WSU Today Newsletter

COVID-19 UPDATES

Campus update from President Golden

Dear Shocker community,

Thank you for another great week last week. We are moving positively to sustain the university鈥檚 momentum, even as we work to care for each other and secure the university鈥檚 future.

Everyone wants to know whether we will get back to a normal fall semester. Provost Rick Muma and I, and many of you, are together working on plans that will allow us to open the campus in stages when we can safely to do so. We are hopeful we can start some form of reopening in the next couple of months, based on the advice of our county and state leaders and health professionals.

I think the provost states it best when we say that for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to 鈥渃o-exist with the virus.鈥� We are all working very hard to plan for an open campus in the fall, but with a 鈥渘ew normal鈥� that will include appropriate social distancing, health checks and other preventive measures. There will be much more information provided on a regular basis as we work through the various steps.

Even as we work on plans for the next 10 days, we are working on plans for the next 10 years, so that 成人头条 State and 成人头条 are considered one of the best places to get an education, start a business, work and live.

Below were some of last week's highlights for me, and I鈥檇 encourage you to make your own list. If you prefer, you can

Read full story

The details will soon be announced, but it sounds like we鈥檙e going to be able to help a lot of our students with the greatest needs through the stimulus money to be provided to 成人头条 through the federal CARES Act. We are working rapidly to get the required federal forms submitted so that we can receive the money and distribute it to our students in need. More information on that coming soon.

Additionally, 成人头条 State students who need help can complete a request with WSU Office of Financial Aid, which is overseeing distributions from this COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students. The application is available at . For information about making a donation, go to .

The Kansas Board of Regents unanimously approved our request to purchase two of our residence halls, The Flats and The Suites, which are privately held and were about to be sold to a company in another state. Not only are we able to take control of these critical halls, but we will be conservatively saving the university $30 million during the 25-year life of the bond.

Because of this, I have guaranteed to lock in the rental rate to all incoming students in those two residence halls for the entire time they live there, generally their sophomore through senior years. This is another way we are working to help our students and their families.

Our Faculty Senate has also been focused on our students and passed a flexible grading policy for spring semester so students can choose to have their earned grade recorded or simply get credit for the course. This is important as we have had to pivot to online / remote learning, as well as the stress the current pandemic is placing on our students.

I enjoyed participating in my biweekly video town hall sponsored by Student Government Association. These provide our students and their families an opportunity to ask questions of myself, Provost Rick Muma, Student Affairs and online learning leaders. Thanks to outgoing SGA President Kitrina Miller for setting up these town halls, and congratulations to . I鈥檓 looking forward to working with them.

We鈥檙e also planning regular video town halls for all faculty and staff. Our first virtual town hall will be at 4 p.m. Friday, April 24. You鈥檒l see details in WSU Today this week.

A number of items made the news this week:

Via Christi Ascension began using the disposable stethoscopes for COVID-19 patients. It鈥檚 just one more example of the work 成人头条 State, as the Kansas Innovation University, is doing to through innovation to support our community and health care workers.
Looking ahead from focusing on today to our future, the Kansas Board of Regents approved several long-term proposals. This includes approving a prior request to the Legislature for funding faculty, staff and students through our pan-university convergence sciences initiative, as well as a facility that could be built primarily through non-state revenue specifically targeted for these types of economic development and innovation projects. And, we have been given the chance to remove the aging stands at Cessna Stadium sometime in the future.

When facing a huge, multi-faceted challenge like this pandemic, you sometimes have to focus on just winning the day, doing your very best with what鈥檚 right in front of you. That rolls into winning the week and if you keep winning days and weeks, you end up in a good place.

We all have bad moments and things we wish we had done differently. But we need to forgive ourselves and forgive each other as we work through all of these difficulties.

I hope you have had a good week and that many more are ahead. I am keeping you in my thoughts and hope that this past weekend you had a chance to renew your energy and optimism for the days ahead.

Best,

Jay

President Jay Golden

Help shape 成人头条 State by taking brand survey

Help us better serve you by letting us know what you think through our new 成人头条 State University brand survey.

Your thoughts are important in this time of change. Help us make the right decisions to ensure everyone finds value in 成人头条 State and feels welcome in the Shocker community.

Your next few minutes will make an important difference! Share your thoughts on our survey at . A Spanish-language version of the survey is available at .

It鈥檚 time to update your Strategic Planning Initiative

The Strategic Planning Committee and Activation Teams recently completed the review of the 167 submitted Strategic Planning Initiatives (SPI). To see the high level documentation of the efforts to support the mission of 成人头条 you'll find the preview of the TeamDynamix dashboard, here.

All university SPI鈥檚 should be updated for end of year reporting by Friday, May 1, 2020. To update your SPI鈥檚, navigate to the WSU Strategic Planning website. Additional assistance can be found in the How-to-Guide.

Link to How-To Guide

WSU Strategic Plan

Troubleshooting suggestions from IDA

Welcome to the fourth week of remote instruction. We here in Instructional Design and Access want to make sure all instructors are aware of a few important issues that have come up through tickets and emails to our office:

1) If you need to use images in Blackboard test questions, please upload them as files rather than attempting to copy them in or using the "upload image" option in the editor. Only images that are uploaded as files can be seen by all students.

2) If you are experiencing slow upload times for videos, that is due to network speeds and not your video host (Panopto or YouTube). Check here for more information.

3) If you are trying to use Panopto to create video but don't see the green "create" button, you need to for Panopto first.

4) All instructors can get a Zoom Pro account by filling out .

As always, if you have any questions, please send us an email at IDA@wichita.edu.

Chand shares expertise on credit card rates

Masud Chand

成人头条 State鈥檚 Masud Chand was featured in WalletHub's story about credit card rates. Chand is chair, Department of Management, Associate Professor of International Business, W. Frank Barton School of Business.

Perspectives in the Pandemic 2020 COVID-19 series continues Wednesday

Making sense of the issues surrounding the coronavirus can be challenging. Faculty experts in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at 成人头条 are helping clear the confusion.

Please join us for the following events, each held at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, April 15-May 6.

April 22 鈥淎 history of pandemics,鈥� by George Dehner, associate professor of history

o Meeting ID: 529 143 580

Upcoming events in series

* April 29 鈥淐OVID-19 and the impact on local public health practice and policy,鈥�

Panel discussion led by Melissa Walker, associate professor of public affairs

o Meeting ID: 404 843 017

* May 6 鈥淚n search of a COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics,鈥� by Bill Groutas, WSU Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

o Meeting ID: 796 333 682

COVID-19 Series

Convergence Sciences Town Halls to be held April 23-24

You are invited to attend upcoming town halls to talk about the president鈥檚 Convergence Sciences Initiative. You鈥檒l hear key information about the call for proposals, and most importantly get the chance to connect with people whose expertise you need for your proposal, or who are seeking to join a research group.

The town halls will be organized around the three topics:

Sustainability at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 23
Health Disparity at 1 p.m. Friday, April 24
Digital Transformations at 3 p.m., Friday, April 24

A Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you after you RSVP.

Convergence Science Town Halls and Events

Troubleshoot problems with images in Blackboard tests

If you are delivering tests in Blackboard, you need to know that image uploads are not always showing up correctly for students. If you are using images in tests, please read through this short training to ensure your images have been added in a way students can see when they take the test.

Would you like a Blackboard expert to look over your test and review your test settings to ensure they reflect your goals? Email a request for a review to Instructional Design and Access at IDA@wichita.edu.

Resources available to support students, staff, and community during this challenging time

We are living and working in a time of change and disruption. Not only disruption of what we do and how we do it, but disruptions in relationships integral to our personal and professional lives. As a result of these circumstances, we may experience anxiety, stress, sadness, loneliness, grief, and so on. Connecting with people who share similar experiences during this time can be critical for our physical and emotional health.

To help you navigate these changing times, the WSU Community Engagement Institute has added a list of resources to the Kansas Support Groups Website. This includes information on resources related to physical and mental health, self-care, safety, and more.

The website also houses an online database with information on various local, state and national support groups and resources. This database is available year-round and is searchable by county or topic.

Find resources related to COVID-19 and others at or email supportgroups@wichita.edu for more information.

College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame selects five recipients for 2020

The 成人头条 College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame will honor five Shockers as the 2020 class of inductees.

鈥淭he College of Fine Arts has a long and storied tradition of superb faculty, backed by unbelievably supportive patrons who have mentored students that have gone on to national and international prominence in their chosen profession," Rodney Miller, dean of the College of Fine Arts, said. 鈥淭his class is but a fraction of the deserving people who have been associated with the fine arts at 成人头条 State.鈥�

The 2020 class of the CFA Hall of Fame were to be honored at a special Hall of Fame Gala on May 12th. However, in lieu of a face-to-face induction, the College will post a virtual Hall of Fame that will be posted on its website.

Adult Learning newsletter

Connect with the Office of Adult Learning Spring Newsletter

Even though the global pandemic is causing us to reschedule some events, the Office of Adult Learning still has plenty of exciting news to share. This March marked our office's 5th anniversary, and we continue to support adult learners at 成人头条 State University.

In our Spring Newsletter we highlight Shocker Pathway student Chelsea Morales, as well as events like the CALEM conference and the Shocker Pathway Transfer Fair. To read the newsletter visit the Office of Adult Learning page on the 成人头条 State website.

To subscribe to our bi-semester newsletter and keep in contact with us, click here.

Office of Adult Learning Spring Newsletter

GRASP 2020 to be held on Blackboard -- Call for judges

In the spirit of continuing their support of graduate student research even while not on campus, the Graduate School will hold the annual Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects Symposium online this year; Blackboard will host virtual posters and written explanations from graduate students across campus. All WSU faculty, staff, and students will be able to self-enroll in the Blackboard Organization to view projects on May 1. Want more information about GRASP? Visit our website at wichita.edu/grasp.

Additionally, the Graduate School is seeking faculty and staff volunteers to judge the poster session remotely from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, May 1. If you have access to a tablet, computer or smart device, this would be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the diverse research and scholarly projects in which graduate students across campus have been engaged. Volunteer sign-up will close at the end of the day on Thursday, April 23.

Tuesday Talks with Sandy and Student Health Services

Sit down with contraception specialist Sandy Hill, APRN, and Nurse Heather for a Q&A about contraception and your body! Tune in to Student Health's Facebook Live at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21), and ask your questions about contraceptive methods, updates, and more.

JoVE Science Library streaming free for WSU students and faculty

Find innovative instructional streaming collections at JoVE Science Library! Through University Libraries, WSU faculty and students have free access to JoVE through June 15. This online resource has videos on a variety of STEM subjects. More information is available at .

Announcing Virtual Celebration on May 16

We are happy to announce that a Virtual Celebration will be held in honor of the spring and summer 2020 graduates on Saturday, May 16. This online option will allow us to acknowledge their achievements safely during this time of social distancing.

What is a Virtual Celebration?

It鈥檚 an option that allows the university, family, and friends to share in this momentous occasion in an online format. All eligible spring and summer 2020 graduates will receive an email asking them to opt in if they want to participate, and requesting information such as a photo, name pronunciation, and personal message in order to design a custom slide for each participating graduate. Please note: spring and summer 2020 graduates need to check their Shocker email to opt in!

MarchingOrder will provide a webpage, specifically designed for 成人头条鈥檚 spring and summer 2020 graduates, with shareable links for social media posts and the ability to download a custom slide. In addition, there will be a link on the commencement webpage to a digital program that will list the graduate's name, degree, and any academic honors received. There will be an option to download, print or share digitally with family and friends. The celebration will also include pre-recorded remarks from the President, Provost, Deans, and Alumni Association.

We look forward to celebrating the spring and summer 2020 graduates in this unique way!

Leadership Chat Series

Join us for weekly discussions on Leadership Topics. Every Thursday at 2 pm, we will discuss a topic! Topics such as leading in Chaos, the Enneagram, and more will be sent out the Monday before. Information can be found on our Facebook page or directly e-mailed to you! .

Stay connected with KMUW's Distance Socials

KMUW has launched a series of virtual events to help our community stay connected from home. These "Distance Socials" are convened on Zoom or streamed live on KMUW's Facebook Page, and anyone can participate.

Up next is Literary Feast, KMUW's monthly book club, at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. We'll discuss "The Glass Hotel" by Emily St. John Mandel, the award-winning author of "Station Eleven." Go to kmuw.org/distance-socials to register for the Zoom meeting.

Then, at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, join us on Facebook Live for Digital Democracy on Tap: Victory Gardens. We'll get tips and advice from an expert panel on how to successfully start and maintain a home vegetable garden. Learn more at KMUW.org.

We have a Virtual Resume Workshop just for you -- See you via Zoom tomorrow!

A resume is a document that presents your education, experience and qualifications in a clear, concise and compelling way, customized for the position to you are applying for.

In this virtual session hosted by the Career Development Center, find out from how to organize your experiences, talents and skills together 鈥� and most importantly 鈥� what employers are looking for in a resume. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. Let us help you make sure you are putting your best foot forward from 5:30-6:30 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21).

Thinking about Grad School? Attend this virtual workshop tomorrow!

Start to investigate graduate school at this informational workshop co-hosted by the Career Development Center and the Graduate School from 3-4 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21).

Join Aaron Coffey via Zoom and learn tips and tricks to making your graduate search successful. It鈥檚 never too early to start gaining this valuable information.

Did you know -

Those with a grad degree earn $12,000 (masters) or $30,000 (professional / doctorate) more per year, on average, than those with a bachelor鈥檚 degree?*

Those with a grad degree are less likely to be unemployed?*

Those with a grad degree have specialized knowledge in an area of study*

*Info from the Council of Graduate Schools (cgsnet.org)

Bender Virtual Career Fair: Connecting Job Seekers & Employers

Open to experienced and early career job seekers with disabilities nationwide. Get your resume ready with the Career Development Center for this event, log in to Handshake, and select an appointment or give us a call at 316-978-3688.

Join Bender Consulting Services Inc., with more than 30 employers looking for talented students, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow (April 21), such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Aetna, Ameresco, Bank of America, Carilion Clinic, Crawford & Company, Cushman & Wakefield, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Microsoft, National Security Agency

Direct questions for returning library materials to librarystaff@wichita.edu

University Library items may be returned through the book drop on the east side of Ablah Library or once the libraries have open hours. There are no fines for late library materials. Please e-mail librarystaff@wichita.edu for questions.

From the eyes of a 成人头条 State nurse, COVID-19 is here

Hanna Bates-Crosby is currently a senior studying nursing at 成人头条. For one week, she relocated to New York to help serve in the hospitals and on the frontlines.
Her experience in New York opened her eyes to the severity of the virus. Hospitals were overcrowded and nurses were running low on supplies in some areas.
Now, she is back home in Kansas City and will continue her work in the emergency room once her quarantine ends.

Read full story.

Participants wanted for a study on self-advocacy

I hope to learn whether students who participate in college TRIO programs at WSU are more likely to self-advocate than their non-TRIO participating peers.

You can complete a questionnaire called the College Student Mentoring Survey (CSMS), which will ask questions related to your mentoring experiences at WSU and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, which will be used to examine your self-decision making. The questionnaires will take between 20-35 minutes.

If you are interested in a follow-up for advocacy scenarios, you will be able to continue the survey and respond to the scenarios; otherwise, at the end of the questionnaire when it asks if you would like to complete the scenarios, you may select 鈥渘o.鈥� The scenarios will take between 5-10 minutes and will consist of problem-based scenarios where you will be asked to create a solution to the problem.

To be eligible to participate:

Must have a fluent understanding of English

Must be an undergraduate at WSU

Contact: If you are interested in participating in this study or have any concerns, contact Mercedes Lubbers at mercedes.lubbers@wichita.edu or my faculty advisor, Mara Alagic, at mara.alagic@wichita.edu.

to access the CSMS and the GSES questionnaire.

eGift Cards now available at Shockerstore.com

The Shocker Store is now offering electronic gift cards that people can purchase online at shockerstore.com and have emailed to someone to use immediately! These electronic gift cards are only valid for use online at shockerstore.com, not valid for use in store locations. Great option to use during this social distancing time.