UPCOMING EVENTS AND IMPORTANT DATES
Civil Rights Teach-In — Knowledge in Motion: From Ancestral Language to Future Cures
Wed., Jan. 28, 2026 | 2:30-5 p.m.
Leadership Studies Building, McVay Family Town Hall
Join in the 12th Annual Civil Rights Teach-In, proudly presented by our college during K-State’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Observance Week. It is a free, come-and-go event that’s open to the public.
This teach-in explores how knowledge—whether carried through language, preserved in libraries, or generated through scientific inquiry—can shape history, advance justice for all, and save lives. The talks invite us to reflect on whose knowledge is valued, how access to information fuels innovation, and why recognizing and protecting knowledge systems is central to civil rights and collective liberation.
Schedule
- 2:30 – Greeting & Land Acknowledgment, Dr. Kimathi Choma and Rita Hawzipta (Kiowa)
- 2:35 – Welcome by College of Arts and Sciences Dean Chris Culbertson
- 2:40 – “Top Secret Mission: The Navajo Code Talkers of World War II”
- 3:30 – “Impacts of Libraries: From Peter Pan, the Fall of Rome, and the Titanic to Modern-Day Therapeutic Discovery”
- 4:20 – Panel Discussion and Q&A with Drs. Harrison and Rafferty
Presentations
- Top Secret Mission: The Navajo Code Talkers of World War II
by Spintz Harrison, Teaching Asst. Prof., Social Transformation Studies
The Navajo code talkers changed military war communication tactics by creating a code based upon the Navajo language that could send and receive messages in seconds. Even master code breakers were perplexed by it. The code was never broken until it was declassified. Learn how the code was created, its impact on the war and why Navajo code talkers were silenced after the war ended.
- Impacts of Libraries: From Peter Pan, the Fall of Rome, and the Titanic to Modern-Day Therapeutic Discovery
by Ryan Rafferty, Assoc. Prof., Chemistry
Modern libraries allow any person to be transported back in time, experience a different culture, explore the universe, and much more. New adventures and discoveries are at anyone’s fingertips. Like these adventures, our lab takes synthetic routes and builds new chemical libraries that allow a vast scope of chemical knowledge to be unlocked for new therapeutic discoveries.
Contact: Dr. Kimathi Choma, kchoma@k-state.edu, 785-532-6904
“You Can’t Do That with Statistics!” seminar presentation
Wed., Jan. 28 | 4-5 p.m.
163 Justin Hall
Sponsored by Department of Statistics
Chris Bilder, a statistics professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a K-State alum, will discuss the problematic statistical data and analyses that led to the decision to eliminate the statistics department at UNL last December. This “tale of failed shared governance” will describe how faculty metrics of productivity were analyzed and suggest better practices moving forward.
Bilder, a fellow of the American Statistical Association, is well-known for his high-quality, innovative teaching, demonstrated by over a decade’s worth of lectures on YouTube.
Flapjack Friday
Feb. 6 | 8-11 a.m. | Business Bldg Atrium
Sponsored by Applied Learning Experiences
Free pancakes for the K-State community! Plus, information about exciting applied learning experiences!
Chapman Center Research Showcase
March 5 (changed from March 6)
3:30-5 p.m.
112 Leasure Hall
This showcase will feature a panel presenting research sponsored by the Chapman Center for Rural Studies, an announcement of the latest Interdisciplinary Research Grant recipient, and information about future funding opportunities. Refreshments will be provided.
Mark your calendars! — K-State Social Media Week is April 13-17
The 5th annual K-State Social Media Week is scheduled for April 13-17. Events will be offered in a variety of formats, including in-person, online and hybrid. All students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are invited. More info coming soon.
View all College of Arts and Sciences events
Important dates
See university academic calendar for more details.
- Jan. 20 – First Day of Spring 2026 Classes. Late Enrollment Fee assessed.
- Jan. 26 – Last Day to ADD Course(s) without instructor permission
- Jan. 30 – Instructors may drop students for non-attendance
- Feb. 9 – Last Day for 100% Refund (16-week classes)
- Feb. 13 – A/Pass/Fail Grading Option Request Deadline
- Feb. 13 – Academic Progress Reports Available in SSC-Navigate
- Feb. 16 – Census: 20th Day Deadline for making changes to program/plan
- Feb. 16 – Last Day for 50% Refund (16-week classes)
- Feb. 23 – Last Day to Drop Classes – no ‘W’ grade(s) on the Transcript (16-week classes only)
- Mar. 3 – Graduation Application Deadline for inclusion in Commencement Program
- March 15-22 – Spring Break!
Tip: Students can find the drop deadlines for all classes, including non-standard classes, by clicking on the calendar icon next to each class in their KSIS Student Center Academics area.
Register for K-State scholarships by March 15
Complete your K-State Scholarship Network profile by the March 15 priority date for your best chance at scholarships funded by donors to K-State colleges, departments and other units and organizations.
Graduating this spring or summer?
Apply for graduation through your KSIS account by March 3 to have your name in the commencement program. Even if you don’t plan to attend the commencement ceremony, the application is required to graduate. Stay up to date by regularly checking the Commencement and Graduation website. And watch your K-State e-mail for graduation and commencement updates from the college and university.
If you have any questions, contact our college’s Center for Student Success and Engagement, 107 Calvin Hall, artsci@k-state.edu.