CARES Act update for Wichita State students
On April 9, the U.S. Department of Education released its official allocations for the newly passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Wichita State University has allocated half of its awarded funds – approximately $4.4 million – to emergency financial aid grants for eligible students.
These emergency funds are expected to be distributed to approximately 4,400 students to provide temporary relief for expenses that are a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. Eligible expenses include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare.
In accordance with Department of Education guidance, and with a goal of reaching as many students as possible, WSU will distribute these funds beginning Monday, May 4, 2020, using a tiered system.
An initial distribution has been designated for WSU Pell-eligible students with unmet need. Each eligible student will receive an automatic payment of $1,000 either via direct deposit or paper check within 5-7 business days.
Remaining CARES Act Emergency funds will be set aside for eligible students to access through an application process. Students in this group must have filed a 2019-2020 FAFSA or be eligible to file a FAFSA and must complete the application form found here.
Given the limited amount of CARES Act funding, WSU cannot guarantee that all applications submitted will receive funding, so students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The priority date for applications is Friday, May 8. Applications are due by May 15, 2020.
For more information on the CARES Act and how WSU will be distributing these funds, and to determine if you are eligible to receive funding, please visit the WSU CARES Act Student Funding website. You can also reach out to the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@wichita.edu.
While CARES Act funding is only available to those students eligible for Title IV financial aid, WSU recognizes that there are other members of our campus community, including our international students, undocumented students and students enrolled in distance-only degree programs, who may need financial assistance during this difficult time.
For students from any of these groups, there are other types of emergency aid available via the Shockers Up COVID-19 Emergency Fund. For more information on that fund, please click here.
Join our Virtual Academic Excellence Celebration on May 6
Join the WSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion for our Virtual Academic Excellence Celebration at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. This event honors multicultural students who earned a 3.0 or higher in fall 2019, and are currently enrolled in spring 2020.
You can join us by watching at http://facebook.com/WSUDiversity at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 6.
Please email diversity@wichita.edu with any questions.
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Build your Resume with the Career Development Center - May 5
The resume is a crucial document in the job search process. Whether you are applying for a part/full-time position, on-campus employment, co-op/internship, graduate school admissions, research, fellowship, scholarships, volunteer experience, you will need to develop and maintain a professional document to apply for these opportunities.
Join the Career Development Center for this Resume Building workshop from 2-3 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5).
Shocker Career Chats - Working in Professional Sports - Today @ 4 p.m.
Shocker Career Chats - Working in Professional Sports will be available at 4 p.m. today (Monday, May 4)
Join Wichita State graduates as they share how their time at Wichita State set them up for careers in the professional sports industry. See participant list below.
Boomer Jenkins, Business Intelligence Strategist, Sporting Kansas City
Tom Rudawsky, Pro Personnel Intern, New York Giants
Jenny Young, Account Executive and Season Ticket Sales, Oklahoma City Thunder
Brandon Grengs, Premium Sales Executive, Miami Marlins
The link will go live at 4 p.m. at wichita.edu/ShockerCareerChats
Career Development Center invites you to join KCOE at 6 p.m. today
If you are struggling to make sense of how to retake control of your career ambitions, or if you are interested in gaining perspectives on how to handle adversity in the workplace in uncertain times KCOE ISOM invites you to join us for our upcoming webinar: Pursuing your Career Path in Challenging Times at 6 p.m. today (Monday, May 4).
KCOE has assembled a team of leaders and experts to help guide you through the process of dealing with adversity in the workplace, creating a mentor relationship, expanding your professional network, and creating a strategy to move forward when it feels like the world is going in reverse. This will be a great opportunity for you to understand how to collect your emotions, clarify the purpose and goals of your career, and make connections virtually.
This hour-long interactive webinar and panel Q&A will be led by James Boyd, Talent Advisor, and Samantha Dinkel, Senior Campus Recruiting Specialist.
Join KCOE at 6 p.m. today for this webinar presentation.
Pursuing Your Career Path in Challenging Times
Play trivia for gift cards tomorrow!
Join SAC at 8 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5), for a quick HQ/Kahoot style trivia game for the chance to win some awesome Walmart e-giftcards: $50 for first place and $25 for second place! The game starts here at 8 p.m.
Fun Zoom backgrounds and training in how to use them now available
Are you tired of the standard Zoom backgrounds? Or would you like to change yours, but you are unsure how? Wichita State has put together a new training page with tips on uploading Zoom backgrounds along with several new ones for you to try. Check it out at wichita.edu/myzoom
The First-Gen Shockers letter of support
The First-Generation Coordinating Council (FGCC) has written a letter of support to the First-Gen Shockers. A first-gen student by definition of the Department of Education, is a student whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree.
The council understands the college experience of first-gen students as they, too, were F1rst. During the mandatory remote learning, they acknowledge the opportunities the students are having in stretching their resilience bandwidth. The FGCC is here for you. Feel free to reach us at FGShockers@wichita.edu.
First-Gen Shockers COVID-19 Update
Tuesday Talks with Sara Friesen and Student Health Services
For the next Tuesday Talks at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5), join mental health nurse practitioner Sara Friesen, APRN, PMHNP-BC, for a Q&A about mental health!
Join us on Facebook Live at 2 p.m. to discuss mental health and its stigma, culture, and discussing it with your family. Missed our last Tuesday Talks? Check out the previous ones here.
Join us for Lavender Graduation on May 7
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies are excited to host this year's Lavender Graduation at 6 p.m. 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 Wichita.edu/lavender.
Wichita State historian compares COVID-19 with past pandemics
George Dehner might take exception to those who say the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented.
“This pattern of the appearance of a novel infection that spreads pandemics is as old as a human story. Once we began to settle in the towns and be connected to larger groups of populations that can sustain this sort of rapid infection element like a virus or some other thing, you have pandemics,” said Dehner, associate professor of history at Wichita State University.
Nor would Dehner say that the pandemic was entirely unexpected.
“COVID-19 itself was not predicted, but something like COVID-19 has been predicted for 25 years. COVID-19 is not a surprise to people who have been doing this sort of modeling” he said. “You can't pick which one it will be, but the fact that some sort of animal disease leapt into the human population and spread globally would not come as a surprise to anybody who does that sort of research.”
OSMM presents ‘Smart Money Moves During a Pandemic’
Students are invited to join the Office for Student Money Management in Student Success for its webinar, "Smart Money Moves During a Pandemic" at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. We will provide tips on how to save money, spend wisely, and find resources during this time.
This will be a secured Zoom session, so please email us at osmm@wichita.edu with your name and Shocker ID for an invite.
If you have any questions, email or call us at 316-978-3254. We will post the recorded session on our social media handles @WSU_OSMM if you missed it.
CAPS is still here
Counseling and Prevention Services is still here to support your students' mental well-being, and our counselors want you to know that you and your students are not alone. If you feel a student of yours is struggling, encourage them to reach out to us at 316-978-4792 to set up a teletherapy appointment. There, they'll be able to begin setting up a self-care plan. Then, follow us at @ShockersCAPS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for mental health tips, mindfulness live streams, and daily updates from CAPS counselors.
Enjoy free online self-paced courses!
The Wichita State University Office of Workforce, Professional and Community Education in partnership with Ed2Go is excited to announce free professional development opportunities to the community. Ten free self-paced tutorial courses are now offered to you at no cost!
Free self-paced courses include:
- Creating Web Pages
- Creating WordPress Websites
- Fundamentals of Supervision and Management
- Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Search
- Keys to Effective Communication
- Managing Customer Service
- Marketing Your Business on the Internet
- Personal Finance
- Small Business Marketing on a Shoestring
- Individual Excellence
How to Register
To register and view the courses, click here. To take advantage of this special opportunity, you must select the courses titled, Free Self-Paced Tutorial.
Courses are available through Tuesday, June 30.
For more information or questions, contact jennifer.harry@wichita.edu.
Textbook Buyback is now online only
Spring Textbook Buyback is now online only! Ship your gently used textbooks for free and receive cash for your books. Visit the “Course Materials” section of shockerstore.com for more information.
Learn how you can make a BIG difference with Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters
Are you ready to be a part of something BIG? Learn more about Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters during Kansas' BIGgest Virtual Info Session ever at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 5. Register today for the free webinar; space is limited.
There are currently more than 1,500 Littles waiting for a Big across the state of Kansas. Will you join the more than 100 Wichita State faculty, staff and students already involved by being a friend to the youth in need? For more information visit KansasBigs.org.
From one student to another: Zoom Etiquette Tips
We have been in online school for two and a half weeks. I hope by this time, many of you know how to access your Zoom lectures. If you haven’t figured that out, then congratulations on finding this article.
When I first joined a Zoom meeting, I noticed that some students were in their PJs and others were wearing dress clothes. I also noticed one person had a dog in the background and another was eating food. I concluded that there is not a widely accepted etiquette for online schooling.
So it is with a raised pinky, and mostly my own opinions, that I present to you my Zoom Etiquette tips:
Mother's Day Sale
Looking to find some great gifts for the Shocker moms in your life? The Shocker Store is having a Mother’s Day Sale online at shockerstore.com from May 3-9. It will feature select products at awesome prices! May not be combined with other discounts or promotions.
Volunteers needed for a research study
Test-Retest of the SWAY Mobile Application: Telemedicine Approach
Purpose of the study: To assess the accuracy of the balance, reaction time and cognitive assessment modules of the SWAY mobile application through a telemedicine approach using virtual Zoom meetings and a SMART device.
Procedures: Participants balance, reaction time, and cognitive function will be tested using the SWAY application using a SMART device and receiving instruction through a virtual zoom session.
Time: Participation will include three separate sessions placed one week apart. Each weekly session is expected to last about 30 minutes.
Inclusion / Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants must be age 18 or older
- No known muscular disorders
- No known neurological disorders
- No known orthopedic disorder
- No uncorrected vision
Location: Telemedicine approach: virtual Zoom appointments using computer technology and a SMART device.
Contact: If you are interested in participating in this study please contact Dr. Heidi Bell at: heidi.bell@wichita.edu or 316.393.3339
Millicent Setzkorn at mrsetzkorn@shockers.wichita.edu or 620-393-5320
Should you have any questions or concerns, email Dr. Heidi Bell at heidi.bell@wichita.edu or call 316-978-5150.