Shocker Blast: April 1, 2020

 

SGA VIrtual Town Hall meeting April 2, 2020

SGA to host Virtual Town Hall for students

Welcome Back, Shockers! We know these are unprecedented times for us as college students. We know there are probably still so many questions about how WSU is handling these times.

Join the Student Government Association as we host a Virtual Town Hall live on YouTube at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 2). It will be moderated by Student Body President Kitrina Miller, with university President Dr. Jay Golden, Provost Dr. Muma, Dean of Students Dr. Aaron Austin and Dr. Carolyn Speer, manager, Instructional Design And Access, as we answer all the questions you may still have about WSU’s response to COVID-19.

We will accept questions live during the Virtual Town Hall, but to submit a question ahead of time, please click here.

Click here to join the Virtual Town Hall at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 2.


ShockersUp

COVID-19 Emergency Fund grants now available to students

We’ve heard from students who are suffering financial hardships related to COVID-19. The WSU Foundation has created an emergency fund for students who have lost their job or had other financial setbacks due to the pandemic.

The fund has been started with $25,000 from WSU Foundation donors. Students may apply for grants of up to $500 by visiting the WSU Office of Financial Aid website at https://www.wichita.edu/finaidCOVID19 for the application and FAQs related to financial aid and COVID-19.

If you know of others who would like to support Wichita State students through the emergency fund, they can contribute at https://foundation.wichita.edu/shockersup.


Parking update for spring 2020

For the remainder of the semester, Wichita State University is suspending parking enforcement for lots with green, yellow and green-and-yellow-striped signage. Parking enforcement personnel will continue to enforce permits in stalls with red signage, as well as ADA parking stalls, fire lanes and other reserved parking areas. 

We understand the impact the global pandemic has placed on students and are doing all we can to accommodate the Shocker community during these challenging times.  


Wichita State teams with WPD to produce face shields for first responders

A relationship that started with friendship and drones is now helping produce face shields for first responders, a critical piece of equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is an emergency situation, but we’ve been doing projects with WPD for (almost) three years now,” said Nathan Smith, Project Innovation Hub manager for Wichita State University’s College of Engineering. “The existing relationship was exactly why I was able to be contacted so quickly.”

On Thursday, Sergeant Teddy Wisely of the Wichita Police Department (WPD) and Smith delivered around 30 reusable face shields to the WPD. Wisely, on his gofundme.com page, calls the work a “community effort to tackle a community problem.”

Read complete story.


Graduate assistantships

Graduate Assistantships in Student Affairs / Student Services

Master level graduate students who are in or going into the following degree programs, Higher Education Student Affairs, Educational Leadership, Education, Public Affairs and Communication are encouraged to apply for graduate assistantships within Student Affairs / Student Services. For more information or to apply, please visit wichita.edu/HESAGradAssistantships or email getinvolved@wichita.edu.


WSU Catalog 2020-21

The 2020-21 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are now available!

The 2020-21 Wichita State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are now live and online! Links to both catalogs can be found at http://wichita.edu/catalog.

Be sure to check out everything that’s new at WSU. Look on the Degrees and Academic Majors page to browse through all of WSU’s Undergraduate or Graduate degrees, programs and certificates. Click on any of the column headers to sort the list the way you want it, or click on the name of the program and go right to the program information.

Curious about admission? Financial aid? Advising? Commencement ceremonies? Links to all this information and more are available in the catalog.

The catalogs are accessible from your desktop, tablet and smartphone.

While we are excited to have the catalog online, we recognize that a printed catalog is still important and handy. Links to download PDFs of the full Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are not available at this time, but we are working to get them up within the next few weeks. When the PDF links are available, they will be located at the bottom right of every page next to links creating PDFs of individual catalog pages.


Mental health from one student to another

From one student to another: Protect your mental health in the midst of COVID-19

I know you see articles about COVID-19 everywhere you look, and you know to distance yourself from others, clean surfaces and wash your hands for optimal physical health. Let’s take a moment to think about your mental health, though. 

This is a time of prolonged high stress, and our bodies do not do well in long, heightened states of anxiety. It can affect our immune system and decision-making skills. Here are some tips from Wichita State’s Counseling and Prevention Services on how to manage your stress levels during these unprecedented times. 

First, know that fear and anxiety are normal and valid responses. It is perfectly fine to have these feelings.

Read complete story.


Curing boredomMaddie's Top 10 tips to making moments matter in quarantine

Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, us college kids have had a crazy past few weeks. It’s hard to forget that every day we are living in historic times. What is going on around the world will one day be taught in a history class or documented on TV.

Maybe you’re like me, working from home to help flatten the curve. Or maybe you recently traveled and are self-quarantining. Whatever the circumstance, staying at home isn’t ideal, especially with spring break and the nice weather, but it’s necessary during these times.

I’ve compiled a list of fun things to do physically or virtually that can help pass the time and ease some boredom! While it may not be what we wanted, this extra time at home may end up helping us decompress after stressful semesters.

Read complete story.


Chartwells family meals with free delivery

Free delivery in Wichita and surrounding areas. Let us bring food to your door.

Don’t risk leaving your house when we can come to your door and deliver healthy and tasty meals for the entire family. Check out our family meal options here. Order today!

Call 316-978-5863 or email wsucatering@compass-usa.com.


Phenomenal Women Awards 2020

Congratulations to the 2020 Phenomenal Women Award recipients!

The annual Phenomenal Women Awards recognizes women for their accomplishments and contributions to our community through their scholarship, activism, and commitment to excellence. While we cannot celebrate in person, we hope that each nominee and award recipient knows how important they are to the campus and community.

Congratulations to the 2020 Phenomenal Women Award recipients: Rhonda Hicks, Heba Madi, and student award winner Maribel Sanchez!

To learn more about the Phenomenal Women Awards and to read our recipients’ bios, go to http://wichita.edu/phenomenal.


Changes to GRASP

Given current recommendations, the in-person Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium has been canceled. However, in order to provide an opportunity to showcase graduate research and scholarly projects, we will be moving GRASP online. We’re still working on logistics and will announce details later.

Aren't familiar with GRASP? Please visit our website to learn more about our annual symposium at wichita.edu/grasp.

GRASP Symposium


Virtual Clinical hiring event April 2020

Virtual Clinical hiring event · Hosted by Ascension Via Christi

Ascension Via Christi realizes the importance of social distancing at this time, and staying home with your family. We also realize that many of you are still searching for that next step in your career.

The Career Development Center invites you to join us for our Virtual Career Fair from noob-2 p.m. Friday April 3. You will have the opportunity to chat with Ascension Via Christi recruitment team members from our Wichita, Pittsburg and Manhattan hospitals about our many open positions from the comfort of your own home.

Event details here

Register Today!

Event Details:

Chats are about 10 minutes long, leaving you plenty of time in your day for other things. Join the chat any time between 12 - 2 p.m. CST and speak with a member of our recruitment team.

Open Positions:

  • CNA
  • Emergency Services
  • Laboratory (Phlebotomy Tech, MLT, MLS)
  • LPN
  • Medical Assistant
  • Non-clinical/Administrative
  • Radiology/Imaging
  • Rehabilitation Services (PT, OT)
  • Respiratory Therapist
  • RN
  • Social Worker/Case Management
  • Surgical Services (Surgical Technician, Processing Specimen Technician)

Virtual Clinical Hiring Event 

 


Movie night with SAC

Join the Student Activities Council for a weekly Netflix Watch Party. Every week we will pick a new film to watch together with live chat during and after the movie to connect from our couches.

Have a movie you want to watch with fellow Shockers? Send suggestions to sac@wichita.edu. A Netflix subscription and Netflix Party Chrome Browser extension is required prior to joining the event.

Chatroom link and directions will be shared 20 minutes before the start time on the Wichita State Student Activities Council Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Watch Party Wednesday occurs weekly at 6 p.m. on April 1, 8, 15, 22, 23, 30, and May 6.

Visit wichita.edu/virtualevents for more programs like this.

Netflix Party


REAL ID deadline postponed to 2021

The enforcement deadline for REAL ID has been pushed back to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday. 

DHS said there will be a 12-month delay, extending the deadline for states to comply until Oct. 1, 2021, as states across the country are temporarily closing or restricting access to DMVs.

More information on REAL ID

Extending the deadline will also allow the Department to work with Congress to implement needed changes to expedite the issuance of REAL IDs once the current health crisis concludes, Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement.

REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses will be required to fly domestically, after legislation passed by Congress in 2005 aimed to unify security standards for the IDs across states.

“The already difficult task of bringing the country closer to REAL ID compliance is now clearly impossible due to the coronavirus crisis,” said US Travel President and CEO Roger Dow.

“Over the next 18 months people will be focused on building their lives back, not going to the DMV. The economic damage of coronavirus is already massive, and as we move toward a recovery phase it would be awful if the REAL ID deadline hits and creates yet another obstacle to people traveling.”

A new analysis compiled by US Travel and Longwoods International, a market research consultancy, shows that if REAL ID were implemented today, an estimated 67,400 travelers would be turned away at airport security checkpoints on the first day, and more than 471,800 within the first week.


Nominate an advisory

Nominate an advisor for the Excellence in Academic Advising Award

Do you know of an advisor who goes above and beyond for students? The Advising Network (TAN) is proud to support student success by recognizing academic advisors at Wichita State University. Anyone who provides advising services in any role (faculty or staff) is eligible for nomination.

These awards recognize individuals who demonstrate qualities and practices that make significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising at WSU and beyond.

Nominate an advisor by completing an online form by April 3.


2020 Summer Leadership Institute announcement

As we continue to evaluate our programming for this semester and keep the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff at the forefront of our priorities, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Summer Leadership Institute (SLI).

While we recognize this event takes place further out, we want to be proactive in offering alternative programming that reaches our students virtually. For more information about upcoming Student Involvement programming, please visit the Student Involvement webpage[BROKEN LINK].

Reach out to Kennedy Rogers at kennedy.rogers@wichita.edu if you have any questions regarding this year’s 2020 SLI.


Self-Advocacy study

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 “no.” 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. You may click this link to access the CSMS and the GSES questionnaire.