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Date(s): Monday, June 1 through Thursday, July 23
Location: LU Indoor Pool, Health & Human Performance Complex

Â鶹ÊÓƵ Aquatics is offering swimming lessons for youth this summer. See the attached flyer for more details or call (409) 880-8031 or email dept_ltswim@lamar.edu to sign up or learn more information today.

Date(s): June 2, 16, 30 & July 14, 28 - 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Virtual (Teams)

LU’s inaugural faculty-led AI Community of Practice begins this summer, exploring how colleagues across disciplines use AI in academic work. Sessions are June 2, 16, 30, and July 14 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CST. Registration coming soon. Questions? universityinnovation@lamar.edu.

Date(s): June 10, July 15, August 5
Location: Virtual 

Join the Summer 2026 AI Staff Development Series to explore practical ways AI can support everyday work at LU. Sessions include AI fundamentals, Microsoft 365 Copilot + Planner workflows, and responsible AI + data practices. Reach out to Amy Jones at ajones165@lamar.edu to register.

Date: Thursday, June 25, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Setzer Student Center, San Jacinto Room 218

Are you interested in learning to recognize signs of mental health and substance use challenges and crisis situations in college students? Spindletop Center is hosting training to help improve mental health literacy, decrease stigma, address tough challenges, and give tools for support. 25 spots are available. Click for more information.

Listen in to this week's  as we sit down with Dr. Hilda Billups to learn more about the Center for Academic Success (formerly STAR Services) at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. For the full transcription of this episode, click here. 
Tune in to this week's episode or of the LU Moment on , or wherever you get your podcasts.

Please see the page here for end of year deadlines for 2026.

Dr. J.T. Seaman or Dr. Stacey Knight from the LU College of Nursing & Health Professions ask you to consider participating in a brief, anonymous survey to assess awareness of mental health resources and evaluate the stigma associated with asking for help with mental health concerns. All employees (faculty and staff) are eligible to participate. Survey can be found .

If you have funds in your medical care or dependent care TexFlex flexible spending account (FSA), you must spend them before the deadline to avoid losing them. To check your balance, log into www.TexFlexERS.com or the Inspira Mobile app.

Summer Enrollment is your yearly chance to review, enroll in, or make changes to your benefits. Any updates you make during this period will take effect on September 1. To make changes, visit ers.texas.gov or contact the HR Benefits Team to complete an enrollment form. More information can be found here.

This month’s wellness offerings from Buena Vida are designed to help you kick off summer on the right foot by supporting healthy habits that contribute to your overall well-being. As a reminder, don't forget to do your Health Assessment with Buena Vida by June 30 to be entered into a drawing. More information can be found on the HR page here.

STAR Services (STARS) will officially become the Center for Academic Success (CAS) effective Monday, June 1, 2026. The new name reflects its broader focus and better represents our expanded range of academic support and enrichment programs. At this time, we ask that any STARS-branded materials be removed or updated, including externally linked webpages and digital content. Additional details regarding CAS and the new location will be announced as they become available. For any questions, please contact (409) 880-7202 or cas@lamar.edu.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ Information Technology (IT) has launched an annual Artificial Intelligence (AI) Awareness Training as mandated by Texas Government Code 2054.

This training is required for all faculty and staff and must be completed by the deadline below:

Training Due Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
The training is accessible through Training Nest and consists of a 30-minute AI Awareness video.

Completion of this training is required to ensure compliance with state requirements.

Please contact HR if you have any issues accessing the training at trainingnest@lamar.edu.

On July 1, 2026, the Watermark Faculty Success interface will get a new look and feel with a clearer layout, configurable views, and time-saving features. Contact darpa@lamar.edu for more information or questions.

Deadline for nominations: Tuesday, June 30, 11:59 p.m.

Nominations for the 2026 David J. Beck Teaching Excellence Award are now open.  Nominations from current or former students, faculty, or administrators are welcome. No Self Nominations accepted. Past Nominees are welcome to apply.

Have something to share?  (e.g., events, publications, faculty research, awards, departmental congratulations, grants, etc.) and the Office of Marketing Communications will get the word out through emails, web, social media and more. 

All approved announcements must be received by Thursday at 3 p.m. to be included in the following week's LU Weekly Update newsletter.

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