Plan to attend fall faculty / staff kickoff and picnic
All faculty and staff are invited to attend the president’s yearly fall faculty / staff kickoff from 3-4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the RSC Beggs Ballroom. The event will include university updates as well as discussions on senate leader priorities, community engagement and applied research. Following the event will be a university picnic with food, drinks and music from 4-5:30 p.m. on the RSC first floor – sponsored by Student Affairs. Please join us for the informative event!
8-foot WuShock sculpture planned for WSU campus YMCA
The Wichita State University campus will soon be home to a larger-than-life sculpture of its beloved WuShock mascot, thanks to Steve Clark – a longtime Greater Wichita YMCA board member, volunteer and donor – for whom the area’s tenth YMCA branch location will be named.
Something new coming to course grading this fall
Starting this fall 2019, there will be additional options when an instructor submits a failing grade. Instead of the single option of F to represent fail, instructors will see three failing grade options. This will allow faculty to distinguish between an earned F and one given because a student stopped attending or never attended the course. The grade drop down will display the following three F grades:
- FF = attended all term, earned F
- FN = never attended the class
- FQ = stopped attending at some point; only this grade will require last date of attendance or educationally-related activity (LDA)
This enhancement addresses a request we’ve had from many faculty to allow for a grade
that indicates the student never attended the course (or interacted on Bb for online
courses). It also eliminates the need for Financial Aid staff to contact faculty for
clarification on failing grades and/or last date of attendance.
Please make note of what each F grade means and have it handy when you enter grades
this fall. The same F, N and Q characters will apply to failing grades of U, NCR and
NBG. The change will be available starting with pre-session grading. If you have questions,
contact gina.crabtree@wichita.edu.
WSU researchers aim to improve quality of wearable exoskeleton devices
The National Science Foundation has awarded Wichita State University $299,997 for research that could have a positive impact on patients suffering from stroke, spine injuries and various neuromuscular diseases. The research – led by Yimesker Yihun, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering – studies human joint movements through motion-capture analysis and musculoskeletal modeling and simulations.
The National Science Foundation has awarded Wichita State University $299,997 for research that could have a positive impact on patients suffering from stroke, spine injuries and various neuromuscular diseases. The research – led by Yimesker Yihun, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering – studies human joint movements through motion-capture analysis and musculoskeletal modeling and simulations.
The motion patterns will be analyzed and used to inspire the design of wearable bio-exoskeletons that can guide the natural movement of an affected limb without mimicking the corresponding joint(s) in the exoskeleton.
That’s an important distinction because, traditionally, exoskeletons that are designed with just a single rotational or hinge joint are physically limiting and could result in discomfort or injury to the user. This affects a person’s rehabilitation progress, giving rise to the need for novel exoskeleton design and assessment strategies.
Yihun is working alongside WSU’s Nils Hakansson, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Jaydip Desai, assistant professor in biomedical engineering.
The project will also support two graduate students, and three K-12 students will be sponsored to participate in summer camps as part of the outreach activities of the project.
The team is collaborating with the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation for human subject recruitment and testing.
The team’s goal is to improve the ability and comfort associated with wearing exoskeleton devices. If successful, the outcome of the project can provide substantial improvement to the quality of manufactured exoskeletons.
“It can have a positive impact on the well-being, life quality and rehabilitation techniques for patients,” Yihun says.
Engage WSU 2019 to feature keynote address from Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers
From 7:30 a.m.-noon Friday, Sept. 13, the Public Policy and Management Center and
the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement will present Engage WSU, a day
that brings together university, public, nonprofit and community leaders for current
research and knowledge exchange in public service.
Engage WSU will be held at WSU's Marcus Welcome Center and will feature a keynote
address from Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers, Parting Words from retired Sedgwick County undersheriff
Brenda Dietzman, the Road to Public Service with Leavenworth Mayor Jermaine Wilson
and various breakout sessions.
The breakout session topics will include Media Coverage of Community Driven Issues;
Profiles of High Utilizers of Mental Health Community Services; Continuing the Connecting
Conversation: Talent & Retention; and Diversity and Community Engagement.
To learn more about Engage WSU and to register, visit www.wichita.edu/engagewsu.
All call for WSU Student of the Year judges
The WSU Student of the Year scholarship competition is a competitive and prestigious opportunity for students who have proven exemplary leadership, involvement, and service both to the WSU and Wichita communities. Applications and nominations are now open for students who wish to participate.
We are calling for judges to serve throughout the selection process. The dates and details for each round are below. We are looking for three different sets of judges, so upon indicating interest, please include which round you would be most interested in serving on as well as your second choice.
Round 1: Application Review – Completed by Tuesday, Oct. 1
- This process would be going through the qualified applicants and meeting to decide on which students move onto the next round. We have seen an increase, so we could be sifting through 60-70 applications depending on how many student apply.
Round 2: Interviews – Friday, Oct. 11
- Our judges’ panel will sit through a series of interviews of those selected to move on through the application round. Deliberation and decision on the final court of eight students will follow the interviews.
Round 3: Presentations – Friday, Oct. 18
- This panel will serve as audience to our eight finalists as they present and showcase why they should win the title of WSU Student of the Year and scholarship. There will be two winners this year.
Please send which round you would like to serve on or any questions to Kennedy Rogers at kennedy.rogers@wichita.edu or call 978-7402.
Earn a master’s online in Learning and Instructional Design
The Master of Education in Learning and Instructional Design is an ideal program for career advancement of those engaged in higher education, K-12 education, professional development, and/or workplace training.
This 30-credit hour master’s degree program is offered completely online and allows for specialization based on individual professional needs. Click here to learn more or contact Graduate Coordinator Mara Alagic at mara.alagic@wichita.edu or 978-6974.
Campus Recreation looking for guest presenters for staff training on Aug. 18
Campus Recreation Student Staff Training will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18. Staff members will go through four, 30-minute sessions. The first three are required, but we want to give them an opportunity to choose their final session. Here are some of the possible topics in which guest presenters are welcome:
- Positive work habits: Dependability, accuracy, and perseverance
- Positive work attitudes
- Accountability and responsibility
- Career Development: Translating on campus work to their professional work
- Diversity and inclusion
If you have another idea for a possible presentation, let us know.
If you are willing to be a guest presenter or have a topic idea, contact Austin Sanderson at austin.sanderson@wichita.edu or call 978-5284.