KU welcomes more than 70 new faculty members across Lawrence and Edwards campuses

LAWRENCE — On Aug. 17 and 18, new faculty members met at the Jayhawk Welcome Center to participate in New Faculty Orientation. This year’s new faculty cohort represents 39 units across the KU Lawrence and Edwards campuses.  

“We are excited to welcome more than 70 new faculty to KU,” said Amy Mendenhall, vice provost for faculty affairs. “While our two-day program provides an opportunity for faculty to connect and hear from campus partners, this year we expanded our orientation programming to include a virtual option for online and part-time instructors.” 

Part-time faculty participated in a virtual orientation Aug. 19, providing an opportunity to connect with colleagues and begin their KU experience. 

“New Faculty Orientation has expanded to help meet the needs of our diverse faculty population,” said Mary Banwart, associate vice provost for faculty development, mentoring & growth. “We are excited to share KU's resources and opportunities with our full-time faculty over two days while also providing valuable KU connections to part-time faculty early in their careers.”  

In addition to orientation, new faculty had the opportunity to tour the Lawrence campus during the Office of Faculty Affairs’ Coffee and Campus Tour event. For the past two years, members of the KU Endacott Society have provided engaging tours to new faculty, sharing the history and traditions of the Lawrence campus and its landmarks. 

This fall, the Office of Faculty Affairs will host New Faculty Mentor Groups for new faculty to connect and share their experiences during their first semester. Additionally, virtual “OFA Faculty How-to at KU” events focused on specific technical topics, will be offered to help early-career faculty acclimate to the tools and resources available to them.   

A list of 2026-27 new faculty members, along with information about early-career events, is available on the Office of Faculty Affairs’ new faculty page.