Your daily dose of news, notes and links from around Kansas University.

• The first day of classes also offered a first peek at KU Today, one of the initiatives outlined by new vice chancellor for public affairs Tim Caboni.

The publication is a daily email newsletter with content from KU’s vast array of folks working in communications and public affairs roles.

Caboni has also led a reorganization of the KU public affairs department. Jill Jess, KU’s primary spokeswoman, is now serving as director of the KU News Service.

Jack Martin, formerly deputy director of what used to be called university communications, is now director of strategic communications, and will oversee broad communications projects and messaging for university leaders. There are a few more changes, too, and, if you’re really interested in this sort of thing, all the details, complete with an organizational chart, are available online here.

• Here’s one courtesy of Twitter user and KU student Andrew Fillmore (@afill7), who shared something he overheard on campus on the first day.

“Where is this Wescoe place? (@ Wescoe Beach)”

It’ll take some time, but everyone will figure it out, I’m sure.

• If you’re on Foursquare, a social network that allows you to “check in” at places so friends can see where you are, KU is interested in getting you to check in all over campus. You can get some swag for doing it, too. As part of the university-wide Foursquare effort, the libraries are featuring a giveaway of a flash drive if you check in three times at any of eight locations until Sept. 19.

It’s available to the first 100 people who participate.

• As the country’s debt outlook is getting downgraded, one credit rating agency recently decided to improve the rating on KU Hospital’s debt.

Fitch Ratings upgraded the KU Hospital Authority’s debt from “A” to “A+.”

The agency cited the acquisition of the Kansas City Cancer Center, its strong affiliation with the university and — last but probably far from least — its “robust operating performance.”

Fitch’s news release has a lot of other great information on how the hospital is doing financially if you’ll follow the link.

• Keep sending in those tips for Heard on the Hill to ahyland@ljworld.com. If it’s a really good tip, I might even let you know where that Wescoe place is.