In February, KU updated the mass notification system. Faculty and staff who want to ensure they receive text alerts, like the ones that went out this morning, should make sure their mobile number is listed in HR Pay. Once the mobile number is added, faculty and staff are automatically subscribed to alerts about immediate threats to campus and when campus is closed due to severe weather. 

To check, add or update a mobile phone number in HR Pay, refer to the online instructions. If a mobile phone number has been entered into HR Pay and no alert was received today, check to make sure the number is designated as a mobile number. Those who received a text alert this morning that the Lawrence campus was closed due to widespread power outages do not need to take any additional action. 

Those who prefer not to receive text messages can choose to unsubscribe in HR Pay by going to Personal Details, then Emergency Text Message.

Employees of KU affiliate organizations will not automatically receive emergency text messages. To subscribe, text “Jayhawk” to 226787. Those who do will receive a welcome text message.

Students are automatically subscribed to emergency text messages and can view/edit their mobile phone number at Enroll & Pay. 

In February, KU notified employees by email that their mobile phones listed in HR Pay would automatically be opted into the mass notification system, which sends text messages and emails in the event of an emergency. More information about KU's emergency notification system can be found at alerts.ku.edu. 

Last week, the Kansas Board of Regents approved KU’s first faculty and academic staff collective bargaining agreement, followed by final review and approval by the Kansas Department of Administration. 

Within one year of ratification, all unit and university policies relating to the terms of the contract must align with the finalized collective bargaining agreement. To help meet this deadline, the Office of Faculty Affairs has developed online policy alignment resources to assist faculty and academic staff, and department and academic unit leaders.

KU employees who have plans to conduct university-related business while traveling internationally this summer are required to participate in the Loaner Laptop and Azure Virtual Desktop Program.   

Designed to protect university data and networks and ensure export compliance, the program provides loaner devices with accessories and applications needed for doing university business while traveling. 

To obtain a loaner laptop, employees must submit a travel request through Concur, regardless of how the travel is being funded. The travel request needs to be approved 30 days before the planned departure, allowing KU Information Technology and Global Risk and Security time to prepare laptops for the traveler's specific needs.  

More information about the program and the steps needed to secure a loaner laptop can be found on the Global Risk and Security website. 

KU has named Joshua Newman as the next dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences. Newman is currently the associate dean for research and Sara Lavinia de Keni Endowed Professor at Florida State University’s Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.   

As dean, Newman will work to support the school’s strategic plans and priorities, including developing partnerships and collaborations that propel the school’s mission, reputation and impact forward. He will oversee the school’s annual budget; work to support faculty, staff, facilities and operations; and closely align with KU Endowment and KU Alumni to bolster fundraising and alumni engagement.  

Newman will succeed Rick Ginsberg, who has served as dean since 2005 and plans to return to the faculty and focus on the Center for Reimagining Education in the coming academic year. Newman will begin his new role July 1. 

Read the full article on the KU News website.

From noon Tuesday until noon Wednesday, Jayhawks will come together and support the people and programs they love most as part of One Day One KU. Faculty and staff have a variety of ways to participate in the 24-hour giving campaign. 

A recording of Thursday’s town hall is available to view behind KU single sign-on. Provost Arash Mafi spoke with Corinne Bannon, chief strategy and data officer and vice chancellor, and Kristen Kolleda, director of Emergency Management. 

During the town hall, Corinne Bannon shared information on the One KU strategic framework, a plan that will guide KU across all campuses, units and disciplines. Bannon encouraged viewers to take a survey that will provide input to help refine the strategic framework and identify actionable strategies.  

Kolleda talked about general preparedness and emergency response for the Lawrence campus. The final town hall of the semester is set for May 14. 

Amanda Ostreko, assistant vice provost and director of Graduate Enrollment Management, was recently honored with NAGAP’s Distinguished Service Award, the association’s highest honor recognizing exceptional leadership and service to the Graduate Enrollment Management profession. 

A two-time KU graduate with more than 20 years of service to the university, six of which have been with Enrollment Management, Ostreko provides strategic oversight for Graduate Admissions, supporting nearly 75 graduate departments serving domestic and international students. Her work emphasizes graduate strategic enrollment management, data-informed decision making, and transparent, student-centered admissions practices. Ostreko and her team prioritize transparency and student-centered communication, helping prospective graduate students understand the application process, admissions requirements, and available recruitment support. 

She draws on her research and professional expertise to present to national and international audiences and has held several leadership roles within NAGAP, including six years on the Governing Board and served as chair of both the Professional Development and Research committees. Her national contributions include guiding professional development initiatives during the COVID‑19 pandemic, co-leading a significant update to a landmark research project examining GEM models as a field of inquiry and practice, and serving on the Council of Graduate Schools’ Research and Information Services Committee. 

The KU Bales Choral Society will present its spring concert at 7 p.m. May 3 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 6001 Bob Billings Parkway. 

The featured music is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem,” and a chamber group of the society will perform Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus,” both composed during the last year of Mozart’s life. 

The BCS is composed of KU faculty, staff and students from across campus, and KU musicians make up the brass and percussion ensemble. The choir is under the direction of Wolfgang Reisinger, visiting professor of organ and church music from Vienna. Featured conductors for the “Requiem” are KU graduate students Levi Kelley and Cory Scott Reames. Soloists are Stephanie Ruppen, soprano; Toni Mae Rainey, alto; Genaro Mendez, tenor; and Paul Joseph, bass.  

Admission is free; no ticket is required. Donations that help fund concert expenses will be accepted at the event or can be made in advance through the Bales Choral Society Fund with KU Endowment. 

Recordings from the Professional Development Conference are available to view. The inaugural event, hosted by Human Resources, was held April 8 in the Kansas Union. 

The videos include a keynote address by Chief Human Resources Officer Chari Young; breakout sessions on using CoPilot, finding a financial accountability partner, leading from within organizations and sharing news at KU; and the Staff Senate’s awards presentation. 

Faculty are encouraged to complete a national survey on AI and its impact on teaching and learning.  

KU has partnered with Digital Education Council, a global community for education innovation, to run the AI in Higher Education Survey North America. The survey is collecting views on how AI is being used today and how it could transform teaching and learning in the future.  

Take the online survey.  

Contact Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education and Human Sciences, or Emily Shipley, associate vice chancellor for data analytics and effectiveness, with questions about the survey. 

The International Faculty and Staff Council is hosting its last happy hour of the spring semester from 5 to 7 p.m. May 7 at Lawrence Beer Company East, 826 Pennsylvania St. All KU faculty and staff are welcome to attend the happy hour, which will offer an opportunity to connect and a bite to eat provided by the council. Please RSVP to ifsc@ku.edu so the council can have a head count for reservations.  

The council, which supports and encourages advocacy within the international community at KU, has been active for the past six years and is looking for new members to help lead and serve the KU community.  

The group is one of 10 faculty staff councils that brings KU employees together around a common topic, identity or interest. All faculty and staff at KU are welcome to join any faculty staff council. Those interested in joining the IFSC can complete this membership form. 

Faculty members are invited to attend the sabbatical leave annual open meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday on Teams. Faculty interested in applying for sabbatical leave should consult the university’s policies and procedures and attend the meeting, which will cover the preparation and review of sabbatical leave applications.   

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance via a Qualtrics form. More information can be found on the Office of Faculty Affairs’ website.  

A sabbatical leave provides faculty with sustained time to do their research and creative activities, develop new courses or programs, acquire new qualifications and skills, and network with colleagues. A sabbatical leave is not granted automatically. Each request for a sabbatical leave must include details such as the nature of the leave, location, scholarly work, and activities. 

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.