Message from President Andy Tompkins and Vice President Werner Golling about E-Verify
Colleagues:
Wichita State University (WSU) has recently made the decision to standardize the method by which employee eligibility to work in the United States is verified by the University. Today, WSU utilizes two different methods to verify work authorization: 1) employees complete a Form I-9 and provide applicable documents; 2) employees working on a federal government contract complete a Form I-9, provide applicable documents, and are then processed through the E-Verify system. E-Verify is a web-based system that allows employers to verify work authorization for employees by matching information provided by employees on the Form I-9 against records available to the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security.
Over the coming months, WSU will transition to one consistent method of verifying work authorization, including completion of E-Verify for all employees. While the transition to E-Verify will mean that most employees will be required to participate in confirming their eligibility to work even if they have done so previously, it will result in efficiencies by having one electronic process, and will meet the higher level of security standards required by federal agencies and federal prime contractors. Please look for more detailed information in WSU Today in the coming weeks on how you participate in this process.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience as we complete this important transition for the University.
President Andy Tompkins and Vice President Werner Golling
Register to attend the Business Continuity table top exercise
A Business Continuity table top exercise is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, at the Marcus Welcome Center, Armstrong Room. The trainer will lead us in a simulated “event” to test the business continuity plan for each area. If your department is involved in continuity planning, someone from your department is required to participate in the simulation. You will not need to bring a printed copy of your plan as was previously announced.
Check in starts at 1 p.m., and the exercise will start promptly at 1:30 p.m. We will serve refreshments and hope to conclude the exercise by 5 p.m. Do not bring your laptops to this exercise, but you may want to bring paper and a pencil to take notes.
To register for the exercise, log in to myWSU. On the Faculty/Staff tab, select myTraining.
- Select the All Training Calendar from the home page or the Events calendar from the myTraining Options tab.
- Advance to October and click Business Continuity Planning Tabletop Exercise on the 11th.
- After selecting the Request button, you will receive an automatic email to add the session to your Outlook calendar.
If you need assistance, email myTraining@wichita.edu or call 978-5800.
Refresher training will be held from 8 a.m.-noon Friday, Oct. 11, 124 Jabara Hall 124. This is an open lab and registration is not necessary, you may come-and-go as your schedule allows. A trainer from Bold Planning will be there to assist you with any challenges you may have in getting your plan ready.
If you have questions regarding your plan or the exercise, contact Ellen Abbey at 978-5864 or ellen.abbey@wichita.edu.
2020 benefits Open Enrollment events
All benefits-eligible state employees must participate in Open Enrollment! Log in to the Member Administration Portal at https://sehp.member.hrissuite.com to make your elections.
Events occurring this week:
Monday, Oct. 7: KDHE Open Enrollment Presentation at 1:30 p.m. in 233 RSC. KDHE will be here to present your 2020 open enrollment benefits and changes.
Wednesday, Oct. 9: The Standard Presentation on Optional Life Insurance Open Enrollment at 9 a.m. in 233 RSC. If you are interested in newly enrolling in optional life insurance or need to make changes to your elections for open enrollment, this is the presentation for you!
Wednesday, Oct. 9: Open Enrollment Open Lab 2:30-4:30 p.m. in 122 Jabara Hall
Employees can drop in anytime during the open enrollment lab for assistance registering and entering enrollment elections. You can RSVP at www.wichita.edu/openenrollment. Open Enrollment Labs do not include a presentation of plans or changes.
Due to the high volume of work during the open enrollment period, the HR Total Rewards Team will not be available for walk-in traffic or to make individual appointments regarding open enrollment. Please take advantage of the scheduled presentations, on-demand webinar and open lab sessions. For a full listing of Open Enrollment events visit the Open Enrollment Website. Any questions should be directed to TotalRewards@wichita.edu.
WSU’s Center for Real Estate releases 2020 Kansas Housing Market Forecast
The WSU Center for Real Estate has released the 2020 Kansas Housing Markets Forecast Series. This series reviews current housing market conditions in the major markets across the state – including Kansas City, Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka and Wichita – and forecasts housing market activity through the end of 2020. The series also includes Housing Outlooks for 22 smaller markets across the state.
Copies of all the forecast and outlook publications in the series can be found at www.wichita.edu/realestate.
There’s still time to create a First-Year Seminar!
There is still time for faculty who are interested in creating a First-Year Seminar for fall 2020! We encourage a submission soon in order for courses to be fully approved by the time schedule-building begins in January.
Aaron Rife (aaron.rife@wichita.edu) is happy to help you through the process of creating your dream class. Contact him or visit wichita.edu/fys for more information and resources.
Free lunch in Shocker Hall
Receive a free lunch in Shocker Dining when you volunteer for Stop Food Waste Day on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Time slots are in 30 minute intervals from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Click here for more details and to sign up.
How to Prepare a Budget for SBIR/STTR Proposals Webinar
This webinar from 10-11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, will walk through the development of a project budget. Items covered will include what costs need to be included, how to write a budget justification, can the company afford to pursue this project, what indirect rate should be used and more. There is no cost, but registration is required.
Last chance to RSVP for the fourth annual Strategic Communications Seminar
Strategic Communications will hold its fourth annual marketing and communications seminar for WSU faculty and staff from 9:30 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Oct. 9, in the Shirley Beggs Ballroom, Rhatigan Student Center (third floor). Gain additional insights, tools and tips to help you improve your marketing and communication efforts.
RSVP for the fourth annual Strategic Communications Seminar
Sign up to judge the Wallace Invitational for Scholarships in Engineering (WISE)
We need your help! On Friday, Nov. 22, the College of Engineering will host its annual Wallace Invitational for Scholarships in Engineering (WISE), a scholarship competition for high school seniors interested in studying engineering or computer science. The top 10 students from the competition each receive a $28,500 Wallace Scholarship. This is the college’s largest recruitment event of the year – about 67% of participants end up attending Wichita State and pursuing a degree in the College of Engineering. Last year, we had 233 participants from 14 states.
We are seeking judges for the Group Design Challenge portion of the day. Two-person judging teams will be responsible for observing and scoring a small group of four-to-five students who will participate in a design-build challenge. Group members are judged on leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, so judges do not need to have a background in engineering or computer science.
The judging time commitment is from 9:30-11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 22, in the Rhatigan Student Center. If you are interested in being a judge, please sign up by Friday, Nov. 1 at www.wichita.edu/wisevolunteer.
The Global Learning Center of Wichita to host presentation -- "International War
Crimes"
The Global Learning Center of Wichita will host its 74th United Nations Anniversary Banquet on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Olive Tree Banquet Hall, 29th and Rock Road. The presentation is titled “International War Crimes,” by Abeer Hasan, legal officer / appeals counsel at the United Nations with the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
Free admission for students who RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 9, to glc.wichita@gmail.com or call Refika Sarionder 531-0026. The cost is $10 at the door.
Enrollment starts soon!
The time is now to help prepare students for enrollment in spring classes. Many degree programs require meeting with a faculty member or an advisor prior to enrolling in courses. Encourage students to check their student accounts to be sure nothing is preventing them from enrolling.
For contact information and locations of advising centers, go to www.wichita.edu/advising.
An adaptation of Camus's The Fall, with dance sequences, comes to campus on Oct. 8
French theater company Caravague presents an adaptation of “La Chute” (The Fall) by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 8) in the CAC Theater. The performance will be in French with above-stage titles. This event, sponsored by Modern and Classical Languages and the WSU Foundation, is free and open to the public.
WSU Concert Chorale, A Cappella Choir and special guest Andover Central H.S. choirs in concert!
The WSU Concert Chorale, A Cappella Choir and Andover Central High School choirs will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 8) in Wiedemann Hall.
Directed by Ryan Beeken, the Wichita State Concert Chorale is the premiere choral ensemble at WSU. The choir performs a wide variety of significant choral literature from Renaissance to present.
The A Cappella Choir under the direction of Tom Wine, is a mixed choir that performs the Renaissance contemporary style.
Joining the WSU choir ensembles will be the Andover Central Chorale.
Admission is free for students with a current WSU ID. Click here for ticket information.
Join Counseling and Prevention Services for National Depression Screening Day
Help keep on top of your mental health by attending National Depression Screening Day from Counseling and Prevention Services from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, on the first floor, RSC. Screens only take a couple of minutes, and can help you with a mental health check-up.
Learn about career management and leadership with the Career Readiness series
Employers are looking for Wichita State graduates to be career ready — meaning you know how to use your talents, strengths, and interests. Being career ready means you can recognize and demonstrate the competencies identified by employers that are crucial to a successful transition into the workplace. Our workshops are designed to help you understand the meaning of these competencies, learn how to identify and exhibit these skills, and how to further develop them.
Join the Career Development Center from 3-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, in Brennan Hall III, for a workshop in our Career Readiness series: Career Management and Leadership.
Career Readiness: Career Management and Leadership
Sign up for an upcoming Preventing Suicide Training by CAPS
Join Counseling and Prevention Services for our Preventing Suicide Training on Thursday, Oct. 17, in the RSC. Each training lasts an hour and helps provide tools to provide assistance for someone in need.
Please sign up thought myTrainings for staff or faculty. Students and community members, sign up at Wichita.edu/SuicidePrevention.
Get ready for this year's Trunk or Treat!
Looking for a spooktacular and safe alternative to trick or treating? Have an unboolievably good time with trick or treating, crafts, concessions, a costume contest, and more exciting interactive activities! This fangtastic Halloween-themed event is open to everyone.
Host a trunk at Trunk or Treat!
Trunk or Treat is a family-orientated event welcoming Shockers of all ages to campus for a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. Student Activities Council wants your department or student organization to host a trunk!
Register your department to host a festively decorated trunk at the event and provide candy and/or interactive activities for the families of WSU students, faculty, and staff, as well as kids from the local USD 259 school system. Register your trunk here! Registration closes Friday, Oct. 18.
Contact Randi Beggs at randi.beggs@wichita.edu with any questions about the event.
Engage ICT and 1A Across America present Women in Politics & The GOP
KMUW's Engage ICT and 1A Across America present Women in Politics & The GOP. Joshua Johnson, host of the national radio program 1A, will guest host this conversation at Crown Uptown Theatre at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 8).
Things have changed a lot for women over the last hundred years, from winning the right to vote to holding more seats in Congress than ever before. Democratic women swept the 2018 midterms, and now a record number of Republican women are planning to run for office in 2020.
We’ll hear from two women on why they ran, how they serve, and why they chose the party they did. We’re taking your questions, too. What do you want to know about how 2020 is shaping up for women in politics? This event is free to attend and open to all. Visit KMUW.org to learn more.
Career Development Center to hold Resume Rx
The resume doctors are here for your students. They can come meet with the Career Development Center in the RSC 1st floor from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, for help with resumes, cover letters, interview tips and general information about the office. No need to register; just stop by and see us!
SGA Chief of Operations application is open
SGA is looking for someone passionate about government relations and politics to apply for the Chief of Operations position. If this sounds like a student you know, please refer them to the application at wichita.edu/sga.
This position would work closely with the 62nd cabinet, focusing on government relations at the local and state level, as well as running senate meetings.
Get your idea off the ground with E-Launch!
If you have a product, business idea, or are starting a new product line, you won’t want to miss out on E-Launch. The next launch takes place from 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Oct. 21-Dec. 9, in the Innovation Hub in Devlin. This six-week training session will help you take the necessary steps to ensure you avoid failures in execution by learning before you launch, not after. For more information and to register, visit wichita.edu/elaunch.
E-Launch Information & Registration
WSU Madrigal Singers & Women's Glee Club w/Goddard High School
Enjoy a concert by the WSU Madrigal Singers and Women’s Glee Club with Goddard High School at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in Wiedemann Hall. Directed by Tom Wine, Wichita State’s Madrigal Singers is comprised of 16-20 mixed voices. This ensemble specializes in choral works for the smaller ensemble. Under the direction of Ryan Beeken; the Women's Glee Club consists of current WSU students, regardless of major. Joining the WSU choir ensembles will be the Goddard High School Concert Choir.
Admission is free for students with a current WSU ID. Click here for ticket information.
Go cosmic bowling during Fall Break for only $1
Make it a cosmic Fall Break at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes! From 5-9 p.m. Monday, Oct.14 and Tuesday, Oct. 15, cosmic bowling is just $1 per game, with FREE rental shoes. Offer is not valid for group reservations.
Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes is open to the public, so join us for some dollar cosmic bowling on campus! For more information, call 978-3479.
Soup is back at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes!
Soup is back at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes just in time for the cooler weather! A different soup will be featured each week, Monday-Friday. Grab a cup for $2.99 or a bowl for $3.99. For Oct. 7-11, the Soup of the Week is Broccoli Cheese.
Receive an extra discount on clearance merchandise at the Shocker Store
This week in the Shocker Store, take an extra 10% off already-marked-down clearance items! Sale is in RSC store only.
One student's coffee review: Fairmount Coffee Co.
If you’re ever feeling uninspired, bored or overwhelmed and you need a little kick to keep you moving throughout the day, I have just the solution for you: Fairmount Coffee Co.’s Aztec mocha.
It ain’t healthy, but it sure is good.
It’s not a typical mocha, so I’m cheating just a little bit given my original rules, but it was recommended to me by a friend. I can’t turn down a challenge.