A simple thank you can go a long way. Staff Senate has launched a new employee recognition program called Jayhawk Thanks. Those in the KU community can thank a Hawk for their hard work and dedication by downloading and sending the Jayhawk Thanks template. 

The digital card is a quick and meaningful way to recognize the contributions of staff, boost morale and foster a culture of gratitude. 

Those receiving a Jayhawk Thanks are encouraged to share the recognition with their supervisor so it can be included in their performance evaluation. 

Deadline: April 11

The University Core Curriculum Committee is seeking nominations for the Christopher Haufler KU Core Innovation Award, an annual recognition honoring academic departments that exemplify innovative teaching and learning within KU Core 34 or capstone courses. A $3,000 award, funded by the Office of the Provost, is granted to the recipient’s academic department to support initiatives in teaching, learning and assessment.   

To nominate a course, individuals should submit: 

Please email nominations to kucore@ku.edu by April 11. Self-nominations are encouraged.  

More information, including details about the nomination process and selection criteria are available on the KU Core website. For more information, please contact kucore@ku.edu.  

Read Procurement’s spring newsletter for real-life examples of how the unit has worked with internal and external partners to save money and improve services for campus units. Highlights include:  

Known as the Swiss army knife of the Center for Teaching Excellence, Omar Safir has had a profound impact on KU and its collaborating institutions through his multifaceted role as a data and assessment coordinator.  

Safir was recognized as the February 2025 Employee of the Month for his ability to foster community and collaborations, commitment to students and faculty, and willingness to listen and offer insight to move discussions forward. Since joining KU, Safir has transformed his role, bringing out-of-the-box solutions to long-standing practices and leading projects that were initially out of the scope of his position.

Read more about Safir’s work on the Employee of the Month Winners webpage.  

4 p.m. Today

Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer’s next virtual town hall meeting will be livestreamed at 4 p.m. today on the Provost Office website. Planned topics for today’s town hall include general updates, free speech on campus, KU's endowment funds and more.

Held on Monday afternoons for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses, the town halls are an opportunity for the provost to discuss with leaders across campus changes in KU’s research and higher education environment.   

Previous town halls, including the one held on March 10, are available to watch online (KU login required). To submit a question or comment for a future town hall discussion, please use this form.   

On March 7, KU announced the 2025-2026 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience selection, “The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet,” by John Green. This collection of essays explores various aspects of the human experience while considering the interconnectivity of life, encouraging readers to think critically about the world around them.  

The KU Reads Teach-In, from April 14-18, will provide opportunities for faculty and staff to consider how they may teach excerpts or the entire book from different disciplinary standpoints or develop programming. Faculty and staff interested in teaching the book next academic year or developing related programming can request a paper copy via a webform. 

Wednesday

Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and executive publisher of the Science family of journals, is visiting KU this week. Parikh will give a talk at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Burge Union, Forum C. Please RSVP. A virtual option is available through Zoom (passcode 508042). 

At the talk, Parikh will share the science and technology goals identified by the Vision for American Science & Technology Task Force, which he chairs. The group of more than 70 of the nation’s most influential leaders in science, industry, education and philanthropy includes KU's Barbara Bichelmeyer, Chief Academic Officer, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. The task force recently unveiled a roadmap guiding the science and technology enterprise to support America’s leadership on an increasingly competitive world stage.

April 3 and 4

The KU community is invited to attend the Third Annual FBI & KU Cybersecurity Conference: Bridging the Knowledge of Government, Industry, Workforce and Research, which will be held April 3 and 4 at the Kansas Union.  

The conference will bring together experts in the field of cybersecurity, including those from industry and research. Presenters are from Major League Baseball, the Romanian Intelligence Service and U.S. Naval Information Forces and include KU School of Engineering faculty member and Google Earth creator Brian McClendon. More information and registration for one or both days is available on the conference website.  

Those just returning to campus from spring break may see a message on your computer or mobile device prompting you to accept a new certificate when connecting to the Jayhawk and eduroam Wi-Fi networks. On March 19, IT implemented a new security certificate for campus wireless networks.  

If you are just reconnecting to the campus wireless network today, you may see a one-time message, like the one in the image to the left. This is a valid prompt and it is safe to trust and accept this new certificate. 

Staff have until Thursday to vote on the Staff Senate president-elect as well as 15 open senate seats for the 2026 fiscal year.  

On March 19, staff received an email with the ballot and information on the slate of candidates. Please review the voting options before opening the ballot. Staff can only complete one ballot, and no save-and-continue feature is available. 

Please visit the Staff Senate website to learn more. 

All faculty and staff are required to complete the annual IT security training by Tuesday. The “Cybersecurity at KU – 2025” module provides simple steps faculty and staff can take to protect themselves, colleagues, students and KU.  

The module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Visit the FAQs to learn more or contact hrdept@ku.edu for additional questions. 

Tickets Available Now

Jayhawk fans typically rock the house — Allen Fieldhouse — where banners pay tribute to KU royalty. On June 28, Jayhawks can bring that collective energy to support the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Join the flock for KU Night at The K as the Royals take on the Dodgers.  

More information and discounted tickets are available online. 

Earlier this year, KU launched its new brand, "Towering Toward the Blue," and updated resources for brand messaging and visual elements. In the past few weeks, additional templates have been added to the brand resources website. They include new templates for printed materials, such as research and scholarly posters, brochures, and invitations. Additional templates have also been added for screens, such as PowerPoint slides, email graphics and digital signage.  

Tuesday

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Amy Mendenhall will discuss the criteria and processes involved in promotion and tenure, as well as how to access policies and bylaws that guide the process, best practices for preparing documents and key questions to ask.

This Early Career Faculty Foundations 2.0 event will be from 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Spencer Research Library's North Gallery. 

Wednesday

The next Belonging@KU event will focus on the experiences of veterans and military-affiliated individuals. A panel of KU scholars and military-affiliated community members will explore the meaning of belonging, challenges and opportunities, and countering stereotypes of veterans and military-affiliated people. 

The virtual event will be from 1-2:15 p.m. Wednesday. Registration is required. 

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

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