The sound of bells will ring across campus this week as the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America gathers in Lawrence for its annual conference.  

The School of Music is hosting the guild’s 82nd Annual Congress from Tuesday through Saturday. The conference will include a series of recitals at the KU Campanile, including the opening concert performed by Elizabeth Egbert Berghout, associate professor of music, at 6 p.m. Tuesday.  

The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the Hill to listen to the music. A full list of events, including recital times, is available on the conference website. 

Shortly after the conference, the Campanile will close for major renovations. The upgrades include repointing mortar joints, replacing damaged stones, and repairing, cleaning and sealing stones.  

The project will also replace the roof, electrical wiring and lighting. Additionally, rust will be removed from the steel bell supports, which will then be primed and painted. The School of Music will refurbish the carillon keyboard and the bell cables. The work is expected to be completed this fall. 

Effective June 9, a U.S. travel ban will fully restrict entry for immigrants and nonimmigrants from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar (Burma), Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The ban will partially limit immigrant and nonimmigrant entry from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The ban has limited exemptions and does not apply to visa holders currently in the U.S.

KU is committed to supporting its international community and fostering cross-cultural exchange. International Support Services and Human Resources are reaching out to students, faculty and staff to provide guidance. Enrollment Management is also communicating with newly admitted students for fall 2025.

The situation is evolving, and KU immigration experts are working to understand and respond further. The designated office on campus should be the first point of contact for affected students, faculty and staff. Please refer inquirers to staff in these offices.

For further information about KU’s travel ban response, visit the KUIA website. 

When the School of Music was preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of KU Vespers, Laura McCorkill volunteered to organize the event’s first Alumni Choir. That act is one of the many reasons McCorkill is being recognized as a May Employee of the Month.    

During the fall semester, McCorkill, a two-time graduate of the School of Music and a former KU choir member, worked to bring past KU performers from around the country to Lawrence to participate in the beloved annual KU tradition. As the event and recital coordinator, McCorkill has been at the center of the school’s activities since she started working there in 2009.  

“Her love and pride for the institution is profound and endless,” one colleague noted. “She lives and breathes all things KU School of Music and, in many ways, she is the heart and soul of the place."

Ann Ryan has been selected as a May Employee of the Month for her dedication to promoting environmental stewardship and ability to connect others to Monarch Watch’s education, conservation and research efforts. 

Ryan, research project manager at Monarch Watch, has long served KU and the environment. In her current role, Ryan manages the office, facilities, insect lab, greenhouse and community outreach. She also helps with research projects and provides expertise on butterflies and moths to the KU community and beyond. 

“She’s always active and outgoing, ready to share her love for monarch butterflies with everyone,” a former Monarch Watch volunteer wrote. “Whether you’re six years old or 50, or whether you’re a stranger stopping by or a longtime volunteer, Ann’s ability to reach out to everyone is truly impressive and deserving of recognition.” 

Read more about McCorkill and Ryan's work on the Employee of the Month Winners webpage. 

KU offers a variety of resources to assist instructors with getting ready for the fall term. Take advantage of the following services and support offerings: 

This week KU is hosting more than 30 law enforcement agencies, who will be on campus training their K-9 units.  

The training, which is a collaboration between KU, the City of Lawrence Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol, will take place inside the unoccupied Twente Hall and Watkins Home. The police dogs and their handlers will focus on searches.  

Law enforcement officers will be using the parking lot south of Blake Hall.  

Graduate students who need to book travel but anticipate that their direct supervisor will change before the trip occurs should include the name of their future supervisor when completing a travel request. After entering the business purpose and funding, graduate students should add their future supervisor’s name in the "Explain Business Purpose & Funding" text box. 

Supervisors who are reviewing a travel request assigned to them should use the "Approve & Forward" button to add the additional supervisor if the traveler indicates one needs to be added. Then approve the request as normal to route it to the additional supervisor. 

See the May 19 Travel Services memo for more information. 

Departments, student organizations and campus units are invited to participate in Family Weekend 2025. This special weekend, set for Sept. 26-28, offers KU parents, families and supporters a chance to connect with campus life, engage with the community, and explore Lawrence alongside their students.

For more information about Family Weekend or to submit programs, visit the Family Weekend webpage. Programs must be submitted before Aug. 4. 

Throughout the summer, walking pathways between Sunnyside Avenue and Anschutz Library will be closed as improvements are made to sidewalks, lighting and landscaping in the area.  

The accessible Hawk Route will remain open for the rest of the project. For alternate pathways around the construction, see this map. Upgrades to the walkways are expected to be completed by Aug. 8. 

This spring during the University Research Awards ceremony, Chancellor Doug Girod celebrated some of KU's most outstanding researchers and their impact.

David Tell, professor of communication studies and co-director of the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities, received the Balfour S. Jeffrey Award in the Humanities and Social Sciences. In the video above, Tell talks about his work to help Emmett Till's family share his story. 

Your KU email account is the official channel for important university communications.

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