Teaching This Fall: Day 9 Questions about Communication
To support instructors who are prepping their classes for fall, the Faculty Curricular Design Working Group has created 10 sets of featured questions related to our new teaching environment. Each day we will post one set of frequently asked questions to respond to issues that faculty have raised about how to be prepared.
FAQs Set #9: Questions about Communication
- How will WSU communicate with students and their families about COVID-19-related campus
changes?
The WSU COVID-19 News website is regularly updated by WSU Strategic Communications. Students should stay connected to the university by regularly checking emails and announcements in Shocker Blast.
- How will students know if my class has required in-person meetings?
Faculty need to reach out to their students right away to let them know what to expect on the first day and what your plans are for the semester. Faculty have continued to update their class plans and students need to be aware of these changes. Send out an email to all your enrolled students and post information on the announcements section in your Bb shell.
Additional FAQs about teaching this fall can be found on the COVID-19 university webpage.
Anthropology professor finds evidence of wine, caffeine in 500-year-old pottery
- Crystal Dozier, assistant professor of anthropology, found chemical markers that indicate evidence of caffeine and wine in pre-colonial indigenous populations.
- Findings contradict stereotypes of alcohol use in Native American populations.
- Dozier's research was published in the August issue of the Journal of Archeological Science.
Pictured above: Dr. Crystal Dozier works with a lab research team at Etzanoa, which is a lost city near Arkansas City and recently discovered by Wichita State professor Donald Blakeslee.
Wichita Transit takes over Shocker bus routes
The city of Wichita’s transit department will be assuming operations of the Shocker bus service beginning Aug. 17. There will be a total of four Wichita State University routes, tentatively set to begin Aug. 17.
Faculty-requested topics highlighted today at the ARC
Instructional Design and Access surveyed faculty about what training they wanted added to August’s ARC. As a result, we added 20 new sessions throughout the week, and seven of them are available today (Thursday, Aug. 13)! As with most ARC sessions, no registration is required to attend; just find the sessions you want to attend in the schedule and click the Zoom session links at: https://wichita.edu/ARCAugust.
* 10-10:50 a.m.: Blackboard Rubrics
* 10-10:50 a.m.: Finding Streamed Audio and Video Resources at the Library
* 11-11:50 a.m.: What do WSU Students Need from Their Professors This Fall?
* Noon-12:50 p.m.: Pursuing Diversity Content Designation for Your Class
* 3-3:50 p.m.: Ensuring a Good First Year for New Graduate Students
* 4-4:50 p.m.: How to Host a Murder Mystery Using Zoom
* 6-6:50 p.m.: Work/Family Balance Discussion
Student panel to discuss student needs today
Today (Thursday, Aug. 13) from 11-11:50 a.m., a panel of WSU students will discuss what students need from their instructors this fall. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Carolyn Shaw. You can attend this Zoom session directly and listen to what students have to say and pose questions to the panel.
COVID-19 reporting option for students
Support is available for students who need to be in isolation or quarantine because of COVID-19.
Encourage students to complete the COVID-19 form at wichita.edu/reportit to connect with Student Health Services and other campus resources.
Child Development Center has Pre-K openings
The WSU Child Development Center has current Pre-K openings! This would be for children who will be entering Kindergarten in Fall 2021 only.
Please call 316-978-3109 for more information. This spot will be available after Labor Day.
Ulrich Museum's online exhibition celebrating women artists is excellent resource for teachers and students
Are you an instructor preparing a syllabus who is looking for an exciting and timely assignment? Look no further than the Ulrich Museum of Art's online exhibition, "10 X 10: Ten Women / Ten Prints."
The museum is currently hosting the online exhibition on its website in honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which, on Aug. 26, 1920, gave American women the right to vote. The web-based exhibition showcases a portfolio of the same name, featuring ten prints by 10 different women artists. The portfolio was printed in 1995 by Jos Sances, founder of Alliance Graphics, and published by the Berkeley Art Center to commemorate the 1995 International Women’s Day and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th amendment. The portfolio came to the Ulrich as a gift from the WSU Center for Women’s Studies in 1996.
The virtual exhibition is accompanied by curricular content available to college faculty anywhere for use in the classroom, including a writing assignment. Furthermore, participating WSU students, who complete the online form, will be entered in to a contest to win a prize. The exhibition will also include links to other resources and events in the Wichita area that celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment.
Twenty-five years later, these prints are still a poignant testament to the experiences and struggles, both public and private, that women continue to face. The 10 featured artists represent the racial and ethnic diversity of the United States, and the prints included in the portfolio tackle a variety of issues relevant to women in American society today.
With this online exhibition, the Ulrich is proud to contribute to the efforts of the national Feminist Art Coalition [https://feministartcoalition.org/], which has united under one umbrella numerous exhibitions of feminist art in U.S. museums in 2020-2021.
This exhibition was curated by Nellie Elliott, the Ulrich’s 2019-20 Mary Joan Waid curatorial intern, with guidance from Ulrich curator Ksenya Gurshtein.
The Kansas NSF EPSCoR office is seeking white papers for Major Initiatives to Improve Research Infrastructure
Kansas NSF EPSCoR (KNE) is announcing a funding opportunity for Major Initiatives to Improve Research Infrastructure in the focus area of Adaptive and Resilient Systems.
In summer 2021, Kansas NSF EPSCoR will submit a Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). To develop the proposal, KNE is seeking proposals that will make up a key component of this multi-million dollar/multi-year request to NSF.
The selected initiative is expected to foster an interdisciplinary research community of engineers, computer and computational scientists, social and behavioral scientists, and natural scientists that creates new approaches and engineering solutions for the design and operation of infrastructure, processes, or services.
One major initiative will be selected to be included, along with other infrastructure-building components, in the $20 million RII Track 1 EPSCoR proposal, which will be submitted in August 2021.
White Papers Due by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020
Full Proposals Due by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, 2020
Q&A Sessions: Only researchers from Kansas universities will be admitted to Zoom meetings. Register for a meeting at noon Friday, July 24, and noon Thursday, Aug. 13, and download the RFP at the KS NSF EPSCoR website.
If you have any questions or wish to submit to this opportunity, please email the WSU Office of Research at proposals@wichita.edu and a grants specialist will be assigned to assist you.
Classroom Technology Training Schedule
Classrooms across campus are equipped with uniform technology and media equipment. Access is available to faculty and staff with consistent keys for most classrooms that are issued during a short training session. We encourage you to bring your personal laptop to test in the room during training. If there are additional needs or questions, please call 978-3588.
Faculty are encouraged to verify that their assigned rooms have the technology they need prior to the start of the semester.
Fall 2020 Classroom Technology Training Schedule
LinkedIn Learning available for faculty and staff
We are pleased to announce that LinkedIn Learning is now available to all Wichita State University students, faculty and staff. Discover how this all-in-one learning solution can enhance your education, add value to your academic program/course, or help you learn a new skill to advance your career!
Learn more and explore today at wichita.edu/LinkedinLearning.
What is LinkedIn Learning?
LinkedIn Learning is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Explore over 12,000 courses and 5,000 video tutorials from industry experts and leaders all in one place.
For students and staff
LinkedIn Learning offers video courses taught by industry experts, which help you increase your technology, creative, and business skills. LinkedIn Learning analyzes industry trends, job postings, and user activity to ensure content remains relevant.
For faculty
LinkedIn Learning is a powerful tool, perfect for any classroom. You can leverage LinkedIn Learning to enhance your course content allowing your students to explore and learn concepts at their own pace outside of classroom meeting times. Think of it like one giant, online textbook!
New partnership
We’re very excited for this new partnership with LinkedIn Learning. We hope you will explore and share this good news. Keep an eye out for additional updates, announcements, trainings, and more.
Bolema cited as expert source in NPR story
Ted Bolema
Ted Bolema, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Growth, Department of Economics, W. Frank Barton School of Business, was a subject-matter expert for the story “Kansas college towns await potentially ‘disastrous’ verdict on Big 12 fall sports.”
Back to School Sale at the Shocker Store
Looking to find some Shocker gear for the start of school? The Shocker Store is having a Back to School Sale from now to Saturday, Aug. 15 in the RSC store and at shockerstore.com. It features select products at awesome prices! May not be combined with other discounts.
CCU members: refer and win a chance for $100
Tell your friends and family about the Campus Credit Union this month for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Each new member you refer this month will qualify you for an additional entry to win. We consider it the highest compliment when our members refer us to their friends and family. Now we just want to sweeten the deal for our members who consistently refer us and thank you all in advance.
Register now for Virtual Shocker Resource Fair
Jump into the school year by discovering the programs, resources and opportunities waiting for you at Wichita State across our amazing campus departments. Every day, we will feature various campus departments, how to connect with them, and what they can do to help you be a successful Shocker. For more information about SAC-sponsored events, please visit wichita.edu/SAC or contact us at SAC@wichita.edu. Sponsored by the Student Activities Council.
Tuesday Talk Part 2 of "New Healthy Shockers: Grad Students" is posted
The Tuesday Talk on Aug. 3 discussed what graduate students need to know about staying healthy at Wichita State with Nurse Heather, Aaron Coffey, and graduate students Rachit Rajput and Austin Nordyke.