LATEST NEWS FROM THE HILL
Kansas lawmakers may censor how universities talk about race in classes
A state law requires Kansas agencies and universities to eliminate any policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Republican lawmakers are questioning whether they should also regulate the content in college courses.
Kansas lawmakers may censor how universities talk about race in classes
A state law requires Kansas agencies and universities to eliminate any policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Republican lawmakers are questioning whether they should also regulate the content in college courses.
MORE KU NEWS
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
‘A systemic failure,’ part 2: Teachers, families say Hilltop’s ‘magic is gone’ after key staff are pushed out
Hilltop Child Development Center has taken a dramatic turn for the worse very recently. Teachers and parents say that “the magic is gone” after two longtime staff members were pushed out.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
‘A systemic failure,’ part 3: Hilltop staff, parents question whether center will be able to open safely after staff exodus
Hilltop Child Development Center is supposed to open its doors for the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 11. But many Hilltop staffers and families are unsure whether that will be able to happen — and if it does, if it’ll happen safely.
Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Open house celebrates decade of Free State High School prairie restoration project
Local wildlife appeared and wildflowers were in bloom on Sunday as community members toured the decade-old Free State High School prairie.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Students frustrated after KU complies with state order to strip pronouns from email signatures; experts decry vague directive
KU students and faculty are speaking out against KU’s decision to comply with anti-DEI directives that raise First Amendment concerns. It’s also unclear what the penalty might be if the university were to snub the order.
Nathan Kramer
In final push to boot DEI initiatives, KU tells employees to remove pronouns from email signatures
KU has eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion positions and programs and is directing employees to remove gender-identifying pronouns from their email signatures before the end of the month in response to state legislation.
KPR Staff/Contributed photo
KPR launches emergency fundraising campaign in wake of federal funding cut
Congress has voted to claw back $1.1 billion of already-approved federal funding for public broadcasting nationwide, and the action will “have an immediate impact” on Kansas Public Radio, according to the station.
Historic Resources Commission approves demolition of former Jayhawk Bookstore building
Demolition of the former Jayhawk Bookstore building at Crescent Road and Naismith Drive could get underway as soon as next week with the approval of the Historic Resources Commission.
Tom Harper/Lawrence Times
KU Endowment seeks to demolish former Jayhawk Bookstore building to make way for business hub
KU Endowment is looking to demolish the building that formerly housed Jayhawk Bookstore and McLain’s Market on KU’s campus to make room for the business school’s new entrepreneurship hub.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Haskell accreditation status moved to ‘on notice’; KU accreditation reaffirmed
Haskell’s accreditation status was changed to “accredited on notice” after an evaluation found the university had a risk of falling out of compliance with multiple standards. KU’s accreditation was reaffirmed, but the review suggested ways to improve.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
KU students sue, alleging university crackdown on pro-Palestine protests violated their rights
Two KU students and the campus group Students for Justice in Palestine have filed a lawsuit against university administrators, alleging the students were unfairly targeted and punished for participating in peaceful pro-Palestine protests last spring.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
KU summer debate camp brings top debaters in the country to Lawrence
More than 100 high school students from around the country have packed into KU classrooms the last few weeks to master their skills, part of a cycle that Kansas debaters say keeps the state a premier debate destination.
Kansas university presidents get pay boost amid tuition increases, staff cuts
KU Chancellor Doug Girod on Friday received a 12% hike that increased his salary from $695,000 to $800,000 a year. His total compensation is now $1 million a year, according to Regents data.
Kansas analysis, national report urges more funding for local election administration
The co-author of a national assessment of challenges faced by local election administrators focused on the failure of some Kansas counties to match rising costs of voting technology and election staff with budgets heavily reliant on property tax revenue.
Free tour of KU Native Medicinal Plant Research Garden set for summer solstice
KU has invited community members to welcome the summer solstice with a free tour of the university’s Native Medicinal Plant Research Garden, which is part of the Field Station.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence author Tessa Gratton talks political resistance, telling marginalized stories in advance of their new book
Lawrence writer Tessa Gratton works on all their books for multiple years, but they’ve been thinking about their newest work, “The Mercy Makers,” since the 2000s. The epic fantasy untangles themes of justice, complicity and the greater good.
