Reflection and preflection. Wait. What?
Consider taking time to reflect on the past 16 weeks and look ahead to the upcoming spring and summer as you wrap up this semester. Thinking about what went well and what you would change are important steps in maximizing your opportunity for success.
A number of resources are available to you, but you have to make the choice to use them. You can meet with a Success Coach or a Peer Financial Coach in Student Success for assistance in setting goals, completing success plans or designing a financial plan to remain on the path to graduation. Considering future co-curricular opportunities are also important in developing goals and plans for next year. Think about what applied learning experiences you are interested in as well as social and leadership opportunities, which can be found in Student Involvement. Don’t wait. Start planning the rest of your academic year now.
Have we mentioned enrollment is now open for spring? It is! Enroll today!
Blackboard will be down several days starting the evening of Dec. 17
In an effort to improve Blackboard's performance and stability, and to set the foundation for further improvements in the Blackboard Learn system throughout 2021, WSU will be bringing Blackboard down for several days in December.
Our system will go down at 11 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, and be down for several days. Our current estimate for the system to be restored and fully functional is Tuesday, Dec. 22, although it's possible this down time could extend to Christmas Day.
To prepare for this down time, instructors should:
1) Plan to have all fall 2020 final grades submitted
2) Have any January term classes set up before Dec. 17, or make plans to do so after Dec. 22
3) Notify any students who are working on incompletes or late submissions that Blackboard will not be available during this window.
Once Blackboard service is restored, Instructional Design and Access will run extensive testing on the system. If you notice any technical problems after service is restored, please report those problems through a OneStop Blackboard Help ticket and not by direct emails to IDA staff. It is very important that technical problems can be addressed in a systematic way to ensure a quick resolution.
Call for Fiscal Year 2022 Educational Opportunity and Student Services Funding requests
It’s again time to begin the process for submission of funding requests through Student Government Association for the Educational Opportunity Fund and Student Services Fee for FY ‘22. Through the student services fee, these programs provide financial support to facilitate students’ academic pursuits (Educational Opportunity Fund) or the funding of programs / activities delivered directly to students (Student Services).
If you’ve submitted requests in the past, the Budget Review Officer should receive an email from the Budget Office to kick-off the submission process. If you have not submitted requests in the past, but are considering submitting a new request, please contact Lauren Smith, Jason Post, or David Miller in the Budget Office at 978-3030 for more information.
Requests are due no later than Friday, Jan. 29.
Testing Services is still open to students and community members
Testing Services is open for students and community members. If you need to take a proctored exam this semester, we are here for you! Our hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. We will be closed for the Holiday Shutdown but will return on Jan. 4, 2021.
Zoom appointments are available to students registered with the Office of Disability Services only and require prior instructor approval. Please note that Zoom appointments are first come, first served and we ask for at least 72 hours notice.
Testing Services cares about your safety. We disinfect all testing stations after use and require all who enter wear a mask. Plus, we've expanded our space to offer better social distancing and have limited private rooms available.
Please call WSU-TEST (978-8378) for more information.
Shocker Strong Prize Drawing deadline extended to Friday, Dec. 11
Shocker Strong participants will have one additional week to complete and submit assignments in Blackboard. Complete eight out of 11 modules by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, in order to be entered into the Shocker Strong Prize Drawing for one of five prizes, including two book scholarships worth up to $500.
Learn more at wichita.edu/SSdrawing.
Deadlines for Shocker Blast this month
The last edition of Shocker Blast for December will be Friday, Dec. 11. The deadline for submitting information for that edition is noon Thursday, Dec. 10.
Wichita State signs MOU with local community organizations to create the 'Refugee Learning and Resettlement Team'
Wichita State has signed a memorandum of agreement with five local community partners to create the “Refugee Learning and Resettlement Team.”
The local community partners are Kansas Leadership Center, Breakthrough Community Church, Saint Francis Ministries, City of Wichita, and the International Rescue Committee. These partnerships will expand existing service-learning and applied-learning opportunities for WSU students to work with refugee and asylee populations. In addition, the partnerships will explore the possibility of sponsoring an annual conference on refugee issues, creating certificate programs in migration studies, and advancing the vision to become an important resource for addressing refugee resettlement issues, serving Kansas and beyond.
The “Refugee Learning and Resettlement Team” was created as part of Phase I of the Center for Educational Technologies to Assist Refugee Learners, funded through the President's Convergence Science Initiative.
For more details, contact PI Mythili Menon, Assistant Professor of Linguistics.
Funding opportunity for WSU female entrepreneurs
The Women for Women's Innovation Scholarship Fund is awarded to Wichita State University female students to support innovative ideas showing promise of commercialization. The fund was established in 2020 in order to support women leaders and entrepreneurs in moving their ideas forward by providing recipients a boost to “Shock The World.”
All full- and part-time WSU students are eligible to apply. The deadline for application is Dec. 11.
Women for Women Innovation Scholarship
Want to experience a different city & university? Apply for National Student Exchange by Feb. 1
National Student Exchange allows undergraduate, domestic students the opportunity to study at one of nearly 200 universities across the United States and Canada – while paying regular WSU tuition and earning credit toward your degree.
The application materials for exchange during fall 2021 and spring 2022 are available at wichita.edu/nse and are due Feb. 1, 2021. If you have questions, please contact Trish Gandu at trish.gandu@wichita.edu.
Generation Lead Podcast Series featuring Tajahnae Stocker
Current graduate student Alexus Scott and Student Involvement have partnered together to conduct and produce a podcast series focusing on the development of our next generation's leaders. The podcast series is called Generation Lead and features voices from current WSU students, staff, faculty, and community partners.
Due to the recent virtual change in in-person programming, the podcast series provides high impact dialogue that empowers, challenges, and motivates a generation to lead and take space in their personal capacities with great measure. You can check out previous and upcoming episodes via streaming platforms like Anchor, Spotify, Breaker, and Google Podcasts.
The Creator of Change, we’re going to learn and discuss more about the ICT Community Fridge Project. The ICT Community Fridge Project has launched and received an abundance of support from the local Wichita community. This initiative and movement have been giving back in the form of providing mutual aid. The fridge serves as a resource to reduce food insecurity in targeted areas across the city.
Tajahnae Stocker has developed a program that precisely acknowledges the disparities and provides relief to the barriers and challenges that folks are faced with daily. Being a current student, we will explore the creation of her recent idea and discuss what leadership capabilities it’s taken to develop such a viable resource in such a short amount of time
Generation Lead Podcast Series
Help ODI and the KLC Beat the Virus!
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is participating in the Kansas Leadership Center’s statewide initiative to help “Kansas Beat the Virus.” We are tasked with convening and facilitating 20 virtual meetings of 8-12 people to come up with action ideas that will help Kansans stop the spread of Covid-19.
If you are able to help convene a group of your staff, students and friends, please reach out to Alicia Sanchez at alicia.sanchez@wichita.edu to schedule a meeting. The meetings must take place before Monday, Dec. 21.
Have you been struggling managing your study time?
Finals are finally here! If you've been struggling to manage your online classes, revisit this Tuesday Talk from SHS with Nurse Heather and Dr. Leonard from CAPS for some tips and tricks to manage your time for virtual learning.
Make the most of your college experience by joining the Cohen Honors College!
All current students are eligible to apply. Starting this year, there are no minimum ACT / SAT or GPA requirements. Applicants are evaluated on their preparation for challenging academic and professional work as well as creative approach to solving problems, urge to make a positive impact on the community and in the world, and open-minded embrace of diversity in backgrounds, values and perspectives.
Go to Cohen Honors College Admission Requirements to learn more and start your application. Applications are reviewed monthly November through August.
Enroll for a service-learning course in psychology!
The INSPYRE research lab directed by Dr. Samantha Gregus is currently recruiting undergraduate mentors for a 3-hour service-learning course in psychology (PSY 416) for the Spring 2021 semester. The class is with a required service-learning component involved with mentoring at-risk youth. The service-learning component can be completed remotely.
Prior to enrolling in PSY 416 (Psychology and Problems of Society) mentors are required to: pass an interview and background check and attend class on Mondays from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Status of the class attendance (i.e., in-person or remote) is to be determined.
We have a course syllabus, class readings, and paper assignments. Mentors will receive training at the beginning of the course and a grade at the end based on attendance and completion of assignments. We are interested in recruiting mentors from any college and major.
For more information, please contact the INSPYRE research lab at inspyre@wichita.edu ASAP.
WSU offers Spanish course for Shockers who grew up speaking Spanish with family
SPAN 321, WSU's Spanish course for heritage speakers, will be offered again in spring 2021. The course offers bilingual Shockers an opportunity to develop their Spanish reading and writing skills, while exploring topics related to Spanish-speaking communities in Kansas.
Cultural Value Orientation as a Predictor of Adolescent Bullying
Are you a parent of a teenager?
The INSPYRE Research lab at Wichita State University is conducting a study to explore how parent and child values relate to how adolescents respond to bullying situations.
In order to be a part of the study, parents and their teen must be together at the start of the survey, and parents must provide permission for their teen to participate. We will ask parents to complete demographic questions and study measures. Then, we’ll ask the parent to hand the study off to their teenager to complete the remaining survey. This study should only take 15 minutes to complete in total. Parents must be at least 18 years old, adolescents must be between the ages of 10-17 years old, and both must be able to read English in order to participate. At the end of the study, the family has the opportunity to be entered into a raffle to win a prize.
For more information, click the survey link to find the parent consent form.
If you have any questions, please e-mail Dr. Samantha Gregus, director of the INSPYRE lab, at inspyre@wichita.edu or call at 316-978-6180.
GRASP 2021 abstract submission is open!
The Graduate School is now accepting abstract submissions for the 17th annual Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium. Graduate students -- don't miss this opportunity to showcase your research!
GRASP 2021 will be held on Blackboard again this year with video presentations open for WSU community viewing starting on April 2. Abstract submission closes on Feb. 11.
Student Health is still open!
Student Health Services is still open even though students aren't on campus! You can make an appointment by calling 316-978-4792. We'll be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until the winter shutdown begins after Dec. 18.
Santa letters available at WSU Post Office
WSU Postal Services is selling letters to Santa now to Wednesday, Dec. 16. The letters will be sent to Santa Claus, Indiana, and will receive a pictorial cancellation when sent to the recipient. The cost per letter / envelope is $1.50 and covers all postage.
Give the gift of relaxation this holiday season
Come into the Heskett Center to pick up two 60-minute massage gift certificates for $80.
Saturday Sale in the Shocker Store
This Saturday, Dec. 12, save on some great gifts in the Shocker Store! That day only, take 20% off kids’ merchandise, headwear and cold weather gear. Sale is in both the RSC and Braeburn Square locations.
Under Armour shooter shirt
Shocker fans, snag the Under Armour shooter shirt now for just $20! Available in sizes small-3XL. Available online at shockerstore.com and in both the RSC and Braeburn Square locations. No other discounts permitted.