Daily Brief

Dine in the Dark Raises Funds and Awareness

The College of Education's Braille Bears student organization hosted another successful "Dine in the Dark" event Thursday, Oct. 8, in partnership with the Vision Resource Center of Berks County. Guests experienced dining without sight, gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of individuals with visual impairments. Led by students in KU's nationally recognized Visual Impairment program, the event received outstanding feedback for the students' professionalism, knowledge and engagement. The evening also raised approximately $1,000 to support future Braille Bears initiatives. Under the leadership of Dr. Nicole Johnson, professor of Special Education, the program continues to create meaningful opportunities for students to develop advocacy, leadership and community engagement skills while increasing awareness of visual impairment throughout the region.

Rebecca West Burns, College of Education

President's Open Hour

Faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by and talk with President Cavalier during his open hour 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, MSU Fireside Lounge. President Cavalier welcomes your thoughts, concerns and suggestions regarding KU.

Office of the President

Faculty and Staff Halloween Door Decorating Contest

Unfurl the cobwebs and rally your team. The 2026 Faculty and Staff Halloween Door Decorating Contest is officially here and it's time to bring some festive magic to our halls. Whether you’re envisioning a spine-chilling classic haunted scene, a cozy autumn motif or a totally unique pop-culture creation, we want to see your department's creative spirit shine. Getting involved is simple. First, register your space by emailing stratton@kutztown.edu with your office name, building and room number by Wednesday, Oct. 14. Next, work your decorating magic and send a photo of your finished masterpiece to stratton@kutztown.edu by Friday, Oct. 23. Judging will take place Monday, Oct. 26 to Wednesday, Oct. 28, with our grand winners announced Friday, Oct. 30. As a friendly reminder, please ensure door handles remain visible and operational and that all decorations keep walkways and exits completely clear. Grab your scissors, tape and spooky ideas; we can't wait to see your amazing creations. Happy decorating.

Student Affairs

Frederick Douglass Institute Open House

The Frederick Douglass Institute (FDI) invites the campus community to our Open House 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, Multicultural Center.
Come learn about:
- FDI faculty and student scholars and the collaborative model for mentorship, student research, experiential learning and public-facing projects.
- Ways to recommend students for the FDI Student Scholars research track, internships and short-term micro-internships.
- Opportunities to contribute to or collaborate on programming, research, civic engagement and social justice initiatives without taking on an entirely new project.
- Materials and opportunities you can share directly with students who may benefit from FDI programs.
The Open House will also feature a special guest speaker, a hands-on activity, books, resources and opportunities to meet former and current FDI participants and collaborators. Can't make the event, but want to support FDI? Check out our newly updated website and submit an interest form.

Frederick Douglass Institute

Amber Pabon, Frederick Douglass Institute

Call for Proposals for PASSHE Women's Conference

The PASSHE Women's Consortium is hosting the annual Women’s Conference virtually Friday, Oct. 23. The Call for Proposals deadline is Friday, Oct. 16. Building on conversations and connections from last year’s conference, this year’s theme, "Resilience, Intentionality, and Community-building," calls us together to celebrate our strengths, prioritize our well-being and unite in shared and complementary purposes across PASSHE. Our dialogue continues to remind us that resilience in academia is not built in isolation, but through intentional relationships, shared purpose and inclusive spaces where people felt seen, supported and empowered.

Fall PASSHE Women’s Conference

Marlene Nanouh Fares, PASSHE Women's Consortium

AFSCME Membership Meeting

Attention AFSCME 2234 members, our next meeting is 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, 203 AF. Please plan to join us and bring along any concerns that you may have. Light refreshments will be provided.

Denise Bucks, Financial Aid Services, AFSCME Secretary

Campus International Engagement Form - Call for Participation

The Curriculum Internationalization Committee, a subcommittee of the International Initiatives Committee, invites faculty and staff to participate in a Campus International Engagement Form. This initiative aims to strengthen and support global engagement at Kutztown University by fostering connections among internationally engaged faculty and staff.
The form will help:
- Identify faculty and staff interested in connecting around international work
- Learn more about current international activities across campus
- Identify interest in future global engagement opportunities
Participation is voluntary, and the form takes less than five minutes to complete. Please complete the survey at your convenience. For questions, please contact Dr. Christina Kinney at kinney@kutztown.edu or Dr. SungEun Min at min@kutztown.edu. Thank you for your time and support in advancing KU’s global engagement efforts.

Campus International Engagement Form

Dr. SungEun Min, International Initiatives Committee

Rohrbach Lighting Replacement

Over the next several weeks, Facilities will be replacing fluorescent T8 bulbs with new LED tube lights in Rohrbach Library. Due to a First Energy incentive program, we were able to purchase the LED lights for $1 per bulb. The annual cost savings will be approximately $10 per bulb. Last weekend, a Facilities team replaced 750 lights in the library. This work will be done at times when it will have little to no impact on folks using the library. Our initial purchase was for 2,000 bulbs. We will continue with this program as long as the incentive lasts. Once done with the library, the next building we will work through will be Stratton, hopefully over winter break.

William Meeker, Facilities

Starfish Drop-In Sessions

Join us for Starfish drop-in sessions 3-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 11-11:30 a.m. Thursdays, via Zoom, through October. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Starfish, ask questions, get help or explore features and functionality. Please contact starfish@kutztown.edu or x3-4106 if you are unable to attend a scheduled session.
Upcoming topics:
- Tuesday, Oct. 13 - Open Discussion
- Thursday, Oct. 15 - Open Discussion
- Tuesday, Oct. 20 - Faculty Progress Surveys
- Thursday, Oct. 22 - Faculty Progress Surveys
- Tuesday, Oct. 27 - Faculty Progress Surveys
- Thursday, Oct. 29 - Open Discussion

Center for Student Success and Academic Excellence

APSCUF-KU Fall Party

APSCUF members, we have a new date and location for our fall party celebrating our local members and the 10th anniversary of our successful strike. Please join us for a celebration of solidarity 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, Kutztown Beneficial Association, connected to the Fire Company at 310 Noble Street in Kutztown. APSCUF-KU is providing a variety of hearty appetizers and one drink ticket per APSCUF member. Please RSVP by Oct. 10, if you miss that date, you are still welcome to attend.

Amy Lynch-Biniek, APSCUF-KU

Advising Information from GEPAC

As we begin advising students for winter and spring 2027 courses, please know that resources are available to help them select Compass (General Education) courses. First, the GEPAC website has been updated with the Winter and Spring 2027 Compass (General Education) courses. These lists are especially helpful to students as they peruse the lists and can then check for schedule fit in Banner. For advisors who may prefer a comprehensive and sortable list of all Compass (General Education) courses, a spreadsheet with that information can be found in the first module in the Content area of the GEPAC D2L page.

General Education Program and Assessment Committee