Wichita State News: College of Fine Arts

Construction of new Wichita State residence hall moves forward

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:15:00 CST

Wichita State University held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, June 11, to celebrate construction of the new residence hall.

Farha Construction and Dondlinger & Sons will officially break ground Monday, June 17. Plans are for the building to be complete and ready for students to move in for the fall 2014 semester.

The $65 million residence hall will be in the parking lot south of Cessna Stadium. The hall will be paid for by revenue bonds. Housing revenues will be used over a period of time to repay the bonds.

The lot is no longer available for parking. Some of the handicapped-accessible spaces have been relocated to Alumni Drive.

The loss of about 750 parking spaces will be offset somewhat with the addition of 400 parking spaces along 21st Street east of Corbin Education Center. Those spaces are scheduled to be available in mid- to late-July.

Even with the parking lot going offline, there should be ample parking for students attending summer school at Wichita State.

New and improved

Mostly first-year students and some returning students will reside in the new residence hall. Several room configurations will be available — singles, standard doubles, double rooms with two singles, and quad rooms with four single rooms. Some will have small living room areas.

Each floor will have a laundry room, community kitchen and lounge area.

After completion of the new residence hall, Wheatshocker Apartments and Brennan Halls will no longer be residence halls. Plans are to raze those buildings for future development. Fairmount Towers will be available for returning students only.

Faculty soloists headline WSU orchestra concert

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 02:14:00 CST

A symphony and an array of musical theater selections will highlight Wichita State University's Summer Symphony Orchestra concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, in Miller Concert Hall.

Admission is $3 for students, $6 for seniors, military and Wichita State faculty and staff, and $7 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased through the College of Fine Arts Box Office at 316-978-3233 or wichita.edu/fineartsboxoffice.

Mark Laycock

Mark Laycock, associate professor of music at WSU, will direct the program; faculty artists Emily Sternfeld-Dunn, soprano, and Randolph Tracy, tenor, will perform vocal solos and duets.

The concert will feature "Symphony No. 8 in G Major" by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, American musical theater selections by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, and Beethoven's "Egmont Overture."

Assistant WSU music professor wins national composition award

Tue, 2 Jul 2013 14:31:00 CST

Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn

Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn, assistant professor of composition, music theory and technology at Wichita State University, has won the 2013 American Prize in composition for his saxophone concerto "Fireworks."

Victor Markovich, Wichita State's director of bands, and Robert Young, former WSU assistant professor of saxophone, commissioned and premiered the work.

Sternfeld-Dunn's music combines a frenetic rhythmic language, lean textures and lyrical sensitivity. It has been performed nationally and internationally by ensembles and organizations including the Kiev Philharmonic, Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra, Yale Brass Trio, Conundrum Ensemble and the Interlochen Chamber Players.

The American Prize is a series of national performing arts competitions that provide evaluation, recognition and reward to artists, ensembles and composers in the United States.

For more information on Sternfeld-Dunn's award and the American Prize, go to www.theamericanprize.blogspot.com.

WSU Summer Choir to present 'A French Connection'

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:13:00 CST

The Wichita State University Summer Choir presents "A French Connection" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 27, in Wiedemann Hall. The program includes a variety of music that is not sung in French, but has a connection to that country.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for students, with discounts available. Call 316-978-3233 or go to www.wichita.edu/fineartsboxoffice.

The program includes the Requiem by composer Gabrielle Faure, which will be accompanied by professor Lynne Davis on the Marcusen organ.

Other pieces include a medley from Les Miserables based on the French revolution, selections from South Pacific, whose main character is a Frenchman, and "Give me Your Tired, Your Poor," a tribute to the Statue of Liberty which was donated to the United States by the French government.

Special musical guest for the performance is the Wichita Chorus of Sweet Adelines, who is coming off of a first-place finish in their chorus division last March.

Children's choral performance to be held at WSU

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:52:00 CST

Participants in Wichita State's Kodaly Children's Choir Camp and instructors in the WSU Kodaly Certification Program will perform a concert, "Voices in Accord," at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 14, in Wiedemann Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Elaine Quilichini, artistic director of the Calgary Girls Choir (Canada), and Shawn Chastain, executive director of fine arts for Wichita Public Schools, will conduct the choral event.

The concert will conclude with "America the Beautiful: We are a People," a composition arranged by Ruth Dwyer and Martin Ellis. It will feature both the children's and adult's choirs, Mike Wood on piano, and associate professor Lynne Davis on the Marcussen Organ.

WSU's College of Fine Arts offers the Kodaly Children's Choir Camp each summer, in partnership with Kodaly Music Educators of Kansas (KMEK). Young singers, ages 11-16, have the opportunity to improve vocal skills, meet other student musicians and learn Kodaly choral techniques during the weeklong camp.

For more information on the children's choir and other Kodaly programs, go to www.kmek.org.

Parking lot to close for construction of new residence hall

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:30:00 CST

Editor's note: The closing of the parking lot south of Cessna Stadium will close permanently Sunday, June 9. Go to www.wichita.edu/parking for updates.

The parking lot south of Cessna Stadium will close Sunday, June 9, so construction can begin on a new residence hall at Wichita State University.

The lot will no longer be available for parking. Some of the handicapped-accessible spaces will be relocated to Alumni Drive.

The loss of 800 parking spaces will be offset somewhat with the addition of 400 parking spaces along 21st Street east of Corbin Education Center. Those spaces are scheduled to be available in mid- to late-July.

Even with the parking lot going offline, there should be ample parking for students attending summer school at Wichita State.

To accommodate the loss of handicapped-accessible parking spaces in the lot going offline, several spaces will be re-assigned as handicapped-accessible parking spaces adjacent to Morrison Hall. This work will be completed during the summer.

In the meantime, there should be adequate handicapped-accessible parking dispersed throughout campus, and additional handicapped-accessible stalls will be created in these areas with re-striping.

University officials continue to work on plans to help alleviate the demand for on-campus parking for students, faculty and staff when fall classes begin in August.

Faculty, staff, students and visitors are encouraged to go to wichita.edu/parking for the latest information on where parking is available, a map and helpful tips.

WSU to hold commencement ceremonies May 17-18

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:13:00 CST

More than 2,200 students are eligible to participate in the 115th spring commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, May 17-18, at Wichita State University. Ceremonies will be held in Charles Koch Arena.

Undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred in individual college ceremonies.

Information on individual college ceremonies is available at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2195.

Links to stories about some of the graduates are available at:

http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/cnews/?cnid=11220

Graphic design senior lands internship at space astronomy program

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:05:00 CST

Sara Crowdis

In June, Wichita State University senior Sara Crowdis will travel to Baltimore for an internship at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). But, Crowdis isn't a science major; she will graduate with a graphic design degree.

Crowdis was accepted to the Space Astronomy Summer Program (SASP) at STScI for students interested in astronomy and science. Out of 200 national and international applicants, only about 20 were chosen. The internship runs from mid-June until mid-August.

"I positioned myself differently than all the other scientists and said I would balance the team out by bringing in a new perspective," she said. "People must have been surprised when they saw my major."

While at STScI, Crowdis will work in the Office of Public Outreach, where she will assist in producing "Science Year in Review," a book that includes recent astronomy findings. She will also help employees with various Hubble projects.

"I don't think it is common for graphic designers to apply," said Crowdis. "All of the other interns are majoring in physics or astrophysics, and a few with computer science."

STScI is located on the Johns Hopkins University campus and is a part of NASA's Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). The institute operates the science program for the Hubble Space Telescope and will conduct science and mission operations for the future James Webb Space Telescope. It also supports other astronomy programs and general scientific research.

An unexpected interest

Crowdis, who grew up in Douglass, Kan., said she will greatly benefit from being exposed to a new type of work setting and living in a different region of the United States for a couple of months.

"I like working with professionals in their environments and learning from those real-world experiences," she said. "Plus, I will also be able to say I worked for NASA, and that seems pretty cool."

Crowdis learned about SASP after taking a Digital Imaging for Astronomy pre-session class in the honors program with instructor Martin Ratcliffe. He encouraged Crowdis to apply after she expressed an interest in how photos are imaged for NASA.

"I only needed two credit hours, so it was going to fill an elective space," she said. "I ended up really enjoying the class."

After graduating from Wichita State this May, Crowdis will do advertising and design work full time for Fairbank Equipment in Wichita, a job she originally received through WSU's Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning.

Faculty/staff news update: March/April 2013

Wed, 8 May 2013 13:26:00 CST

Academe welcomes news from WSU faculty and staff about research, teaching and service activities. This column recognizes grants, honors, awards, presentations and publications, new appointments, new faculty, sabbaticals, retirements and deaths of our current and former colleagues.

William Proctor Artz, instructional technologist and designer, School of Community Affairs, presented a paper "Secure Testing in the Virtual Classroom: Is It Even Possible?" at the Innovative Technology to Recharge and Connect (ITRAC) instructional technology conference on March 8.

Dinorah Azpuru, associate professor of political science, was invited to present her research on U.S-Latin America relations at the Woodrow Wilson Center, in Washington, D.C., on March 27. In the framework of the seminar "China in Latin America: Public Impressions and Policy Implications" she compared public opinion in the Americas about the influence and role of China and the United States in the region. Watch the webcast here.

Michael Birzer

Michael Birzer, professor, School of Community Affairs, worked with the Wichita Police Department's Command Staff on organizational transformation and issues. He also recently received a $32,000 grant award from the Kansas Department of Transportation to continue his research on racial profiling across the state of Kansas.

Travis Bruce, assistant professor, history, has published a book about the trading community of Denia, a Muslim city state in al-Andalus in the Middle Ages, and the trade links and cultural ties between the Muslim and Christian worlds.

Amy Delamaide, director, community and organizational development, WSU Center for Community Support and Research, was recently named a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer and is now certified to deliver BoardSource's signature nonprofit governance trainings in the Midwest and Great Plains area. BoardSource supports and promotes excellence in nonprofit board service by providing cutting-edge thinking and resources on board effectiveness and by engaging and developing the next generation of board leaders.

Amy DeVault, assistant professor, Elliott School of Communication, earned four awards in the Kansas Professional Communicators 2012 contest: First and second in magazine page design; first in PR magazine (editing/creative direction); and second in magazine feature story. First-place winners move on to compete at the national level.

Ed Flentje

Ed Flentje, professor, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, was recognized at the December 2012 legislative policy summit for outstanding service in fostering regional cooperation for south-central Kansas. At the invitation of the Center for Information and Resources for Development, he also traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay to participate in the Public Policy and Presidential Elections Project. This trip was the seventh of an eight-part series to educate and engage political activists on democracy, elections and public policy prior to upcoming elections in April 2013.

Mark Glaser, professor, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, and Misty Bruckner and Corinne Bannon, both from the Center for Urban Studies, collaborated with the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County as part of a four-step process to guide a comprehensive plan update and to develop and implement a multiphase citizen engagement effort. Glaser was also recently appointed to the publication committee of the American Society for Public Administration. This is a prestigious appointment to the committee that oversees publication of the Public Administration Review, the top rated journal in the field.

Sabrina Perez Glatt, director of field practicum, School of Social Work, is the 2013recipient of the Wayne Carlisle Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented to an unclassified professional who models the standard of extraordinary service.

Brandy Jackson, undergraduate program director, was approved to receive funding from the College of Health Professions' IPE Fund to support participation in the Team STEPPS training program at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Phyllis Jacobs, assistant professor, nursing, and her husband, Lou, are receiving the 2013 Joel A. Gingras, Jr. Award from the American Brain Tumor Association. The award recognizes individuals, organizations or groups who through philanthropy, advocacy, discovery or patient care and support, have had a transformative impact on the advancement of the mission of the American Brain Tumor Association. Phyllis and Lou have facilitated a brain tumor support group called Headstrong at Victory in the Valley in Wichita for the past 14 years. The Award will be given at the American Brain Tumor Association national conference in Chicago in July.

Kim Johnson, DNP Candidate, whose submission titled "Does primary care provider advance directive education influence attitudes and practice?," was accepted as a poster presentation at the Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects. She was also selected to participate by WSU in the Rising Stars of Scholarship and Research Poster Program at Sigma Theta Tau International's 42nd Biennial Convention.

Stuart Lasine, professor of religion, has been elected vice president of the Society of Biblical Literature's southwest region. In 2014 he'll become president-elect and then in 2015, president.

Jacquelyn McClendon, senior clinical educator, Kelly Anderson (Dental Hygiene) and Mary Koehn (CHP IPE coordinator) abstract, "Making IPE Discipline Relevant" was accepted for presentation at the Collaborating Across Borders IV Conference in Canada.

Cheryl Miller, assistant dean, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, earned several awards in the 2012 Kansas Professional Communicators contest: First in personality profile, first in editing; second in advertising; and third in editing. Miller also received honorable mentions in feature writing, personality profile, and specialty articles - travel. First-place winners move on to compete at the national level.

Pamela O'Neal, SON Academic Writing Specialist, and Michelle Dreiling, a graduate student at the Elliott School of Communication, were invited to Wiley College in Marshall TX to speak at the Ethical Student Leadership Conference about the WSU Hunger Awareness Initiative.

Susan Parsons, assistant professor; Carla A. Lee, Debbie Strickert and Margaret Trumpp are authors of an article entitled "Oral Care and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia-An Integrated Review of the Literature" accepted for publication in the forthcoming May/June 2013 issue of Dimensions in Critical Care Nursing.

Elaine Steinke, professor, nursing, Adult Health & Illness Clinical nurse specialist program coordinator, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program coordinator, had two book chapters published. Steinke, E. E. (2014). Ineffective sexuality patterns. In B. Ackley, G. Ladwig. Nursing Diagnosis Handbook,10th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; pp. 724-730. And Steinke, E. E. (2014). Sexual dysfunction. In B.Ackley, G. Ladwig. Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 10th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; pp. 717-724.

DISTINGUISHED AND PHENOMENAL AWARDS
The Wichita State University Women's Association named its Distinguished Gentlemen Award winners in March. They are: Wilson Baldridge, chair, Modern & Classical Languages; Michael L. Birzer, professor, criminal justice/director SCA; William Bischoff, professor, geology; Buma Fridman, chair and professor, mathematics; Terre Johnson, vice president for major gifts, WSU Foundation; Chuck Koeber, associate dean, liberal arts, professor, sociology; Ron Matson, interim dean, liberal arts and sciences; Rodney Miller, dean, College of Fine Arts; Rick Muma, associate provost and professor, public health; Ravi Pendse, vice president, Information Technology, and chief information officer; Wade Robinson, vice president for Campus Life and University Relations; Mel Whiteside, director, engineering technology program;

The Office of Multicultural Affairs announced its Phenomenal Women of the Year at the fifth annual Phenomenal Women Award Recognition on March 14. Jean Patterson, from the Educational Leadership Department was awarded Faculty Phenomenal Woman of the Year. Frankie Brown, from Human Resources was awarded the Unclassified Professional Staff Phenomenal Woman of the Year. Juanita Reed from the Alumni Association was awarded the Classified Staff Phenomenal Woman of the Year. These women were recognized along with five other nominees.

IN MEMORIAM

Ronald Christy, 63, business instructor at Wichita State University, died Monday, April 22. He is survived by a son, Cody; Cody's mother, Linda Pool; extended family members, Jamie Doss, Mary Giordenella Belden and Wanda Aikin, and their children Jordan Doss, Kaylee Doss, Brooklyn Aikin, Madison Aikin, Makenna Belden and Cade Belden, who referred to Mr. Christy as Grandpa. Mr. Christy was a pioneer in entrepreneurial education and was instrumental in helping Fran Jabara found WSU's Center for Entrepreneurship in 1977. Mr. Christy taught the widely acclaimed "Your Future in Business" class to thousands of Kansans in the 1970s and 1980s. He co-authored four books on entrepreneurship, was the recipient of the prestigious Sargent Americanism Award, as well as the Outstanding Teaching Award from the W. Frank Barton School of Business. As a businessman, he founded several businesses and was a sought after consultant for over 35 years. The Ron Christy Entrepreneurship Memorial has been established through the WSU Foundation. Donations can be sent to support this memorial, in lieu of flowers, to 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0002. Services have been held.

Jeraldine Cobb, 77, retired, died April 15. Services have been held. Survivors: husband, James; sons, Terry (Diane) Evans, Larry Evans, Michael Cobb ; daughter, Jacqueline Cobb ; sister, Roberta (Lawrence) Crockett; brother, Claude (Linda) Dayton; 7 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; a host of other relatives, Strangers Rest family and friends.

Donald Leroy Foster, 77, retired Wichita State Physics professor, died Sunday, May 5. He taught at WSU for 39 years, where he served as department chair. He is preceded in death by parents, Raymond and Hilda Mae (McCrea) Foster. Mr. Foster is survived by his cherished wife, Deanna; sister, Susan A. Foster; children, Andrew (Amy) Foster, Matt (Lucinda) Foster, Brandie (Kevin Blount) French and Kelly French; 12 grandchildren, Josh, Nick, Jack, Ethan, Luke, Zach, Alex, Sebastian, Sofia, Evelyn, Levi and Lydia; and one great-grandchild. Recitation of the Rosary will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 9, followed by the funeral mass at 10:30 a.m., both at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Memorials may be sent to National Parkinson Foundation, P.O. Box 51018, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741. Baker Funeral Home, Wichita.

Doris Kathleen "Kathy" Lewis, 73, former chair and associate professor, physical therapy, died March 11 in Peoria. Services have been held. She is survived by her daughter, Terri Lewis, and son-in-law, Daniel Angot, of Peoria; grandsons, Dustin and Jordan Angot; four brothers; two sisters; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery Program in Peoria.

Marguerite "Mickey" Miller, 92, professor emeritus and longtime former chair of keyboard, College of Fine Arts, died April 17. She was preceded in death by parents, Joe and Mary Smith; husband, Luther; and grandson, Brandon. Survivors include sons Joe of Wichita, Jay (Madeline) of Lake Forest, Ill., and Jon of Kechi; daughter, Jean Little (Kent) of Kechi; three grandchildren. In accordance with her wishes, services will be private.

Gilbert "Gil" Perez, 61, WSU Environmental Scientist, passed away Saturday, April 27, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Lisa Perez; children, Paul (Annie) Perez, Angela Perez, Isaac (Crystal) Perez, all of Wichita; grandchildren, LaTaylah, Zayda, Adrian, Evan, Aiden, Brittany (Kade), Cidnie, Daphne, Emilie and Remi; mother, Beatrice Perez of Kinsley; brothers, John (Olga) Perez of Dodge City, Larry Perez of Kinsley, Tom (Diane) Perez of Dodge City; sisters, Rose Perez of Kinsley, Gloria (Joe) Lock of Lewis and Mary (Alvaro) Bencomo of Dodge City; many other family and friends. Services have been held. Memorials to Riverlawn Christian Church, 4243 N. Meridian, Wichita, KS 67204. Baker Funeral Home, Valley Center.

WSU announces spring commencement schedule, speakers

Wed, 1 May 2013 10:14:00 CST

Undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred in individual college ceremonies.

Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
More than 800 liberal arts and sciences students are eligible to participate in commencement exercises at 3 p.m. Friday, May 17. Kenny Wilk will represent the Kansas Board of Regents. The commencement speaker will be Mike James, president of the Critical Care Systems subsidiary at Express Scripts.

College of Health Professions
About 400 health professions students are eligible to participate in commencement at 7 p.m. Friday, May 17. Kenny Wilk will represent the Kansas Board of Regents. The commencement speaker will be Dr. Paul Uhlig, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Central Plains Cardiothoracic Surgery.

W. Frank Barton School of Business
About 275 business students are eligible to participate in commencement at
8 a.m. Saturday, May 18. Robba Moran will represent the Kansas Board of Regents. The commencement speaker will be Wayne Chambers, president and CEO of High Touch Technologies.

College of Education
Almost 300 education students are eligible to graduate in a ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18. Robba Moran will represent the Kansas Board of Regents. The speaker will be Brad Neuenswander, deputy commissioner for Learning Services for the Kansas State Department of Education.

College of Engineering
More than 320 engineering students are eligible to graduate in a ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Dan Lykins will represent the Kansas Board of Regents. The commencement speaker will be John Lovitt, former senior executive for Rational Software and former CEO of Pattern Insight.

College of Fine Arts
About 100 fine arts students are eligible to graduate in a ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Dan Lykins will represent the Kansas Board of Regents. The speaker will be Bob Workman, director of the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University.

Mozart's 'Requiem' to be performed at Wichita State

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:15:00 CST

Join the Wichita State University Concert Chorale, A Cappella Choir, and Symphony Orchestra for a performance of W.A. Mozart's final musical statement: his iconic "Requiem," a monumental work shrouded in historical intrigue.

The event is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in Miller Concert Hall.

Read full story.

Organ POPS concert set for May 1 at Wichita State

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:14:00 CST

Wichita State University will host 3rd Annual Organ POPS concert from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, in Wiedemann Hall.

Admission is free to the public.

The event will showcase WSU professor Lynne Davis on the Marcussen organ, as well as voice and trumpet performances.

Guest performers are:

Matthew Kroeker, organ, 12 years old
Randolph Lacy, tenor, WSU faculty
David Hunsicker, trumpet, WSU faculty
Brett Valliant, special guest, world-renowned organist, First United Methodist Church, Wichita

Wichita State University unveils strategic plan

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:45:00 CST

Strategic Plan background

A strategic plan defines the future of an organization. Wichita State University's strategic plan will shape the future of the university, guide decision-making and determine resource allocations.

The new plan will be used to guide the next phase of strategic planning at Wichita State University. In the next phase, all departments will create plans appropriate to their areas that respond to the institution's strategic plan.

Changes in direction and resource allocations are likely as everyone on campus strives to accomplish the lofty vision and the big audacious goals set out by the institution's strategic plan.

John Bardo

On Sept. 5, 2012, Wichita State University President John Bardo kicked off a campus and community-wide strategic planning process for the university. He appointed a steering committee composed of WSU faculty, staff and students, along with leaders from the larger Wichita community, and charged them with developing a strategic plan for Wichita State University.

Since that time, the steering committee received thousands of comments from students, faculty, staff, community leaders, business people and others with a stake in the future of WSU, Wichita and the region. The goal of the steering committee was to use this input to map a strategic course for the university. To create a new strategic plan the steering committee thoughtfully analyzed this large body of work. The result is a phenomenal integration of the comments received to create an exciting and energizing strategic direction for Wichita State University.

The steering committee's work is almost complete with today's (Thursday, April 25) preview of the new strategic plan for Wichita State University. Following several meetings to reveal this new plan to interested groups, a formal document will be finalized in the summer of 2013. The details of the draft plan follow.

The new vision — Wichita State University is internationally recognized as the model for applied learning and research — means that WSU will aspire to be "the model" not simply "a model" for requiring students to apply their skill sets in practical or real world contexts.

The new mission — The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good — identifies WSU's unique niche in the higher education system of Kansas.

Goal 1: Guarantee an applied learning or research experience for every student by each academic program.

Ensures that every student will study a curriculum that engages them in real world experiences that allows them to develop and apply their skill sets, preparing them for jobs upon graduation.

Goal 2: Pioneer an educational experience for all that integrates interdisciplinary curricula across the university.

Ensures that faculty will work across disciplines to create integrated student experiences to develop students' critical thinking skills and help them make important connections between their fields, society and culture.

Goal 3: Capitalize systemically on relevant existing and emerging societal and economic trends that increase quality educational opportunities.

Ensures a process where all new initiatives exploit relevant existing or emerging trends including social, business, technology, demographic, policy or economic trends that add to the educational opportunities in Kansas.

Goal 4: Accelerate the discovery, creation and transfer of new knowledge.

Improves the educational, cultural and economic well-being of Kansas through increased quantity and quality of research projects that enhance the reputation of WSU, attract funding, or lead to new products by advancing knowledge, producing intellectual property, or transferring knowledge for practical application.

Goal 5: Empower students to create a campus culture and experience that meets their changing needs.

Allows students to create a desired destination campus by stepping away from dictating to students what they should want, or what we think they want, in a student experience.

Goal 6: Be a campus that reflects — in staff, faculty and students — the evolving diversity of society.

Ensures successful fulfillment of WSU's mission by mirroring the variety of types of people found in society.

Goal 7: Create a new model of assessment, incentive and reward processes to accomplish our vision and goals.

Develops an integrated reward system that breaks down the insularity that exists across the colleges on campus.

For full details of the strategic plan see:
http://wichita.edu/wsustrategy.

Choral performance will bring international influence to campus

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:35:00 CST

The Wichita State University choral department will present "The Good Life: RITMO CALIENTE" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Wiedemann Hall.

Tickets are $7, with discounts available. Call the Fine Arts Box Office at 316-978-3233, or for more information, call Tom Wine at 316-978-3103.

The Women's Glee Club, directed by Michael Hanawalt, will perform a program celebrating four stages of life. It includes Henry Purcell's "Sound the Trumpet;" Aaron Copland's "Laurie's Song;" Gyergy Orban's "Kyrie;" and Ysaye Barnwell's "Wanting Memories."

Directed by Tom Win, the Madrigals' performance of "RITMO CALIENTE (Hot Rhythms)" is a program featuring a variety of Spanish language songs from Spain, Mexico and several other Latin American countries.

The topics are universal: love, ("Te Quiero"), faith ("Esto les Digo") and music ("Yo le Canto Todo el Dia").

Gershwin classic to be performed at Wichita State

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:51:00 CST

The Wichita State University School of Performing Arts will present Gershwin's classic "Crazy for You," May 2-5 in Wilner Auditorium on the WSU campus.

For ticket information, contact the WSU College of Fine Arts box office, 316-978-3233 or www.wichita.edu/fineartsboxoffice.

Read full story.