New issue of Teaching Today now available
Your new issue of Teaching Today is now available.
This month's issue is packed with teaching tips, advice from peers, and important announcements. From Dr. Katie Cramer's Academy for Effective Teaching Award lecture to advice about how to keep large-enrollment courses engaging, we have you covered.
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Interdisciplinary Program Award presentations this week
Join us to hear presentations from the interdisciplinary program award competition semi-finalists from 3-4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb 14, in 256 RSC.
The semi-finalists are:
Roy Myose, Jeff Pulaski, Jeff Jarman - Minor in Science, Technology and Society
Mythili Menon, Rachel Showstack, Doug Parham, Jeff Hershfield - BA in Applied Linguistics
Raina Rutti, Gary Brooking, Gery Markova, Kara McCluskey - Minor in Sustainability Management
Bill Hendry and Kiley Hicks - BS in Pre-Genetic Counseling
Interdisciplinary Program Competition
Wichita State's President: 'We Have To Be More Entrepreneurial'
Jay Golden
Wichita State President Jay Golden was recently interviewed by KMUW’s Stephan Bisaha.
Listen to interview with Golden.
Invent for the Planet 2020 call for participants
It's time for the 3rd Annual Invent for the Planet (IFTP). Join the global movement to solve the world's most pressing problems in 48 hours. This public event is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members of all disciplines. How do you make the world a better place?
The competition will be held at the John Bardo Center lobby (JBC) Feb. 14-16. Breakfast, dinner, and refreshments will be provided to participants. Specific details on the schedule and competition will be communicated to participants near the start of the event.
Go to wichita.edu/IFTP for registration information.
IFTP will challenge you to put your theory into practice by solving real-world problems. You will focus on developing products to make the world a better place for the inventors of tomorrow. IFTP aims to motivate student innovators, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers to come together, apply design thinking, and find solutions for difficult and wide-ranging problems.
You will form teams of three-to-five participants and work to design and prototype a solution for a wide range of global concerns. At the same time, students from across the globe will tackle the same issues, allowing you to collaborate and learn from peers all over the world. Mentors will be available, and teams will present their solutions to judges for a chance to win more than $500 worth in prizes.
A generous donation by Airbus allows for this event to be free of charge.
$15 crew sweatshirts today in the RSC’s Shocker Store
Join us for the Shocker Store’s one-day-only sale starting at 10 a.m. today (Tuesday, Feb. 11). The Shocker Store in the RSC will have two crew sweatshirts for $15 each, while supplies last. These will sell out, so hurry in. Limit three per customer. Offer not valid with other discounts or promotions, and all sales are final.
First-generation college students take great pride in succeeding and graduating
Attend a brown-bag lunch and learn on “Becoming an Individual & Institutional Advocate for First-generation College Students.” Join the First Gen Coordinating Council at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 12) in 233 RSC for a brown bag lunch webinar and brief Q&A session.
Colleges and universities have an opportunity to shift the paradigm of support for first-generation college students from a deficit approach. First-generation college students take great pride in succeeding and graduating (Gibbons & Woodside, 2014). However, first-generation students “who dropped out of college believed they needed to figure out how to do college on their own” (Lightweis, 2014, p. 466). Instead, when higher education institutions shift this paradigm, they have an opportunity to not only improve retention rates, but also provide a holistic support system for student success.
This live briefing will focus on opportunities for students and academic affairs professionals of all functional areas and levels to become individual and institutional advocates for first-generation student success.
Attendees are invited to bring their lunch and join in. Contact Lydia.Santiago@wichita.edu with any questions.
myPerformance Manager Review is due!
Managers of USS and non-teaching UP employees should now submit reviews and ratings for their direct reports for the 2019-20 annual evaluations in myPerformance. This step is due Saturday, Feb. 29. Managers should log in to myPerformance (through myWSU) to rate their direct reports and submit comments to justify the ratings.
NOTE: The Planning step for 2020-21 annual evaluations in myPerformance will also be available on Feb. 1. This will allow managers to potentially meet with their direct reports for the (2019-20) current end-of-review as well as the (2020-21) next cycle’s planning meeting at the same time, if desired.
For more information (including quick reference guides and other assistance) go to www.wichita.edu/myPerformance.
ADA testing accommodation has been moved to Testing Services
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) would like to give a friendly reminder to WSU professors of the changes in ADA testing accommodations. All ADA accommodated tests are proctored at Testing Services located in 320 Grace Wilkie Hall. The office hours of Testing Services are Mondays from 8 a.m.-5 pm, Tuesdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesdays from 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursdays from 8 a.m.-5pm, and Fridays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The ADA accommodated test will have to start and finish during the hours when Testing Services is open. The professor and/or the department will have to proctor the test/exam and provide the appropriate accommodations (i.e. extended time and quiet testing environment) if the test is not set during Testing Services hours.
The student must schedule their ADA accommodated test by registering through WWW.RegisterBlast.com/wsu. The professor needs to complete the test form that was attached to the accommodation letter from ODS and send the test form to Testing Services at testingcenter@wichita.edu. The phone number for Testing Services is 978-TEST (8378).
There will be no cost to ODS students for the ADA accommodated/proctored tests at Testing Services. Call Isabel Medina Keiser, director of Disability Services at 978-3309 or email ODS at disability.services@wichita.edu if you have any questions about the changes.
Legislative Update No. 5
WSU Government Relations has provided Legislative Update No. 5 for spring 2020.
The fourth week of session was pretty light due to the KC Chiefs parade on Wednesday and the capital shutting down so legislators could attend. The House for the first time this session went on general orders to debate bills. That fact underscores the narrative that there is little that will be done this session outside of the budget, potentially tax bills and the well-publicized constitutional amendment pertaining to abortion and Medicaid Expansion. Those last two items saw action this week.
The complete Legislative Update No. 5 is available here.
Visit Student Health Services' web page for information about the coronavirus
Student Health has been closely monitoring the outbreak of coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. To learn how to protect yourself and to get the latest news about the coronavirus outbreak, visit Student Health's Travel and Health Advisory web page at wichita.edu/shs.
Need help with HealthQuest?
It’s the start of a new plan year, which means a fresh start for HealthQuest points! Employees enrolled in 2020 coverage through the State Employee Health Plan can earn a premium discount worth $480 annually and HSA/HRA rewards dollars up to $500 per year for each employee and covered spouse, just by participating and logging healthy activities throughout the year!
You may have noticed that the HealthQuest portal has been completely re-designed for 2020 and all employees and spouses must re-register. Click here for registration instructions.
HR Total Rewards is holding two HealthQuest labs in February to help employees get registered, tour the HealthQuest site and get started on activities. Sign up through myTraining.
- 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 in 122 Jabara Hall
- 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 in 124 Jabara Hall
Any questions, please reach out to HR Total Rewards at TotalRewards@wichita.edu.
Free academic resources are available through TRIO Student Support Services
Student Support Services (SSS) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide free academic services to students from First-Generation (FG) and Limited- Income (LI) backgrounds, as well as students with disabilities.
The free services include individualized tutoring, academic advising, textbook loans, assistance completing financial aid applications, and scholarships exclusively for student participants.
We are located on the third floor of Grace Wilkie Hall, in suite 309. For more information, visit our website or contact our offices at 978-3715.
Join KMUW for a conversation on quality of life in Wichita at Engage ICT
When it comes to quality of life, things have changed a lot in the Wichita area, and there's more change on the way. Hear from experts on the arts, restaurants, riverfront projects, and more at the next Engage ICT: Democracy on Tap. The conversation gets underway at 5:30 p.m. today (Tuesday, Feb. 11) at Roxy's Downtown located at 412 1/2 E. Douglas.
Submit your questions and comments in advance using the Two-Way Radio feature on the KMUW app, or send an email to info@kmuw.org.
Engage ICT events are free and open to all. Appetizers are provided by Roxy's Downtown and drinks are available for purchase. If you can't make it in person, the discussion will stream via Facebook Live starting at 5:30 p.m. All past Engage ICT discussions can be found at kmuw.org/topic/engage-ict.
Graduate School Professional Development Privilege and Oppression is Wednesday
Join the Graduate School and presenter Danielle Johnson, assistant director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, for lunch from noon-1:30 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 12) in 142 RSC for Privilege and Oppression, an interactive workshop where you will participate in the Privilege Walk and the matrix of oppression activities. This workshop is a safe space for participants showing how power and privilege can affect lives, while bringing awareness to your own privilege and how to provide opportunities to others.
Professional Development Series
Managers can add Co-Planners in myPerformance
What is a Co-Planner? A Co-Planner is one who has managed a portion of the employee’s work assignment during the performance evaluation period. If there is a dual reporting relationship, both leaders need to have input into the myPerformance employee evaluation. The employee’s manager can use the co-planner input when they are evaluating the employee’s performance and assigning ratings. Co-planners can also perform reviews as though they were the manager who was assigned the performance review task. These are key factors for complete performance evaluations and for employee development.
Managers can add a Co-Planner by following these INSTRUCTIONS:
- Select the employee’s evaluation in myPerformance
- On the drop-down Options Menu, select Add Co-Planners
- Enter the name of the co-planner to search for options, select the co-planner from the list, then select Save
Visit the Wichita State University myPerformance web page at www.wichita.edu/myPerformance for more information.
WSU Libraries host Spring 2020 Entrepreneurship Research Series
WSU Libraries presents the Entrepreneurship Research Series for Spring 2020 - helping inventors and entrepreneurs learn how to protect their intellectual property and support their business through research. Upcoming dates include: Tuesday, Feb. 11 - "Intellectual Property Basics;" and Tuesday, Feb. 18 - "Trademark Basics: Protect Your Business Name." Workshops take place from 5:30-7 p.m. in 217 Ablah Library.
Entrepreneurship Research Series
Latest Ulrich Museum ‘Solving for X’ exhibition shines a spotlight on WSU scholar’s anti-gerrymandering work
As the recent controversy surrounding the Iowa Caucus vote count indicates, we can expect closer scrutiny of our electoral process as this presidential election cycle heats up. Fortunately, a Wichita State University researcher is already looking at ways to address one of our most controversial electoral practices: redrawing political districts.
Every 10 years, districts across the nation are redrawn to reflect changes in the U.S. Census. Of course, with that redrawing comes the temptation to “gerrymander,” the term given to redrawing districts in order to benefit the people drawing the maps.
Brian Amos, assistant professor of Political Science at WSU, dedicates his work to improving the algorithms available to researchers and activists seeking to prevent gerrymandering. He does this by identifying bias in existing approaches that may skew measurements in how gerrymandered a map is, and by incorporating Voting Rights Act protections for racial and ethnic minority groups into algorithms created for other countries without those protections.
Thanks to Amos' participation in the Ulrich Museum of Art's “Solving for X” exhibition series, you can now see large, wall-size visualizations of his research and take in media coverage — both humorous and serious — examining the issue. Amos’ exhibition, “Solving for X=Representation: Slaying the Gerrymander,” will be on display at the Ulrich until June 28.
“Solving for X” is a series of exhibitions organized by the Ulrich in collaboration with university scholars across campus. The intent of the museum is to work with WSU scholars in all disciplines to create visualizations of their research. The objective is to explore the potential for the museum to make accessible to the public the fascinating and important research taking place on campus.
Ulrich Museum Director Leslie Brothers said the museum is always on the lookout for innovative research to showcase. If you are interested in being considered for a future exhibition, contact Brothers at leslie.brothers@wichita.edu
The Ulrich Museum of Art on the Wichita State University campus is free and open to the public. Museum hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Mondays and University and Major holidays.
Joint senate meeting set for Feb. 18
Join the USS and UP Senates at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 in 142 RSC for their joint meeting. Representatives from the Shocker Circle Reference Team will attend to discuss information gathered at the Shocker Circles held in the fall. All meetings are open to the campus community.
Volunteer as a conversation leader at the Intensive English Center
If you enjoy learning about other cultures and meeting people from around the world, volunteer as a conversation leader at the Intensive English Language Center.
Conversation outings are Wednesdays from 10-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2 p.m.
Spring 2020 conversation dates are Feb. 12, 19, 26, March 4, April 8, 15, 22, 29, and May 6.
For more information, contact volunteer coordinator Aimee Leisy at aimee.leisy@wichita.edu, leave a message at the Intensive English Language Center front desk at 978-6040, or stop by the Intensive English Center at 1741 N. Hillside.
2019 video of Shockers abroad
Shockers are traveling the world and taking advantage of the many study abroad programs that Wichita State University has to offer each year. Check out our latest video showing all of the places Shockers went in 2019.
More information about study abroad programs is available at www.wichita.edu/studyabroad.
Register now for E-Launch Spring 2020
E-Launch fosters entrepreneurial activity, leading to the commercialization of ideas. Through an interactive process, participants will learn to clearly conceptualize how the product or service can provide real value to customers. Participants will be shown how to validate their value proposition with customers and other stakeholders
Shocker Sight: WSU Homecoming 2020 has begun
Don’t miss out on the Homecoming festivities this week! From Shocker Athletics to Trivia Night at Fuzzy’s, there is at least one activity during the week that will surely catch your eye. Check out full details at www.shockeralumni.org/homecoming.
Students needed for Voter Education Project
The Department of Political Science needs current WSU students for a nonpartisan voter education project about Ranked Choice Voting (which will be used in the May 2 Kansas Democratic Presidential Primary). Work will be paid, occur in March and April, and involve presentations to student and community groups. This project is supported by a grant from FairVote, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for voting reform.
All interested students should contact Neal Allen, chair of Political Science, at neal.allen@wichita.edu or 978-7133 as soon as possible.
Buy Black ICT Expo coming Feb. 15
Wichita State's Black Student Union is hosting its first Buy Black ICT Expo and one of our many events for Black History Month. This event is open to the community. Don’t miss the Buy Black ICT Expo from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, on the first floor, RSC.
Our goal is to highlight Black-owned businesses within the Wichita area. The purpose is to showcase black entrepreneurs in the Wichita community. Many students do not know where to Buy Black, and this expo gives them a chance to find these businesses. Anyone is welcome to come.
There will also be free pizza and a drawing.
Topeka student wins $48,000 Wichita State scholarship
Austin Rea, a senior from Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas, has won the 2020 Wichita State University Clay Barton Scholarship.
He will receive $12,000 a year for four years to attend WSU. The $48,000 Barton Scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in the state.
Come to the Glow Circus on Feb. 17
Come on, come all to our Glow Circus at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, in the CAC Theater. Bring your little one to a family-friendly glow in the dark circus full neon juggling and hola hoop tossing.
Free to WSU Students with Shocker ID, $3 faculty/staff; $5 general admission and $1 for kids 12 and under. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. No advance ticket sales. Cash or check only accepted at the door. For more information about SAC-sponsored events, go to wichita.edu/sac or at sac@wichita.edu.