The University of Kansas is a comprehensive research and teaching university that serves as a center for learning, scholarship, and creative endeavor. Since 1909, KU has held membership in the esteemed Association of American Universities (AAU), a distinction held by only 71 distinguished public and private universities. Across its five campuses (Lawrence, Kansas City, Overland Park, Wichita, and Salina), KU enrolls nearly 30,000 students and awards over 7,000 degrees and certificates annually.
Mission Statement:
We educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world.
KU Lawrence-Edwards Vision:
To be an exceptional learning community that lifts each member and advances society.
KU Medical Center Vision:
To improve lives and communities in Kansas through innovation in education, research, and health care.
University Values:
The acronym "IRISE" spells out the first letter of each of the university's five values:
- Integrity
- Respect
- Innovation
- Stewardship
- Excellence
University Metrics:
Education
- Student enrollment
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
- Average student debt
Service
- Economic impact
- Community perception
- Service to the state
- Workplace diversity
Research
- Research Expenditures
- Recognition of Faculty Excellence
- Scholarly Activity
Pittsburg State University, a comprehensive regional university, provides undergraduate and graduate programs and services to the people of southeast Kansas, but also to others who seek the benefits offered. This is accomplished by the unique combination of academic programs in the four colleges of the University Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Technology. The University is equally committed to fulfilling its statewide mission in technology and economic development by facilitating partnerships with secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, businesses and industries.
The University supports an organizational and interpersonal structure that actively encourages individuals to achieve their potential. The University provides programs and services that create opportunities for students and other individuals to develop intellectually, ethically, aesthetically, emotionally, socially and physically. The University provides intellectual leadership and multicultural experiences that contribute to the preservation of the heritage of the region and the enhancement of its inhabitants. Finally, the University recognizes the world as interdependent and, thus, seeks to promote a broad and interactive international perspective.
The University fulfills the traditional academic missions of teaching, scholarship and service. Excellence in teaching is the primary focus of the University. The University recognizes that active scholarship and creativity add vitality to teaching, expand and refine the knowledge base and are instrumental to the professional development of the faculty and staff. Programs of professional and community service promote and strengthen University endeavors. Pittsburg State University fosters a campus culture of assessment and accountability that supports strategic planning and the continuous improvement of its academic programs and administrative processes.
The mission of Kansas State University is to foster excellent teaching, research, and service that develop a highly skilled and educated citizenry necessary to advancing the well-being of Kansas, the nation, and the international community. The university embraces diversity, encourages engagement and is committed to the discovery of knowledge, the education of undergraduate and graduate students, and improvement in the quality of life and standard of living of those we serve.
Kansas State University is a comprehensive, research, land-grant institution serving students and the people of Kansas, the nation, and the world. Since its founding in 1863, the University has evolved into a modern institution of higher education, committed to quality programs, and responsive to a rapidly changing world and the aspirations of an increasingly diverse society. Together with other major comprehensive universities, K-State shares responsibilities for developing human potential, expanding knowledge, enriching cultural expression, and extending its expertise to individuals, business, education and government. These responsibilities are addressed through an array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, research and creative activities, and outreach and public service programs. In addition, its land-grant mandate, based on federal and state legislation, establishes a focus to its instructional, research, and extension activities which is unique among the Regents’ institutions.
Through quality teaching, the University is committed to provide all students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, understanding, and skills characteristic of an educated person. It is also pledged to prepare students for successful employment or advanced studies through a variety of disciplinary and professional degree programs. To meet these intentions, the institution dedicates itself to providing academic and extracurricular learning experiences which promote and value both excellence and cultural diversity. K-State prepares its students to be informed, productive, and responsible citizens who actively participate in advancing cultural, educational, economic, scientific, and socio-political undertakings.
Research and other creative endeavors comprise an essential component of K-State's mission. All faculty members contribute to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge, applications, and products. These efforts, supported by public and private resources, are conducted in an atmosphere of open inquiry and academic freedom. Basic to the pursuit of this mission is the University's commitment to broad-based programs in graduate education at both the master's and doctoral levels.
Faculty, staff, and administrators share their expertise through service to the university and disciplinary organizations, via outreach, engagement, and extension-related activities. Their work provides support to numerous projects related to the goals, missions, or aspirations of the departments, colleges of the university, and to the members of the professional community. Through outreach and engagement initiatives, partnerships are established with various stakeholders to translate knowledge and basic research into applications that address public needs. These service activities are integrally related to the land-grant mission.
Extension is governed by Kansas statutes that empower elected county councils and district governing boards with authority and responsibility to assess needs and conduct a local educational program in cooperation with Kansas State University and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A network of local extension professionals and volunteers link Kansas State University faculty, the National Cooperative Extension System to the USDA which produces high-quality educational programs.
Dual Credit Cooperative Agreements
The Kansas Challenge to Secondary School Students Act, K.S.A. 72-3220 through 72-3224, (Challenge Act) provides a means for school districts, in cooperation with eligible postsecondary institutions, to challenge high school students by procuring early college opportunities. The Kansas Board of Regents encourages all system postsecondary institutions to collaborate with local school districts and provide dual credit opportunities to high school students through cooperative agreements entered pursuant to the Challenge Act. The Challenge Act does not mandate system postsecondary institutions to offer dual credit enrollment to students in local school districts. However, if an eligible system postsecondary institution chooses not to offer dual credit enrollment with local districts pursuant to the Challenge Act, in accordance with Board policy for Off-Campus Delivery of Academic Courses and Programs, the home institution shall allow eligible system postsecondary institutions outside the institution’s service area to provide the Challenge Act opportunities with those school districts. The Challenge Act requires dual credit to be offered only through a cooperative agreement.
“Dual Credit Cooperative Agreement” means a written memorandum of understanding between an eligible postsecondary institution and a school district entered pursuant to the Kansas Challenge to Secondary School Students Act for the purpose of offering dual credit courses to eligible students who receive both high school credit and college credit.
For more information, contact your local high school. Policies are found in Chapter III, Section A of the Policy Manual
See additional information located under Academic Affairs, Dual Credit.
Dual Credit Resources
Coming soon!
- Kansas WIOA Title II Policy Manual (doc)
- Kansas WIOA Title II FY2026 Assessment Policy (doc)
- NRS Online Trainings
- Kansas AEFLA YouTube Channel (for the privacy of attendees, some webinars are unlisted and are only accessible with a direct link, available from KBOR or in GoLearn)
ACCELERATING OPPORTUNITY - KANSAS
- AO-K Handbook (pdf)
- AO-K Career Pathway Application (Microsoft Forms)
College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards
Kansas Adult Education adopted the national College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards for Adult Education in April of 2013. Published by the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, the purpose of the standards is to strengthen the links among adult education, postsecondary education, and careers.
The Kansas Adult Education Practitioners
The Kansas WIOA Title II Practitioner Roles Descriptions provide guidelines for the delivery of high-quality adult education through the program’s personnel.
Digital Literacy Training
Digital literacy and digital skills are vital for success in college, careers, and community engagement. Northstar, available to Kansas WIOA Title II providers, is one resource to help learners build these skills.
TABE Resources
Kansas WIOA Title II providers use specific assessments for pretesting and posttesting. TABE 13&14 and CLAS-E C&D are the NRS-approved assessments in Kansas. Many resources for educators, including manuals and walkthrough videos, are available in the DRC Insight Portal. Additional resources are available on the TABE website, linked below.
Kansas Adult Education Association
The Kansas Adult Education Association (KAEA) was established in 1947. KAEA's endeavors of training Adult Educators has only allowed more and more people to improve their knowledge and the basic skills adults need to successfully carry out their roles as parents, productive citizens, and economically self-sufficient workers in the 21st Century. Through the Accelerating Opportunities: Kansas (AO-K) initiative launched in 2011, students continue to have the opportunity to acquire stronger reading, writing, and math skills, as well as enrollment in career pathways-based postsecondary education.
Literacy Information and Communication System
Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) is a professional learning community for adult educators that provides access to resources, professional development, and a connected network of practitioners.
