Enrollment message to faculty and staff from Provost Rick Muma
Dear colleagues:
The university's Strategic Enrollment Management strategy has had a positive impact on fall semester and is showing great promise for the future. The SEM strategy leverages good things we're doing, such as providing applied learning experiences for every student, creating innovative solutions to real world problems and generating educational opportunities in the community from high school through retirement.
Fall semester numbers won't be final until reported by the Kansas Board of Regents in the next month, but there are positive growth trends evident over the past three years in freshman enrollment, underrepresented student enrollment, residence hall occupancy and new students coming to WSU from Texas, Oklahoma and the Kansas City, Missouri area.
The hundreds of faculty and staff who have contributed to the plan and its execution are the beating heart of Wichita State. Your actions in providing quality, relevant education and making students feel welcome and valued is the basis of our success.
The importance of WSU enrollment growth goes far beyond filling classroom seats and generating revenue to support positions and programs.
Kansas has thousands of job openings and most require some form of post-secondary education. Educating Kansans will always be our first priority, but we are also working hard to attract talented students from elsewhere who will remain here to fill jobs and create new businesses for the betterment of our community.
One clear success is through what we call the I-35 corridor strategy, which offers in-state tuition to prospective students in nearby states to attract them to WSU and Kansas. Experience shows that many of them will stay to take jobs and start families here.
Geographic areas included in the I-35 strategy have gone from producing 262 students in Fall 2014 to more than 700 this year, contributing to full residence halls and, unofficially, until the Regents report, the third year in a row of record freshmen enrollment.
The Strategic Enrollment Management plan is a work in progress that is continuing this year under the leadership of Associate Vice President Carolyn Shaw. We'll begin examining and updating goals soon, so please contact Dr. Shaw if you'd like to be involved.
For more information, visit the SEM website.
College of Engineering candidate to visit campus today (Thursday, Sept. 13) and Friday, Sept. 14
Hamid Hefazi, professor and department head, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Florida Institute of Technology, will visit Wichita State as a dean candidate for the College of Engineering today (Thursday, Sept. 13) and Friday, Sept. 14.
Faculty, staff and students are invited to a public forum at 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday, Sept. 13) in 107 Devlin Hall. Information is also available on the Academic Affairs website at https://wsu.news/engdsfinalists.
Save the date for the third annual Strategic Communications Seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 10
Join fellow faculty and staff for the third annual Strategic Communications Seminar— and gain additional insights, tools and tips to help you improve your marketing/communication efforts.
Strategic Communications Seminar
10 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Oct. 10
Shirley Beggs Ballroom, RSC third floor
Look for an opportunity to RSVP later this month.
Pre-Tenure Club to meet today (Thursday, Sept. 13)
The next Pre-Tenure Club meeting will be at 2 p.m. today (Thursday, Sept. 13) in 326 Clinton Hall. All teaching faculty are welcome. If you have questions, contact Gery Markova at gergana.markova@wichita.edu.
Getting ready to retire?
Are you within five years of retirement? Not sure when and how to take that first step? You're invited to our fall pre-retirement seminars and webinars. Register today to secure a spot!
Seminars begin Wednesday, Sept. 19.
Use your online account to register.
Go to the Retirement Information Center for more information.
Question? Contact kpers@kpers.org, or call toll free 1-888-275-5737.
Clery Act Training Seminar coming Oct. 16-18
We want to keep college campuses safe. Join us Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 16-18, as we host a Comprehensive Clery Act Training Seminar at Wichita State. The Clery Act Training is being hosted by the General Counsel's Office, Human Resources and WSU Police Department.
Faculty and staff are eligible for a $100 discount. The price with the discount is $475. To get the discount and sign up contact jania.kistler@wichita.edu or call 978-3187.
Registration closes on Monday, Oct. 8.
Flu season is around the corner. Are you ready?
WSU HR Total Rewards team is once again hosting on-site flu shots, available to State of Kansas employees who are currently enrolled in medical insurance Plans A, J, Q, C, or N, as well as their covered spouse.
A total of three clinic dates have been scheduled on the WSU main campus. If registration is closed for the clinic you prefer, or no appointments are available in the online scheduler, a limited number of walk-in appointments will be accepted each day. Please note that walk-in appointments may experience longer wait times.
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in 142 RSC (Online scheduler closes today (Thursday, Sept. 13)
8 a.m.-noon Thursday, Sept. 20, in 266 RSC (Online scheduler closes Friday, Sept. 14)
8 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Oct. 11, in 143 RSC (Online scheduler closes Friday, Oct. 5)
Go to Schedule Appointment and create a profile before scheduling a time.
(Hint: Use Ctrl+F and search “Rhatigan” to jump to the WSU clinics.)
Note: Employees located in a Kansas city other than Wichita can select a different on-site location by using the same registration link. However, individuals are encouraged to contact the alternate site in advance to confirm access, as not all sites are open to the public.
Scholarships for badge courses are still available
It's not too late to enroll in a fall badge course! The university is offering a scholarship for employees who are interested in taking a badge course as a nondegree bound student. Badges are designed for working professionals in a wide array of subject areas.
Go to Badge Catalog for the complete badge catalog. To receive the scholarship, employees must submit a completed Badge Interest Form at Badge Interest Form, and be admitted and enrolled by Friday, Sept. 14.
WSU receives grant to assist small businesses in gaining SBIR/STTR funding
For the fifth consecutive year, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has granted Wichita State University $125,000 to assist businesses in qualifying for the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program.
FAST provides one-year funding to organizations to execute state/regional programs that increase the number of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) proposals; increase the number of SBIR/STTR awards; and better prepare SBIR/STTR awardees for commercialization success.
FAST is designed to stimulate economic development with outreach, training, mentoring, financial support, and business / technical assistance to R&D focused small businesses, with a particular emphasis on fostering participation from women-owned, rural-based, and socially/economically disadvantaged firms to help them compete in SBIR/STTR programs.
Join KMUW for debut of ‘My Fellow Kansans' podcast
Join us from 7-8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, at KMUW studios, 121 N. Mead, Suite 200, for
the podcast launch of “My Fellow Kansans.” The first episode of this limited-run podcast
drops on Sept. 17, and host Jim McLean will be on hand to answer questions after we
listen.
From its bloody free-state beginnings to present-day, red-state conservatism, we
ask “How did Kansas get here?” “My Fellow Kansans” explores one of the most pivotal
chapters in the state's history — its hard turn to the right over the past three decades,
a turn driven by abortion and other culture-war wedge issues, and by politicians skilled
in exploiting them.
Every week from Sept. 17 through the election, we examine the forces and consequences
of Kansas politics, the history behind it and the likelihood of another course-changing
election in November. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts.
Space is available in Employment Relationship Training class on Tuesday, Sept. 18
Space is available in an Employment Relationship Training class from 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesday,
Sept. 18, in 142 RSC. To register for training, go to myTraining through myWSU.
This course is provided for leaders who supervise employees (UP, USS, students), and
will focus on the overall employment relationship. It will provide guidance on managing
performance, setting expectations, how to identify when an employee has not met expectations
and how to effectively address those concerns. This could include concerns with attendance,
job performance, conflict with coworkers, etc. This training will also introduce you
to tools to use to effectively document an unmet expectation. If you have questions,
contact mytraining@wichita.edu.
EPSCOR opportunities and deadlines
Kansas Board of Regents seeking EPSCoR proposals – Due Wednesday, Oct. 10
The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program Review Committee of the Kansas Board of Regents is currently seeking proposals for its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 24.
Proposals must contain the information outlined in the Program Guidelines and should not exceed seven pages in length. Proposals will be accepted through Wednesday, Oct 10. Questions may be directed to Jennifer Armour at jarmour@ksbor.org.
NSF seeks EPSCoR proposals for Research Infrastructure Improvement
The National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR has released a program solicitation for Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC). RII Track-2 FEC builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in scientific focus areas consistent with NSF priorities.
For FY 2019, RII Track-2 FEC proposals are invited on a single topic: Harnessing the Data Revolution to solve problems of national importance. For more information, go to EPSCOR Research. The solicitation is available here.
Letter of Intent Deadline: Monday, Nov. 26, 2018
Full Proposal Deadline Date: Friday, Jan. 25, 2019
WSU Symphony Concert to feature faculty soloist Andrea Banke
Faculty artist Andrea Banke will appear as soloist with the WSU Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. The concert, featuring music by Dmitri Shostakovich, Morton Gould, and Eugene Goossens, will be conducted by Mark Laycock.
Andrea Banke
Principal oboe of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Banke performs Goossens' “Concerto in One Movement.” Goossens, a prominent English composer and conductor active in the first half of the twentieth century, penned the concerto in 1929 for his brother Leon.
Banke currently serves as assistant professor of oboe at Wichita State, principal oboe with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and solo oboe with the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet.
Tickets, $12 for general admission with discounts available, may be purchased through the Fine Arts Box Office at 978-3233 or Fine Arts Box Office.
Applications open for fall Shocker I-Corps
Applications for fall Shocker I-Corps is now open to all WSU students and faculty with an idea for a tech product or service. The next session will be Friday, Sept. 28. Apply at I-Corps.
Shock Doc: Mary Buchele, physics major
The Office of Admissions has launched a new digital series featuring the many experiences of Wichita State students. Each brief episode will feature a current WSU student who is making the most of their time as a Shocker. This edition highlights the perspective of Mary Buchele, a physics major from Garden City High.
Buchele is excited to share her Shocker experience and how she's managed to put a personalized touch on her education. She has been able to get the most out of her time in the physics program while having a blast along the way. See the video here.