ISP Student Handbook
About the Office of International Short Programs and its partners
Founded in 1865, the University of Kansas (KU) is a comprehensive research institution with more than 200 fields of study and 2600 faculty members. The university has the most highly developed international programs west of the Mississippi River, with four National Resource Centers focusing on Latin American Studies, Russian and East European Studies, East Asian Studies, and African Studies. The university welcomes students and scholars from around the world. Nearly 2,400 international students and scholars from more than 100 countries study and conduct research at the university each year.
KU has one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States. It sits on Mount Oread, a scenic, tree-covered hill in the center of the city of Lawrence. The university is home to several nationally recognized museums and has one of the best public research libraries in the US. The campus has an exciting cultural and social life, including lectures, films, concerts, art exhibits, theater, and athletic competitions.
See https://www.ku.edu/ for more information about the University of Kansas.
- ISP departmental LINE account: kuisp
- ISP departmental WeChat account: KU_ISP
- ISP departmental WhatsApp account: KU_ISP
Life at the University of Kansas
- Don’t leave belongings unattended in public places. Most thefts on campus happen in residence hall cafeterias, student union cafeterias, Watson Library, and Robinson Gymnasium.
- Lock the door to your room or apartment, even if you’re only going down the hall for a few minutes.
- Keep valuables such as jewelry in a locked drawer.
- Go places in groups. Don’t walk alone on campus late at night and always walk in well-lighted areas. Know where emergency phones are located on campus.
- Call the police if you see someone doing something suspicious. Or call Crime Stoppers (864-8888), a KU program that takes anonymous information. In an emergency call 911.
- Be aware of your surroundings and social situations in which you could be put in danger. And look for emergency phones (poles with a blue light and a yellow phone box) around you. Emergency phone locations can be found on your campus map. For a list of emergency phone locations visit https://publicsafety.drupal.ku.edu/emergency-blue-phones
Sun. 10 am-2 am on Monday
Museums
Transportation
KU on Wheels
KU on Wheels is the bus system run by the university. Bus stops include the residence halls, the KU campus, downtown Lawrence and other destinations. These buses are free to everyone. These bus lines do not operate on weekends, during Summer Semester or during KU breaks.
Lawrence Transit System (“The T”)
You can also use the Lawrence city bus system. The bus is free to ride with a KU ID. The “T” runs all over town with numerous routes, some routes also include on-campus stops. Please note that buses do not run on Sundays or holidays. For more information and schedules, pick up a “transit guide”, available on any bus, or visit http://lawrencetransit.org/. You can also download the “My Bus Lawrence” app from iTunes or the Google Play store. See http://lawrencetransit.org/mobile-tools for more information.
Taxis in Lawrence
Although there are taxis in Lawrence, they may not be what you are accustomed to at home. You will need to call ahead to get a taxi as it will generally take at least 20 minutes for a taxi to pick you up. If you know you will need a taxi at a certain time, it is best to call several hours or several days in advance to request that a taxi pick you up at the designated time. You can find taxi companies by searching for “taxis” on www.yellowpages.com.
Airport Shuttles
There are several companies that offer shuttle service between Lawrence and Kansas City International Airport. These shuttles will be less expensive than taking a taxi to the airport but will need to be booked in advance. Check with ISP staff for information about the shuttle companies we use most often.
UBER
UBER service exists in Lawrence and can be another possibility for you to get around Lawrence or get into Kansas City. Please see https://www.uber.com/cities/lawrence for more details.
K-10 Connector
The K-10 Connector is a bus service run by RideKC, the Kansas City transit service. The K-10 Connector bus runs between Lawrence and Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City. The K-10 Connector only costs $3.00 per ride, however, the K-10 Connector is primarily a commuter service and only operates Monday – Friday from about 6 am until 6 pm, with a couple buses Monday – Thursday evenings. Service during the summer is more limited and service during school breaks and holidays is even more limited. See http://ridekc.org/routes/510-k10-connector for a route map, the bus schedule, and more information about the K-10 Connector. The Carlsen Center transit center is located at JCCC, which is the end of the K-10 Connector route. This will allow you to get to other places in Kansas City. See http://ridekc.org/locations/jccc_carlsen_center for information on buses that stop at the Carlsen transit center.
Enterprise Car Share
Enterprise, a national car rental company, has recently set up a Car Share service on the KU campus. There are three cars on the KU campus which can be rented by anyone over 18 years of age who has a valid driver’s license from any country. You must also have a major credit card in your name to rent the car. Application, membership, and hourly rental fees apply. See www.EnterpriseCarShare.com/ku for more information on the Enterprise Car Share service at KU.
Food
Eating On-Campus
Dining Halls
If you live in Naismith Hall or a KU residence hall, you will be required to have a dining plan. Your dining plan will determine how many meals you can eat in the dining hall each day (Naismith) or how much money you can spend each day (KU Dining). While you are in the dining hall, you may eat as much as you want without paying an additional cost. Each time you enter the dining hall you will swipe your KU or Naismith ID card and another meal or the designated cost for the meal will be taken from your daily/weekly meal count or from the money you have remaining in your KU Dining account.
KU Dining Halls
If you live in a KU residence hall, you will have a meal plan that allows you to eat at one of the following dining halls. For hours of operation, see http://union.ku.edu/ku-dining-locations-and-hours.
- South Dining Commons located between Oliver and Downs Halls on the south side of campus
- Mrs. E’s located in Lewis Hall in the Daisy Hill residence area
- North College Café located in Gertrude-Sellers-Price (GSP) residence hall on the northeast corner of campus.
Naismith Dining Hall
If you live in Naismith Hall you will have a meal plan that allows you to eat at the Rock Chalk Café in Naismith Hall on the south side of campus. For more information go to http://naismithhall.com/.
On-campus Retail Dining
KU students, staff, and visitors may choose to eat in one of the many retail dining locations on campus. At these locations you must pay for each item you want with cash, credit card, Dining Dollars, or Beak’Em Bucks. The items at these locations are not included in your meal plan. For hours of operation, see http://union.ku.edu/ku-dining-locations-and-hours.
The Market Located on the third floor of the Kansas Union, The Market features numerous options: cold and hot sandwiches, burgers and fries, soup and salads, Latin Cuisine, pizza, breakfast items, and a variety of snacks and drinks. See https://union.ku.edu/menus to check out the variety of items available at the Market.
The Underground If you´re in the center of campus, explore The Underground, located on the first floor of Wescoe Hall. The Underground offers multiple options such as soups, salads, sandwiches, samosas, and pizza. To see what is available at the Underground, go to https://union.ku.edu/menus.
Jay Break There are various Jay Break locations around campus. They are great when you need something to eat but don’t have much time.
The Studio Café The Studio Café is located in Hashinger Hall. To see the Studio Café menu, go to https://union.ku.edu/menus. The Studio also includes a convenience store where you can purchase small food items, snacks, and health items. Another feature of the Studio is a small stage for live music and open mic nights.
The Courtside Café Located in the new DeBruce Center at Allen Fieldhouse, the Courtside Café offers breakfast items, BBQ, and a variety of sandwiches and sides. Go to https://union.ku.edu/menus to view the menus available through the Courtside Café.
The Impromptu Café The Impromptu Café is a full service restaurant located on level 3 of the Kansas Union open at lunch time when classes are in session. Your Beak ‘Em Bucks won’t work here so bring cash or a credit card.
Eating Off-campus
If you don’t want to eat on-campus, you have a number of possibilities.
For menus and information about the following restaurants and others, look at: http://lawrence.com/eating_out/
Delivery
**Most of the following restaurants require a minimum $10.00 (before tax) purchase before they will deliver food and many have a delivery fee too.**
Peking Taste 749-4788
TryYaki 842-6688, 842-6683
Pizza Delivery Domino’s 841-8002
Papa John’s 865-5775
Papa Keno’s 841-7272
Pizza Hut 843-2211 (6th St. location), 843-3000 (23rd St. location)
Pizza Shuttle 842-1212
Rudy’s 749-0055
Sub Sandwiches Jimmy John’s 841-0011 (Mass St. location)
331-2222 (Kasold & 6th)
838-3737 (23rd & Naismith)
Mr. Goodcents 841-8444 (Kasold & 14th)
856-2368 (Louisiana & 23rd)
Yello Sub 843-6000
Other India Palace 331-4300
Jason’s Deli 842-5600
International Supermarkets
If you want to cook for yourself or hope to find familiar snacks, you can find international foods at several locations in Lawrence.
Au Marché (931Massachusetts, near 9th) European specialty market, good for cheese and imported foods
Checkers (2300 Louisiana, at 23rd) Large supermarket with a good variety of produce and cheese not found in many other supermarkets.
J & V Oriental Market (711 W. 23rd St, Suite 29) A variety of oriental food.
Mediterranean Market (3300 15th St. /Bob Billings Pkwy, near Kasold) Imported, freshly prepared Mediterranean food.
The Community Mercantile (901 Iowa, at 9th) Organically and locally grown produce and other organic food.
Lawrence Farmer’s Market
Between April and November, Lawrence has a Farmer’s Market that starts in mid-spring and runs through mid-fall. This is a great way to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables if you will be cooking for yourself or if you want some on hand for snacks. Depending on the vendors, you may also be able to pick up meat, eggs, cheese, herbs, and baked goods among other items.
The Saturday morning Farmer’s Market takes place from 7:30-11:30 am every Saturday from mid-April to mid-November. It is located at 824 New Hampshire St.
There is also a Tuesday Farmer’s Market which runs from the beginning of May until end of October. This takes place in the parking garage of the Lawrence Public Library 725 Vermont St in the late afternoon and early evening.
For more details about the exact dates, times, and locations, see: http://www.lawrencefarmersmarket.org.
Restaurants
The Lawrence area has many restaurants offering food from all over the world. Many restaurants are located downtown or on 23rd Street. However, there are many restaurants tucked away in places you would not expect. Ask other people for recommendations, go out and explore, or search online at http://www.lawrence.com/restaurants/search/.
Restaurant prices vary greatly. If you are unsure of whether you would like to dine in a restaurant, feel free to walk in the restaurant and ask the hostess if you can see a menu. This will allow you to make a better decision about whether you would like to eat there or not.
Coffeehouses
Coffeehouses have coffee, tea, juice, and soda. KU students like to study or relax at these places. Here are some of the coffeehouses located in downtown Lawrence.
Alchemy Coffee and Bake House (816 Mass, between 8th and 9th)
Bourgeois Pig (6 E. 9th St., near New Hampshire)
Henry’s (11 E. 8th St., at New Hampshire)
House of Cha (21 W. 9th St., at Vermont) – this place serves bubble tea
Java Break (17 E. 7th, at New Hampshire)
La Prima Tazza (638 Mass, between 6th and 7th)
Signs of Life (722 Mass, between 7th and 8th)
Starbucks (647 Mass, between 6th and 7th)
Life in Lawrence
Adapting to Life in the U.S.
- Culture Shock
- Differing Perspectives of Time
- Classroom Expectations
- Tipping
- Mail in the United States