped by 145 Strong Hall yet, please do! This event is taking place today and tomorrow from 11 a.m-3 p.m. and features refreshments, giveaways, and more. And, there is more to come! As we plan for the spring, we are again focusing on our value of care through our spring Faculty Learning Circles. Our spring Faculty Learning Circles will support associate professors preparing their packets for promotion, international faculty in their transition to KU and our Lawrence community, and faculty who would like to develop best practices in writing and publishing. Find more details below and stay tuned for upcoming announcements for FLC meeting dates and times!  

In addition, our faculty development programming—such as New Faculty Orientation, associate dean/chairs and directors workshops, and the senior administrative fellows program—represent our focus on another core value, community. For instance, this January we are offering our first Spring New Faculty Orientation. While we offer a robust New Faculty Orientation each fall, we also have many faculty who join KU later in the fall and also for the spring semester. Hosting a Spring New Faculty Orientation provides an opportunity to help all new faculty connect to resources and key leaders, and also to connect with their peers sooner and more often. We will also be introducing new programming for associate deans/chairs and directors and leadership development opportunities that will be available to all faculty. Learning and growth are hallmarks of both our research and teaching, and they are also essential to our professional development. We continue to develop new initiatives that support all faculty regardless of their role, in order to build a vibrant KU community. 

Importantly, the value of equity serves as a guide for all of our processes, services, and programming. In particular, as we examine the hiring process and policy review/revisions that guide our units, we often ask questions that focus on how barriers can be removed and systems examined to ensure inclusive practices and equitable outcomes. We have identified several places where policy should be reconsidered through an equity lens and are excited to have a new Provost Fellow join us this spring to do just that. We are also examining the faculty evaluation process, including a December 14 session for associate deans/chairs and directors to focus on best practices for annual faculty evaluation processes. Over this next year, our office will be collecting and reviewing data to better understand faculty retention, and developing leadership programming to ensure equity for all faculty.   

Thank you again for your expertise, feedback and partnership this fall. I hope you enjoy some downtime over winter break and feel a sense of renewal going into the spring semester.  

Amy N. Mendenhall, PhD, MSW
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs 
Professor, School of Social Welfare 

As you are aware, all faculty recently received an email (sent Nov. 30) regarding the Online Student Survey of Teaching. We heard from many of you asking that in the future you receive notification prior to the release of the survey of teaching, which would give you time to implement the ideas included with the email in an effort to increase response rates. We appreciate your thoughtful feedback, and based on that Faculty Affairs has worked with the Policy Office to establish a new scheduling process for the release of this announcement each semester. This will be implemented beginning spring 2024, with an email to be released to the faculty in early April and prior to the surveys of teaching being released to students. Next fall all faculty will receive an email in early November and prior to the release of the surveys of teaching. Thank you again for your thoughtful feedback, and we appreciate all of your efforts to ensure students have ample opportunities to provide feedback on their academic experience.

We are excited to announce our upcoming spring Faculty Learning Circles (FLC), which are a part of our Faculty in Conversation Series. Learning Circles are faculty-led, small-group interactive experiences meant to foster connections and collective wisdom around specific topics.

A few of our spring offerings are available in the link below and more will soon be added.

Dr. Peter Ukpokodu
Roy A. Probers Distinguished Professor of African & African-American Studies

December 6, 2023
5:30 p.m.
Beren Petroleum Conference Center, Slawson Hall G192

Presenting: Statements from an Interventionist Theatre Practice

Please join us the week before finals to celebrate YOU! 

December 5, 6 & 7, 2023
11:00 - 3:00 p.m. (come and go)

We appreciate all you do to make KU an amazing place to work and learn. Stop by for refreshments, faculty finals care packet, giveaways and more!

January 12, 2024
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Kansas Union, Big 12 Room

Our Spring New Faculty Orientation is a full-day event. 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, Spring New Faculty Orientation will provide you with a chance to connect with each other. 

This event is open to faculty joining KU this spring or to any new faculty who may have missed our fall orientation. More details to come soon on this page and our website!

January 31
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Kansas Union, English Room

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites all new faculty to our January New Faculty Foundations Series Event: Mentoring Future Faculty presented in collaboration with the Office of Graduate Studies.

Graduate student surveys report that advisors and mentors are key predictors of graduate student retention and success. In this session, we will discuss best practices for advising and mentoring, and discuss resources available to support graduate students and advisors through the Office of Graduate Studies.

Getting ready for review can seem like a daunting task. In this workshop, we will explore ways of making that preparation less onerous by organizing your teaching materials, reflecting on student learning and feedback, and making a case for the intellectual work of your teaching. 

The session will be offered in person by Dea Follmer and Doug Ward of the Center for Teaching Excellence. Please register by Monday, December 11, here. Please note that space is limited. If you cannot open the registration link, the workshop is full. Contact Judy Eddy if you would like to be placed on the waiting list.

Join the KU Alumni Association and the Office of the Provost for TGIT (Thank Goodness It’s Thursday) on Dec. 14 from 4-6 p.m.!

This year we are “Taking Time” to engage with KU’s faculty, staff and affiliates. December’s theme is Take Time to Pay it Forward.

In partnership with Just Food, there will be donation barrels available for a food drive as you enter The Pub. Just Food’s five most needed items: Peanut Butter, Cereal, Canned soup, Tuna, Granola Bars

TGIT takes place at The Pub of the Jayhawk Welcome Center, 1266 Oread Ave., in Lawrence. Attendees can also enter to win a raffle with two signed KU footballs.

The end of the fall semester is in sight... are you already planning for the spring semester? NCFDD can help!

As the end of the fall semester is just days away, many of you may be already planning for what you hope to accomplish in the spring. When writing is on your agenda, NCFDD is a great place to turn to for ideas on how to stay motivated and plan out your time to maximize your productivity. On January 11th – from 1:00-2:30pm CT – NCFDD is hosting a webinar on “Every Semester Needs a Plan.” In this webinar you will have a chance to identify personal and professional goals, create a strategy to meet those goals, and identify the kinds of support that will allow you to be productive in a balanced, sustainable manner. And, check out their other offerings – such as how to develop a daily writing practice, mastering academic time management, and overcoming academic procrastination – that can help support your journey to success!

University Scholarly Achievement Award

Each year, the University of Kansas recognizes up to four mid-career faculty members as recipients of a University Scholarly Achievement Award. This $10,000 award recognizes a significant scholarly or research contribution, creative work (an exhibition, performance, composition, article or book, or major collaborative project) or a series of closely related contributions, and covers all fields of scholarship represented at the University of Kansas, including, but not limited to, Arts, Humanities, Architecture and Design, Music, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Clinical Science, Pharmacy, Social Sciences, Social Welfare, Education, Journalism, Law, Libraries, and Business. Individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by others. Learn more here.

KU Research GO

KU Research GO is a KU Office of Research-funded program dedicated to expanding the university’s research enterprise by supporting work needed to prepare competitive proposals for external funding opportunities with application deadlines in the near future. $250,000 has been set aside for this program for fiscal year 2024. Learn more and apply.

Student Affairs University Awards

The nomination period for student University Awards is open. University Awards recognize students who embody service excellence, dedication, or whose academic achievements remain stellar. Each recipient is recognized during a surprise in-class presentation, and the award recipients’ photos are included in the Commencement Program.

We encourage members of your faculty and staff to nominate a student deserving of a University Award. The student will then be prompted via email to complete an application for the award. Nominate a student by completing this form.

University Distinguished Teaching Awards

The Office of Faculty Affairs announces the call for nominations for the University Distinguished Teachings Awards. Please visit our Awards and Recognition page to learn more about awards and nomination processes. 

Humanities Col(LAB)oratives

Offers faculty in the humanities and humanities-oriented social sciences a three-year long Humanities Col(LAB)orative organized around a central humanistic theme or topic. More: Faculty Funding Information

University Distinguished Professorship

The Provost invites nominations of candidates for two university distinguished professorships. These professorships are unrestricted and may be filled by a distinguished scholar in any field, although special consideration will be given to nominations of faculty from groups, fields, or disciplines that have limited representation among the individuals currently holding named or university distinguished professorships. Departments and schools are encouraged to think broadly and inclusively when considering nominees. A list of the current distinguished professors can be found here. 

Additional information on the nomination process can be found here.

The Office of Faculty Affairs congratulates Dr. Rafe Brown, professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, on receiving the KU International Affairs Advisory Board International Research Award!

Brown accepted the award, which recognizes faculty members who provide leadership in international education through research and discovery, on November 17. Brown is curator-in-charge of the Herpetology Division of the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum. His research mentorship includes 17 doctoral students, six postdoctoral researchers and 39 undergraduate students, many from around the world.

“His work as a scholar and the global perspective he brings to his research and teaching embody KU’s vision as an exceptional learning community that lifts each member and advances society,” Charles Bankart, senior internationalization officer, KU.

Read KU International Affairs' full story on Dr. Brown and his far-reaching research impact.

A new edition of KU Kudos shines a spotlight on external awards and achievements for our Jayhawk colleagues from the Lawrence, Edwards and Medical Center campuses. See those who were noticed here.

Faculty governance is interested in gaining faculty and instructor perspectives and experiences with the university excused absences policy update approved by University Senate at the end of the Spring 2023 semester. Information gained from this survey will help guide how governance advises campus leadership in providing education opportunities to support instructors in administering the policy.

This survey closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8th. Please contact University Governance (785-864-5169; govern@ku.edu) with any questions or technical issues.

Help KUIA Say Happy Holidays from around the world!

Each year, KU International Affairs wishes its partners Happy Holidays. This year, we’d like to showcase all the countries our faculty, students and staff travel to and call home. So, we are asking for photos that you’ve taken while conducting research, studying abroad, visiting your home country or for any other reason while traveling outside the United States in the past year (2023). We’d prefer a photo that you are in but would take scenic shots as well. 

Send the photos to cmetzhoward@ku.edu with your name, the city and country where the photo was taken and your connection to KU (student, faculty, staff). Please send photos by Friday, Dec. 8.

The Office of Faculty Affairs in now on LinkedIn! If you are a LinkedIn user, find us here to stay connected!

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