Agenda and Meeting Notes

All Team Agenda – Sept. 1, 2026

  • Enrollment Update 
  • CAPS Resources 
  • Faculty Development Opportunities
  • Office of Research Updates 
  • Strategic Framework 
  • State and Federal Legislation

Meeting Notes

Enrollment Update

Nick Stevens, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, provided an unofficial enrollment update with the caveat that official counts are embargoed until the 20th day of classes. 

CAPS Resources

Chris Corbett, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), provided an overview of CAPS, highlighting recent progress, current services and future priorities. 

CAPS has expanded same-day appointments through its Jayhawk Check-In model, with approximately 92% of students accessing care through same-day visits. An increasing number of students are requesting services. Individual therapy remains the most utilized service, with roughly 11,000 appointments annually. Corbett also highlighted the success of HOPE@CAPS, which welcomed more than 700 students during Union Fest, and JayhawksTalk, KU’s suicide prevention training program. Based on results from CAPS' 2023-24 student experience survey, nearly 92% of students who utilized CAPS services said it improved their motivation to remain enrolled at KU.

Corbett also discussed the embedded counseling program and encouraged unit leaders to reach out to him if they are interested in partnering on these services for students, noting that KU is behind its peers in the number of embedded counselors employed.

Faculty Development Opportunities

Mary Banwart, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development, Mentoring and Growth, presented new and ongoing initiatives designed to support faculty throughout their careers at KU.

For new faculty, support begins immediately upon hiring with welcome communications and ongoing engagement opportunities. New faculty are added to the Summer Connect newsletter, while part-time faculty receive tailored updates. Additional offerings include the Faculty How-To at KU workshop series and the annual Coffee and Campus Tour program, now in its third year, which introduces new faculty to campus resources and community connections. 

Programs for early-career faculty focus primarily on years one through five. Opportunities include the Early Career Faculty Foundations Workshop and a session on annual evaluations and goal setting led by Vice Provost Amy Mendenhall. 

Support for mid-career faculty continues to expand. A Faculty Learning Circle planned for Spring 2026 will focus on preparing faculty for promotion to full professor. Banwart also highlighted the expansion of leadership development programming over the past several years. Current offerings support associate deans, department chairs, directors, and participants in the Senior Administrative Fellows program.

Office of Research Updates

Shelley Hooks, Vice Chancellor for the Office of Research, discussed federal research funding and organizational changes within the Office of Research. While some anticipated research funding has been delayed, Hooks indicated that conditions have improved compared to earlier in the year. Historically, more than half of KU's annual research funding is awarded during the first quarter. Proposal submissions have already exceeded previous first-quarter totals, and current award levels suggest research activity remains healthy despite ongoing uncertainty. However, federal agencies continue to impose additional restrictions on how research funds may be used.

Recent organizational changes have aligned and elevated research administration, sponsored projects, and research development through the One KU framework. Several compliance-related functions have also been reorganized. Human subjects and animal research oversight remain within the Office of Research, while research misconduct investigations now fall under the Office of Audit, Risk, and Compliance. Hooks noted that work is ongoing to align lab and bio safety, which are handled differently by the two campuses.

Strategic Framework Update

Corinne Bannon, Chief Strategy and Data Officer and Vice Chancellor, provided an update on KU's strategic framework development process. 

Since April, the planning team has engaged approximately 200 stakeholders through outreach efforts and has received roughly 500 survey responses. Feedback is being used to modify the framework where appropriate and possible. Regular updates will continue to be shared through Chancellor Girod’s "3-2-One KU" update.

State and Federal Updates

Julie Murray, Chief of Staff to Chancellor Girod and Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, noted that with the state legislature’s increasing interest in AI, KU will continue engaging with them and put forward a funding request related to high-performance computing. 

At the federal level, the Protect College Sports Act is waiting for a Senate and House vote, though it remains unclear if that will happen before midterm elections. Murray also noted that the university is working with the Kansas Board of Regents to determine if institutions in the state should respond individually, or as a system, to Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s letter sent to college and university presidents nationally.