Reflecting on a semester of progress

Colleagues,

As we head into the holidays, I invite you to join me in reflecting on our achievements from the past semester. Because of you, KU continues to fulfill its mission of education, service and research in a way that drives economic growth and improves the world. Additionally, we continue to advance our One KU initiative to further integrate our campuses so the university can thrive for decades to come. 

Education 

We were proud to start the fall semester with the highest overall enrollment in KU history, as well as all-time-high retention and graduation rates. These record-setting numbers confirm that talented students continue to value attending KU and joining the academic community you create. Additionally, this semester we came together for our University Teaching Awards ceremony to honor recipients of KU’s top teaching awards, each of whom embodies the best of KU through their teaching and mentorship.

Service

One of the most visible ways KU serves Kansans is by training health care practitioners. This fall we continued construction of our Wichita Biomedical Campus and our new KU Cancer Center facility, which together will enhance how we educate health care providers, develop new treatments, and care for patients. Additionally, we continued to provide important services to Kansas communities through our Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and countless other units that benefit Kansans.

Research 

This year saw unprecedented disruptions to federally sponsored research, presenting tremendous challenges for researchers across our campuses. But despite these challenges, KU research activity remained steady, which is a testament to your resiliency and commitment to scholarship in the face of adversity. Additionally, this fall we took a big step toward integrating Lawrence and KU Medical Center research efforts under the One KU model, which better positions us to pursue discoveries that benefit society in areas such as health, security and energy.

Campus development

Our physical campuses are crucial to our ability to recruit and support students, employees and visitors. This semester in Lawrence, we played our first football season in the new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, broke ground on a new student entrepreneurship hub, rededicated our World War I Memorial and Potter Lake, and opened the new KU Conference Center. Adjacent to KU Medical Center, we celebrated the opening of The Hudson apartment complex, which is providing much-needed new housing for the medical center community.

Economic development 

Through discussions with partners and as evidenced by various national opinion polls, it is clear that citizens today expect universities to drive economic growth. With this in mind, in fall 2025 we continued to develop KU Innovation Park, collaborated with Panasonic on ways to support its new Kansas battery facility, and launched the second phase of our Gateway District project, which will generate revenue for academic activities and drive regional economic growth.

Alumni and supporters

This semester saw extraordinary alumni and donor engagement in support of our mission. This is partly due to the enhanced integration of our KU Endowment and KU Alumni associations under the One KU model. But more importantly, it’s because KU supporters are inspired by your work to teach students, serve Kansans and make discoveries that change the world. To date, our Onward campaign has raised $2.7 billion in support of education, service and research across our campuses, and we are optimistic that amount will grow in the months ahead.

Thank you 

Again, thank you for all you do on behalf of our university. I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate our successes alongside Jayhawks like you. You make KU special. For that, you have my utmost appreciation. 

Respectfully, 

Doug 

Douglas A. Girod 
Chancellor