WKU News

Dear Colleagues,

As I shared with you recently, our fall-to-spring retention rates continue to grow in record fashion. This strong performance signals that students feel supported and valued as members of our Hilltopper family.

Now, as we proceed through admission yield season, we have an opportunity to ensure our admitted students also feel welcomed and supported as they make their final college decisions. The connections and relationships we establish with them now will increase their likelihood of enrollment and shape their academic start at WKU.

I appreciate the collaborations between of our Admissions Office and academic colleges as they guide future Hilltoppers through the pre-enrollment process. I encourage every unit to continue honing our yield processes and developing new ways to make the transition from high school to campus as seamless as possible. We remain steadfast in our goal to provide an exceptional experience for every student and to reinforcing confidence in their decision to pursue a WKU degree.

Turning our attention to the culmination of our students’ time with us, in less than ten weeks we will recognize our spring and summer graduates at our May Commencement activities. We begin on Thursday, May 4, at 6:30 pm with our traditional Topper Walk down the Avenue of Champions, followed by our university-wide Commencement ceremony in Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium and Big Red Bash on South Lawn. We will continue to celebrate our graduates on Friday, May 5, during our individual college recognition ceremonies. The full Commencement schedule is available on our Commencement website. I hope you will plan to join me as we recognize the achievements of the class of 2023.

Recruiting our students, nurturing them during their time with us and positioning them for success beyond graduation requires significant effort from each of you. At WKU, we remain committed to offering a comprehensive and competitive total compensation package that supports faculty and staff professionally and personally, allowing you to create work-life harmony.

Paid time off and flexible summer scheduling are important components of our total compensation strategy. As a reminder, last year we announced five additional days of paid time off, three of which coincide with our university’s spring break. I hope you have plans to relax and refresh during those upcoming days, March 15-17. Additionally, I am pleased to announce that this summer we will again operate under a reduced 34-hour workweek. The summer schedule commences on Monday, May 8, and concludes on Friday, August 11. Campus hours of operation remain 8:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and employees should work with their supervisors to develop creative and flexible summer schedules to meet their personal needs while continuing to fulfill their responsibilities and achieve the goals of their individual areas of campus. WKU Human Resources will follow up soon with more details about the summer schedule. Finally, to assist in your summer planning and beyond, please review the 2022-2023 academic calendar, as well as the  2023-2024 academic calendar. 

Thank you for all you do in support of our students and our university.

Go Tops!

Best,

Timothy C. Caboni