WSU Today Newsletter

COVID-19 UPDATES

Update on reopening of the 成人头条 State campus

Dear 成人头条 community,

It has now been almost two months since we have asked all of you 鈥� students, faculty and staff 鈥� to pivot from what was expected to be a normal spring semester to a world of uncertainty and rapid, unprecedented change.

While the most drastic of changes seems to have slowed in recent days, we cannot overlook the enormity of all that we have accomplished. We have navigated our way through a complete shift to online learning, remote working, implementation of social distancing, stay-at-home orders and travel quarantines. We have asked each of you to make sacrifices, great and small, for the benefit of your fellows Shockers.

And we have remained committed to preserving the student experience while prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of our family, friends and entire community.

But while this new way of doing business seems now almost like a new normal, we know that it is not sustainable. We must learn to coexist with this virus 鈥� and do so safely 鈥� as we begin to resume life on campus.

Last week, Gov. Kelly unveiled her This plan is a four-phased strategic approach to gradually reopening the state in accordance with public health guidance and best practices. In light of this announcement, we have heard from many of you inquiring as to the university鈥檚 plans both for the immediate and long-term future.

Our priority has always been 鈥� and remains 鈥� the health, safety, and well-being of our entire campus community. With that firmly in mind, the university has organized seven working groups, comprised of faculty, staff and students, each of which is charged with assessing different components of the university with an eye toward gradually 鈥� and safely 鈥� ramping up operations over the coming weeks.

These working groups provided their initial reports and recommendations last week, and we are working on compiling each of these individual reports to be combined into a larger campaign and initiative, which we are calling Shockers United.

While much is still unknown, 成人头条 State intends to begin its gradual reopening on May 26 with a goal of resuming in-person instruction, at least in part, this fall. Given that our summer classes will still be in an online and/or remote format, we understand that the most immediate impact of our gradual reopening will be felt by our employees.

While the Shockers United plan to phase back to campus is already under way, this does not mean all employees will be expected to return to work on May 26. During the summer term, departments should continue to look for ways to stagger work schedules and should continue to allow employees to work remotely unless it is essential that the employee report to campus.

We understand that each department鈥檚 needs, business hours and remote work schedule may look different depending on the demands of the department and the needs of the employees in that department. We ask that all departments assess their operations while keeping in mind the health and safety of their employees. Employees who are concerned about returning to work should work with their supervisor and human resources on a plan that meets the needs of the department but also meets the health and safety needs of those in the department.

Every step we take and every decision we make will be dictated by health and safety concerns and current guidance from local and state public health officials. I know there is a strong desire for concrete answers, but we simply don鈥檛 have those at this point. There is still a great deal of planning to do and risks and solutions to be addressed. We expect to announce our plans for the fall semester in the coming weeks, and we will continue to stay in touch through emails, town halls and campus-wide messaging as those plans take shape.

For the more immediate future, I want to make you aware of a few general key points as we start down this path:

Shockers United will be, at all times, governed by health and safety guidance issued by local and state public health officials and is modeled after the Ad Astra plan.
Summer classes will still be held exclusively in an online and/or remote format.
When on campus, there will be a strong emphasis on each person taking 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.
All faculty will need to design flexibility into fall semester course delivery (e.g., hybrid, online, modified schedule, etc.) to limit disruption and assure quality learning outcomes if another stay-at-home period is needed.
Faculty and staff should continue to work to provide support to students through increased availability of grants, scholarships and campus employment opportunities.
Students and advisors should stay connected in order to ensure that all students stay on a path to graduation while taking into account financial needs.
University research activities and spaces will continue to be operational while taking into account health and safety guidelines.
The university will continue to work with its Innovation Campus partners in an effort to coordinate reopening plans.

I know you have many questions that are not addressed here. Please be assured that we will provide answers to those questions as soon as they are known.

We continue to ask for your patience and cooperation as we tackle all of these issues. We all share the desire to return to campus and return to campus life 鈥� whatever that may look like in this time of a 鈥渘ew normal鈥� as we coexist with this virus. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do. It is your hard work and dedication that will make our safe return to campus possible.

Take care,

Rick Muma, Provost

Faculty and staff virtual town hall coming tomorrow

A live YouTube virtual staff and faculty town hall will be held from 4-5 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, May 8). This is a chance to hear and interact with President Golden and Provost Rick Muma. The event will be moderated by presidents of the UP, USS and Faculty Senates.

Faculty and staff wanting to participate are encouraged to do so during the live YouTube stream. If you don鈥檛 currently have a YouTube account, for more information on how to create one. Creating an account will help facilitate questions in the live chat section of the Virtual Town Hall.

You can watch the town hall live and recorded after at .

成人头条 State launches new COVID-19 site

成人头条 has launched a new version of the COVID-19 website. The site, at , is reorganized to make information easier to find. Instead of massive lists of questions, the information has been sorted by audience and by topic. A topics listing on the front page will allow you to jump directly to questions related to the subject in which you're interested, and those URLs can be shared.

All pages of the old site have been redirected to relevant material on the new site.

View the new site

~[com[3379 53 910 "version": 9, "data": {"b68f3c6707a902003ca6b6575c94c69b":"FEATURED STORIES","0b3765f7ad98804221bc2731eb186e1a":"featured"}}]]~

SEM Update - Year 3

The campus moved to remote operations before we had a chance to enjoy breakfast together and an update on Year 3 of our Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan. This presentation is now available to view as a video. Questions and ideas to promote enrollment growth can be directed to Carolyn Shaw, Associate Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management.

University Faculty Awards will be announced tomorrow

The University Faculty Awards will be announced on Friday, May 8. Follow WSU Today and 成人头条 State social media to acknowledge and congratulate the honorees.

Excellence in Teaching

Leadership in the Advancement of Teaching

Young Faculty Scholar

Academy for Effective Teaching

Excellence in Research

Excellence Award for Community Research

Faculty Risk Taker

Young Faculty Risk Taker

Excellence in Accessibility Award

Excellence in Online

Place your order by tomorrow for the limited edition 125th anniversary lapel pin

In celebration of the 125th anniversary for 成人头条, a special edition lapel pin has been designed to mark the celebratory period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The deadline to be part of this bulk order is Friday, May 8.

The full-color, approximately 1.25鈥� hard enamel pin, is available with a butterfly (military) or magnet fastener. Please note that the price point for the magnet fastener is slightly higher than the butterfly fastener.

The price point breakdown based on the quantity ordered is noted. For example, if all combined orders for lapel pins with magnet fasteners total 10,000, then the cost per unit will be $1.12. However, if all combined orders for magnet fasteners is 100, the cost per unit will be $1.18.

Each department will only be invoiced for the quantity requested. The deadline to submit orders is Friday, May 8.

Lapel Pin Order Form

2020 Kansas Employment Forecast

Total nonfarm employment for the state of Kansas increased by almost 8,000 workers in 2019, growing 0.5 percent. For 2020, the Kansas economy is projected to contract substantially due to the impact of the novel coronavirus, with the effects of the virus on the economy expected to linger on beyond the end of the state鈥檚 stay-at-home order as social distancing continues. US gross domestic product declined 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020 as the first effects of the novel coronavirus were felt in March, and the effects are expected to be much larger through the remainder of the year.

In 2020, Kansas employment is forecast to decline 10.2 percent, contracting at an annual rate of more than 140,000 jobs compared to 2019. The job losses are expected to be concentrated in the second quarter, following by an employment recovery in the third and fourth quarters of the year. These projections are based on the assumptions that the novel coronavirus infections peaks in the second quarter of 2020 at a level manageable for the local health care system, and that additional stay-at-home orders are not required to combat the virus after the initial stay-at-home orders expire in May. Additional outbreaks and stay-at-home orders would further reduce the employment outlook beyond what is presented here.

Read the entire Kansas, 成人头条, Kansas City and Topeka forecasts .

GRASP 2020 to be available until Friday

The 2020 Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects Symposium will be available to view on Blackboard until the end of business at 5 p.m. Friday, May 8. If you missed GRASP last Friday, you can still self-enroll and take a look at graduate student research! To self-enroll: log into Blackboard, then follow the link below and click the "+Enroll" button.

Join us for Lavender Graduation today

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies are excited to host this year's Lavender Graduation at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, May 7).

Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted on many campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) students, and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to their institutions. Due to ongoing concerns of COVID-19, we will adjust the format of this program to be a virtual celebration at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7 via Zoom. To rsvp and learn more, go to .

'My (Home) Research Experience' by Graduate Student Council on May 8

Have you ever been curious about how your peers conduct their research? Their methods? Their work environments? How they balance between their family and excel sheets?

Please join Jacob Armstrong, the Graduate Student Council President, as he shares his research experience from 3-4 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, May 8), right before Graduate School's Happy Hour! Link to the live stream will be published on GSC's .

Get your Blackboard classes ready for summer and fall with IDA鈥檚 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 鈥渘earby鈥� 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鈥檛 attend workshops next week, don鈥檛 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.

Fun new Zoom backgrounds for professors and students

Are you and your students tired of the standard Zoom backgrounds? Or would you like to change yours, but you are unsure how? Instructional Design and Access has put together a new training page with tips on uploading Zoom backgrounds along with several new ones for you and your students to try. Check it out at , and please tell your students as well.

KUDOS, PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATION

Congratulations on retirement to Marla Lindenmeyer in Human Performance Studies

We wish to recognize Marla Lindenmeyer and her many years of service to the Department of Human Performance Studies, College of Applied Studies, 成人头条, and 成人头条 Public Schools USD 259. Her passion for teaching and contributing to the physical education profession will provide a legacy for many years. We are deeply grateful for her commitment to the physical education students who have gone to become leaders and mentors in education. Thank you for your service and leadership in the physical education program. Enjoy your retirement!

Marla鈥檚 last day at WSU is May 16. The Human Performance Studies Department is accepting congratulatory cards, and we will ensure they are delivered to her. Please send cards to:

Marla Lindenmeyer

Department of Human Performance Studies

成人头条

1845 Fairmount, Box 16

成人头条, KS 67260

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Invitation Extended by Councilman Brandon Johnson, 成人头条 City Council, District 1

Attention Shockers!

Do you want to add your voice to conversations about community development happening both near and around our campus?!

Do you know what Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) are and how they can help support the needs of WSU鈥檚 students, faculty, staff and neighbors?

Do you believe that it is important for those who live, work, or play in the community to have a voice in what happens there?

During the next six weeks, a committed group of community residents will host Virtual CBA Focus Groups to discuss all these questions and more.

成人头条

WSU Today: May 7, 2020

TODAY'S SECTIONS

SEM Update - Year 3

University Faculty Awards will be announced tomorrow

Place your order by tomorrow for the limited edition 125th anniversary lapel pin

2020 Kansas Employment Forecast

GRASP 2020 to be available until Friday

Join us for Lavender Graduation today

'My (Home) Research Experience' by Graduate Student Council on May 8

Get your Blackboard classes ready for summer and fall with IDA鈥檚 help

Fun new Zoom backgrounds for professors and students

KUDOS, PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATION

Congratulations on retirement to Marla Lindenmeyer in Human Performance Studies

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Invitation Extended by Councilman Brandon Johnson, 成人头条 City Council, District 1