Provost and EVC Bichelmeyer to step down from her leadership role

Colleagues,

I am writing to share with you that Barbara Bichelmeyer, after six highly successful years as provost and executive vice chancellor for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses, has decided to step away from her role. She will remain in her position until KU’s next provost and EVC is selected, at which time she will return to the faculty.

As she expressed in her campus message earlier today, Barb’s decision was deeply considered and guided by her passion for academic pursuit and our university’s mission. While it is bittersweet to see her transition from our senior leadership team, I am grateful that KU will continue to benefit from her expertise, mentorship and dedication to scholarly work.

Barb began her tenure as our provost in February 2020, just days before the COVID-19 pandemic forced KU to shut down campus operations. Her leadership during those unprecedented months and the years that followed was marked by resolve, empathy and clear-eyed decision-making at a time when our community needed it most. Throughout her years as provost and EVC, Barb has driven transformative institutional progress. Her stewardship was instrumental in guiding KU out of persistent structural budget deficits, strengthening our fiscal foundation and sustainability for the long term. Through budget cuts and uncertainty, Barb remained a steady advocate for our faculty and staff, championing market pay plans and improvements in compensation.

Barb has also shaped and advanced the Lawrence campus’ Jayhawks Rising strategic plan and 2024 Campus Master Plan, which together link our strategic priorities and physical campus to better serve students, faculty, and the community into the future. She led transformative efforts to increase enrollment and foster academic vitality, including the launch of Jayhawk Global to offer new educational formats that meet the evolving needs of learners. Under her guidance, our university completed a successful Higher Learning Commission accreditation visit, reflecting a university-wide commitment to continuous quality improvement.

Under Barb’s leadership, KU has seen extraordinary institutional success, marked by record enrollment and all-time highs in student retention and graduation rates. In addition, the university secured record research funding, further fueling KU’s impact on innovation and discovery. These achievements underscore Barb’s lasting legacy in cultivating a thriving academic community and positioning KU for continued excellence in student success and research.

Barb’s dedication to recruiting and developing academic leaders is most visible in the exceptional team of deans she has assembled and supported. Their vision and leadership continue to elevate their respective schools and the university. To this end, Barb championed the implementation of a financial model that empowers deans and units to plan holistically and reinforce our shared mission. Her visionary leadership has also been pivotal in shaping and implementing the One KU initiative, which is advancing a more unified and collaborative university system. She played a key role in designing the academic and leadership structure that connects our campuses, aligning academic priorities with financial strategy and institutional operations.

Barb’s personal journey includes deep connections to KU. She holds four degrees from the University of Kansas and has reflected the spirit of KU in her scholarship, administration and advocacy. Her tireless work, valued counsel and unwavering devotion to KU have strengthened our university and better positioned it for the opportunities and challenges ahead. I am personally grateful for her partnership, friendship and leadership.

I am confident that KU has the outstanding and visionary talent within our community to continue our upward trajectory of academic leadership and excellence. Therefore, in the days ahead, I will launch an internal search, with an intended goal of having the selected leader in place by the beginning of the spring 2026 semester. Barb will remain in her role until the internal search is completed.

For now, please join me in expressing gratitude to Barb for her remarkable service — contributions that will continue to enrich KU’s future — and in wishing her renewed success as she devotes her energies to scholarship and continued service to One KU.

Respectfully,

Doug

Douglas A. Girod
Chancellor