WSU Today: May 15, 2019

Keeping Kansas dollars in Kansas

The WSU Co-op and Internship program has always been a significant pipeline of talent for employers and provided work-based learning experiences for students before they graduate, but did you know in the past five years co-op / internship students earned an estimated $22,484,591 in wages? Of that, $18,662,210 was in Kansas -- keeping Kansas dollars in Kansas!

See what else the Co-op and Internship Program has been up to. #WSUCo-opTurns40

IDEA will not be available next year for course evaluations

Faculty have had two options when choosing a teaching evaluation instrument for the classes they teach, SPTE and IDEA.  Last year 89% of classes used SPTE and 11% used IDEA. 

We were notified earlier this year by the vendor for IDEA that their platform was changing and that our institutional cost would increase from $5,400 annually to $55,000 annually (with a 4% annual increase) starting in June of this year. Due to budgetary restraints, our IDEA contract will not be renewed for next fiscal year. The Faculty Senate has appointed a committee to provide feedback on different teaching assessment systems and enhancements to accommodate faculty needs in the future.

WSU Weekly Briefing to feature legislative update

The WSU Weekly Briefing will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 16, in the Marcus Welcome Center. Zach Gearhart, director of Government Relations at WSU, will give a legislative update.

Tracee Friess, director of communications for research and technology transfer, will provide an overall university update.

The briefing will be livestreamed and available later that day at WSU Weekly Briefing. There will be time for questions following the briefing.

Openings posted for fall 2019 Recruitment Faculty Fellows - Application deadline is Friday, May 17

The Office of Admissions has openings for Recruitment Faculty Fellows for fall 2019, faculty who desire to be more engaged in the recruitment process. The fellows will work in partnership with the Office of Admissions to recruit undergraduate domestic students during the 2019-20 academic year, for students to enroll at Wichita State.

Nine awards are available at $2,500 apiece. The application deadline is Friday, May 17, and the notification date is Friday, May 31. Questions about applying should be directed to Aaron Hamilton at 978-3631 or aaron.hamilton@wichita.edu.

Submit applications to Carolyn Shaw at carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu.

See position description.

Register now for the 2nd Annual Academic Resources Conference

Register now for the 2nd Annual Academic Resources Conference, a free, full-day training event for all WSU instructors and any interested staff.

The ARC is a great way to start your fall semester with a day of training and camaraderie with your peers across campus. This year’s training topics include advanced Blackboard and Panopto skills, library resources and services, finding and manipulating free digital images, Microsoft tips and tricks, practical accessibility skills, and more. 

This is a free event, but space is limited, so register today. To sign up, please search for “Academic Resources Conference” in myTraining. If you need help registering, contact Instructional Design and Access at IDA@wichita.edu and provide your WSU ID number.

Stressed? Keep Calm and Breathe On

Join the Counseling and Prevention Services for Keep Calm and Breathe On. Drop in to build structured relaxation time into your life and learn techniques to do relaxation on your own. You will be led in meditation, mindfulness and relaxation practices. The meetings are from 12:15-12:45 p.m. every Wednesday in 257 RSC. Drop in or contact the Counseling and Prevention Services for more information at 978-3440.

Meet a Shocker: Chris Rempe supports industry in 3D

Wichita State alumnus Chris Rempe graduated just seven years ago, but is already making an impact on WSU and local industry.

He is manager of the Additive Manufacturing and Reserve Engineering Lab at WSU's National Institute for Aviation Research. 

Rempe has been with NIAR since graduating with a degree in business in 2012, when he accepted a position with NIAR in its new (at the time) 3D printing and reverse engineering labs.

Learn more about 3D printing and reverse engineering.

Special Collections has Fiske Hall web exhibit

Special Collections has a special web exhibit honoring Fiske Hall. This digital collection features images and documents about the oldest surviving building on the Wichita State University campus: Fiske Hall.  Opened in 1906 as a men's dormitory, the building now houses WSU’s history and philosophy departments.  A renovation completed in 2019 makes the building more accessible and includes the addition of an elevator.

The photo above is courtesy of Wichita State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives.

Fiske Hall web exhibit

New Japanese class to be offered in fall 2019

Are you a fan of Japanese animation? Starting in fall 2019, WSU will offer “JAPN 300E: Japanese Anime and Manga” for the first time. The class is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about these two forms of media, regardless of Japanese-language experience.  We will watch several animated movies and shows, from classics like “Astro Boy” to modern phenomena like “Your Name.” 

The class will be offered on the WSU South Campus on Thursdays from 1-3:30. There are no prerequisites required. Hope to see you there!

Memorial service for Helen J. Throckmorton this Saturday, May 18

Helen J. Throckmorton, professor emeritus at Wichita State and former English Department chair, will be honored in a memorial service at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Lakeview Funeral Home Chapel, 12100 E. 13th Street North. A social gathering will follow the service at Lakeview Funeral Home.

Throckmorton died on Feb. 8, 2019.

Faculty and friends who may have known or worked with Throckmorton during her 38 years of service at WSU are especially invited to attend.

Fall tuition assistance is open

Applications are being accepted for fall 2019 tuition assistance.

A fillable PDF application can be found online here. For additional program information, visit tuition assistance.

Applications for the fall 2019 term are due on Monday, July 1. Because of the volume of applications received each semester, applications received after the deadline will be automatically denied. There will be no exceptions.

Outdoor Adventures Worlds of Fun trip

Join us as we head to Kansas City for some fun in the sun on Saturday, June 29! Your Worlds of Fun ticket includes unlimited use of all rides, shows, and attractions inside Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun (open seasonally) for one-day. It does not include extra charge attractions, RipCord, Dinosaurs Alive, or various concerts and special events. 

Admitted high school seniors receive personalized pennants

Area high school seniors who are admitted to Wichita State for fall 2019 received a surprise personalized pennant recently. Admissions staff members drove to each high school in the past week and delivered the pennants. Many students happened to come outside during the delivery, found their pennant and snapped a photo. 

Nearly 1,000 unique pennants were assembled by admissions staff members.

Shocker Blast to take a break after Friday, May 17

The last edition of the student newsletter Shocker Blast for the spring semester will be Friday, May 17. The deadline to submit information for that edition is noon Thursday, May 16, at shockerblast@wichita.edu.

Shocker Blast will resume as a weekly publication during summer classes in June and July.

WSU Today for faculty and staff will continue its normal M-F schedule during summer, except for holidays.