Information about fraudulent unemployment claims
Wichita State University continues to receive fraudulent unemployment insurance claim notices for active employees. As previously mentioned, this appears to be in conjunction with a national, large-scale unemployment benefits scam that was announced on June 3, 2020 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Unknown criminals, possibly based overseas, are filing fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits. WSU continues to verify all claims received. Additional information can be found here.
In accordance with the FTC’s recommendations for responding to this scam, here are some steps that you can take to further limit any potential exposure of your information:
- Submit a claim on the KS Department of Labor website www.ReportFraud.ks.gov This site serves as a one-stop-shop for any person that suspects she or he may have been a victim of identity theft. Once a suspected identity theft claim is reported on the site, the system generates a police report number and tips for victims to use to help mitigate the damage from the theft. The agency’s fraud team is then able to prevent fraudulent claims from being paid.
- Make a report to the FTC at www.IdentityTheft.gov or by calling 1-877-438-4338. IdentityTheft.gov will provide you with information related to placing a free, one-year fraud alert on your credit, getting your free credit reports, closing fraudulent accounts opened in your name, adding a free extended fraud alert or credit freeze to your credit report, and more.
- Call the Kansas Consumer Protection Hotline: 1-800-432-2310 or 785-296-3751; Fax: 785-291-3699.
- Submit a complaint form at the Kansas Attorney General’s web page, www.ag.ks.gov > complaint-center > id-theft.
Please keep in mind that even if you have taken all recommended actions, it is possible that your information could be used multiple times to attempt to fraud and collect moneys by scammers.
WSU remains vigilant in our efforts to stop claims on your behalf. We recommend that you continue to monitor your banking accounts, credit cards and credit reports, and take steps to immediately report any suspicious activity to the appropriate resource.
Regents appoint members to Wichita State University Presidential Search Committee
The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) Wednesday appointed 22 members to the committee that will assist and advise the Board in the search for the next president of Wichita State University (WSU). The search committee includes representation from university students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Wichita community. Last month the Board named Dan Peare of Wichita as chair of the search committee.
Student representatives on the search committee include Rija Khan, WSU Student Body President; Corinthian Kelly, WSU Graduate Student Council Representative, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Sierra Bonn, Senior at WSU studying Engineering Technology Management with minors in Anthropology and Marketing.
Faculty, staff and administrative representatives include Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn, Faculty Senate President and Director of the School of Music; Melissa Walker, Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Mehmet Bayram Yildirim, Professor, College of Engineering; Shirley Lefever, Interim Executive Vice President and Provost; Trish Gandu, Unclassified Professional Senate President; Randy Sessions, University Support Staff Senate President; Sheree Utash, President of Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology; and John Tomblin, Senior VP for Industry and Defense Programs and the Executive Director of the National Institute for Aviation Research.
The WSU Foundation and alumni are represented on the search committee by Elizabeth King, CEO of the Wichita State University Foundation; Jeff Turner, WSU alumnus and retired President and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.; and Junetta Everett, WSU alumna and VP of Professional Relations for Delta Dental of Kansas.
Wichita community representatives include Charles Chandler, IV, CEO, INTRUST Bank, Steven Packebush, Founder and Partner, Elevar Partners, LLC; Yolanda Camarena, Board Member, Kansas Hispanic Education and Development Foundation; John Rolfe, Chief Business Officer, Kansas Leadership Center; and Paul Allen, Chief Executive of Allen, Gibbs & Houlik, L.C.
Search committee members representing the Board of Regents include Allen Schmidt, Regent, and Blake Flanders, KBOR President and CEO.
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.
As you know, Blackboard goes down Thursday night and will not be back up for several days. When it comes back, it will be very different in some ways, but not in many ways that you will notice. What will change?
- The Visual Student Roster will be gone. This is unavoidable as the code that delivered the VSR is so old that it can't run in the new Blackboard software environment. We are looking for a replacement for the VSR and will let you know when one is available.
- The software that drives Blackboard will be entirely different and much more stable. This will make Blackboard less "buggy" and easier to use.
- The way Blackboard is delivered will change in a way that makes it easy to keep it up-to-date without service interruption. We will always be on the most up-to-date version of Blackboard's code.
- The only time we have service interruptions will be when Blackboard itself (the company) has a problem (for example, if it suffers an attack).
- The text editor inside Blackboard will have some slight differences: it will have a different "look" and the way you will insert image files will be different. We will provide you with training for that change.
NOTE: this is not yet a move to the product called "Blackboard Ultra," although it is a necessary step to get Wichita State to Ultra. When we begin our move to Ultra, which if all goes well will be right at the end of the spring 2021 term, we will see a major change in look-and-feel for our landing pages, but even then, our classes will look like "old Blackboard" until each professor makes the decision to make the change to Ultra or until the end of 2022, whichever comes first.
Available Blackboard templates will speed your course creation
Spring courses are now loaded into Blackboard, and if you would like to speed up your class development, you might want to try one of the two available Blackboard templates now available to you.
Templates make class development easier because they provide structure, organization, and some standardized content for you. Instructional Design and Access has created two templates, one with a "traditional" organizational style using a "Course Materials" menu item containing 16 weekly folders, and one with each week's content linked in as a "main menu" (left-hand) link that goes directly to the week.
You can learn more about templates and download them at https://wichita.edu/bbtemplates and if you have any questions, contact Instructional Design and Access at IDA@wichita.edu.
Nominations now open for 2021 Distinguished Service Awards
Do you know an Unclassified Professional (UP) or University Support Staff (USS) employee who deserves special recognition for their contributions to WSU? Nominate them for the 2021 Distinguished Service Awards!
These awards recognize the dedication and excellence of UP / USS employees who have provided exemplary, dedicated and caring service to the WSU community that is beyond the expectations of the duties and responsibilities of their position. Selected honorees are recognized at the annual Shocker Pride Celebration.
Submit a nomination by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at Distinguished Service Awards.
President’s Distinguished Service Awards
Shock Talk Career Chats: Performing Artists to premiere Friday
Wichita State College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame member Ray Wills serves as host for “Shock Talk Career Chats: Performing Artists,” a video produced by the Wichita State University Alumni Association that will premiere at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the WSUAA’s YouTube channel. Wills, a 1982 graduate and veteran stage, TV and film actor, and other prominent performing artists share stories of their wide-ranging careers and days at Wichita State. The video also features actress Rhonda Aldrich ’78, songwriter and artist Angela Parrish ’10/10, actor/writer/producer David Stone ’70 and actor Julius Thomas III ’05, aka Hamilton.
Blackboard will be down several days starting this evening
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.
Help ODI and the KLC Beat the Virus!
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is participating in the Kansas Leadership Center’s statewide initiative to help “Kansas Beat the Virus.” We are tasked with convening and facilitating 20 virtual meetings of 8-12 people to come up with action ideas that will help Kansans stop the spread of Covid-19.
If you are able to help convene a group of your staff, students and friends, please reach out to Alicia Sanchez at alicia.sanchez@wichita.edu to schedule a meeting. The meetings must take place before Monday, Dec. 21.
Save the date: Strategic Communications annual seminar
Save the date for Strategic Communications' annual seminar to be held from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. The seminar will have a virtual format. This year's seminar will focus on the 125 years of education and innovation campaign. An RSVP for the event will be in WSU Today the first week in January.
Radio broadcast of Christmas Organ Concert
You are invited to listen to the radio broadcast of the Wednesdays in Wiedemann with Lynne Davis Annual Christmas Organ Concert performed on Nov. 24, on Radio Kansas at 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, during “Sunday Best” on Radio Kansas at 90.1, 89.5, 90.9 FM or streamed from the radiokansas.com website.
NIAR congratulates eight retirees with 150 years of service to WSU!
The National Institute for Aviation Research would like to congratulate the following employees on their retirement. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment to Wichita State over the years. Please join us in wishing them a joyous retirement!
Juanita Parsons – accountant, 39 years
Linda Hager, senior payroll administrator, 22 years
Robin Stevens, accounts receivable supervisor, 18 years
Larry Braden, manager/sr. research engineer 15 years
Harry Clayton, sr. research engineer, 15 years
Robert Custer, sr. research associate, 15 years
Linda Londagin, sr. research associate, 14 years
Patty Howard, administrative assistant, 12 years
Kleinsasser's faith, humor guided him through 34 years at Wichita State
- Joe Kleinsasser started at Wichita State in 1986 and retires this week from Strategic Communications.
- He is known for his jokes, patience and strong relationship with the media.
- Kleinsasser calls Dean Headley's Airline Quality Rating one of the most important stories at the university during his tenure.
SOLD OUT: Stocking stuffer special at the Heskett Center. Buy 2 get 1 FREE!
Need a stocking stuffer? What about a WSU face mask? Right now you can buy 2 get 1 FREE at the Heskett Center. Visit us at the guest services desk to get yours today! For more information call 316-978-3082.
Extra discount on clearance merchandise
Now through Dec. 18, take an extra 10% off already-marked-down clearance items in the Shocker Store! Sale is in RSC store only.
Toner replenishment program update
The toner replenishment program is now fully in place. All printers with a DEX MPS tag on the printer will receive an auto-replenishment of toner when your printer gets down to 30% toner life. If your printer was below 30% when the program went into effect, it will not auto-replenish. If this is the case for your printer, please call the phone number on the tag and tell the operator that you need toner; this will be a one-time process, all future orders will be automatic. The operator will need the Equipment ID # on the label.
The program also covers service and parts such as drum kits, fuser kits and toner collection units. When your printer notifies you that you need one of these parts, call the number on the label and order the part. At the end of each monthly cycle, you will receive an invoice from Central Services detailing your toner use for the month. You are only billed for toner use, nothing else. The detailed usage and rate per printer will give you the data you need to determine which printers should be replaced or taken out of service.
Please contact Ellen Abbey if you have any questions regarding this program or if you need assistance in ordering supplies, ellen.abbey@wichita.edu.
Happy Holidays from the Ulrich
Thank you for supporting the Ulrich Museum and we look forward to seeing you in the
new year!
Don’t forget to include a visit to the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection in your safe holiday adventures.
Leslie, Ksenya, Jana, Carolyn, James, Jo, Ranjit, Whitney, Joanna