Greetings faculty colleagues,

What takes place on this campus is special. We educate future leaders, engage in research and innovation that changes lives for the better, and partner with communities on a local and global scale. Every day, faculty and staff contribute to the University’s mission through our research, teaching, and service. And, the Office of Faculty Affairs is privileged to support recognition efforts across all of these areas. One way we do this is by administering our annual faculty teaching awards. Over the past year, we have streamlined this process by setting consistent deadlines, simplifying the nomination process, and communicating calls and reminders in advance through various channels. As we welcome Meagan Patterson to her role as Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Policy and Recognition, her focus will be on continuing to refine our processes and grow opportunities to recognize the exceptional work of our faculty.    

While this year’s deadline for the University Teaching Awards has recently passed, there is still time to submit nominations for the scholarly awards we administer, specifically the Keeler Family Intra-University Professorships and the Big XII Faculty Fellowships (both due March 3)!  

As each nomination packet comes through, we want to thank and acknowledge the colleagues, mentors, and students who come together to highlight and provide evidence of each faculty member’s commitment to learning, innovation, and student success in the classroom. In addition, we are grateful to our awards committee members who embark on the important work of selecting each year’s awardees. Many of our OFA processes rely on committee work, and we extend our appreciation and gratitude for the time and careful consideration given by committee members. Your willingness to serve in this important capacity is greatly valued! 

Looking ahead, there are several other important recognition opportunities this month in which you can be involved. Please consider nominating a deserving faculty member to the significant honor of a Distinguished Professorship by February 21. And join us in celebrating our Distinguished Professors during our upcoming Distinguished Professor Lecture, where Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor, Lisa Wolf-Wendel will present “Faculty: The Evolution of Academic Life” on February 13 at 5:30 p.m. Register at this link to attend in person or via livestream. 

We also recognize the need for dedicated space and time for your work, and this spring we invite you to set aside the time on your calendar to join us as we are partnering with the Libraries to provide the space for you to focus on the important work you do. Consider signing up for our Faculty Writing Circle, where you can join your peers for three dedicated writing sessions (and coffee!) in a dedicated space in Watson Library. The first writing session begins February 11. 

Amidst the constant noise, let's focus on the valuable impact we all make. Please take a moment in the coming weeks to share words of appreciation with a colleague – we are truly among an incredible community of fellow Jayhawks. 

With gratitude, 

Amy Mendenhall 
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs  
Professor, School of Social Welfare 

On Jan. 10, faculty braved the snow to spend the day writing in beautiful Watson Library. See more photos from "Let's Write!" in our Instagram feed.

The Minimum Qualifications for Individuals with Instructional Responsibilities has been recently updated to an all-University policy which outlines the credentials and experience required for instructors of record. Updates to this policy will apply to newly hired instructors moving forward and does not apply to current instructors who were hired in accordance with policy at the time of their hire. Please reach out to facultyaffairs@ku.edu, with any questions. 

The HLC site visit for reaffirmation of accreditation at KU will take place on March 3-4, 2025. The site visit team will meet with members of the campus community to get an assessment of programs and activities at KU. Please review the What Faculty Should Know About Accreditation page which outlines the helpful information on the institutional accreditation process, including ways in which you can help and questions the HLC Peer Review Team may ask during the site visit.

KU will welcome four candidates who are being considered for the dean position in the KU School of Pharmacy. Visit the Dean of School of Pharmacy Search page for candidate details and location/livestream links as they become available.

Presentation dates:

The Provost Office invites you to relax and connect with your co-workers during their upcoming Thank Goodness It’s Thursday get-together on February 20 at the Hawks Nest on the lower level of the Kansas Union. Free drinks (including wine, beer, seltzer and an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages) and light snacks will be provided. RSVP at this link.

Is finding balance truly possible? It may seem impossible when some aspects of work are very deadline-driven (teaching, administrative duties, service), while others have no built-in accountability. According to a recent NCFDD Monday Motivator, by acknowledging that there will always be more work to do than time to do it, as you move up the academic ladder the commitments will increase, and that prioritizing urgent tasks over long-term success can hinder long-term progress, we might get closer to finding some semblance of balance. Be sure to check it out and review their Five Steps to Realistic Balance to help set your course this spring. 

As a reminder, KU is an institutional member of NCFDD, which ensures all KU academic faculty and staff can register for an NCFDD membership at no additional cost. To join the NCFDD community, be sure to sign up here.   

The Provost invites nominations of candidates for up to two university distinguished professorships. These professorships are unrestricted and may be filled by a distinguished scholar in any field, although special consideration will be given to nominations of faculty from groups, fields, or disciplines that have limited representation among the individuals currently holding named or university distinguished professorships. Departments and schools are encouraged to think broadly and inclusively when considering nominees. A list of the current distinguished professors can be found at this link.

Read the call in its entirety at this link and find additional information on the nomination process on our Distinguished Professorships website.

The nomination process will remain open until Friday, February 21, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Nominations are now open for Faculty Senate. University governance provides an opportunity for faculty to have a direct voice in university policy and procedures. KU faculty members have a strong tradition of governance participation and leadership through the Faculty Senate. Some of the recent important issues that have come to Faculty Senate's attention include questions of faculty rights, program discontinuation, sexual assault accommodations, library support, and others.

Please visit the elections site and review the list of continuing members and those not eligible for re-election. You can Nominate via the online form or email your nominations to govern@ku.edu.

The deadline for nominations are Friday, February 28, 2025

KU International Affairs is accepting proposals and applications for travel grants that support faculty research and collaboration abroad. The deadline to submit proposals is Wednesday, March 5. Faculty travel grants will support international travel expenses for interdisciplinary, humanistic research projects, as well as academic collaborations in Asia and Latin America.

The most compelling proposals will align with Jayhawks Rising’s strategic priorities of expanding KU research and its impact, furthering student success and promoting healthy and vibrant communities. Given out annually by KUIA, the international travel awards help foster the international orientation, expertise and outreach of KU.  

Visit the KUIA travel grant website for more information.  

Applications are now being accepted for the Keeler Family Intra-University Professorships, a faculty development program for tenured faculty at mid-career. The purpose of the program is to increase collaboration and synergy across disciplines. Please visit the Keeler Professorship site for all necessary details.

Applications are now being accepted for the Big XII Faculty Fellowship, a faculty development program for tenured and tenure-track faculty. The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program offers faculty the opportunity to travel to Big 12 member institutions to exchange ideas and research. Faculty may work on collaborative projects, consult with faculty and students, offer a series of lectures or symposia, acquire new skills, or take advantage of a unique archive or laboratory facility. Please visit the Big XII site for all necessary details.

Applications for both recognitions are due by Monday, March 24, 2025, 5 p.m. Applicants, units/departments, and dean/vice chancellor offices must use the online submission form submit an application.

Norman Akers, Associate Professor of Visual Art, has recently been named Edgar Heap of Birds Family Artist in Residence Temple University - a position he will hold through May 2025.

All dates above apply to full semester courses. Some deadlines may exclude certain schools and colleges. See entire Spring 2025 calendar at the Registrar’s website. 

Employee Assistance Program

The state of Kansas partners with ComPsych GuidanceResources to provide confidential emotional support as well as legal guidance and financial resources to benefits-eligible employees. As a State of Kansas employee, you are entitled to eight free sessions, per member, per year. Learn more here. 

AIRE Open Labs

The AIRE Data Analytics teams hosts monthly open lab sessions throughout the semester. 

These open labs are meant to be used as a time where users may drop in and ask any questions regarding:

• OAC Enterprise Dashboards
• OAC Report-Building Functionality
• Visual Analytics Dashboards (Tableau)

Open lab dates and times are also posted on the training page within OAC

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