Important participation guidelines for Clash of the Colleges
Decorations of all types shall be either non-combustible or adequately treated to
render them fire resistant.
Streamers, garlands, lights and other decorations shall not run along or across halls,
obstruct or restrict aisles, passageways, or corridors; be hung from smoke detectors
or sprinkler heads or obstruct exits signs, fire extinguishers or other fire equipment.
Light strands shall be designated as approved with a nationally recognized testing
laboratory mark and not be excessive.
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following list:
鈥 Latex balloons, silly-string, bubbles, glitter, confetti, rice, birdseed.
鈥 Decorative materials may not be placed on fire doors, smoke doors, light fixtures,
electrical equipment, electrical outlets, circuit breaker panels, etc.
鈥 No hay, straw, loose or baled or corn stalks
鈥 Light strings connected together are limited to no more than three.
Every electric light set used must bear the UL or FM label and be identified for
indoor use.
No extension cords shall be used to light strings of lights, only a circuit breaker
protected power strip shall be used.
If you have questions about your decorations, contact EHS Fire Safety at 978-5531
or 978-5803.
University update
The following university update was provided at Thursday鈥檚 Weekly Briefing. Information was provided about the presidential search; business and graduate deans; facilities; traffic, parking and shuttle changes; housing; and research.
Presidential search
To start today鈥檚 briefing, we have a quick update on the presidential search process.
According to the Kansas Board of Regents, the search committee met by telephone on Wednesday. It will soon begin reviewing applications, and the final Regents鈥 selection is expected by mid-November.
We鈥檒l let you know more when additional information becomes available from KBOR.
Business and graduate deans
As you may have heard, the university recently hired two new college deans鈥擫arisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business and Coleen Pugh, dean of the Graduate School and associate vice president for Research and Technology Transfer.
We鈥檙e happy to announce that both deans are now officially on campus and are actively engaging with stakeholders from across the university.
We welcome them to Shocker Nation and wish them the best of luck.
This week, the university also welcomed 45 new employees into the Shocker family鈥攊ncluding many new faculty members. We also want to wish them all the best for a successful, productive school year, and we and look forward to their positive contributions toward WSU鈥檚 vision and mission.
Facilities update
Summer has been a busy time on campus with several construction projects underway.
The university-owned NIAR Advanced Virtual Engineering and Technology Lab is scheduled for completion in late October. The facility will house the NIAR Crash Dynamics Lab and Virtual Engineering Lab.
The shell of developer-owned partnership building three, known as P3, is also scheduled for completion in October, and the interior will be finished out as tenants come on board.
In addition, the Steve Clark YMCA and WSU Student Wellness Center, housing Student Health Services and Counseling Services, will open this January.
And construction on the 36,000-square-foot Student-Athlete Success Center has started with an expected completion date of July 2020.
We鈥檙e excited for these additions and for the benefits they鈥檒l provide for our students, our growing number of partners鈥攁nd the community.
While it鈥檚 easy to simply talk about current and future buildings, we want to stress that all of this effort isn鈥檛 just about construction. It鈥檚 about creating spaces for people to learn and collaborate. Elements like art, landscaping, lighting, outdoor seating and signage work together to create an environment that can enhance the campus experience, be welcoming to the community, and attract and retain students, faculty and staff.
Traffic, parking and shuttle changes
In addition to new construction, we鈥檇 also like to make you aware of recent traffic, parking and shuttle changes.
First, and most important, please be aware of the two new stop signs located at the intersection near the Memorial 鈥70 monument鈥攁nd be prepared to stop when approaching Perimeter Road from Hillside or Memorial Drive.
On-campus parking has expanded with the opening of The Suites at WSU parking lot, which is available for students, faculty and staff with a valid permit.
We want to remind students that they can ride 成人头条 Transit for free with their Shocker IDs.
Also, there is a new shuttle stop opposite of the Food Truck Plaza. And the Grace Wilkie shuttle stop has been moved to Mid Campus Drive near Wilkins Stadium.
To keep up to date with the latest traffic, parking and shuttle-related news, visit wichita.edu/parking.
Housing update
One of the best things about the start of the school year is the increasingly large number of students who choose to call campus their home away from home.
Today we鈥檙e happy to announce that our occupancy, as of last Friday, between Shocker Hall, The Flats, and our brand-new facility, The Suites, was at 1,463鈥攑utting us at full capacity.
We anticipated the possibility of higher requests for housing again this year, so we created expandable spaces to accommodate an increase in numbers. These rooms were identified prior to the room selection/assignment process, and students have been notified over the summer if their space was ultimately expanded.
This higher demand is also reflected in our increase in application numbers, particularly with students who have previously lived on campus and wish to move back to campus this fall. As of Aug. 12, we have 460 of these returning students, compared to 355 the previous year.
We鈥檙e pleased to see continued success in our strategy to create a campus environment where more students want to be鈥攂efore, during and after class.
Research
And, finally, WSU continues making great strides through its strong commitment to applied learning and research.
The university has set a new record for research and development awards, with a total of $136 million in fiscal year 2019, which ended June 30, topping last year鈥檚 record-breaking total of $104 million.
This significant increase comes from a steep rise in contracts and awards from the U.S. Department of Defense, which increased by more than $40 million from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2019.
Recent DoD awards include:
- $33 million from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Command Aviation & Missile Center for emerging materials for high-speed missile applications.
- $23.5 million from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for advanced materials and automated manufacturing.
- And $7 million from the Office of Naval Research for multiple projects involving advanced materials, digital modeling and advanced manufacturing.
According to John Tomblin, WSU vice president for research and technology transfer, this relationship with the Department of Defense 鈥渉as opened up connections that will benefit 成人头条 State students, faculty and staff, in addition to the state of Kansas, manufacturing industry, various DoD agencies and the nation as a whole.鈥
We鈥檙e also proud of our faculty research鈥攑articularly for its innovation and the recognition it brings WSU. A prime example is assistant professor of chemistry Dr. Alexandre Shvartsburg, who recently received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on STEM professionals. Dr. Shvartsburg is the first-ever recipient from 成人头条 State and only the third from Kansas. We congratulate him on this great accomplishment.
Consider giving to Ulrich Museum campaign that benefits K-12 students
The Ulrich Museum has been able to bring more than 4,000 K-12 students a year to see
the museum, our sculpture collection and campus through a bus reimbursement program
generously supported by donors. Please help us continue the program through a $50
gift that will be matched by a fund at the WSU Foundation. The Ulrich is about 40%
of the way to its $6,000 goal. Please give now so we can offer the program to more
Kansas schools.
Attend a brown-bag lunch and discover the advantages of the Learning Quest 529 Educational Savings Plan
Rising education costs may have you wondering if you can afford it. Did you know you
can enjoy a tax-advantaged account while building savings for education expenses?
You can open a Learning Quest account for anyone, including yourself, children and
grandchildren. With the Learning Quest UGift program, friends and family members can
also help support the student鈥檚 education!
Join Teresa Stewart at either 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, in 266
RSC, for a brown bag lunch presentation and Q&A session. She will talk about the earning
opportunities and tax advantages of using a Learning Quest 529 Plan to save for educational
expenses.
Attendees are invited to bring their lunch to the presentation. Light snacks and
drinks will also be provided.
Contact Teresa Stewart at Teresa_Stewart@americancentury.com with any questions or to register for one of the sessions!
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Introducing: WSU Profiles
WSU Profiles is a new website feature that lets you build flexible, feature-rich profiles pages that can be used to generate staff listings in a variety of formats for the wichita.edu website.
For more information about WSU Profiles, including training and documentation links, go to the WSU Profiles page or download the WSU Profiles fact sheet in pdf format.
Welcome to the new FYS Faculty Coordinator!
Aaron Rife
The Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce that Aaron Rife will serve as the new First-Year Seminar (FYS) Faculty Coordinator. Rife has served in the College of Applied Studies for five years, and taught a first-year seminar for the past three years.
He has been influential in moving the pilot program to full adoption by the faculty. In addition, he also has seven years of experience in the secondary education classroom that strengthens his relationship building with his first-year students.
Rife will be responsible for encouraging and supporting new FYS course development, mentoring faculty in best practices for first year engagement, providing professional development opportunities for FYS faculty, coordinating the scheduling of courses, and conducting program assessment. He will host regular information sessions throughout the fall and spring semesters for faculty interested in developing new FYS courses.
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All call for WSU Student of the Year judges
The WSU Student of the Year scholarship competition is a competitive and prestigious opportunity for students who have proven exemplary leadership, involvement, and service both to the WSU and 成人头条 communities. Applications and nominations are now open for students who wish to participate.
We are calling for judges to serve throughout the selection process. The dates and details for each round are below. We are looking for three different sets of judges, so upon indicating interest, please include which round you would be most interested in serving on as well as your second choice.
Round 1: Application Review 鈥 Completed by Tuesday, Oct. 1
- This process would be going through the qualified applicants and meeting to decide on which students move onto the next round. We have seen an increase, so we could be sifting through 60-70 applications depending on how many student apply.
Round 2: Interviews 鈥 Friday, Oct. 11
- Our judges鈥 panel will sit through a series of interviews of those selected to move on through the application round. Deliberation and decision on the final court of eight students will follow the interviews.
Round 3: Presentations 鈥 Friday, Oct. 18
- This panel will serve as audience to our eight finalists as they present and showcase why they should win the title of WSU Student of the Year and scholarship. There will be two winners this year.
Please send which round you would like to serve on or any questions to Kennedy Rogers at kennedy.rogers@wichita.edu or call 978-7402.
Register for the Shocker Resource Fair!
The annual Shocker Resource Fair is a great way to tell new Shockers about the opportunities, programs and resources that your department or office has to offer! The fair will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, on the Shocker Hall Plaza.
Register at to participate. Registration closes at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19. Contact Randi Beggs at randi.beggs@wichita.edu with questions.
Counseling and Prevention to offer Healing From Trauma
Join 成人头条 Area Sexual Assault Center and Counseling and Prevention Services this semester for support for healing from traumatic experiences this semester. Group members will explore the healing process, coping mechanisms, and learn how to identify and manage triggers. No appointment needed.
The group will meet from 4-5 p.m. Thursdays from Aug. 22 to Dec. 5. Please double check the Counseling and Prevention Services website for the location in the RSC, since the room will change during the semester.
Special invitation for Innovation Campus employees
On Monday, Sept. 9, the Office of Admissions invites the employees of our Innovation Campus partners to bring their high school and transfer students to get an exclusive look at what Shocker Nation is all about.
During this event, students and parents will have the opportunity to take a tour of campus, and hear from university staff about admissions requirements, scholarship opportunities, and everything in between at 成人头条 State. This event is free of charge, and refreshments will be provided.
To RSVP, visit and click on 鈥淎dmissions Events.鈥 Questions can be directed to Ellen Nikkel at Ellen.Nikkel@wichita.edu.
Change announced for notary services to employees
Effective on Aug. 1, the Human Resources Department made changes to how it provides notary services to employees. Notary services will be provided to employees who have an HR related business need. The change was made to more efficiently and effectively provide HR services to employees. It is suggested that employees in need of HR related notary services request an appointment through the HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu email box to ensure a resource is available to provide assistance. The University Post Office in Morrison Hall can provide support to employees for all other notary service needs.
Kansas Prevention Conference set for October
The Prevention Initiatives team will be hosting the 2nd annual Kansas Prevention Conference Oct. 1-3, at the 成人头条 Hyatt Regency. The Kansas Prevention Conference hosts state and local professionals from the substance abuse prevention field and related disciplines.
This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淐ommunity Focused Future Minded.鈥 There will be a keynote speaker as well as break-out sessions with opportunities to learn from and network with other prevention professionals. There are opportunities to offer a presentation and become a sponsor. For more information, to to .
If you would like to become a sponsor, the application deadline is Sept. 13. Registration opened Monday, June 24.
Ashley HomeStore to sponsor Shocker Classic
Ashley HomeStore will be the presenting sponsor of the 成人头条 State Shocker Volleyball
Classic, it was announced this week.
The classic, which is scheduled for Sept. 12-14 at Charles Koch Arena, will feature
the Shockers, in addition to BYU, Texas and VCU.
Welcomefest deals at Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes
The Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes is kicking off the fall semester with some great deals! From Monday, Aug. 19-Friday, Aug. 30, we鈥檙e offering $2 hot dogs and free billiards all day, every day! The free billiards offer requires at least one Shocker ID Card per group. We鈥檙e excited to start another great year in the SSGL!
Kick-Off Concert set for Monday, Aug. 19
Start the school year off right with some live music and refreshments! Join the Rhatigan Student Center and WSU Dining Services for their Kick-Off Concert from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, August 19 on the RSC East Patio. With music from Annie Up and free cake pops and lemonade, it鈥檚 sure to start your semester off right!
Extended hours and free gift from the Shocker Store
The Shocker Store is open extended hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, so students can make sure to get their textbooks before classes start on Monday!
To encourage you to beat the rush, we are giving away a free dorm supply or school supply kit to students who pick up their web orders that day, or who come in and purchase $200 worth of textbooks or Shocker gear (subtotal amount), while supplies last. So make sure to stop in tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 17) to get your freebie!