SPEC Kit 349: Evolution of Library Liaisons · 191
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Organizational Review Team Report |Organizational Recommendations |Research and Learning Division
KU Libraries: Organizational Review Team Report
37
The Center for Graduate Initiatives and Engagement
The Center for Graduate Initiatives and Engagement will focus on the libraries’ integration with graduate students
in their roles as advanced students, researchers, teachers, and academics and professionals in training. Graduate
student needs overlap with both undergraduates and faculty, and they have their own unique situation as early
career (or soon-to-be) academics and professionals. This center will engage with the needs of graduate students
to ensure that they develop skills and knowledge about not only where to find information and how to evaluate
it, but also about how to extract and then manipulate the material they find.
Working in conjunction with graduate students’ programs and departments, the center will also provide hands-
on experience through internships, employment, project-based initiatives, and other opportunities. The libraries
provides a rich environment for the type of “field” experience that graduate curriculums in the humanities find
increasingly valuable. Through collaborative, real-world projects, the libraries can provide students opportunities
to contribute to scholarly projects and build skills in areas such as digital humanities, interdisciplinary team-based
work, and teaching. Such an initiative would increase KU Libraries’ viability by strengthening our connection to the
larger KU graduate curriculum, building the skills and qualifications of the students graduating from KU, and clearly
demonstrating our long-term value to the university.
The Center for Graduate Initiatives and Engagement will allow KU Libraries to focus on these initiatives to a far
greater degree, and with far greater coordination, than we have been able to do up to this point.
The Center for Undergraduate Initiatives and Engagement
The Center for Undergraduate Initiatives and Engagement will focus on supporting undergraduate teaching
and learning through collaboration with teaching faculty and first-year experience offices, and through the
design of undergraduate programs and outreach from the libraries. KU has made a commitment to the
undergraduate experience in Bold Aspirations, and the Center for Undergraduate Initiatives and Engagement
will ensure that KU Libraries develops and articulates its role in supporting that commitment. Further, the
libraries’ strategic plan also calls for the coordination of efforts in support of undergraduate teaching and
learning. This center (in close collaboration with other centers) will provide high level coordination and
resources to support specialized and cross-functional teams such as Course and Curriculum Integration/
Teaching Support Outreach Online and Distance Learning Support Discovery, Access, and Use Student
Learning Support and First Year Experience Initiatives.
The Center for Community and Affiliate Initiatives and Engagement
The Center for Community and Affiliate Initiatives and Engagement will focus on supporting the varied needs
of our community members and KU affiliates. Presently, this kind of engagement is not done in any organized
or coordinated manner. This center will ensure that we are considering the needs of our users, regardless
of location. Bold Aspirations calls upon members of the KU community to reach out to our fellow Kansans
in a variety of ways, but also to raise our collective profile at the national and international levels. Through
collaboration with alumni, the KU Works for Kansas initiative, and our colleagues at other Kansas institutes of
higher education, this center will develop partnerships and provide the necessary resources and services to
these community members and affiliates. This center (in close collaboration with other centers) will provide
high level coordination and resources to support specialized and cross-functional teams in areas such as
Outreach Online and Distance Learning Support and Discovery, Access, and Use.
ORGANIZATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Organizational Review Team Report |Organizational Recommendations |Research and Learning Division
KU Libraries: Organizational Review Team Report
37
The Center for Graduate Initiatives and Engagement
The Center for Graduate Initiatives and Engagement will focus on the libraries’ integration with graduate students
in their roles as advanced students, researchers, teachers, and academics and professionals in training. Graduate
student needs overlap with both undergraduates and faculty, and they have their own unique situation as early
career (or soon-to-be) academics and professionals. This center will engage with the needs of graduate students
to ensure that they develop skills and knowledge about not only where to find information and how to evaluate
it, but also about how to extract and then manipulate the material they find.
Working in conjunction with graduate students’ programs and departments, the center will also provide hands-
on experience through internships, employment, project-based initiatives, and other opportunities. The libraries
provides a rich environment for the type of “field” experience that graduate curriculums in the humanities find
increasingly valuable. Through collaborative, real-world projects, the libraries can provide students opportunities
to contribute to scholarly projects and build skills in areas such as digital humanities, interdisciplinary team-based
work, and teaching. Such an initiative would increase KU Libraries’ viability by strengthening our connection to the
larger KU graduate curriculum, building the skills and qualifications of the students graduating from KU, and clearly
demonstrating our long-term value to the university.
The Center for Graduate Initiatives and Engagement will allow KU Libraries to focus on these initiatives to a far
greater degree, and with far greater coordination, than we have been able to do up to this point.
The Center for Undergraduate Initiatives and Engagement
The Center for Undergraduate Initiatives and Engagement will focus on supporting undergraduate teaching
and learning through collaboration with teaching faculty and first-year experience offices, and through the
design of undergraduate programs and outreach from the libraries. KU has made a commitment to the
undergraduate experience in Bold Aspirations, and the Center for Undergraduate Initiatives and Engagement
will ensure that KU Libraries develops and articulates its role in supporting that commitment. Further, the
libraries’ strategic plan also calls for the coordination of efforts in support of undergraduate teaching and
learning. This center (in close collaboration with other centers) will provide high level coordination and
resources to support specialized and cross-functional teams such as Course and Curriculum Integration/
Teaching Support Outreach Online and Distance Learning Support Discovery, Access, and Use Student
Learning Support and First Year Experience Initiatives.
The Center for Community and Affiliate Initiatives and Engagement
The Center for Community and Affiliate Initiatives and Engagement will focus on supporting the varied needs
of our community members and KU affiliates. Presently, this kind of engagement is not done in any organized
or coordinated manner. This center will ensure that we are considering the needs of our users, regardless
of location. Bold Aspirations calls upon members of the KU community to reach out to our fellow Kansans
in a variety of ways, but also to raise our collective profile at the national and international levels. Through
collaboration with alumni, the KU Works for Kansas initiative, and our colleagues at other Kansas institutes of
higher education, this center will develop partnerships and provide the necessary resources and services to
these community members and affiliates. This center (in close collaboration with other centers) will provide
high level coordination and resources to support specialized and cross-functional teams in areas such as
Outreach Online and Distance Learning Support and Discovery, Access, and Use.
ORGANIZATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS