Student Life

Crowd of students with their arms raised

Please check websites for COVID-19 updates.

For those interested in environmental issues, KU Environs is the environmental student-led advocacy group for KU, Lawrence, and the region. The group is dedicated to conservation and environmental protection. For more information about Environs and their current projects, visit the KU Environs website.

The University of Kansas has several museums located on the Lawrence campus.

The Natural History Museum

  • The Natural History Museum is located in Dyche Hall, discovers, documents, and disseminates knowledge about the past and present biological diversity of the Earth.

The Spencer Museum of Art

  • The Spencer Museum of Art is located at 1301 Mississippi Street behind the Kansas Union, maintains a diverse collection of art and works of cultural significance.

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics

The Wilcox Classical Museum

  • The Wilcox Classical Museum is located in 103 Lippincott Hall, exhibits plaster casts of Greek and Roman sculptures and objects and artifacts from the ancient Mediterranean region.

The DeBruce Center

  • The DeBruce Center, which is located next to Allen Fieldhouse, honors KU Basketball tradition. The DeBruce Center exhibits James Naismith’s Original Rules of Basketball and serves as a meeting place for students, faculty, and visitors and features a cafeteria and stores selling KU merchandise.

The Lied Center, the university’s performing arts center is a division of the School of the Arts. The center is located on west campus, corner of Iowa and 15th Streets. Each season the Lied Center hosts productions in the performing arts, such as musicals, dance, orchestra, jazz, and choirs. Prominent national speakers are often featured here as well. To view information about current and future events and performances visit the Lied Center website.

The Ambler Student Recreation and Fitness Center is located south of Watkins Health Center at 1740 Watkins Center Drive. This facility offers cardiovascular and resistance training equipment; indoor rock climbing; gymnasiums; martial arts and aerobics studios; racquetball courts; a suspended walking/jogging track; and facilities for basketball, volleyball, badminton, and soccer. Additional facilities and programs are available at the Robinson Center, Shenk Sports Complex, and Adams Outdoor Education Center. All currently enrolled KU students have free access to the facility. For more information, visit the Recreation Services website or call 785-864-3546.

The Center for Sustainability along with KU Recycling is responsible for developing and implementing waste reduction efforts on campus. Recycling bins are located in virtually all campus buildings including Haworth, Dyche, Higuchi, and the Public Safety Building. For more information on the recycling program including the types of materials collected, call 785-864-2855 or visit the KU Recycling website.

Transportation Services offers two transportation systems aimed at providing safe transportation options for KU students. Safe Ride cars will pick up KU students from any location in Lawrence and drive them home. Safe Ride is available from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily during the academic year, but summer hours differ. Call 785-864-SAFE (785-864-7233) for a ride. Alternatively, there are Bus Service lines that operate at a variety of times. To use either system students must show their KU Card when picked up.

KU has a strong tradition in athletics—particularly men’s basketball. Students may purchase packages or individual tickets to sporting events including basketball, football, baseball, volleyball, and soccer. Visit the Kansas Athletics Ticket Office located in Allen Field House for details or visit the KU Athletics website. The KU Rock Chalk sports pavilion in coalition with the city’s sport recreation center features stadiums for track and field, soccer, tennis and softball. Visit the Lawrence Sports Pavilion page for more info.

The Kansas Union operates a host of dining locations, coffee shops bookstores, and merchandise stores across campus. The Student Union is a popular gathering place for students, which offers a myriad of services.

  • Advertising for student and university groups
  • Banking and ATM machines
  • Bookstore (offers tech store, administrative supplies, fax service, course books and non-course books, graduation regalia, stamps, KU merchandise, plus various and sundry items)
  • Dining facilities
  • Coffee shop and lounge
  • KJHK office
  • KU Card Center
  • KU Info
  • Rooms for thesis and dissertation defenses
  • Student Involvement & Leadership Center
  • Student Senate
  • Student Money Management Services
  • Student Organization offices
  • Student Union Activities office

The Student Union Activities (SUA) organization is part of the Student Involvement & Leadership Center and plans events for the enjoyment of the entire KU community. Student committees organize and promote a great diversity of events that vary from culinary, comedy and music, fine arts and cultural programming to films and media, spirit, special events, and social issues. Examples of SUA organized activities are the regularly scheduled new and cult classic film showings in the Kansas Union, live music events, athletic fan clubs etc. To find out more about upcoming events visit the SUA website.