Campus update from President Golden
Dear Shocker community,
Thank you for another great week last week. We are moving positively to sustain the university’s momentum, even as we work to care for each other and secure the university’s 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 “co-exist with the virus.” We are all working very hard to plan for an open campus in the fall, but with a “new normal” 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 Wichita State and Wichita 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’d encourage you to make your own list. If you prefer, you can watch a video version of this information.
The details will soon be announced, but it sounds like we’re going to be able to help a lot of our students with the greatest needs through the stimulus money to be provided to Wichita State University 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, Wichita 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 www.wichita.edu/finaidcovid19. For information about making a donation, go to https://foundation.wichita.edu/shockersup.
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 newly elected President Rija Kahn and VP Mackenzie Haas. I’m looking forward to working with them.
We’re 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’ll see details in WSU Today this week.
A number of items made the news this week:
- Via Christi Ascension began using the disposable stethoscopes developed and printed in Wichita State’s 3-D labs for COVID-19 patients. It’s just one more example of the work Wichita 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’s 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 Wichita State by taking brand survey
Help us better serve you by letting us know what you think through our new Wichita 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 Wichita State and feels welcome in the Shocker community.
Your next few minutes will make an important difference! Share your thoughts on our survey at https://wsu.news/survey. A Spanish-language version of the survey is available at https://wsu.news/surveyspanish.
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’s 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 Wichita State University’s 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.
Click here for commencement updates.
We look forward to celebrating the spring and summer 2020 graduates in this unique way!
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 Wichita State University 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 “A history of pandemics,” by George Dehner, associate professor of history
o Meeting ID: 529 143 580
* April 29 “COVID-19 and the impact on local public health practice and policy,”
Panel discussion led by Melissa Walker, associate professor of public affairs
o Meeting ID: 404 843 017
* May 6 “In search of a COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics,” by Bill Groutas, WSU Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
o Meeting ID: 796 333 682
Book Club by Graduate Student Council: Every Tuesday at noon
Starting tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21), the Graduate Student Council will host a virtual Book Club. The current chosen book is "100 Semesters" by William Chance. A free e-copy of the book is available, so please email Ashruta at gsc.treasurer@wichita.edu to join them in their first session on Zoom at noon Tuesday, April 21, to get access to your copy! For more details, follow the Facebook post.
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.
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 http://supportgroupsinkansas.org/coronavirus or email supportgroups@wichita.edu for more information.
College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame selects five recipients for 2020
The Wichita State University College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame will honor five Shockers as the 2020 class of inductees.
“The 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. “This class is but a fraction of the deserving people who have been associated with the fine arts at Wichita State.”
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.
Call for artists
Gallery selections are approaching, but there’s still time. We would like to ask you to encourage your students and your department to apply for the chance to become a Cadman Art Gallery exhibitor. Benefits include increased exposure, as well as experience in designing and installing their own shows.
Applications to exhibit in the Cadman Art Gallery are available through Tuesday, April 21, on the Cadman website at wichita.edu/cadmangallery.
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 Wichita 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 Wichita State website.
To subscribe to our bi-semester newsletter and keep in contact with us, click here. https://mailchi.mp/8a906b0267ff/newslettersubscribeoal
Office of Adult Learning Spring Newsletter
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 – and most importantly – 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’s 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’s 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
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 libraries.wichita.edu/electronicresources/current_trials.
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! Register here.
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.
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 Wichita State nurse, COVID-19 is here
- Hanna Bates-Crosby is currently a senior studying nursing at Wichita State University. 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.
WSU graduate helps Reno County deal with COVID-19 data and respond
Working in politics appealed to D.J. Gering. He saw himself crunching numbers for a campaign or researching policy and turning those experiences into a career with a think tank.
“When I graduated from WSU, I told myself the one thing I really didn’t want to do was health,” he said.
Three years later, Gering is helping his community deal with a pandemic as a public health analyst for the Reno County Health Department.
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.
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.
Spring Shocker Sale Online
Looking to find some great deals on Shocker gear without leaving your house? The Shocker Store is having a Spring Shocker Sale online at shockerstore.com from now to Sunday, April 26. It will feature select products at awesome prices! Plus, free shipping on orders over $25. May not be combined with other discounts or promotions. See product images and pricing on the Facebook event page here.