A federal judge has issued an injunction blocking a U.S. Department of Homeland Security rule that would have replaced the duration of status policy with fixed admission periods for students and scholars with F-1 and J-1 visa statuses. 

The duration of status policy allows international students to stay in the country as long as they are making normal progress toward their degree. Under the rule that the DHS announced in July, students would be admitted for a fixed period of time based on the student’s program of study, but not to exceed four years, plus a 30-day grace period. Staying beyond that time would require a formal extension‑of‑stay process. Under the DHS rule, school transfers and changes in major or educational level would be restricted. 

The DHS policy change was slated to take effect Sept. 15, but the federal judge's ruling last week paused implementation of the regulation while litigation proceeds. This pause means the longstanding duration of status framework remains in place for now.

International Support Services will continue monitoring the case and will update students and the wider campus community as new information becomes available. Review the latest updates on the ISS site.

Last week, the Provost’s Office shared an update on Academic Affairs, following a campus workgroup's comprehensive review of the structure, coordination and effectiveness of the unit. The message announced changes as a result of the workgroup’s recommendations.

For more about these changes, read the Sept. 14 email.

NASA astronaut and KU alumna Loral O’Hara will join KU faculty and a graduate student for a public conversation on spaceflight, science and perspective. The public event, “Lawrence to Low-Earth Orbit: An Evening with Loral O’Hara,” will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Kansas Union Ballroom. A livestream will also be available through the Hall Center for the Humanities' Crowdcast channel. 

The event is part of the 2026-27 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience, which features the selection of “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey, winner of the 2024 Booker Prize. The novel follows six astronauts on the International Space Station as they orbit the Earth 16 times in a single day, meditating on humanity, connection and the planet below. O’Hara’s experience living and working aboard the ISS offers a real-world counterpart to Harvey’s acclaimed work of fiction. 

KU Libraries is also accepting nominations (SSO login required) until Tuesday for next year’s KU Reads Common Book. 

Last week’s Campus Insider shared an incomplete list of instructional faculty promotions on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. 

Three individuals in the Applied English Center — Mike Garnett, Marina Greene and Jennifer Grode — were promoted to senior lecturers.

Instructional faculty promotions are determined and awarded through school, department or unit-level reviews. They became effective by the start of the semester. 

Read the full updated list in KU Today. 

Faculty and staff can help make Family Weekend a memorable experience for KU students and their families. The Office of Family Engagement is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist with event check-in and wayfinding, answer questions, and help guests feel welcome.  

Family Weekend will be held from Oct. 2-4 with a variety of volunteer shifts available throughout the weekend. Those interested can sign up online. 

Volunteering at Family Weekend provides a great opportunity to connect with families, support the campus community and showcase the Jayhawk spirit, and it helps show broad support across campus and programs for KU students and their well-being. Those with questions or concerns can email n.haynie@ku.edu. 

The Spencer Museum of Art opened two exhibitions last month, which will run through Jan. 10. 

“Looking After: Art and Care in Education Across Kansas” explores the ways art can facilitate learning. The exhibition showcases key artworks that the Spencer Museum uses in education initiatives. For more than 50 years, the Spencer has provided art education experiences to K-12 teachers and students, inspiring creativity and supporting academic standards in Kansas. 

In “Future Ancestor,” Australian artist Christian Thompson explores his heritage language of Bidjara in a multimedia installation that brings together history, language and imagined futures. The exhibition presents two of Thompson’s photographs and a video work that explore language preservation and cultural survival.  

The Spencer Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum is closed on Monday. Admission is free. 

This week the Office of Faculty Affairs is hosting two workshops for Comprehensive/Promotion Reviews for Instructional Faculty Policy Alignment. 

Join the OFA for a two-hour session on Thursday or Friday to learn more about comprehensive, promotion and post-promotion review policies for instructional faculty and unclassified academic staff and necessary revisions required to be in alignment with the faculty collective bargaining agreement. 

The sessions will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 3 p.m. Friday. Both workshops will be held in Watson Library, 3 West and cover the same content. Register online. 

During each session, participants will have the opportunity to work on policy revisions and ask questions. Anyone working on policy revisions is welcome to attend the sessions.

Nominations for the University Scholarly Achievement Award are due Oct. 16. Each year, up to four mid-career faculty members receive the $10,000 award, recognizing a significant scholarly or research contribution, creative work or a series of closely related contributions. The award covers all fields of scholarship represented at KU.  

The Chancellor's Office is accepting nominations for the 2027 awards. Candidates may be nominated by colleagues or submit a self-nomination. More information about the award selection process, criteria, eligibility, nomination process and timeline can be found online. 

The Health Education Resource Office, Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life, and Student Conduct & Community Standards will observe National Hazing Prevention Week by hosting tabling and educational events on the Lawrence campus from Monday to Friday this week. These events are open to all enrolled KU students, regardless of student organization affiliation. 

More details and a list of events can be found on the Student Affairs website. Students, faculty, staff and the community can report hazing or conduct concerns anonymously via text message or WhatsApp at 785-333-4458, or via email at tellsomeone@ku.realresponse.com. 

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