Training required for any employee coming to campus
All employees coming to campus are required to take Expectations for Employees Working on Campus to be in accordance with Shockers United.
Our priority has always been – and remains – the health, safety, and well-being of our entire campus community. With that firmly in mind as we plan to gradually – and safely – increase employee presence on campus during the coming weeks, we want to ensure those who come to campus have the information, resources and know the expectations of personal responsibility each of us have so we may maintain a safe campus.
When on campus, there will be a strong emphasis on each person taking personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from coronavirus infection. That means daily wellness self-checks, social distancing, limited congregation, wearing face coverings (or masks as appropriate), disinfecting spaces and limiting non-essential travel. You will need to know and adhere to these expectations for the well-being of everyone in the WSU community
Every employee should complete the employee training Expectations for Employees Working on Campus starting today (Friday, May 15), and prior to coming to campus.
Koch Innovation Challenge winners advance to national competition
One team of Wichita State University students has emerged as a Grand Champion team in the 2020 Koch Innovation Challenge.
In the final pitch competition, teams recorded their three-minute elevator pitch and prototype demonstration and submitted the videos to a panel of judges. Team Wire Pullers was selected by the judges over four other teams with their invention: a magnetic device to make pulling wires through walls easier. Team members included Braden Botkin, a sophomore in engineering technology; Adam Brown, a freshman in engineering; and Nicholas Ridpath, a freshman in applied computing.
WSU Parking Services will again enforce faculty / staff parking
Starting Tuesday, May 26, WSU Parking Services will again enforce faculty / staff parking on campus. This means that anyone parking in a lot designated as Faculty / Staff parking (signified by yellow signage at the lot entrances), must have a valid ePermit registered through the Shocker Parking Management System.
Those who had an epermit for faculty / staff parking before the shutdown and have not requested any changes to their epermit need not take any further action.
Access to the Shocker Parking Management System is through the tab labeled “ePermits” on your myWSU home page. Reserved parking (as signified by red signage) and ADA parking will also continue to be enforced. Parking in student lots (signified by green signage at the lot entrances) and overflow lots (signified by green / yellow-striped signage at the lot entrances) will remain free until further notice.
Should anyone need help in purchasing an ePermit, contact the OneStop office at 855-978-1787. For in-person assistance, the Parking Office located inside the Police Department will be open from 10 a.m.-noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays now through May 22, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays starting Tuesday, May 26.
Faculty and staff who wish to park in lots designated as Faculty / Staff will need to fill out this form for parking payroll deduction.
Meet a Shocker: Spring 2020 graduates
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the course of our history and the Wichita State University campus during the spring 2020 semester. While we cannot have a traditional commencement ceremony in May, the WSU community celebrates our more than 2,400 Shocker graduates with a spirit of unity and pride. Here's what some of them have to say about their time at WSU and their futures.
Loaner mifi (wireless internet) device return
As the semester comes to an end, please return the mifi devices that were rented out by ITS Telecommunications. These can be returned to the Media Resources Center. Please contact them at 316-978-3588 or cms@wichita.edu when you come to drop off your device so they can let you in the building and get your check-out sheet ready for you to sign the device in.
If you are needing to mail the device back, please mail it to:
Wichita State University
ITS Telecommunications
1845 Fairmount, Box 61
Wichita, KS 67260
ITS Telecommunications will deactivate devices on Monday, June 1, unless notified that you are taking / teaching summer courses, or are a staff member who will continue working remotely and needs the device active.
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please email us at telecomservices@wichita.edu or respond directly to the TDX ticket you have open for the device rental.
If you still need a device for summer coursework, please submit a ticket here.
Join us for a Real Talk program
Real Talk - Intersection Dialogues will be held from 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, May 20. A Zoom link will be provided after you RSVP for the event, which is brought to you by WSU Counseling and Prevention Services, and the Office of Diversity Inclusion. RSVP at wichita.edu/odievents.
Engage in meaningful dialogues around various topics that impact identity, diversity, inclusion, equity, and society. We welcome you to lean into discomfort and join in on the discussion. The upcoming topic will be "Processing Ahmaud Arbery."
For more information, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 316-978-3034.
Review the Office of Diversity and Inclusion's Annual Celebration Programs
Each year, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion acknowledges the value and uniqueness of our underrepresented student experiences by honoring them through various celebrations. These ceremonies serve to commemorate and highlight the accomplishments of Wichita State University's diverse students.
Due to COVID-19, the office is saddened that we are not able to celebrate these programs in person; however, we strive to produce quality virtual programs to ensure that our students are well-represented at the university. Below are three video links to our Multicultural Graduation Celebration, Lavender Graduation and Academic Excellence Celebration.
The Multicultural Graduation Celebration is a longstanding tradition at Wichita State University that honors our graduates and their rite of passage. View the 25th annual Multicultural Graduation Celebration video here.
Lavender Graduation is a special ceremony that honors the achievements of graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) students at Wichita State University. View the 6th annual Lavender Graduation video here.
The Academic Excellence Celebration recognizes Wichita State University's diverse students in honoring their academic excellence. View this semester’s Academic Excellence Celebration video here.
Learn more about the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at http://wichita.edu/odi.
Virtual Celebration set for Saturday, May 16
We look forward to honoring the spring and summer 2020 graduates with Wichita State
University’s first ever Virtual Celebration beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday,
May 16)! We invite you to visit the commencement website at that time, or thereafter,
to watch prerecorded congratulatory remarks from the University President, Provost,
Deans, and Alumni Association.
Participating graduates will have a custom slide posted within the event link, showcasing the photo and message they’ve provided. You’ll also be able to hear their name read aloud. A “Virtual Celebration Recognition List” will be posted with the names of the eligible spring / summer 2020 graduates, their degrees, and honors.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating these graduates from the comfort of your home.
If you’d like to post a congratulatory remark to a student on social media, please use #2020WichitaStateGrad!
Go to Spring 2020 Commencement and click on “Virtual Celebration!”
Join the Public Health Career Fair today
The Career Development Center invites you to join CareerEco in the Public Health Career Fair today from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today (Friday, May 15). Hosted by PublicHealthJobs.org, connect with employers in real-time, and learn about public health jobs and internships across the country.
Here is a partial list of employers:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Eliot Community Human Services
- Kaiser Permanente
- PHI-CDC Global Health Fellowship Program
Register today to attend the career fair.
HealthQuest May 2020 newsletter
You can find the HealthQuest May 2020 newsletter here.
Highlights include:
- Keep Calm and Sweat On Challenge: Sign up by Monday, May 25 in the HealthQuest Portal. Challenge runs from now through June 19.
- Naturally Slim: Sign up by Friday, May 15 at Kansas HealthQuest.
- Health News: Melanoma Awareness Month, Understanding Your Blood Pressure
- Support During the COVID-19 Crisis through the Employee Assistance Program
Changes to your HSA/HRA/FSA for 2020 due to CARES Act
Due to the recent CARES Act legislation, there have been some updates to how you can use your HSA, HRA and/or Healthcare FSA funds. Updates include the ability to use funds for over-the-counter (OTC) medications without a prescription, and for menstrual care products. These changes are retroactively effective to Jan. 1, 2020.
Your NueSynergy debit card may not immediately work for purchases of these items as merchants are in the process of updating their systems to accommodate these changes, but you are able to pay out-of-pocket and submit reimbursement requests through the NueSynergy online portal.
You can find more information from NueSynergy at NueSynergy 2020 CARES Act Update. If you have more specific questions about eligible purchases, you can reach NueSynergy directly at 1-855-750-9440 for further assistance. When calling, identify yourself as a State of Kansas employee, and be prepared to provide your SHaRP ID (found by logging in to myWSU and hovering the mouse over the white box in the “SHaRP ID” channel).
Get your Blackboard classes ready for summer and fall with IDA’s help
Instructional Design and Access is offering hands-on workshops to help instructors prepare for online/remote delivery of their course content for this summer and fall. Workshops are scheduled May 12-14 and May 19-21, and run for three hours each. Instructors are invited to sign up through MyTraining. All workshops will be offered through Zoom and have no in-person attendance requirement. There are three workshops to choose from:
*"Remote/Online Instructor: First Steps" is designed for instructors who have never used Blackboard and/or Zoom in a significant way.
*"Remote/Online instructor: Intermediate Steps" is designed for instructors who have used (or have been trained in) Blackboard and/or Zoom some, and are now ready to master more tools and learn how to troubleshoot problems.
*"Remote/Online Instructor: Course Building" is for instructors who would like to work on building their courses while an instructional designer is “nearby” to help. Instructors signing up for the Course Building workshop will be given a Blackboard course template to help get them started.
If you can’t attend workshops next week, don’t worry! These will be offered throughout the summer as well as part of our summer-long "Academic Resources Conference" training events.
If you have any questions about these workshops or want to request specific trainings to be added to the Academic Resources Conference, please reach out to Instructional Design and Access at IDA@wichita.edu.
'Survival mode': Airlines face record drop in travel amid virus outbreak
Dean Headley
Steve Loiaconi, national online news writer for Sinclair Broadcast Group, interviewed Dean Headley, Wichita State emeritus professor of marketing and co-author of the Airline Quality Rating, on the challenges facing the airlines and passengers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harpool’s expertise cited in story about online banking
Dorothy Harpool
Wichita State's Dorothy Harpool was featured in CreditDonkey's article about online banks.
Michael Rogers honored by Kent State University
Michael Rogers
Michael Rogers, professor in the Department of Human Performance Studies, was inducted into the College of Education, Health and Human Services Hall of Fame at Kent State University after being awarded the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Tuition Assistance applications for fall 2020 now being accepted
Tuition Assistance applications for fall 2020 are now being accepted through the Online Application Form. The online application will be available through Wednesday, July 1, and will close at the end of this application period.
The fillable PDF form will no longer be accepted. Due to the volume of applications received each semester, requests to submit late applications will be automatically denied. There will be no exceptions.
Full program details can be found at www.wichita.edu/tuitionassistance.
Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.
You can help prevent suicide
Learn how you can help your community with #WSUWeSupportU Preventing Suicide, now available through Zoom! This 90-minute training will teach you how to use the Share, Ask, Support method to help so you have the tools to help those in need. Learn more at wichita.edu/SuicidePrevention.
WSU places intern at Sedgwick County Elections Office
Alison Rice, a junior political science major, will work this summer and fall in the Sedgwick County Elections Office as a paid intern.
"Election offices and their workers are the unsung heroes of democracy," said Neal Allen, chair of Political Science. "The Department of Political Science is happy to contribute to running elections in this time of crisis and uncertainty."
This internship results from a partnership between WSU Political Science and the Sedgwick County Election Office. Tabitha Lehman, Sedgwick County Election Commissioner, was a guest speaker for Dr. Allen's Law and Political Power course last semester, which included Alison Rice.
“Having Commissioner Lehman speak to our class was great, because she clearly demonstrated just how much work and time go into helping our electoral system function properly,” said Rice. “As someone interested in election administration, as well as a passionate advocate for voting rights, I am excited to be lending my support to the Election Office. I appreciate both Tabitha and Dr. Allen for giving me the opportunity to not only gain more insight on the election process, but also to support my community through such a trying time.”
Rice starts her position in June and will work through the statewide primary August and the general election in November.
WSU students help Girl Scouts affected by social distancing
Wichita State students in Samantha Corcoran’s Service Learning in Engineering class are coming up with unique and innovative ways to help kids impacted by COVID-19.
The class is working with Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland, which serves more than 11,700 girls and adults throughout Kansas, to create STEM activity kits that include projects in fields like engineering, robotics and coding. These kits are typically comprised of physical materials and instructions that are used by troop leaders to teach merit badge skills during meetings.
However, with the scouts social distancing in their homes, they needed a new way to earn badges. So students in Corcoran’s class switched direction and began creating innovative activities that the girls could complete at home with common household supplies and less direct instruction.
Pictured above: Students enrolled in Service Learning in Engineering are helping solve problems so Girl Scouts can continue to earn STEM badges at home.
Meet a Shocker: Amy Nguyen, school psychology grad
Amy Nguyen is one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring/summer 2020 graduation. Learn more about her time at Wichita State and what is next for the grad.
Amy Nguyen wanted a new challenge as a teacher. Wichita State University’s school psychology program offers her the chance to add to use her teaching skills and add new ones.
“I believe school psychology is the perfect combination for the experience I have,” she said.