Faculty and staff who have academic, behavioral or interpersonal concerns about a student can take steps outlined on the Be Well at KU website to show support and refer students to the appropriate resources, such as Counseling & Psychological Services and Mantra Health.  

Additionally, submitting a care referral ensures that a student’s situation is assessed and support resources are referred. Care referrals are not an emergency service and in situations with immediate safety concerns do not replace the need to call 911 or 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline. A care referral following an emergency call can help connect the person with resources and support after emergency services have responded. 

Staff or faculty who want to learn more about mental health support and suicide prevention are encouraged to take part in #JayhawksTalk, a suicide prevention training. 

Student Affairs leadership is excited to announce Be Well at KU, a comprehensive wellness initiative designed to connect students with resources, events and practical guidance aimed at supporting their overall well-being.  

Faculty and staff can encourage students to explore available resources at well-being.ku.edu or follow @bewellku on Instagram for wellness tips and campus updates. 

Student Affairs and the Health Education Resource Office developed Be Well at KU to strengthen outreach on well-being and ensure students can easily access the full range of wellness support available at KU. 

The Finance SSC will host three more monthly office hours before the end of the fiscal year. These drop-in, virtual sessions are available to KU faculty, staff and students.  

The office hours provide a chance to ask questions about purchasing, requesting travel or non-travel reimbursements, submitting P-Card receipts, and navigating and submitting tickets on the Finance Service Portal.  

Upcoming Office Hours:

More information about office hours and how to join them is available on the SSC website. 

As the region readies for the World Cup, faculty and staff are invited to attend a training that will prepare them to recognize and respond to human trafficking. The Sexual Trauma & Abuse CARE Center and the Willow Domestic Violence Center are offering a free training from 3:30 to 5 p.m. April 30 in the Marvin Hall Forum. Participants should register through MyTalent or RSVP by completing this survey by April 28. 

The risk of human trafficking increases with large-scale, international sporting events, such as the World Cup. The training will cover the signs and prevalence of trafficking in communities and the best approaches to intervention and response. 

Required maintenance is being performed on the KU network, which will disrupt wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi service in all Lawrence campus buildings each morning from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. April 21-23.

Security camera systems, devices using a cellular connection for network connectivity and wireless connections in the residence halls will not be affected by the downtime.

Although the network will not be down at a given location for the entire timeframe, those with processes or systems that require an uninterrupted network connection during this timeframe should contact their IT support team or the IT Help Desk at 785-864-8080 to request any needed assistance.

The Office of Civil Rights & Title IX will hold its final Rapport event of the academic year from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. April 22 on the first floor of the Kansas Memorial Union at the Hawks Nest and Baumgartner Terrace. Appetizers and drinks will be provided.

Rapport events aim to cultivate community by creating opportunities for connection and building intentional spaces for networking and belonging.

An RSVP is requested.  

The Spring 2026 Staff Senate newsletter is available to read online. Following staff senate elections earlier this semester, the newsletter includes a list of new and outgoing senators and committee updates. 

It also includes messages from outgoing president Marissa Marshall and incoming president Jessica Chilcoat, as well as other staff resources.  

Employee Wellness’ next Lunch-N-Learn will tackle the challenges of navigating new parenthood and returning to work. Erin Sampson, director of faculty, lecturer and executive recruitment in Human Resources, and Jennifer Bruns, family support programs supervisor at Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, will discuss resources and strategies to address emotional needs, sleep fluctuations, new parenting and work routines, and the rights and benefits of parenting employees.

The online session will be held from 12 to 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. KU employees can register through My Talent. KU affiliates can email wellness@ku.edu to register.  

For those who want to make changes but struggle to do so, the Employee Wellness session “Getting Unstuck: Small Steps, Big Shifts Toward Your Future,” will provide the tools to help.

From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, the two-hour interactive session is designed for anyone who feels stuck — whether in habits, decisions or goals — and wants a practical, encouraging way forward.

Gail Tiemann, wellness coordinator for the Office of Mental Health & Wellbeing, will explore why feeling stuck is normal, how to identify invisible barriers and how to take small, doable steps toward meaningful change. Participants will learn how to celebrate wins to build momentum and confidence.

Through discussion, hands-on exercises and real-world strategies, participants will leave with tools they can use immediately and a clear plan for shaping the future.

The group will reconnect in two brief group follow-up sessions to celebrate wins, troubleshoot barriers and keep momentum going.

KU employees should register for the session through MyTalent. KU affiliates can email wellness@ku.edu to register.  

Just in time for planning summer break, the Office of Mental Health and Wellbeing is offering an interactive session to help employees go from thinking of scheduling vacation time to getting it on the calendar.

From 10 a.m. to noon Friday, the virtual session, led by wellness coordinator Gail Tiemann, will help employees identify barriers that are keeping them from scheduling time off. It will also offer a systematic method to mapping out their calendar and building a wish list for time off. Finally, it will offer employees practical strategies for preparing their workload so they can disconnect with less stress.

Follow-up check-in sessions will be offered to troubleshoot barriers, finalize plans and celebrate wins. KU employees should register for the session through MyTalent. KU affiliates can email wellness@ku.edu to register.  

The 10th Annual International Jayhawk Festival will return 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Burge Union. The event is an opportunity for Jayhawks to celebrate their global community and international engagement.  

The event will include free T-shirts, food, a fashion show, musical and dance performances, activities, and a study abroad fair. All are welcome.  

Student groups and academic units will offer intercultural activities, demonstrations and global trivia. Students can meet with advisors from study abroad, discuss academic programs with area studies representatives and language departments, connect with foreign language clubs, explore international career opportunities and meet international student organizations. 

All members of the KU community are invited to participate in Pride on the Plaza, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday at Ascher Plaza. Participants are encouraged to wear a Jayhawk Pride T-shirt or other Pride attire for the annual campus pride photo at 11 a.m. Local LGBTQIA+ organizations will be tabling during the event.  

For more information about Pride on the Plaza, please reach out to Mo Maddox, president of the Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty Staff Council, at morellemaddox@ku.edu.  

For more information about SGDFSC, please visit its webpage. SGDFSC is one of 10 faculty staff councils that bring KU employees together around a common topic, identity or interest. All faculty and staff at KU are welcome to join any faculty and staff council. 

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 person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC 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. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or online and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or online.

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