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As promised, and with the approval of Interim President Andy Tompkins, Wichita State University announced Friday, April 26, a plan to move forward through budget reallocations and cuts to finance a new business building and begin to meet other academic facilities’ needs identified in the March 6 student infrastructure referendum.

Public-private partnerships, known as "P3s," are a well-established method for universities needing to secure alternative funding, and they are not new to higher education nor to Kansas. P3s are all around us, in research collaborations, bond financing, tax incentives and investments.

A new partnership between Wichita State University and McConnell Air Force Base will provide military personnel the opportunity to work toward their bachelor's degree while on base. Those with a military ID can take courses toward seven undergraduate degrees. Each military student has the option to utilize the Tuition Assistance program offered by McConnell's Education Office.

Starting fall 2018, students were able to take advantage of the new affiliation between Wichita State University and WSU Tech – formerly known as Wichita Area Technical College.

While the two remain separate degree-granting institutions, the formalized affiliation now allows for more collaborative possibilities, as well as increased availability and quality of opportunities for students, while directly meeting the core workforce needs of the state.

In 2017, we were approached by creators of a new private school about leasing space on campus for their startup school. The goal for their school is to challenge children to use critical thinking, creation, collaboration and innovation in their education. We were intrigued by the concept that would focus heavily on experience-based learning – a concept consistent with the mission of Wichita State.  

With the rising costs of higher education and state funding still well below previous years, the university requested an increase in tuition for 2019 of 2.5 percent. Despite the increase, Wichita State still has the state's lowest tuition.