Searches are underway for deans in the schools of Education and Human Sciences and Journalism and Mass Communications. Last week, the Provost's Office announced search committees for both positions.  

Paul Popiel, dean of the School of Music, and Tammara Durham, vice provost of Student Affairs, will co-chair the search for the education and human sciences dean. A full list of the search committee can be viewed online.  

Stephen Mazza, dean of the School of Law, and Mary Banwart, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs, will co-chair the search for the journalism and mass communications dean. A full list of the search committee can be viewed online.  

The search committees will begin meeting in the coming weeks, with recruitment and vetting of potential candidates occurring in the fall and winter. Candidate finalists are expected to visit campus early in the spring semester. The 2026 fall semester is the target start date for the new deans. 

Position descriptions, information on submitting candidate nominations and details on candidate visits and presentations will be posted on the leadership searches webpage. 

Mike Wilkins, professor of business and one of the 2024-25 Spotlight honorees, waves at the crowd during a KU basketball game.

For the third consecutive year, KU Spotlight on Faculty Excellence will celebrate KU faculty contributions in research, scholarship and creative activity. Each honoree will be recognized during a KU volleyball, men’s basketball or women’s basketball game.

Honorees are selected from nominations submitted by school and center leaders at the Lawrence, Edwards and Medical Center campuses. Six faculty members from the Lawrence campus have been selected as 2025-26 Spotlight honorees:

Plans for upcoming spotlight events are being finalized and will be shared via the Spotlight on Faculty Excellence webpage.

The State Employee Health Plan Open Enrollment for the 2026 plan year will run Oct. 1-31. This is an active enrollment, meaning all employees with current coverage or wishing to have 2026 coverage must enroll through the Membership Administration Portal (MAP).

Please review the SEHP Open Enrollment Guide to review changes for 2026 and to select a plan.

When logging into MAP, employees on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses should choose from the drop-down menu the "University of Kansas" and not the "University of Kansas Medical Center." KU single sign-on is required to access MAP.   

KU IT will upgrade eligible KU computers from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on the evening of Oct. 10. To avoid disruption, employees with eligible computers are encouraged to complete the upgrade in advance at a convenient time for them. 

Upgrade steps (allow about 45 minutes): 

Once the computer upgrades to Windows 11, users can adjust these settings to customize their experience: 

Remaining eligible computers will be upgraded automatically on Oct. 10.

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 next session will be held at 3 p.m. Friday in the Burge Union in Forum A. The final one of the semester will be held at 3 p.m. Nov. 7 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.  

Robin Kundis Craig, the Robert A. Schroeder Distinguished Professor of Law, will focus on the topic of water and land issues for her inaugural distinguished professor lecture at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Kansas Union in the Kansas Room. 

Individuals can register to attend the lecture in person or via livestream. A recording of the lecture will be posted afterward on the Office of Faculty Affairs website for those unable to attend. 

In her lecture, “Just Add Water: Private Property Rights and Environmental Protection in a Panarchical Reality,” Craig will examine the history of private property law and its effects on public health and welfare, specifically the increasing value placed on atomistic views of property — the idea that the material world is composed of minute particles.  

Craig is among the top 20 most cited scholars in administrative and environmental law. Her expertise includes climate change adaptation, water law, the Clean Water Act, ocean and coastal law, and ecological resilience. 

Film lovers and researchers unite for a night of entertainment and education at the Edwards Campus' next SciFlix event featuring the 2011 science fiction horror film "The Thing." Registration is required. The film will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in Regnier Hall Auditorium. Following the film, a panel of experts will share their reactions to the film and hold a Q&A session. 

Hosted by the School of Professional Studies' undergraduate degree in biotechnology, SciFlix is a community-friendly series that dives into the science behind popular films. A full list of films shown this semester is available online. 

A new Survey Coordination Policy is in effect to reduce survey fatigue among faculty, staff and students, and to ensure best practices are utilized regarding survey development and distribution.  

Units or departments that intend to survey the campus community should review the policy to see if it is subject to the policy’s guidelines. Please note that survey administrators must submit a Survey Request Form to Analytics, Institutional Research and Effectiveness for approval at least 45 days prior to the proposed survey launch date. 

Administrative support staff manage crucial campus activities, including scheduling meetings for KU chairs, directors and leaders. The new University Administrative Support Staff Teams site offers these staff members – everyone from office assistants to administrative assistants all the way to executive associates – a means to network across all KU campuses and stay current on people and practices.

To request to be added to the Teams site, support staff should contact Amanda Burghart, executive associate in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.   

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.