Fall on campus always takes me back to my own undergraduate days on the Hill. Although things understandably look different this semester, it is energizing to have students and faculty learning and researching together. The University of Kansas spent months diligently preparing for the return to campus and continues to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ongoing communication with Chancellor Girod revealed the necessity for additional resources to support students, faculty and research in light of the significant financial impact of the pandemic. In response, KU Endowment provided an unprecedented $33.1 million grant to the university. Of that total, $10.1 million assisted the university with its reopening in August and supplied much-needed investments in technology upgrades, course revisions and curriculum reviews. The balance is a direct investment in KU’s research enterprise.

The grant is broken down as follows:

• $7.6 million to create innovative courses, upgrade infrastructure to deliver HyFlex instruction, and revise KU’s academic and financial portfolios to guide them into the future.
• $2.5 million to facilitate the review and enhancement of all KU courses to ensure they are meeting students’ ever-changing needs.
• $23 million to grow our robust research enterprise for faculty and students.

KU Endowment is proud to support KU as it works to build a greater community for thousands of students and faculty from Kansas and beyond. We are grateful to the donors who made this possible, knowing we would not be able to provide this unique grant without the unrestricted gifts used to address the university’s greatest needs and opportunities.