University to observe Labor Day
WSU offices will be closed and classes will not be held Monday, Sept. 2, in observance of Labor Day. Normal schedules will resume Tuesday, Sept. 3.
WSU mourns the loss of engineering faculty David Koert
David Koert
The College of Engineering is deeply saddened by the passing of David Koert, a WSU faculty member since 1993. He leaves behind two adult daughters. Arrangements are pending.
Koert, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, received his bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University, and his master鈥檚 degree and Ph.D., both in mechanical engineering from Drexel University. He served as department chair from 2011-2014. He was known around the country for his involvement in Formula SAE and Mini-Baja student racing competitions.
鈥淧assion for students defined Dr. Koert,鈥� said Dennis Livesay, dean of the College of Engineering. 鈥淗e often said his reason for to getting up and coming to work every day was to inspire future engineers. Whether showing a prospective student around our facilities or mentoring a graduate student in his lab, Dr. Koert was doing what he loved every day.
Koert also spoke often of his family, his Catholic faith and his research. His research interests included fuel tank safety, combustion chemistry, alternative fuels propulsion, flammability of materials and air pollution control.
鈥淔or more than 25 years he was a valuable colleague in many of our achievements and in overcoming many challenges,鈥� said T.S. Ravi, chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department. 鈥淭he department, students and the WSU community will miss Dr. David Koert and his expertise, and his memories will last forever in our hearts.鈥�
Designing a First-Year Seminar: Information meetings
Ever thought about creating the perfect class? You now have a chance. After piloting
First-Year Seminars (FYS) for three years, WSU faculty have approved the expansion
of FYS courses, with all first-time-in-college students enrolling in an FYS course
as part of their general education experience starting in fall 2021. This translates
to an exciting opportunity for faculty and full-time instructors who would be interested
in designing and teaching their own FYS course.
Members of the FYS team will be holding an informational meeting for tenure and non-tenure
track faculty members who would like to learn more about how to develop a first-year
seminar course:
鈥� 3 p.m. today ( Friday, Aug. 30) in 264 RSC
鈥� 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6 in 264 RSC
More information can be found at , or please contact Aaron.Rife@wichita.edu with questions.
Electronic Appointment Notices available through tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 31)
Effective with the 2020 Fiscal and Academic Year, annual Appointment Notices will
be available online and will no longer be printed and distributed to departments.
Please note that University Support Staff (USS) and Non-Benefit Eligible employees
(Students, Lecturers and Temporary employees) are not subject to the annual Appointment
Notice process. Athletics employees received Appointment Notices through a separate
process in July.
Therefore, Unclassified Professionals (UP) and Faculty can view, electronically acknowledge,
and print their 2020 Appointment Notice through MyWSU.
MyWSU (Chrome is the preferred browser)
鈥� Faculty/Staff tab
鈥� Human Resources Links
鈥� Notice of Appointment (May need to clear the browser cache to see the new link)
2020 Appointment Notices will be available to view, electronically acknowledge, print
and revisit through Aug. 31, 2019. Due to the sensitive nature of this data, always
close the browser to protect privacy.
Contact the Help Desk at 978-4357 for assistance logging in to MyWSU.
For questions with any of the information contained on your 2020 Appointment Notice,
please discuss with your Supervisor and they may contact HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu if needed.
2019 - From knowledge to practice: professional development for a more equitable campus
The 2019 Michael Tilford Conference on Diversity and Multiculturalism will be held at the University of Kansas in Lawrence on Oct. 3-4. The conference provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, and administrators at public universities in Kansas to discuss diversity in higher education. Goals of the conference include:
- Listening to visionary leaders who will inspire you to promote equity and awareness at your institution.
- Participating in workshops to learn about challenges teaching diverse populations on Kansas campuses.
- Sharing your passion for teaching and interacting with students regardless of race, gender, religion and national origin.
Proposals need to be submitted by Monday, Sept. 2, at .
Adult learners share their Shocker Stories
Adult learners at 成人头条 State often have a poignant reason for finishing a degree.
It typically comes with a story, including how they were unable to either attend college
after high school, or why they had to give up their journey to college before they
graduated.
The Office of Adult Learning gets the privilege of helping those students and hearing
their stories. Many adult learners are grateful for the staff and faculty who encourage
and empower them along the way. The Office of Adult Learning created Shocker Stories
to not only share their stories, but to highlight the impact staff and faculty have
on students. View Shocker Stories.
If you know of an adult learner who has an interesting story, invite them to call Pamela O鈥橬eal at 978-8313 or email pamela.oneal@wichita.edu. Shocker Stories will be updated throughout the semester.
OneStop will adjust its late night hours starting Sept. 3
OneStop Student Services will adjust its late night hours starting Tuesday, Sept. 3. During August and January, the offices will be open Monday-Thursday until 7 p.m., and Friday until 5 p.m.
In the remaining months, OneStop will be open Monday-Thursday until 6 p.m., and Friday until 5 p.m.
University update
This week鈥檚 Weekly Briefing university update included information the Kansas Board of Regents, WSU Board of Trustees, Boats and Bikes grand opening, athletics, and more.
KBOR/WSU Board of Trustees
We鈥檇 like to start today鈥檚 briefing with a Kansas Board of Regents update. Over the summer, three new Regents, Cheryl Harrison-Lee, Shallaine Kiblinger, and Jon Rolph joined the Board. Since their appointments, all three have taken time to visit the WSU and WSU Tech campuses. We are excited about the leadership they will provide in support of higher education in Kansas.
We would also like to welcome two new members to the WSU Board of Trustees, Dr. Nancy McCarthy Snyder and Keith Stevens. The Board of Trustees was established in 1963 and supports the educational undertakings of the university through the management of the university's endowment and the 1.5 mill levy. The board consists of nine members appointed by the governor.
We鈥檇 also like to recognize the service of Ken Hush and Cindy Schwann, former members of the Board, who have helped WSU pursue excellence with their thoughtful and visionary leadership in support of our mission and vision.
Boats and Bikes grand opening
As part of the current transformation of the downtown river corridor, we want to invite everyone to the grand opening of Boats and Bikes tomorrow, Aug. 30, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at River Vista, located at 150 N. McLean Blvd.
Boats and Bikes is a partnership between River Vista鈥檚 development group and the university, which ties in with Shocker Rowing鈥檚 new boathouse.
Water and land equipment rentals, as well as event hosting, will be the core of the venture and will provide the public with new and diverse options for activities and programming. Boats and Bikes will also sell branded merchandise and refreshments. A percentage of the net profits go directly to help fund Shocker Rowing, which is supported by Campus Recreation.
We are excited for this additional partnership that benefits our students and the community鈥攁nd we hope to see you enjoying a kayak, pedal boat or bike rental down along the river soon.
For more information, visit .
Athletics
If you love college football and baseball, we have two special events you won鈥檛 want to miss this September.
First, we hope you鈥檒l join us for the Heartland Football Classic on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Cessna Stadium. This event pits the McPherson College Bulldogs against the Langston University Lions with a 4 p.m. kick-off. The event鈥檚 theme is 鈥淯nity Builds Community鈥� and focuses on promoting diversity and inclusion throughout the heartland region鈥攚hile increasing scholarship opportunities.
As Kansas鈥� most diverse college campus, we鈥檙e proud to host this inaugural event in conjunction with the 成人头条 Black Chamber of Commerce.
For tickets, visit .
And, at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, Shocker baseball will host Nebraska in a fall exhibition at Eck Stadium. This will be new head coach Eric Wedge鈥檚 debut game鈥攁nd your chance to get an early preview of the 2020 Shockers. The first 2,000 fans through the gate will receive a commemorative Eric Wedge trading card.
General admission is just $5. Paid season ticket holders, current students, military and first responders get in free with a valid I.D.
Tickets are available at , by phone at 978-FANS (3267) or at the ticket office on the south side of Koch Arena.
WSU recognized as social mobility innovator
CollegeNET Inc., a leading provider of web-based on-demand technologies for higher education and the developer of the Social Mobility Index, recently presented its 2019 Social Mobility Innovator Awards to 10 student success professionals from six universities across the nation.
On Wednesday, we were happy to announce that 成人头条 State, represented by Provost Richard Muma and Director of Student Success Kim Sandlin, was one of the winners.
The Social Mobility Index ranks nearly 1,400 four-year U.S. colleges and universities according to how successfully they enroll students from low-income backgrounds and graduate them into promising careers.
The goal of the SMI is to help redirect the attribution of "prestige" in the higher education system toward colleges and universities that are advancing economic mobility, the most pressing civic issue of our time.
We want to thank our dedicated faculty and staff for their efforts to recruit, retain and serve our diverse student body in ways that enhance their college experience and ensure their academic and personal success.
WSU Tech: Women in Manufacturing event
Today (Thursday, Aug. 30) is a special day at WSU Tech鈥攁nd for 31 rock-star women who recently participated in the Women in Manufacturing program funded by a grant through Metallica鈥檚 All Within My Hands Foundation.
At 11 a.m., WSU Tech will hold its Metallica Scholars honor event, showcasing several of these students, in the hangar at the National Center for Aviation Training. Foundation representatives, area industry and community partners are invited to hear their stories鈥攁nd also hear from the employers who hired them.
Announced in December 2018, The Metallica Scholars - Women in Manufacturing program promised to pay tuition and fees for eligible students while guaranteeing them a job interview with one of WSU Tech鈥檚 partners and a paid internship.
Through a competitive proposal process, WSU Tech was one of only 10 community colleges nationwide to receive this $100,000 grant.
We applaud these women for their academic achievements and recognize WSU Tech for its unrelenting dedication to the success of its students, our current and future workforce, and to the economic prosperity of our city, state and region.
Your financial aid may be impacted with fall enrollment changes
Reminder: Come and visit us in the Office of Financial Aid in 203 Jardine Hall, if you have questions about how your financial aid will be impacted by a withdrawal or other enrollment changes. Give us a call at 978-3430, or send an email to finaid@wichita.edu. Walk-ins are always welcome and encouraged from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
.
Brown bag lunch with 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 be provided.
Contact Teresa Stewart at Teresa_Stewart@americancentury.com with any questions, or to register for one of the sessions.
Saving for retirement with KPERS 457
We鈥檝e all heard how important it is to start saving for retirement as early as possible.
KPERS 457 is a voluntary savings plan that all state of Kansas employees can participate
in, including undergraduate and graduate students employed by WSU.
It鈥檚 easy. You can just choose the Target Retirement Fund that is closest to the
year you plan to retire, and the fund will do the rest.
How it Works.
鈥� You choose how much to save and when
鈥� You can start or stop anytime
鈥� You can choose from Roth and pretax options
鈥� Contributions are automatically deducted from your pay
鈥� You can start with as little as $12 per pay period
鈥� There is no penalty for early distributions
For more information, you go to . If you would like more information or are interested in opening an account, you
can enroll online using the enrollment information provided below, or you may contact
our plan representative below.
Robin Deiter
Empower 鈥� Retirement Plan Counselor KPERS 457
(844) 446-8658 x20468
Robin.deiter@empower-retirement.com
If you prefer to enroll online, you鈥檒l need the following information:
Group ID: 130000-01
Enrollment Code: udJKeW4M
Dog days of summer with the WSUPD
Come and have a hot dog on the WSU Police Department, and meet some of the officers working on campus. Officers will begin serving free hot dogs at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, on the north side of the Rhatigan Student Center until they run out. Veggie dogs will be available as well.
Mural is a wish fulfilled for Honors student
Up until August, the Clinton Hall outdoor staircase on campus was a bare landscape in need of some attention. As part of WSU鈥檚 placemaking efforts to active spaces across campus, a call for proposals was put out seekig artists to create a mural on the stairs.
Senior Honors student Sarah Myose鈥檚 design won, and the mural was completed just in time for the start of the fall semester.
Read complete story on Clinton Hall mural
Ulrich Museum invites public to Fall Exhibition Opening Party
成人头条's Ulrich Museum of Art invites you to join us at the museum
from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 for an exploration of our newest suite of exhibitions
on display this fall. The new exhibitions are:
Teachable Moments: The XXII Faculty Biennial
Clay Currents: The 成人头条 National Ceramics Invitational
Solving for X=Accessibility: GuideBeacon: Wayfinding and Multisensory Access to Works
of Art for People Who Are BVI and Mobility Impaired
Ulrich receptions are a conversation, a gathering, an engagement of artists and art
enthusiasts intertwined with music, fine fare, and possibility. The reception is free
and open to the public. For more information, call 978-3664 or email ulrich@wichita.edu.
More information on Ulrich Fall Exhibition Opening Party is available at or on .
D.C. internship helps 成人头条 State senior work with voting issues
Alejandro Arias Esparza believes every vote counts and he wants everyone to use that right.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all we have,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like the only power we truly have in our democracy. We can protest and scream and we can yell all we want, but it鈥檚 not going to mean anything if the same people keep getting reelected.鈥�
His belief comes from his appreciation for what life in the United States offers a student who was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He moved to California around 11 and to 成人头条 a year later. He attended East High School and is a senior political science major at 成人头条 State.
Last spring, Arias Esparza worked as an intern at FairVote in Washington, D.C., an internship funded by former Kansas governor Mark and Stacy Parkinson. The internship gave him practical experience in research, writing and meeting people that can help him help others vote and grow active in their communities.
Read complete story on Alejandro Arias Esparza.
Lunchtime bingo coming Sept. 3
Needing a way to spice up your lunch? Instead of asking for spicy chicken at Chick-fil-a, join your friends in our fast-paced lunchtime bingo from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, at Starbucks in the RSC.
Each lunchtime bingo will be an opportunity to win some awesome prizes while on your lunch break. Sounds like a win-win.
Need supplies for the start of the school year? We鈥檝e got them. Caffeine, headphones, and other college essentials are just some of the prizes you could win this month.
Register for Walk-A-Mile!
Student Activities Council and the Interfraternity Council invite you to take part in Walk-A-Mile at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the CAC Theater!
Join us as we walk one mile around campus in the shoes of another to take a stand against rape, sexual assault, and gender-based violence on our campus. Check-in starts at 5 p.m. Pre-registration is required.
Register at wichita.edu/WalkAMile by noon Sept. 3. Dinner from the 成人头条 WagonMasters and T-shirts provided by the Interfraternity Council will be provided to participants at the completion of the walk. For more information about SAC-sponsored events click here, go to or contact us at sac@wichita.edu.
Teen study participants needed to help explore perceptions of relationships
Are you a parent of a teenager? The INSPYRE research lab is exploring what makes relationships
healthy or unhealthy in adolescence
Purpose of this study: To explore perceptions of healthy and unhealthy relationships
in teens
Procedures: After parental consent and teen assent has been obtained, teens will be
asked to participate in a survey that gathers information on demographics and perceptions
of dating relationships.
Time: This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete
Eligibility Criteria: Participants must be 13-19 years old, and must be fluent in
English
We provide flexible locations for study participation! Study participation can be
done:
* in person in 417 Jabara Hall
* in person at an outdoor public meeting place (Eg: ICT Pop-Up Urban Park, Bradley
Fair)
* through email
* through mail
Compensation: A small prize will be offered
Interested? Contact the Inspyre Research Lab: inspyre@wichita.edu or call 978-6180
Hear the Chris Lamb radio show on Mondays
The Chris Lamb Coaches Show started Monday, Aug. 26, at AJ's Sports Bar & Grill at
13th and Greenwich Road (attached to The Alley) in 成人头条.
The show with WSU鈥檚 volleyball coach airs from 6-7 p.m. on KFH 97.5 FM and 1240 AM
with host Mike Kennedy. The show will air every Monday night from AJ's.
Join SGA on National Voter Registration Day!
Come register to vote with SGA's Government Relations Committee! There will be opportunities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, throughout the first floor of the RSC.
Fresh Mex is back
The Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes has added back a selection of freshly prepared Mexican cuisine to the menu! Fresh Mex is now available for lunch, Monday through Friday. Stop in and grab a taco, burrito or some chips with white queso and our house-made salsa.
Donations needed: Career Closet
The Career Development Center is in desperate need of professional clothing for our Career Closet event! Donate your professional dress items now through Wednesday, Sept. 4, to Brennan III, M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Tuesday mornings).
Professional dress items include suits, dress pants, professional shirts or blouses, professional skirts, belts, neckties, briefcases, shoes, cuff links, tie clips, and more. We are not accepting T-shirts, PJs, or undergarments. Professional clothing only. We particularly lack women鈥檚 petite and men鈥檚 small.
For questions, contact Kim Kufahl at 316-978-6981 or kim.kufahl@wichita.edu.