WSU Faculty and Staff

The university continues to strongly recommend that all individuals engage in COVID-healthy behaviors including, but not limited to, being vaccinated if able, wearing a mask where social distancing is not possible, testing, and staying home if you feel ill. COVID testing and vaccines are readily available at no charge to WSU students and employees at the WSU Student Wellness Center. No appointment is necessary. Additional information about the vaccine and available locations can be found at www.vaccines.gov. For more information about testing sites, please visit the Sedgwick County Health Department’s webpage.

In accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention masks are not required for students, employees or visitors, regardless of vaccination status, while on or in Wichita State University premises or while attending campus activities or athletic events (unless otherwise noted). This includes all indoor and outdoor campus locations.

Student employees should follow the applicable process for the situation. Student employees would be expected to follow student process for COVID exposure as it relates to their studies/student activities and would follow the employment processes as it relates to/intersects with their employment responsibilities.  Students may utilize Student Health Services. Student employees should complete a COVID-19 Employee Report form and email it to TotalRewards@wichita.edu if they have COVID-exposure-related concerns with their employment.

Wichita State University offers optional on-campus COVID-19 testing to all university employees (faculty and staff). The university is pleased to offer this testing free of charge to our employees.

Notify your supervisor and do not report to your work location.  Please complete a COVID-19 Employee Report form and email totalrewards@wichita.edu.

If you have been notified by an official of a public health agency, you should follow the instructions provided to you by the agency. This may include a request for you to isolate or quarantine for a specific number of days. Notify your supervisor and discuss the specific instructions provided including instructions for you to isolate or quarantine. Your supervisor will make a determination regarding your ability to work from a remote location or you may request COVID-19 leave, if applicable.

If you have been notified by an individual (non-official public health agency) that you have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, call the Sedgwick County Health Department (or your local health department if you are not a resident of Sedgwick County, Kan.). Follow any instructions provided by appropriate public health officials.

Each situation is reviewed based on individual circumstances. Guidance will be provided by your supervisor or the HR total rewards team.

If you have recently traveled, please consult the CDC Travel page for guidance. Follow any instructions on the CDC web site related to reporting your travel and quarantine.

See more travel-related questions

No. WSU is recommending that each employee to conduct a personal wellness check each day prior to coming onto the campus to check for symptoms that could possibly be related to COVID-19.

There is no need for an employee to report their results to anyone and there is no need for your employees to report their results to you.

WSU recommends that each employee check themselves for one or more of the following symptoms.

• Temperature of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Chills, repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain, headache, sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

• Do not come to campus until you have been cleared as a transmission risk for COVID-19.
• Notify your supervisor in accordance with department procedures/guidelines.
• Ask your supervisor if you may work remotely or record a sick day.
• Complete the COVID-19 Request Form as soon as practical and submit to totalrewards@wichita.edu to determine the anticipated return to work date and leave benefits, if applicable
• Contact your primary care physician or the Sedgwick County Health Department for guidance on testing and/or quarantine.

Social distancing, also called physical distancing, means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distancing:

• Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people
• Do not gather in groups larger than 10.
• Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings.
• Refrain from physical contact.

In accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks are not required for students, employees or visitors, regardless of vaccination status, while on or in Wichita State University premises or while attending campus activities or athletic events (unless otherwise noted). This includes all indoor and outdoor campus locations.  

Please keep in mind that, in certain cases, there may be programmatic or facility requirements dictating the wearing of masks — for example, in our patient-serving clinics or students on clinical practicums and rotations.

No, but disposable gloves may be required by certain departments for programmatic or facility requirements. Your supervisor will communicate that expectation to you and ensure the appropriate type of gloves are provided and glove safety instructions.

If a faculty or staff member learns directly from a student that the student has tested positive for COVID-19, has been instructed to isolate because of symptoms and/or testing or in isolation, the faculty or staff member should encourage the student to self-report via the COVID-19 Report It form. Student Health will receive this information and will reach out to the student to determine what the student’s current status is, and what, if any, services from the university the student may require.

Per Kansas HB 2016, faculty and staff SHOULD NOT:

1. ask the student if they have been vaccinated or about previous COVID-19 infections.
2. ask the student any questions about where the student has been or who the student has been around, or
3. report the positive case to the class members.

Given the restrictions of HB 2016, which was enacted to protect the privacy and confidentiality of information collected through contact tracing, any necessary “contact tracing” is conducted through the state and local county health departments. The Sedgwick County Health Department, in conjunction with KDHE, determines the required follow up for individuals who test positive and collects information on their close contacts, if needed. Accordingly, the university is unable to conduct contact tracing and cannot and will not (by law) mandate contact tracing for any person.

Employees should notify their immediate supervisors if they have a concern regarding a co-worker with possible COVID-19 symptoms. The supervisor will observe and discuss the observed symptoms with the individual.

The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is of the utmost importance. WSU will continue to closely monitor the status of COVID-19 and updates specific to Wichita State University will be provided at wichita.edu/covid. We understand that members of the Wichita State University community may be experience heightened levels of anxiety related to the pandemic. Employees who feel anxious or worried about COVID-19 are encouraged to contact the State of Kansas Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, which is available to help. Kansas EAP is available 24 hours-a-day at 888-275-1205, press option 1.

Yes. The University has created a COVID-19 Dashboard that is updated weekly. University officials, in conjunction with the Sedgwick County Health Department, are closely monitoring all information as it relates to the health and safety of its campus community.

No. Kansas legislation enacted to protect the privacy and confidentiality of information prevents the university from engaging in contact tracing efforts. As a result, all contact tracing is conducted through the state and local county health departments. The Sedgwick County Health Department, in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, are responsible for contacting individuals who test positive, providing instructions for isolating, and collecting information on close contacts.

In the event of a positive test, employees are encouraged to complete the COVID-19 Request Form and submit to totalrewards@wichita.edu, and students are encouraged to report at wichita.edu/reportit.

If the feedback, concern or issue is within an employee’s department, please contact the immediate supervisor. If this does not resolve the matter, email the HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu or reach out to the HR business partner assigned to the department.

Please email the Financial Operations Payroll team  at timekeeping@wichita.edu

Please email the payroll team within Financial Operations at timekeeping@wichita.edu

If the employee or a family member are part of a medically vulnerable population and are concerned about contracting COVID-19 by being on campus, please contact the Human Resources office at 316-978-3065 or e-mail TotalRewards@wichita.edu to discuss leave benefits that he or she may qualify for under the Family and Medical Leave Act and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The most up-to-date information about university announcements and all aspects of COVID-19 will be posted in WSU Today and wichita.edu/covid19.

If you are not feeling well or are ill, you are encouraged to stay home from work. Notify your supervisor and use any leave that you might be eligible to use for an illness. This will help keep our workforce healthy.

If you feel that you need to seek medical attention, you are encouraged to contact your primary care physician, the local health department, or use telehealth services through your health plan, if available. 

If you feel that you are having symptoms of COVID-19, please complete a COVID-19 Employee Report form and email it to totalrewards@wichita.edu.

The special provisions regarding COVID-related services that were enacted March 13, 2020 have expired. 

If you have questions regarding the use of leave, please contact the HR Total Rewards team at TotalRewards@wichita.edu. If you have questions about telecommuting or other employment concerns, please contact your supervisor or your department’s HR Business Partner. You may also email HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu.

Generally, Leaders determine if an employee may work a Flexible Work Arrangement, in accordance with the Human Resources Guidance. In more complex situations, higher levels of authority may be needed for approval. Please refer to the Flexible Work Arrangements webpage.

Employees can work from any alternative work site that allows them to perform the duties of their position.

If you need guidance on remote work tools, please go to the Working Remotely Resources website. The site includes instructions regarding how to stay connected from a remote location (VPN access to your work computer), web conferencing options, and telecommunications options for voicemail and forwarding calls.

Your initial contact should be the University IT HelpDesk at helpdesk@wichita.edu or 316-978-HELP, Option 1.

In accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks are not required for students, employees or visitors, regardless of vaccination status, while on or in Wichita State University premises or while attending campus activities or athletic events (unless otherwise noted). This includes all indoor and outdoor campus locations.

Disposable gloves may be required by certain departments.

• If gloves are required in your department, communicate that expectation to your employees.
• Ensure the appropriate type of gloves are provided for their use and they have been provided with glove safety instructions.

Employees may use personal protective equipment, even if not required by the university if they deem it appropriate for themselves and desire to do so. WSU requests the employees use any such equipment according to established safety guidelines/standards.

Our custodians disinfect all work, classroom and lab areas daily with industrial-strength products. In addition, employees may choose to clean and disinfect the following:

• Employees may choose to wipe down their immediate work areas and any common or high-traffic areas they are accountable for or after any in-person contact by using the cleaning and disinfectant products provided.

If an employee is not feeling well or is ill, please encourage the employee to consider staying home from work. This will help keep our workforce healthy. Employees should use available leave for time away from work.

The University encourages supervisors to be flexible and creative in considering flexible work arrangements that meet needs of the employee and the department. As the supervisor, and if business operations allow, you may consider allowing a flexible work arrangement in which an employee(s) alters their normal work schedule or location. Faculty members should seek approval from the appropriate department chair, academic leader or dean.

HR has developed extensive guidance on Flexible Work Arrangements.

Generally, Leaders determine if an employee may work a Flexible Work Arrangement, in accordance with the Human Resources Guidance. In more complex situations, higher levels of authority may be needed for approval. Please refer to the Flexible Work Arrangement webpage.

If an Employee is on an H1B/VISA, they may be approved to work remotely, however, if the Work Location is different than the Assigned Work Site approved on the H1B/VISA application, a Remote Work Requests is required by the University. For more information, please visit the HR dedicated webpage for Flexible Work Arrangements.

No. Employees can work from any alternative work site that allows them to perform the duties of their position.

Supervisors should work with these students on a case-by-case basis given individual circumstances. If they are required to work, please consider whether they can perform their essential work functions via telecommuting. Whenever possible, we encourage supervisors to allow them to telecommute or adjust their work method in another manner to avoid financial hardship.

If the employee or a family member are part of a medically vulnerable population and are concerned about contracting COVID-19 by being on campus, please contact the Human Resources office at 316-978-3065 or e-mail TotalRewards@wichita.edu to discuss leave benefits that he or she may qualify for under the Family and Medical Leave Act and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The health and safety of our student, faculty and staff is of the utmost importance. We are closely monitoring the status of COVID-19 and updates specific to Wichita State University will be provided on wichita.edu/covid19news.

You may also encourage the employee(s) with concerns or anxiety related to these events, to contact the State of Kansas Employee Assistance Plan, or EAP, which is available to help. Guidance Resources is available 24/7

Finally, you may also encourage the employee(s) to reach out to their primary care physician.

Telehealth services are virtual doctor’s office visits and are available in the State Employee Health Plan (SEHP) medical plans. Aetna provides telehealth services through Teledoc and Blue Cross Blue Shield provides telehealth services through Amwell. If you are covered by another health plan, please check with your health plan provider to see if telehealth services are available.

Employees should follow current applicable call-in procedures for their department and should use available leave to cover time away from work.

: No. While the university is providing testing free of charge to students, faculty and staff, testing is strictly voluntary and cannot be required by supervisors.

: If the employee is at their work location, send them home immediately. If they are not at work, instruct them to come to work and to either call their medical provider or seek a COVID-19 test. In addition, have them complete the COVID-19 Employee Report Form and return to totalrewards@wichita.edu.

University-sponsored domestic travel by students, faculty and staff is permitted. Travelers should follow all guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). If an employee is required to self-quarantine and/or stay at home based on these guidelines, they should use approved leave and monitor their health during travel and after returning from travel. In addition, employees should complete the COVID-19 Request Form to determine the anticipated return to work date and leave benefits, if applicable.

Yes, in order to accurately pay employees, validation and approval of time and leave reports is required to meet audit standards. If a supervisor does not have access to approve in self-service, a delegation should be made to someone who can validate and approve.

We recognize there may be times when employees require additional support that our current policies do not foresee or accommodate. If you confront a particularly difficult circumstance, please reach out to the HR business partner assigned to your area.