WSU Today: June 3, 2020

 

 

FROM THE PRESIDENT


Organizational updates and preliminary task force recommendations

You have heard much in the past three months about our efforts to navigate the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. Today, as we look toward the future, I am pleased to share additional organizational updates and preliminary task force recommendations that are the result of careful consideration, university-wide collaboration and conversation, and examination of our peer institutions. 

This process began with my hiring late last year and accelerated in late January with the announcement of several initial organizational updates and the creation of nine university task forces, each charged with examining a number of campus issues. In those seven months, I have had the opportunity and pleasure of hearing from many of you in town halls, Senate meetings, departmental and organizational meetings, and informal discussions about your thoughts and vision for our institution 鈥 all of which generated a number of ideas. In addition, I have regularly been meeting with members or our community and region to listen to their concerns and ideas. 

This was a very deliberate process to include as many groups from the campus and community as possible to make the best possible decisions for our university, region and state.

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Recently, our task forces, many of which included not just members from our campus, but also the community, have completed their activities and have reported back to me. Their reports will soon be posted on the President鈥檚 Task Forces webpage, and their recommendations are intertwined with the organizational updates below. 

As with all things, these organizational updates are a work in progress. If life with COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that we must be flexible, ready to respond to the issues of the day and the needs of tomorrow. We will learn as we go and make changes as needed for the best interest of the institution. I am grateful to and appreciative of all those who have accepted new and updated responsibilities and have the utmost confidence in their ability to rise to the occasion. 

 

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST & ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Effective immediately, Provost Rick Muma will assume expanded responsibilities as Executive Vice President and Provost. This is consistent with the structures at some of our other fellow Regents institutions and will allow us to further focus on our priorities and accelerate our mission and vision, especially during this critical time in our world. In addition to overseeing the efforts of all of our academic units, Dr. Muma will now also assume the responsibilities of (1) Student Affairs, (2) Office of Research, (3) Innovation and New Ventures, and (4) the Office of Military, Veterans and First Responders. Information Technology Services will be realigned under the Office of Finance and Operations.    

 

OFFICE OF REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

A great deal of input was provided by our campus and region. WSU has the opportunity to build on all of the hard work done by many of you over the past few years and provide even stronger and more focused efforts to partner with our local community and in support of our 10-county region and the state. 

To better coordinate and harness the incredible efforts of our WSU and WSU Tech faculty, staff and students, we are launching a new and separate Office of Regional Engagement and Economic Development. This office will be responsible for coordinating the resources of the federal, state and local governments with the resources of 成人头条 State and WSU Tech to better serve our local community and the region by addressing health, education and economic disparities and support university-community efforts that promote the economic growth of our region. 

I have asked Kaye Monk-Morgan to serve as the Interim Vice President of Regional Engagement and Economic Development so that we can continue the important work of developing strategic research and economic development partnerships to engage our entire community.

Based on the recommendation of the Engagement and Regional Prosperity Task Force, this office will also supervise community-focused institutes and centers in order to more effectively catalog our institutional service and research capabilities and most effectively leverage our financial and personnel resources. We will undertake a national search for the Vice President of this office in the future. 

This is an especially important time in our history for many reasons and requires us to accelerate our efforts in support of our region. I appreciate each of you who are dedicated to addressing the economic, educational, health and social disparities that challenge many in our region and ask that we work together to continue build on our efforts.

 

OFFICE OF MILITARY, VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

As noted by the task force, there are incredible opportunities for 成人头条 to be one of the most military and veteran friendly universities in the nation. Our faculty and staff have displayed incredible passion and energy towards meeting this goal and expanding it to the many first responders who protect all of us on a daily basis.  

To best serve this population, we are launching the Office of Military, Veterans, and First Responders, led by Dr. March茅 Fleming-Randle. This office will be charged with developing new and expanded academic opportunities, nurturing innovation, and creating internships and encouraging research collaborations with external agencies, such as the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration. 

I have also asked Vice President Fleming-Randle, who was instrumental in re-establishing 成人头条 State鈥檚 Army ROTC program, to continue to grow not only this current program, but to pursue additional ROTC opportunities, as well. 

In addition to these responsibilities, Dr. Fleming-Randle has also graciously agreed to continue to serve as the university鈥檚 Chief Diversity Officer until the newly-established position of Vice President of Workforce Diversity, Human Resources and Professional Development is filled.

 

OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY, HUMAN RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

To achieve our collective goals of ensuring that our faculty and staff are as representative of the diversity of our student body and community, we will be establishing a new Office of Workforce Diversity, Human Resources and Professional Development

This office will be charged with ensuring that human resources at 成人头条 State is aligned with institutional priorities, attuned to changing workplace demographics, is supportive of individual employees, and builds on past efforts to develop a unified strategy focusing on hiring and retaining a workforce that is reflective of our student body.

Led by a not-yet-chosen Vice President, this office will be responsible for building successful human resources programs around diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition, talent management, learning and development, leadership and organizational development, and employee satisfaction. 

I have asked Dr. Aaron Austin, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, and General Counsel Stacia Boden to co-chair a search committee comprised of faculty, staff and students to undertake an immediate national search for a Vice President of Workforce Diversity, Human Resources and Professional Development. This committee will include our task force co-chairs Professor Edil Torres Rivera and Associate Dean Voncella McCleary-Jones.  

 

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

After many years of dedication and service to our university, Lou Heldman has announced his intention to retire from his position as Vice President of Strategic Communications effective June 12. Be assured that we will find a way to honor and celebrate Lou鈥檚 incredible service to this institution. In these times where communication is of the utmost importance, Shelly Coleman-Martins will immediately assume the role of Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing. 

 

OFFICE OF INNOVATION CAMPUS AND REAL ESTATE 

The development and growth of our Innovation Campus, based on the vision of former President John Bardo, is nothing short of inspiring. 成人头条 State is truly the envy of many universities and we are unique in our focus on student opportunities through applied learning.

To streamline and consolidate the management of all of our real estate holdings and leases, we have established a new Office of Innovation Campus and Real Estate. This office will be responsible for managing our current Innovation Campus real estate and leasing portfolio, as well as our future growth, and will coordinate internal and external administrative and communication needs. 

Within the next fiscal year, we will form a search committee comprised of faculty, staff, students and community members that will develop a job description and qualifications for an Executive Director. 

 

WSU FOUNDATION AND WSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 

Given their overlapping missions and aspirations, the Foundation and Alumni Affairs task force has recommended the merger and consolidation of our WSU Foundation and WSU Alumni Association into one unified, comprehensive organization. This single entity will allow the university to better leverage resources and expand engagement strategies to reach alumni and non-alumni alike. The target date for the merger is sometime in 2021. 

 

OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL EQUITY AND COMPLIANCE

The regulatory landscape as it relates to higher education is vast and ever-changing. Colleges and universities are called on not to just comply, but to be proactive in our efforts to develop systems and structures that ensure the protection of our campus community. We are therefore expanding our current Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance to include Title IX, Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act, Affirmative Action and Clery Act compliance. This office will continue to be led by Executive Director Christine Taylor, JD. 

 

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND COMMERCIALIZATION

成人头条 State maintains a rapidly expanding intellectual property portfolio filled with technology and innovation developed by our own faculty and staff researchers. A newly expanded Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization, led by Executive Director Rob Gerlach, JD, will manage the university鈥檚 patents, copyrights and trademarks, and will work with faculty and staff to not only patent university inventions, but also find opportunities for invention commercialization. 

 

MOVING FORWARD

I will soon be providing the campus an update on additional activities resulting from the task forces, including strategies to provide greater access to higher education, updates to our branding strategy, and potential new academic partnerships. Additionally, I will be working with the outgoing presidents Julie Scott (UP Senate) and Jeff Jarman (Faculty Senate), as well as the incoming presidents, student government leaders and others on a collective vision of university shared governance. 

I know these task forces have taken a great deal of time and energy and I extend my most sincere thanks and gratitude to each and every one of you for your unabated dedication 鈥 despite COVID-19 鈥 to this process. Your insights and suggestions will serve as invaluable tools as we work to grow this institution. 

I continue to be amazed and incredibly proud of all the work being done by Shocker Nation to serve not only our campus, but also our greater communities. Thank you for all you do!

Stay healthy and positive.

Jay Golden, 成人头条 State President

FEATURED STORIES


Second candidate to be interviewed for Health Professions dean position today


The Office of Academic Affairs is virtually interviewing four dean candidates for the College of Health Professions. Anyone is welcome to participate in virtual public forums with each candidate, streamed live on YouTube.

Sathees Chandra, Ph.D.; director of the Biomedical Sciences Program; professor of Biomedical Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Barry University. Wednesday, June 3, and Thursday, June 4. Faculty and staff are invited to participate in a virtual public forum at 3 p.m. today (Wednesday, June 3). 

Gregory Hand and Kimberly McDowall Long will be interviewed June 5 and 9 respectively. Phillip Hand was interviewed earlier this week on June 1-2.

See additional information regarding the candidates on the Academic Affairs website


Sign up now for Academic Resources Conference June 8-12

The first half of the new and improved  will take place online via Zoom during the week of June 8. Sign up for trainings now via myTraining.

The Academic Resources Conference is 成人头条 State's largest instructor training event, and this year is greatly expanded and available fully online. All instructors of any rank, student facing staff, and faculty support staff are likely to benefit from this event. If you are interested, you are invited! Zoom events will run the week of June 8 and the week of Aug. 10, and online / on-demand events will be available all summer through the ARC website.

You can see a full list of June events here or browse by topic here.

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The June events include:

1) Best practices for online instruction

2) Protecting your mental health

3) Library services and resources

4) Technical training in Blackboard, Panopto, Zoom, and Respondus

5) Tips for creating instructional video

We miss your face! So, this year we are also offering fun, social events each evening from 6-6:50 p.m. These "Cocktail Hour" events include opportunities to discuss classroom engagement, demonstrations of fun online games (yes, attendees will play), and on Friday night a murder mystery night. Sign up for Cocktail Hour events early as their caps are low. No alcohol required for Cocktail Hour, of course.

Sign up for all events through myTraining found in the myWSU portal. Know an adjunct or new GTA who doesn't have myTraining access? Encourage them to come, and we will handle their sign-up. Just email IDA@wichita.edu.


Convergence Sciences Initiative proposal deadline extended to June 8

The deadline for submission of Convergence Sciences Initiative (CSI) proposals has been extended to Monday, June 8. Faculty and staff may be a Co-PI on more than one proposal. For more information, visit the CSI webpage. 

NEWS


Minecraft

成人头条 State professor uses Minecraft to create virtual field camp

Will Parcell, a 成人头条 professor, created a virtual version of geology field camp. The camp will use Minecraft so students can map the terrain. The terrain will be based on actual locations in Montana and Wyoming.


Common Read

Announcing the next Common Read book!

First-Year Programs in Student Success is pleased to announce the 2020-21 Common Read book, 鈥淪ome Were Paupers, Some Were Kings: Dispatches from Kansas,鈥 by Mark E. McCormick.

We are excited to welcome a new class of students using the themes of this book throughout the year! If you have a program, student organization or course that may be interested in using the book, or have any questions, contact First-Year Programs at 978-5420 or Tahrima Musa at tahrima.musa@wichita.edu. See wichita.edu/commonread for more information.


mifi

Distribution and return of mifi devices have changed

ITS Telecommunications front office staff is back on campus full-time from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday. All mifi distribution and returns will go through our office in 027 Jabara Hall going forward. To return or pick up a requested device, simply visit our office and ring the doorbell. Please remember to wear a mask to keep yourself and our staff as safe as possible.

If you have any questions about this procedure, contact us at 316-978-3535 or telecomservices@wichita.edu. Devices can be mailed to us at WSU ITS Telecommunications, 1845 Fairmount, Box 061, 成人头条, KS 67260

We would like to thank the staff of the Media Resources Center for helping us in the last two months get these mifi鈥檚 into the hands of students, faculty and staff that needed them.


Summer library hours

Summer library hours

University Libraries has been working diligently to create a safe, welcoming experience for our students, staff, and faculty, while maintaining safety protocols found in the Shockers United plan. While we are staffing the Libraries in order to provide service hours to the Shocker community, please note that many Libraries employees will continue working remotely.

EVENTS


Real Talk

Real Talk: Debriefing the recent racial events

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and WSU Counseling and Prevention Services are coming together to host an upcoming Real Talk - Intersection Dialogues from 1-2 p.m. today (Wednesday, June 3), via Zoom (Link will be provided after you RSVP).

As we continue to hear more news about the devastating racial events happening in society, our upcoming topic will be "Debriefing the Recent Racial Events." 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.

Register for this event at . You will receive the Zoom session link and password after you RSVP. For more information, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 316-978-3034.


KMUW event June 9, 2020

KMUW's digital event will address how the upcoming elections will continue amid the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of social life, including how we vote. In partnership with the League of Women Voters, KMUW's Engage ICT will bring together local experts to discuss how the upcoming elections will continue amid the pandemic. Join us at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 9. The live conversation will be streamed from KMUW's Facebook page and at . Email your questions in advance to info@kmuw.org.

 

RESEARCH


Spanish speaking research

Participants sought for undergraduate research, please share with students

I am recruiting study participants for my Experiences with Language and Schooling Research Project. This is undergraduate research. Upon completion of the interview, they will also be able to enter a drawing for a $50 gift card. Please help by sharing the following information with students:

Experiences with Spanish and Schooling Research Project

Would you like the chance to win a $50 gift card?

Participate in our study. Interviews will last about 60 minutes and will be conducted to examine the school experiences of students from Spanish speaking backgrounds in terms of language and identity. To participate you must be 18 years or older and have attended a U.S. public school at some point in your academic career. We are looking for Hispanic participants from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, whether you speak Spanish yourself or were just raised in a Spanish-speaking environment. All responses will be confidential.

If you are interested, contact cizacarias@shockers.wichita.edu or jennifer.pearson@wichita.edu for more information.

UNIVERSITY LIFE


Applications July 1

2021-22 admissions application opens July 1

成人头条 State鈥檚 admissions application becomes available to the high school Class of 2021 on Wednesday, July 1. The Office of Admissions launched a social media campaign on June 1 in order to remind students of when the application opens, and to encourage them to apply early. The campaign will run throughout June and end July 1.

STUDENT NEWS


Kayla Deines

Meet a Shocker: Kayla Deines, communication graduate

Kayla Deines has spent her fair share of time in college but it's allowed her to pursue a path she's passionate about. Skilled in marketing, communications and design, Kayla hopes to land a communication job in higher education.

Kayla is one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring/summer 2020 graduation. Learn more about her time at 成人头条 State and what is next for the grad.

Read Kayla鈥檚 story.