Daily Brief

Music Monday

Join us 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, Schaeffer Auditorium, for a wonderfully musical night of energetic performances and soothing melodies performed by our talented musicians in the KU music department. The night will also feature El Trio Caribe, a chamber music trio of KU Music students who were recent recipients of the second place prize at the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association (PMTA) Keystone Chamber Music competition. Doors open at 7 p.m. and we hope to see you there.

Kevin Grifone, Music

Free Flu Vaccines for KU Students, Staff and Faculty

The KU Health Center is hosting a free flu vaccine clinic 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, MSU lawn (rain location is 223 MSU). No pre-registration or insurance is required; vaccines are provided at no cost thanks to our partnership with Lehigh Valley Health Network.
Please note: Nursing and medical services within the KU Health Center will be closed 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the campus flu clinic. The KU Counseling Center will maintain regular operating hours during this time.

Mandi Volkert, Health and Wellness Services

KU to Host Girls in STEM Symposium Oct. 27

Kutztown University will host its annual Girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Symposium 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, 218 and 223 MSU. Hosted by the Departments of Computer Science and Information Technology, Biology, Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Society, History and Culture, this inspiring event aims to empower and excite young girls, equipping them with confidence and knowledge to embrace future leadership roles in STEM. The Girls in STEM Symposium will include representation from all the STEM departments at KU. The symposium aligns with Kutztown University's commitment to fostering interest and excellence in science and technology among young girls.

Girls in STEM Symposium

University Relations

New Conference Celebrating America 250 Highlights Experiences of Pennsylvania Germans

The Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center will host "Pennsylvania Germans and the Revolution," a collaborative, interdisciplinary conference Nov. 13-14, exploring Pennsylvania German experiences in the era of the Revolution and beyond. The conference is co-sponsored by the German Society of Philadelphia and is part of America 250 PA Berks County. The conference will examine different experiences and responses to the American Revolution across a wide spectrum of Pennsylvania German communities and identities, highlighting the ways Pennsylvania German culture both shaped and was shaped by the American Experiment.

Pennsylvania Germans and the Revolution

University Relations

Happy Homecoming

Happy Homecoming, Golden Bears. There are plenty of fun activities happening on campus this week, so please help spread the word and encourage your students to join in. Additionally, a big congratulations to our eight students on Spirit Court. We look forward to recognizing our Spirit Court champions at Saturday’s football game. For the full schedule of Homecoming Week events and activities, check out the Homecoming page.

Kelly Gillis, Office of Student Involvement

Benefits Announcement: Flexible Savings Account (FSA) Open Enrollment Oct. 12-30

The 2027 Flexible Savings Account Open Enrollment for medical and day care expenses is from Monday, Oct. 12 through Friday, Oct. 30. Please log in to your FIORI Self Service Account to complete the yearly enrollment.
A flexible spending account is an account that lets you set aside pre-tax money from each paycheck through 2027 for eligible expenses. You can use this account to get reimbursed for eligible health care and day care expenses through the 2027 calendar year.
Please reach out to Human Resources with any questions.

Carleen McElderry, Human Resources

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

Celebrating Harry Humes: A Poetry Reading

Faculty, alumni and former students of longtime KU professor and nationally recognized poet Harry Humes (1935-2025) will read selections from his work, "Going Across the Water: New and Selected Poems." This event celebrates Humes' life, poetry and influence while commemorating the publication of this collection. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the reading starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 223 MSU. This event is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

Robert Fillman, English

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 or Dr. SungEun Min. Thank you for your time and support in advancing KU’s global engagement efforts.

Campus International Engagement Form

Dr. SungEun Min, International Initiatives Committee

AFSCME Holiday Party: Join us for a night of unity, laughter and celebration

AFSCME members, join us for our holiday party, 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, Kutztown Fire Company Social Hall. Bring your spouse, partner or guest and enjoy an evening of fun while getting to know your co-workers. The cost is $30 per person, AFSCME members will be refunded their $30 admission fee at the door. Your evening will include food, beverages and a night of dancing provided by a DJ. Invitations will be sent via campus mail. We look forward to celebrating with you. 

Christina Ferris, Biology, AFSCME 2234

Winter Hours

Winter break hours will begin Monday, Dec. 14, and remain in effect through Friday, Jan. 15. Winter hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a half-hour lunch. Anyone who has a need to maintain the normal academic year hours may submit a request through their supervisory line. Approval for such a request will be at the vice-presidential level and should be communicated to Human Resources. 

Human Resources

Non-Credit Instructional Opportunity - AI in Human Services

The Office of Extended Learning is seeking an instructor to facilitate multiple in-person workshops on artificial intelligence in the human services field. These will be multiple one-hour workshops held in person in various areas across the region. The instructor must have experience in Microsoft Copilot and AI fundamentals as they apply to the human services profession. Interested faculty must reach out to Dakota Sell by Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Office of Extended Learning

New Kids on the Block

Faculty who have joined KU within the past three years: you are invited to the Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6 Rohrbach Library, to gather, connect with colleagues and share ideas, questions and experiences. This informal conversation is a welcoming space to meet others, build community and feel more connected to KU.

CEL Programs and Events

Center for Engaged Learning

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

Help Students Afford Learning: Apply for a $1,000 KU Grant

For many of our students, textbook costs can put learning out of reach. Help ease their financial burden by replacing costly textbooks with free, high-quality Open Educational Resources (OERs) in Spring 2027.
Program Highlights:
- The Award: $1,000 each for up to seven selected applicants to transition a course from commercially produced course materials to OER and complete assessment reports.
- Eligibility: Open to all permanent tenured and tenure-track faculty.
- Expert Support: Get hands-on help finding and integrating materials from a dedicated team of OER Sourcing, Accessibility, Instructional Design and Pedagogy experts.
How to Apply:
- Deadline: Thursday, Nov. 5
- Details and Application: Visit the KU OER Grant webpage
- Questions? Contact Dan Stafford, Rohrbach Library.

Dan Stafford, Rohrbach Library

Faculty Invitation: Exploring Borough-University Partnerships

Kutztown Borough and Kutztown University have a long history of successful collaboration, bringing together faculty expertise, student engagement and community needs. Faculty are encouraged to attend a partnership meeting 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 105 Boehm.
The Borough offers a wide range of opportunities for collaboration. It operates a water plant, wastewater treatment facility, parks system, municipal electric utility, trash collection and recycling services, and an internet service that could benefit from improved marketing and outreach strategies. These resources present numerous possibilities for teaching, research, service-learning, internships and applied student projects in every college at KU. Past partnerships have included student ecology projects at North Park with Todd Underwood, visits to the wastewater treatment plant organized by Julie Palkendo and trash collection efficiencies by Fran Vasko.
Learn about Borough operations, ask questions, and consider how their expertise and courses might connect with these community opportunities. The goal is to identify mutually beneficial partnerships that enrich student learning while helping address real-world challenges within our local community.

Derek Mace, Psychology, Kutztown Borough Council Vice President