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LU Weekly Update Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Faculty and Staff
Week of June 8, 2026
EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
COMMUNITY
NEWS
EVENTS
Summer Aquatics
LU Aquatics Offers Summer Swimming Lessons for Youth

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

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ 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.

HR Support Drop-In Session: Performance Management Overview

Date: Monday, June 8, 2 - 3 p.m.
Location: CICE Building, Room 113 or

Human Resources hosts monthly HR Support Drop-In Sessions every second Monday of the month. For the month of June, we will do an overview on Performance Management. These ongoing open house–style sessions are designed to give you information and dedicated time to ask the HR team questions. Find out more here.

Opening Reception for "After School Special" and "Bridges of Belonging"

Date: Friday, June 12, 6 - 8 p.m.
Location: Dishman Art Museum

Please join the Dishman Art Museum for an opening reception honoring the artists included in the exhibitions "After School Special: The 7th Juried Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ Alumni Exhibition" and "Bridges of Belonging: The Art of Humanity, Humility, and Resilience."

LU Faculty Summer
LU Faculty-led AI Community of Practice Begins This Summer

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.

Staff Development 26
Summer 2026 AI Staff Development Series - Registration Open

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.

Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid Training

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.

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COMMUNITY
LU Moment - Kyle Scott
LU Moment: LU Venture Center Builds an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem | S9 Ep. 15

Listen in to this week's  as we sit down with Kyle Scott, executive director of entrepreneurship for the Venture Center at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ. 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.



ANNOUNCEMENTS
2026 Fiscal Year End Deadlines and Procedures

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

Help Nursing Researchers Gather Data About Mental Health

Please 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 .

Reminder: Use Your TexFlex FSA Funds Before the Deadline

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.

ERS Summer Enrollment Webinars

Summer Enrollment is coming! Join one of ERS' upcoming webinars to learn about your benefit options, important updates, and how to make the best choices for you and your family. Visit the HR Events page for upcoming webinar dates and registration details.

Support Your Health and Well-being this Summer

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.

STARS to CAS
STARS is Now the Center for Academic Success

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.

Artificial Intelligence Awareness Training

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµ 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.

Watermark Faculty Success Interface To Get a New Look And Feel

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.

ERS Dental Plans to Transition to Humana Beginning September 1, 2026

Humana will be the new third-party administrator for the State of Texas Dental Choice Plan and the dental health maintenance organization (DHMO)—which will be called the HumanaDental DHMO plan—beginning Sept. 1. Visit the HR website to learn more.

Nominations for the 2026 David J. Beck Teaching Excellence Award

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.

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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.



NEWS
LU News, June 1 - June 8

Exercise science major appointed TSUS Student Regent by Governor Abbott

Multidisciplinary studies junior named First Gen Student of the Month

Third-generation engineer Brandyn New turns passion into career at Boston Scientific

For Jeff Forret, the archive holds stories stranger than fiction

SURF Kickoff Day launches summer of undergraduate research




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