New economic tool breaks down COVID-19 vulnerability on the service industry state
The novel Coronavirus has likely created an indelible mark on the global economy. But understanding how it has affected industries and occupations remains somewhat elusive, although more clarity is revealed daily, according to Jeremy Hill, director of Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR).
From the start of the global pandemic, health experts warned about public gathering places. Those same warnings gave rise to the now infamous phrase – “social distancing.”
As public health experts warned about highly trafficked areas, and states implemented stay-at-home orders, the manual service sectors that require face-to-face interactions were the first to see the economic ramifications, Hill says.
WSU Alumni Association invites your support of graduating seniors
The Wichita State University Class of 2020 is experiencing a final semester unlike any other. Join the Wichita State University Alumni Association in supporting these seniors and graduate students by completing a 20 for '20 form to share your best wishes for WSU's newest alumni. Responses will be compiled and then shared with the graduating class at shockeralumni.org. Select responses will also be shared on social media.
SGA to host Virtual Town Hall for students today
The following invitation went to all students:
Welcome Back, Shockers! We know these are unprecedented times for us as college students. We know there are probably still so many questions about how WSU is handling these times.
The Student Government Association will host a Virtual Town Hall live on YouTube at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 2. It will be moderated by Student Body President Kitrina Miller, with university President Dr. Jay Golden, Provost Dr. Muma, Dean of Students Dr. Aaron Austin and Dr. Carolyn Speer, manager, Instructional Design And Access, as we answer all the questions you may still have about WSU’s response to COVID-19.
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Please note: Faculty and staff are welcome to watch the Virtual Town Hall, but please respect the fact that the event is to give students an opportunity to ask questions.
Faculty and staff news, spring 2020
The latest spring faculty and staff news – awards, publications, projects and presentations, and in memoriam, is available here.
Three April events are designed to show appreciation for Wichita and Wichita State
For the past three years, Dr. Marche Fleming-Randle has established a presence on and off campus as a driving force for social justice, the upward mobility of diverse population groups, and a champion for meaningful student causes. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that at a time like this, her Division of Diversity and Community Engagement has once again risen to the critical challenge of serving the students and the community.
COVID-19 has definitely sent shockwaves throughout the world, and never before has leadership been more critical. Fleming-Randle and her team have risen to the challenge.
Fleming-Randle said: “We have less than 200 students still residing on campus during a time of year that is normally alive and robust. I felt we needed to be proactive in letting those students know that we are here to support them as Shocker students and as valuable members of the Wichita community.”
In addition to reaching out to students, Fleming-Randle’s team has taken initiative in supporting frontline personnel who have worked around the clock serving Wichita State University, the City of Wichita, and the veteran community.
The following events are a few of many more to come, highlighting the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement’s commitment to our great university and our great city:
- Friday, April 3: VA Medical Workers Appreciation Day -- Showing appreciation by serving the workers who are supporting our veterans during this crisis. During the 8 a.m. shift, noon shift, and 6 p.m. emergency room shift, the division will deliver coffee and donuts to doctors, nurses, and security staff of the local VA Hospital.
- Wednesday, April 8: Campus Police and Health Professionals Appreciation Day -- Showing appreciation to the campus employees working around the clock to ensure that we stay healthy and safe. The division will serve lasagna dinners to all shifts for both university police and campus healthcare professionals.
- Friday, April 17: Grab and Go Social Distancing Dinner -- The division will provide 180 grab-and-go lunch boxes for students and support staff in residence halls. This is to show appreciation for students who were required to remain on campus during the shutdown.
Stay tuned for more updates and events coming soon from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.
Zoom co-hosts available
Are you struggling with Zoom? Are you worried about the security of your zoom sessions? Campus Media Services, a division of the Media resources Center, can provide a Zoom Co-Host to help manage the security and technical details of your zoom session. Co-hosts can help make sure that you have the right security sessions, help manage the participants, their microphones, and other disruptions to your session. Co-Hosts are available on a first-come, first serve basis, while staffing permits. Request your Zoom Co-Host now.
Remote teaching and Blackboard consultation labs are online through Zoom
Instructional Design and Access is running Blackboard / Remote Teaching consultation labs through Zoom. Faculty can join us from 1-3 p.m. any Tuesday or Wednesday, and GTA's are invited to come from 2-4 p.m. Thursdays and 3-4 p.m. Fridays.
All lab times and links can be found at our IDA Labs webpage.
If you would like to get training for a group of five or more people, contact us at IDA@wichita.edu
Melissia Ward retires after 25 years of service
Melissia Ward, assistant to the dean in the College of Health Professions (CHP), is retiring from Wichita State after 25 years. Melissia brought her steadfast character and extraordinary work ethic to the CHP throughout her entire time at Wichita State.
She was the recipient of the President's Distinguished Service Award (Classified Senate) in 2002 and completed the esteemed CHP Leadership Academy program. She has impacted countless students, faculty and staff through the years, and will be greatly missed. We extend our warmest wishes to Melissia and wish her well as she embarks on her new journey.
Melissia’s last day is Friday, April 3. The CHP Dean’s Office is accepting cards for Melissia ,and will ensure they are delivered to her.
Please send cards to:
Dean’s Office – Ahlberg Hall 400
College of Health Professions
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount St.
Wichita, Kansas 67260
Faculty Fellows deadlines are approaching
Each year, Academic Affairs supports Faculty Fellows in a variety of areas. Faculty have the opportunity to learn new skills and serve our students in different ways through these fellowships. More information and submission details are provided on the Academic Affairs webpage linked below.
Tilford Incentive Grant, deadline April 3, 2020.
Orientation Faculty Fellows, deadline April 3, 2020.
Recruitment Faculty Fellows, deadline April 10, 2020.
Retention Faculty Fellows, deadline April 10, 2020.
Trends in Higher Education Fellows, deadline April 10, 2020.
Service-Learning Scholars Faculty Fellows, deadline April 17, 2020.
Honors College Fellows, deadline May 1, 2020.
Congratulations to the 2020 Phenomenal Women Award recipients!
The annual Phenomenal Women Awards recognizes women for their accomplishments and contributions to our community through their scholarship, activism, and commitment to excellence. While we cannot celebrate in person, we hope that each nominee and award recipient knows how important they are to the campus and community.
Congratulations to the 2020 Phenomenal Women Award recipients: Rhonda Hicks, Heba Madi, and student award winner Maribel Sanchez!
To learn more about the Phenomenal Women Awards and to read our recipients’ bios, go to http://wichita.edu/phenomenal.
OP-ED: Want Congress to be more effective during the next crisis? Support campaign finance reform
The following op-ed was provided by Wichita State political scientist Neal Allen.
The scene was bizarre in the U.S. House of Representatives last Friday afternoon, where members had to use the upper galleries to observe social distancing guidelines while they approved a massive aid package for American workers and businesses. Citizens are justifiably wondering how we got to this point.
Part of the answer lies in the combination of a campaign finance system that privileges wealth, a rich college student in Texas, and a legislator who is “a third-rate Grandstander” according to President Trump.
Congresswomen and Congressmen were forced to return to Washington to pass the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) because of one man: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). He insisted on having a roll-call vote on the package, forcing members to return to Washington to overrule his motion and pass the bill by a voice vote.
Massie gets elected these days by being an incumbent Republican in a safe Republican seat, although he might lose the Republican primary, since Trump has called for his expulsion from the Republican Party.
But in his first campaign, Massie “was primarily bankrolled by John Ramsey, a 21-year-old college student with a hefty inheritance” (according to The Almanac of American Politics 2014). Massey won with 45% of the vote, beating two other strong candidates with experience winning Republican primaries.
Ramsey, then a student at Stephan F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, gave more than $500,000 to “Liberty for All,” a group that was supported the Massie Campaign. It ran TV ads and funded a get-out-the-vote operation. This was only possible because the Supreme Court in its 2010 Citizens United decision removed limits on individual spending on campaigns, as long as the spending was not under direct control of a candidate or their campaign.
Why would a Texas college student care this much about a congressional race occurring over 900 miles away? In this case Ramsey was a big fan of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the libertarian firebrand who was a supporter of Massie.
I am all for college students having political heroes, even if they are in a different state. When I was in college in Indiana, I was able to meet one of mine: then-Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ). On the day of the 2016 Republican Presidential Caucus in Kansas, one of my students was working the crowd on behalf of the Ted Cruz campaign. Many of my current students at Wichita State are passionate about Sen. Bernie Sanders, and some have even given his campaign small donations.
These contributions are good for democracy, where the many rule themselves. Small contributions expand the number of citizens who are actively involved in government and politics, without creating significant differences in power among citizens. A voter who gives $5 to a candidate has a bigger impact than a non-contributing voter, but the difference is so small that it is irrelevant.
But when one individual can give over $500,000, then the system looks more like an oligarachy, the rule by the few over the many. Inherited wealth should not be the effective qualification for being a ruler, whether the “super-citizen” is 21, 51, or 71 years old. The odd scene in the U.S. Capitol Friday is another example of why campaign finance reform is urgently needed.
Ulrich Museum offers Museum at Home resources to help with self-distancing
The Ulrich Museum of Art on the Wichita State University campus is excited to offer several wonderful resources to help you stay connected to the arts -- and the museum -- during these difficult times of self-distancing.
Whether you're trying to develop lesson plans and activities for your kids, or just interested in furthering your own learning, stay connected to our website and our social media platforms for regular features meant to entertain and inform you as we get through this challenging period.
Among the resources now available:
The "Staff Selections" video series. Our staff members pick their favorite talks from the 80+ recorded talks on our YouTube Channel. They give a brief explanation of why they chose that particular artist talk, and then provide a small excerpt from the lecture. Our hope is that it will whet your appetite for more and inspire you to view the artist's full talk. Our first installment features Curator Ksenya Gurshtein introducing Artist Trenton Doyle Hancock's talk. Be sure to check our website and social media regularly for new installments!
Outdoor Sculpture Collection Coloring Pages. Need something to keep the kids busy? Or maybe you just need to escape from the news. If so, print out our Outdoor Sculpture Collection Coloring Pages, featuring some of your favorite pieces from our world-class Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. Once you've finished coloring, feel free to share it with us at ulrich@wichita.edu. We'll show off your masterpieces on social media!
"Meet Me in the Vault." We encourage you to explore our new Collection Portal (accessible through our website[BROKEN LINK]), pick your favorite work of art from our permanent collection, and email it to us at ulrich@wichita.edu. Please include the artist, title, and your name with a brief statement about why this piece is one of your favorites. Your picks will be shared on social media!
From all of us at the Ulrich, stay safe and healthy, and keep in touch.
WSU Alumni Association reschedules Alumni Awards, Class of ’70 Reunion
The Wichita State University Alumni Association has rescheduled two of the organization’s largest and most traditional events due to restrictions on public gatherings in response the worldwide coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), WSUAA president and CEO Courtney M. Marshall announced.
The 65th WSU Alumni Awards banquet and ceremony is set for Monday, Oct. 19, in the Rhatigan Student Center’s Shirley Beggs Ballroom. The Fifty-Year Club induction luncheon and reunion for the Class of 1970 will be Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Marcus Welcome Center. Both events were originally scheduled for April.
Details for both events are available at the WSUAA’s website at shockeralumni.org.
Nominate an advisor for the Excellence in Academic Advising Award
Do you know of an advisor who goes above and beyond for students? The Advising Network (TAN) is proud to support student success by recognizing academic advisors at Wichita State University. Anyone who provides advising services in any role (faculty or staff) is eligible for nomination.
These awards recognize individuals who demonstrate qualities and practices that make significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising at WSU and beyond.
Nominate an advisor by completing an online form by April 3.
Chartwells family meals with free delivery
Free delivery in Wichita and surrounding areas. Let us bring food to your door.
Don’t risk leaving your house when we can come to your door and deliver healthy and tasty meals for the entire family. Check out our family meal options here. Order today!
Call 316-978-5863 or email wsucatering@compass-usa.com.
Curbside Services now being offered through Student Health Services
Student Health Services is now offering Curbside Services! Pick up refilled prescriptions or get your TB test read without having to leave your car. Offered during normal hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
RSC Engraving resumes production
Having now settled into working remotely and social distancing, the RSC Engraving Shop is ready to resume production to serve all of your engraving and award needs. We realize that while in-person classes have been temporarily halted, the need to recognize students, faculty and staff for their achievements may be more important than ever!
In an effort to promote social distancing, in-person orders are not being taken at the present time. Instead, you can start an order by emailing rsc.engraving@wichita.edu or leaving a voicemail message at 316-978-7048.
Upon completion, we will arrange for curbside service for pick-ups or even deliver completed orders when feasible.