WSU Today: Dec. 8, 2020

Blackboard will be down several days starting the evening of Dec. 17

In an effort to improve Blackboard's performance and stability, and to set the foundation for further improvements in the Blackboard Learn system throughout 2021, WSU will be bringing Blackboard down for several days in December.

Our system will go down at 11 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, and be down for several days. Our current estimate for the system to be restored and fully functional is Tuesday, Dec. 22, although it's possible this down time could extend to Christmas Day.

To prepare for this down time, instructors should:

1) Plan to have all fall 2020 final grades submitted

2) Have any January term classes set up before Dec. 17, or make plans to do so after Dec. 22

3) Notify any students who are working on incompletes or late submissions that Blackboard will not be available during this window.

Once Blackboard service is restored, Instructional Design and Access will run extensive testing on the system. If you notice any technical problems after service is restored, please report those problems through a OneStop Blackboard Help ticket and not by direct emails to IDA staff. It is very important that technical problems can be addressed in a systematic way to ensure a quick resolution.

OneStop Support Center

A special gift of time for employees

In times of great change and challenge, organizations often have to ask for one of the most precious things an employee has, more of their time. In appreciation for all the extra time and effort devoted on behalf of WSU during these ever-changing and challenging times, WSU wants to provide back a bit of what it has had to ask of our employees.

WSU is providing benefit-eligible employees three personal days away from work during the upcoming campus shutdown. Employees will not have to use accrued leave on Monday–Wednesday, Dec. 21-23, 2020. If an employee is unable to take personal days away from work on those dates, they may substitute the dates of Monday– Wednesday, Dec. 28–30, 2020.

We wish you and your family a safe and restful Holiday. Please take with you our gratitude for all you do.

For more information about who is eligible for the personal days away from work during the campus shut down, instructions on recording time and information on what to do if you are unable to take a personal day(s) away from work on Monday–Wednesday, Dec. 21–23, click here.

Sign up for Banner 9 Schedule Building Training – Dec. 9 & 10

New Banner Schedule Builders are invited to attend the upcoming Summer 2021 and Fall 2022 Schedule Building Training sessions presented by the University Applications Training and the Registrar’s Office on Dec. 9 and 10. Both Sections 1 and 2 are required for new schedule builders.

Attendees will learn to enter the course schedule and view information using Banner 9, Self Service and WSU Reporting. Registration is required, sessions are posted on myWSU > myTraining.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, spaces are limited and restricted to new schedule builders only. Please contact Madelyne Toney in Applications Training if you have questions, 978-3083 or madelyne.toney@wichita.edu

**Please note: Current Schedule Builders are welcome to attend the remote Schedule Building Overview Session posted in myTraining on Jan. 7.

Go to wichita.edu/schedulebuilding webpage for schedule building related information.

Faculty Advancement Webpage is updated

As an institution, Wichita State University aims to support all faculty in their roles as teachers, researchers, and citizens of the university. Multiple units across campus offer services and resources to facilitate faculty as engaged scholars. Sometimes it's hard to locate the faculty development resources on the webpage, however. We've pulled these all together on the newly updated Faculty Advancement webpage.

The page includes links to:

frequently used forms (FAR and T & P), syllabus template, academic integrity reports, first year seminar materials, IRB forms, various grant opportunities, faculty awards, and faculty in the news among others. Bookmark the page or find a link on the main webpage for the Office of Academic Affairs.

Faculty Advancement

Make sure your office hours are updated

As students are now completely remote until February, please go to wichita.edu/officehours and check to make sure your office hours are correct. If they need to be adjusted, please email lisa.hansen@wichita.edu.

REMINDER: Gift Card Policy

Tis' the season for giving. Please refer to WSU Policies and Procedures before purchasing a gift for employees.

Please see Campus Policy 13.21/Gifts to Employees: 'No cash or cash equivalent, i.e., gift cards, may be given as a gratuity, gift or other favor to a University employee from any fund source.' This includes Foundation funds. Any Foundation Requisition requests to reimburse gift card purchases will be denied.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Kimberly Pham at foundation.ap@wichita.edu.

Deadlines for Shocker Blast and WSU Today this month

The last edition of Shocker Blast for December will be Friday, Dec. 11. The deadline for submitting information for that edition is noon Thursday, Dec. 10.

The last edition of WSU Today this month will be Friday, Dec. 18. The deadline to have information in that edition is noon Thursday, Dec. 17.

Faculty and Staff Virtual Town Hall on Dec. 11

A live YouTube virtual staff and faculty town hall will be held from 3-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. This is an opportunity to hear and interact with Interim President Rick Muma and Interim Provost Shirley Lefever. The event will be moderated by presidents of the UP, USS and Faculty Senates.

Faculty and staff wanting to participate are encouraged to do so during the live YouTube stream. If you don’t currently have a YouTube account, click here for more information on how to create one.

You can watch the town hall live and recorded after the event at Virtual Town Hall.

Congratulations Bender of Twigs Class of 2020!

Bender of Twigs was conceived in 1951 by then University of Wichita President Harry Corbin (1949-1963), his assistant Kathryn Griffith, and English Professor Bill Nelson. This unique designation is bestowed upon employees who have served 25 years of service to Wichita State University.

The name "Bender of Twigs" is a reference to the similarity between the way a young sapling bends toward the light as it grows and how faculty and staff help lead the student in their search for knowledge.

Go to wichita.edu/BenderOfTwigs2020 to learn more about the Bender of Twigs Class of 2020 (recently inducted during Service Recognition on Nov. 19), and to read their induction remarks online!

A letter from the past presidents of the UP and USS Senates

Wichita State University Staff:

As the largest employee group at Wichita State, university staff should be a vital and vibrant element of the university’s shared governance model. Drawn together from the ranks of administrative professionals, advisors, accountants, analysts, counselors, custodial staff, directors, electricians, research engineers, nurses, programmers – among many others – staff employees represent a diverse body of individuals who are committed to the mission of Wichita State. Administrators and students come and go during our decades of employment, but university staff embody the steady heartbeat of the institution and ensure the day-to-day operations are carried out professionally and effectively.

That’s why aligning our collective voice is a key reason to support the proposed Constitution of the Wichita State University Staff Senate, which combines the previously separate Unclassified Professional (UP) and University Support Staff (USS) Senates.

Together, as the past presidents of the UP and USS Senates, we write to ask your support for the proposed unified Wichita State University Staff Senate.

Health Professions faculty and staff - Sign up for IRB and Data Security Workshop today

WSU Office of Research Workshop: Institutional Review Board Overview and Data Security today (Dec. 8.)

Register to attend the virtual WSU Office of Research Workshop: Institutional Review Board Overview and Data Security.

Linda Steinacher, IRB/IACUC administrator, will discuss the process of applying to the WSU Institutional Review Board for research involving human subjects.

Misha Jacob-Warren, Deputy General Counsel, will discuss the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its relevance to university researchers.

Finally, Mark Rodee, Chief Information Security Officer, will discuss data security with regard to sensitive data such as personally- identifying information, controlled unclassified information, and research data in general.

This workshop is recommended especially for those in health professions and those whose research involves working with human subjects or sensitive data. A session will be offered from 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Dec. 8,

Please sign up through myTraining or by emailing proposals@wichita.edu.

Research Workshops

Attend the UP and USS Senates fall general meeting

All university staff members are invited to attend the UP and USS Senates fall general meeting from 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, on Zoom. We have several speakers lined up to cover a variety of topics.

• Interim President Rick Muma – University update and looking ahead
• VP of Finance and Administration Werner Golling – Budget overview
• Director of Student Health Services Camille Childers – COVID update and plans moving forward
• UP and USS Senate Presidents Trish Gandu and Randy Session – Fall semester highlights and what’s next for the staff senates

We will also discuss the proposed senate merger and constitutions of the WSU Staff Senate and allow time for questions.

If you are interested in joining the meeting, please email Kayla Jasso at kayla.jasso@wichita.edu for the Zoom link.

Spring Semester Tuition Assistance deadline extended through today

The University recognizes all the extra time and effort devoted by our employees during this ever-changing and challenging time. For that reason, the University is offering a one-time extension of the Tuition Assistance deadline until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8.

If you wish to take advantage of this one-time deadline extension, please complete and submit the Tuition Assistance Application. The online Application is the only way Tuition Applications are accepted, is automatically scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, and will not be available after this time.

Please note that we will not be extending the deadline for future semesters so we encourage all employees who utilize the Tuition Assistance benefit for themselves, a spouse or a dependent to mark on your calendar the deadlines for each semester, which are the same for each year.

*When the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted through the end of the following University business day.

Additional information about the Tuition Assistance benefit can be found by clicking here.

WSU students give back this holiday season

Epsilon Tau Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) recently supported the Guardian Angel program of the Salvation Army program for the second year in a row. Student members shopped for gifts requested by youth in Wichita for the holiday season. This is a volunteer activity for BAP Wichita State student members who shop for the gifts and then have them delivered to the Salvation Army.

Pictured is Sayed Bari looking for that perfect gift for his angel. Also participating were Milah Linenberger and Garrett Stover and Will Davis and Kyra Zachry.

Beta Alpha Psi is the national academic fraternity for Accounting, Finance and MIS majors, and sponsors Meet the Firms on campus twice a year. They have attained the high ranking of Superior Status for the past 8 years.

Beta Alpha Psi

Saturday Sale in the Shocker Store

This Saturday, Dec. 12, save on some great gifts in the Shocker Store! That day only, take 20% off kids’ merchandise, headwear and cold weather gear. Sale is in both the RSC and Braeburn Square locations.

Santa letters available at WSU Post Office

WSU Postal Services is selling letters to Santa now to Wednesday, Dec. 16. The letters will be sent to Santa Claus, Indiana, and will receive a pictorial cancellation when sent to the recipient. The cost per letter / envelope is $1.50 and covers all postage.

Generation Lead Podcast Series featuring Tajahnae Stocker

Current graduate student Alexus Scott and Student Involvement have partnered together to conduct and produce a podcast series focusing on the development of our next generation's leaders. The podcast series is called Generation Lead and features voices from current WSU students, staff, faculty, and community partners.

Due to the recent virtual change in in-person programming, the podcast series provides high impact dialogue that empowers, challenges, and motivates a generation to lead and take space in their personal capacities with great measure. You can check out previous and upcoming episodes via streaming platforms like Anchor, Spotify, Breaker, and Google Podcasts.

The Creator of Change, we’re going to learn and discuss more about the ICT Community Fridge Project. The ICT Community Fridge Project has launched and received an abundance of support from the local Wichita community. This initiative and movement have been giving back in the form of providing mutual aid. The fridge serves as a resource to reduce food insecurity in targeted areas across the city.

Tajahnae Stocker has developed a program that precisely acknowledges the disparities and provides relief to the barriers and challenges that folks are faced with daily. Being a current student, we will explore the creation of her recent idea and discuss what leadership capabilities it’s taken to develop such a viable resource in such a short amount of time

Generation Lead Podcast Series

Donate to Toys for Tots!

Christmas will be here before you know it and our toy drop off deadline before that! Please consider children who will be in need this Christmas by donating to Toys for Tots. With your help we can reach underprivileged children in Wichita this Christmas.

You can drop off a new unwrapped toy 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday until Tuesday, Dec. 10 in the Campus Credit Union lobby. Thank you for your support!

Information on Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs from the WSU Fire Safety Office

The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused an increased use of Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs (ABHR’s) also known as Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer. ABHR’s are considered flammable liquids and therefore their use and storage are governed by the International Fire Code (IFC) and various National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes.

The definition of alcohol-based hand rubs is an alcohol-containing preparation designed for the application to the hands for reducing the number of viable microorganisms on the hands and containing ethanol or isopropanol in an amount not exceeding 95 percent by volume.