Microsoft Teams Training is here!
It's here! Microsoft Teams Essentials training for WSU staff and faculty is now listed in myTraining. Sign up for one of these remote sessions and learn how to maximize your experience with this powerful program. We will explore each of the modules in teams, uncover some hidden abilities, and resolve some common mysteries and misconceptions.
Sign up for a session in myTraining ... hope to see you there!
WSU announces changes to popular Lifelong Learning classes
As part of the university’s continued commitment to Lifelong Learning, Wichita State will be offering 10 new Lifelong Learning classes for senior citizens this fall. Due to COVID-19 concerns, adjustments have been made to content delivery to ensure students safety and comfort level in participating in these classes.
New this year, classes will be offered both in person and online, making the courses available and accessible to senior citizens statewide.
All in-person classes will be held at Wichita State University’s Metropolitan Complex, located at 5015 E. 29th St. N., Wichita, KS 67220. No Lifelong Learning classes will be held at senior centers or retirement communities this semester. In person class capacity will be limited to the current state and local guidelines on gatherings and social distancing and in person registrations will be accepted on a first come basis.
Lifelong Learning classes will also be made available online through YouTube. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device. Students can choose to watch the link live during the class time or can watch the recording at their convenience.
Residents and members of the community 60 years of age or older can audit these classes without paying tuition. WSU has scholarship money available to cover workshop fees for students enrolling prior to Sept. 11, 2020. After that date, some workshop fees may apply. Although geared toward the senior citizen population, anyone younger than 60 can enroll in the classes if they pay regular tuition and fees.
“In 2019, total class registrations exceeded 2,000. Due to the success of the program and overwhelming interest in these classes, we continue to look for ways to increase course offerings as well as make courses more accessibile to the senior community” said Kimberly Moore, director of WSU’s Office for Workforce, Professional and Community Education (WPCE). “I am very excited that by offering the courses online, seniors statewide can now enroll and participate no matter where they live. We value our seniors and are excited to continue to provide them with high quality, engaging and meaningful educational opportunities.”
Classes for Fall 2020 include:
- The Geology of Natural Disasters
- Introduction to Meteorology
- History in Film
- Kansas and World War II
- The Stories of Kansas Pioneer Women
- How to Listen to Jazz
- Shakespeare 2
- National Politics
- Preserving Family Treasures
- From Prohibition to Populism: How Kansas Made a Name for Itself
For more information, visit www.wichita.edu/lifelonglearning to get complete details on each class. You can also request a printed brochure by calling 316-978-3731 or Conference.Office@wichita.edu.
WSU men’s basketball team shares message to make change
Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall and the Shocker men’s basketball team shared a message about standing united, educating ourselves, raising awareness, spreading love, helping others, doing what is right and making change.
Celebrate JuneteenthICT!
JuneteenthICT the official Wichita celebration has begun with the celebration taking place this week. This year, JuneteenthICT has created a hybrid of programs that consist of virtual and a few in-person opportunities that incorporate social distancing. There is no shortage of opportunities to learn, celebrate, and share the history and meaning of Juneteenth. Learn more about the schedule of programs at JuneteenthICT.
Some programs may require registration. All programs will be streamed on the JuneteenthICT Facebook page. Please go to the following link and like https://www.facebook.com/JuneteenthICT/. All programs are free and open to the public.
Career Development Center spring events recap
During the Spring 2020 semester, the Career Development Center hosted 130 events.
- 82 events were hosted in-person, including career fairs, workshops, professional photo events, employer information tables, interviews, and presentations.
- 48 were hosted virtually, including career chats, workshops, presentations, employer drop-ins, and mock-interviews.
2,493 Wichita State students and community members participated these events.
- 1,985 attended the events in person
- 508 attended in the events virtually.
More information
These are the top VIRTUAL events by attendance.
- 80 attended Career Chats - The NASA Collection
- 60 attended LinkedIn: Power of Your Profile Workshop
- 34 attended Thinking About Grad School Workshop
- 32 attended Mock Interviews for Dental Hygiene Students
- 21 attended Job Hunting Lab
- 20 attended Pursuing Your Career Path in Challenging Times, hosted by KCOE
- 20 attended Graduating and Still Looking for a Job? Workshop
- 20 attended Engage BKD!
- 20 attended Building your Brand & Preparing for Conferences with GOOGLE
- 20 attended Career Chats: Resume Tips, On-Campus Jobs and Internships
- 20 attended Resumes and Interview for Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Workers
- 20 attended Pursuing Your Career Path in Challenging Times, hosted by KCOE
These are the top IN-PERSON events by attendance.
- 267 attended JCPenney Suit-Up Event
- 95 attended Education Mock Interviews
- 85 attended LinkedIn: Craft a stellar profile and Build a Valuable Network Workshop
- 79 attended International Student Career Workshop
- 70 attended Resume & Interview Preparation Presentation
- 57 attended Education Interview Day
- 56 attended Head Shocks - Professional Photos
- 52 attended Public Health Science Speed Networking508 attended in the events virtually.
- 40 attended Beta Alpha Psi Speed Networking with Employers
Fall 2021 admissions application opens July 1
Do you know of students planning to attend Wichita State in the fall of 2020? Encourage
them to mark their calendars! The admissions application opens soon on July 1.
The admissions team is hosting WSU Activate: Apply Today from 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, for anyone interested in completing the application
for fall 2021. A virtual opportunity will also be available for students who aren't
able to come to campus. We're proud to kick off the celebration of 125 years of Wichita
State University with this event.
Students will be able to submit their admissions application, talk with an admissions
staff member, take a picture with WuShock, and receive a free Shocker T-shirt with a custom 125 years design. Any students interested in attending
should go to wichita.edu/visit and click on "Admissions Events" to submit their RSVP.
Dell Technologies invites WSU researchers to attend a webinar on High Performance
Computing Centers and Academic Research
Dell Technologies will host a webinar University Research & HPC: Urgent Against COVID-19, Crucial for Discovery & Innovation at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 25.
Join our panel of experts at top US research university high performance computing (HPC) centers to learn how the interdependence and impact of HPC and academic research continues to grow.
University research programs are fundamental in the advancement of human knowledge in fields of inquiry from the natural sciences and engineering to the humanities and liberal arts. The use of powerful computing and digital technologies is an increasingly important tool for academic research across disciplines, including HPC systems. HPC enables researchers to ask questions and attack complex problems through techniques such as simulation and data analytics in order to understand, discover, and predict.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for rapid understanding and development of solutions, the role of HPC is becoming prominent as researchers around the world depend on HPC systems to model the pandemic, understand the nature of the virus, and develop treatments and vaccines. HPC is crucial in advancing human understanding and addressing societal problems in many other areas as well, with academic researchers often leading the way.
Panel:
- Ruth Marinshaw, CTO for Research Computing, Stanford University
- Dan Stanzione, Executive Director, Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), University of Texas Austin
- Kiran Keshav, Executive Director, Yale Center for Research Computing, Yale University
Moderator:
- Jay Boisseau, Ph.D., AI & HPC Technology Strategist, Dell Technologies
We look forward to seeing you!
Changes to your HSA/HRA/FSA for 2020 due to CARES Act
Due to the recent CARES Act legislation, there have been some updates to how you can use your HSA, HRA and/or Healthcare FSA funds. Updates include the ability to use funds for over the counter (OTC) medications without a prescription and for menstrual care products. These changes are retroactively effective to Jan. 1, 2020.
Your NueSynergy debit card may not immediately work for purchases of these items as merchants are in the process of updating their systems to accommodate these changes, but you are able to pay out-of-pocket and submit reimbursement requests through the NueSynergy online portal.
You can find more information from NueSynergy here: NueSynergy 2020 CARES Act Update. If you have more specific questions about eligible purchases, you can reach NueSynergy directly at 1-855-750-9440 for further assistance. When calling, identify yourself as a State of Kansas employee, and be prepared to provide your SHaRP ID (found by logging in to myWSU and hovering the mouse over the white box in the “SHaRP ID” channel).
State Employee Health Plan updates in response to COVID-19
Governor Laura Kelly announced four provisions on March 13, 2020 that have been extended through June 30, 2020 for employees and dependents enrolled in medical insurance through the State Employee Health Plan.
- SEHP will cover medically necessary diagnostic tests that are consistent with CDC guidance related to the COVID-19 at no cost share to member, where it is not covered as part of the Public Health Service response.
2. SEHP will allow early refills on 30- or 90-day prescription medications and/or allow members to use their mail order benefit.
- Given the nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, seeking in person medical care has the potential to further spread the virus. SEHP partners with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas to provide Telehealth services with a virtual doctor’s office. There is 24/7/365 access to this service. The member cost share will be waived for any Telehealth service. In addition to telehealth services provided by Teledoc or Amwell, the member cost share will also be waived for services from your in-network physician that are billed as telehealth services.
Blue Cross Blue Shield members - Amwell
- For plan participants that reside in the Topeka area, the HealthQuest Health Center available to members enrolled in the health plan, is located at 901 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka
- Phone screening is recommended before going to the center: 785-783-4080
- If a patient walks into the clinic, they will have them put on a mask and clean their hands with hand sanitizer. The health center staff will evaluate the patient’s symptoms and recommend they isolate if the initial findings and/or symptoms present are a positive indicator for the virus.
- Testing is not available at the health center for COVID-19 and the clinic will refer all patients that meet the risk criteria to the local health department for testing and further evaluation.
For all up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and the WSU campus, go to www.wichita.edu/covid19.
Carolyn Shaw’s comments are featured in University Business publication
Carolyn Shaw
Share your story
Share your story and help prevent suicide with #WSUWeSupportU. If you've struggled with suicidal ideation, past attempts or experienced a loss to suicide and want to help others who are struggling, the lived experiences of survivors are important to sharing hope and healing.
Reach out the #WeSupportU program by emailing us at marci.young@wichita.edu to learn more about being a part of a video or written series to share the message of hope and recovery.
Wanted: Volunteers to help with 2020 bicycle and pedestrian count event
Volunteers are needed to help manually count bicycle and pedestrian activity across 35 sites in the Wichita Metro area. The annual event, sponsored by the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization will be held Sept. 24 and 26.
This important event relies heavily on the commitment of community volunteers to gather data about how our network of paths and lanes are being used.
According to Tricia Thomas, WAMPO Communication’s Manager:
“One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand. Without accurate and consistent demand and usage figures, it is difficult to measure the positive benefits of bicycle and pedestrian investments, especially when compared to the other transportation modes such as the private automobile.”
As such, this event is the only source for regional-scale bicycle and pedestrian data. The results of this data are then used to guide investments throughout the regional transportation system.
So please consider volunteering! This annual event is a real opportunity for local residents to become involved in a piece of the regional transportation planning process. As we know, bicycle and pedestrian investments stimulate the economy, public health, and the overall quality of life in a variety of ways. Communities that invest in these facilities inherently attract people and businesses so it’s good for everyone! Register to volunteer here!