Daily Brief

Chamber Ensemble Recital

Join us 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research, for our Chamber Ensemble Recital. Works by Schubert, Elizondo, Farrenc, Piazzolla, Friedrich, Bryant and Shostakovich. This event is free and open to all.

Music Instagram

Maya Strava Kokkinou, Music

Healthcare Open Enrollment for SSHE Employees

For APSCUF Faculty and Coaches, Non-Represented, OPEIU Nurses, POA/SPFPA Security and Police Employees:
You received an email Monday, April 20, about open enrollment for the PASSHE SSHE Healthcare Plan. Open enrollment is only for two weeks: Monday, April 20 to Friday, May 1. Coverage will be effective July 1, 2026. More details are online. If you would like to sign up for healthcare, cancel your healthcare, add or remove family members/dependents, you will need to do this during the two-week open enrollment period. The only other time you can make these changes is if there is a qualified life change. If you are adding a family member to your plan, you must enter them into the "My Family Members" tile before you can add them to your plan. You will also need to provide confirmation documentation, such as a marriage license, birth certificate, adoption paperwork, etc., to the HR office within two weeks of adding them to your plan for your dependents to be eligible for the coverage. For a spouse, you will need to complete additional paperwork for them to qualify for healthcare coverage. Please reach out to HR for these forms. Tip - Look for the tiny "Next" button at the very bottom of the page to move through the enrollment process. Healthy U Current Plan Holders: there are only six weeks left for you to complete the Healthy U annual survey to qualify for the lower healthcare premium. If you have not completed the survey, please make sure to do so ASAP. The rates are increasing for next year and you will pay significantly more for your plan.

Elisabeth Manwiller, Human Resources

Parking Advisory: Wednesday, April 22

Parking lot B1, next to Grim Science Building, will be closed Wednesday, April 22, for the College of Education's Early College Academy event at Schaeffer Auditorium. We ask those who normally park in this lot to seek an alternate parking location.

University Relations

Student Trustee Appointed

Kaitlyn Macauley ’27 has been named Kutztown University's newest additions to its Council of Trustees. Macauley’s appointment as student trustee was approved at Thursday's State System Board of Governor's meeting. Macauley, of Allentown, Pa., is a junior business administration major. She is a transfer student from Lehigh Carbon Community College, where she graduated summa cum laude with associate degrees in accounting and business management. She is a dean's list student and a member of three honor societies: Tau Sigma (transfer students), Phi Theta Kappa (transfer students) and Kappa Beta Delta (business).

University Relations

Survey: President's Newsletter

The Office of University Relations asks our campus community for input regarding Dr. Cavalier's President's Newsletter. We appreciate your input on this brief, anonymous survey.

University Relations

KU Students visit WFMZ Studios

A big thank you to WFMZ and their staff for welcoming a group of KU students to their studios in Allentown Friday, April 10. Students were given a tour of the studio, watched a live news broadcast and given the opportunity to practice using a green screen. Students with media-related career aspirations got a first-hand look at what jobs in that industry might look like for them.

Jenelle Henry, Career Development Center

"How Are You Using AI?" AI-Focused Faculty Forum

How are KU faculty using AI in their research and courses? Join the Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) for four fast-paced flash talks 11 a.m. Thursday, April 23, 6 Rohrbach Library, featuring colleagues from across campus who are integrating AI into their scholarship and teaching. Topics will include finding and evaluating resources, rethinking assessment, building course-specific “agents” and working with complex datasets. Bring your ideas and questions. Following the flash talks, we will open the floor for a broader discussion on AI in our classrooms and scholarly work.
Featured Faculty
- Donna DeMarco, Computer Science, "Can We Get Consensus on AI?"
- Junior Robson, EMLT, "Laser-Focused AI: Programming a Copilot Agent to Save Time and Uphold Digital Accessibility"
- Greg Kaufinger, Business, "Navigating the Jagged Frontier: The Peaks and Valleys of AI Assessment"
- Chris Habeck, Biology, "Dataset Manipulation with AI"
Featured Cookie
In the spirit of experimentation, we asked AI to select the featured cookie for this event. The choice: A comfort-forward crowd pleaser, "Chewy Snickerdoodles (NYT version)." Why this pick? Cinnamon brings instant nostalgia and its soft texture makes it universally appealing.
Expect a warm, collegial atmosphere and a cookie that tends to disappear quickly.

CEL Programs and Events

Center for Engaged Learning