The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) mock site visit is scheduled for today, Monday, Sept. 9. Your participation is crucial as we prepare for the comprehensive visit in the spring. The sessions will be held in the Kansas Union Ballroom.  

Please see the open forum schedule below:  

8:40 – 9:30 a.m. Mission and Integrity, Ethical and Responsible Conduct (Criteria 1 & 2)  

9:45 – 11 a.m. Teaching and Learning – Quality Resources, and Support & Evaluation and Improvement (Criteria 3 & 4)  

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Institutional Effectiveness, Resources, and Planning (Criterion 5)  

2:40 – 3:10 p.m. Research and Scholarship Open Forum  

Your involvement in these sessions is essential to demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement and to ensure we are well prepared for the HLC review March 3-4, 2025.  

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We appreciate your engagement in this process.  

Respectfully, 

Jennifer Roberts 

Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies 

The 2024-25 Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship reached an all-time high of 47 Ph.D. students, including a first-year cohort of 15 fellows. This growth results from years of planning and collaborative implementation due to the Self’s generosity and vision.

The Self Graduate Fellowship is a One KU, interdisciplinary program that provides fellows with annual financial support, professional development training, and mentorship by faculty housed in the College, Schools of Medicine, Business, Pharmacy, and Engineering. 

With more people back on campus, please remind your students and teams of basic steps to help protect themselves and others from health risks caused by COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. This can include reminding students about promptly notifying instructors about class absences due to illness.

Please visit Watkins Health Services’ COVID-19 information page, which includes helpful information on prevention strategies, treatment, testing, vaccinations and other helpful resources.

Andrew Torrance,  the Paul E. Wilson Distinguished Professor of Law, will deliver his inaugural distinguished professor lecture at 5:30 p.m. today in the Beren Petroleum Conference Center of Slawson Hall. The topic is “Innovation Hypercycles: The Rise and Fall of Technology Hotspots.”

Individuals can register to attend in person or watch the livestream. The presentation will be recorded for later viewing on the Faculty Affairs website.

Congratulations, Distinguished Professor Torrance! 

The academic year began on August 18, and the first paycheck for the fall semester will be directly deposited on September 13. Employees should log into the HR/Pay system and check the KU Payroll Dashboard to update and confirm the following:

  • Bi-weekly compensation was processed as expected for all academic year employees.

  • Tax withholding allocation, direct deposit accounts, and personal information.

  • Cost of Living salary adjustment is reflected, if eligible.

For questions or assistance, contact hrdept@ku.edu.

The KU Anywhere VPN, or the AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, will be updated today. This update will include a name change to Cisco Secure Client and a new icon.

Anyone already connected to the VPN will continue to have access; however, the update will only take effect once they disconnect and sign in again. A restart of your workstation may be required. If you experience any issues following the restart, contact the IT Customer Service Center at 785-864-8080 or itcsc@ku.edu. 

Be aware that new stop signs have been installed at the intersection of 18th and Naismith, creating a four-way stop. This change, recommended by a recent traffic study of the area, aims to enhance pedestrian safety and reduce accidents.

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 persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective 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 (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).

The University of Kansas is a public institution governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.