We support our AAPI community
Wichita State University stands in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
If you have concerns for yourself or other students, go to wichita.edu/care. Employees can email our vice president and chief diversity officer, Dr. Marche Fleming Randle, at marche.fleming-randle@wichita.edu.
For more information on diversity and inclusion at Wichita State, go to wichita.edu/odi.
Muma presents at American Council of Education
Dr. Rick Muma, interim president of Wichita State, recently presented “Leading Innovations and Managing Change” to the American Council of Education Council of Fellows. The March 18 event focused on the university’s history and vision of innovation.
Muma’s presentation included bullet points on the university’s efforts to contribute to the prosperity of Kansas, our commitment to the Wichita community, and the continued efforts to drive innovation through education. He also highlighted the alignment of Wichita State’s priorities with the Kansas Board of Regents’ Building a Future plan:
- Support families by providing an affordable education and a great student experience.
- Support businesses by providing a talent pipeline that meets their needs.
- Support increasing the economic prosperity of our community.
Ingram's business magazine names Wichita State a top brand in Kansas
For the second year in a row, Wichita State University is one of the “Top 25 Brands in Kansas” as recognized by Ingram’s, a Kansas City business magazine.
Ingram’s goal is to “identify brands that have carved out national reputations for excellence by drawing on the best of what the Sunflower State offers in its people and its business leaders.”
Ingram’s wrote: “For Wichita State University - the brand means accessibility - it's the state's only urban university - and it stands for business, thanks in large part to specialty programs that tie directly into the economic strengths of the primary community it serves: Wichita.”
Read more about the Ingram's ranking
Leave your taxes at home
It is tax season. We ask you not to store or process your taxes/personal finances on Wichita State-issued devices. Personal software licensing issues, data storage, data destruction and privacy issues are some of the many problems that you could have by mixing your sensitive personal data with your university-issued devices. This includes services such as WSU OneDrive, file shares, wichita.edu email, Microsoft Teams, university-issued USB storage, laptops and desktops. Be smart, keep your data at home. To learn more about our acceptable use, please see: www.wichita.edu/aup.
If you have questions, please reach out to askinfosec@wichita.edu.
UPK to continue its work under the leadership of the dean of the University of Kansas Libraries
The University Press of Kansas Board of Trustees, which comprises the provosts from each of the six Kansas Regents institutions, has confirmed KU Dean of Libraries Kevin L. Smith to serve as director of the University Press of Kansas (UPK). Smith, a well-known authority in the field of scholarly communications, will continue his role as dean in addition to serving as director of the Press. This change will allow UPK to take advantage of publishing and scholarly alignment opportunities as well as operate in a more cost-efficient manner.
“Founded in 1946, and established as a consortium by the Kansas Board of Regents, UPK has been a part of our scholarly and academic communities throughout its history,” said Shirley Lefever, chair of the Board of Trustees and Wichita State University interim executive vice president and provost. “We are appreciative of the resources provided by KU Libraries to allow the Board to continue its conversations about how to preserve this history while exploring options for the Press’ fiscally responsible future. The Board is confident in Kevin’s ability to serve in this leadership role.”
As part of this move, UPK will also begin a number of exciting initiatives, including the development of a new Open Access digital publishing program. This multi-disciplinary platform will initially be targeted at faculty at the six Regents institutions, with a goal to expand as capacity and demand permits. UPK will continue to publish books in a traditional manner, but intends to reduce its annual production to about 45 books, maintaining high standards of peer review and editorial production. It would continue with a 60/40 mix of scholarly monographs and trade books.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of UPK, which specializes in publishing works on American politics, military history and intelligence studies, American history, environmental policy and history, American studies, film studies, law and legal history, Native American studies, and books about Kansas and the Midwest.
To learn more about the University Press of Kansas and KU Libraries, please visit their websites at https://kansaspress.ku.edu and https://lib.ku.edu.
University Press of Kansas Board of Trustees
- Jill Arensdorf, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fort Hays State University
- Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, University of Kansas
- David Cordle, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Emporia State University
- Shirley Lefever, Board chair, Interim Executive Vice President and Provost, Wichita State University
- Howard W. Smith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Pittsburg State University
- Charles Taber, Provost and Executive Vice President, Kansas State University
Kevin L. Smith, Dean of Libraries, University of Kansas
Smith earned a J.D. from Capital University Law School, a master’s degree in library science from Kent State University and a master of arts in religion from Yale University Divinity School.
Smith joined KU Libraries as dean in May 2016. He previously served as the director of copyright and scholarly communication at Duke University and as the director of Library and Instructional Resources at Defiance College. Smith has also worked as an instructor, reference librarian, and assistant librarian.
As the dean of KU Libraries, Smith advocates on behalf of the libraries, positioning the organization as an integral partner with the university’s academic and administrative units and ensuring its continued leadership in advancing research, teaching, inclusivity and global initiatives. Smith also facilitates external relations through outreach development and engaging in donor relations to solidify fundraising efforts.
Graduate School seeks GRASP judges
The Graduate School is seeking volunteers to judge the 2021 Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium on April 2. GRASP will be held online this year and all judging will be done asynchronously online on April 2. To indicate your willingness to volunteer for judging, please complete the volunteer form by end of day Friday, March 26. More information regarding the logistics of the day will follow via email in the coming weeks. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the diverse research and scholarly projects in which graduate students across campus have been engaged and we would greatly appreciate your help.
[title of show]: a livestreaming experience
Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival in New York. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. They gather their two actress friends, Susan and Heidi, and their accompanist and music director, Larry. With the full team assembled, Jeff and Hunter decide to write a musical about two guys writing a musical.
"[title of show]" — taken from the space on the festival’s application form which asks for the "[title of show]" — follows Hunter and Jeff and their friends on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression. "[title of show]" is, above all, a love letter to the musical theatre — a uniquely American art form — and to the joy of collaboration.
[title of show] runs at 7:30 p.m. March 25-27 and at 2 p.m. March 28 and will be steamed live. Tickets are $10; Wichita State students receive 1 free ticket with a student ID number. To purchase virtual tickets, go to www.wichita.edu/FABOTickets.
If you have any questions about tickets contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office at 316-978-3233.
Survey: Level of interest in Mathematica access
Mathematica is a mathematical computation program used in many scientific, engineering, mathematical, and computing fields. Unlike other systems, Mathematica applies intelligent automation in every part of the system, from algorithm selection to plot layout and user interface design. You get reliable, high-quality results without needing algorithm expertise— even if, as an expert, results are faster.
Wichita State is evaluating and looking into enhancing the Mathematica access for all faculty and students. Please complete the following survey so that interest and need for more access can be evaluated.
Presenters sought for Sport Club Lead Training
Campus Recreation invites university faculty and staff to be a part of Sport Club Lead Training during the first two weeks of April. This is the first time Sports Club Lead Training will be virtual.
The plan is to discuss Sport Club- and Student Org-specific topics and then expand to career readiness topics: critical thinking/problem solving, communication, teamwork and collaboration, leadership, professionalism, diversity and inclusion.
There are multiple options:
- Pre-recorded presentation: Campus Recreation will ask the Sport Club leaders to complete a form about the points of emphasis and how they relate to their club and personal professional development.
- Live-presentation and discussion.
- Pre-recorded presentation that the Sport Club leaders will watch. About a week later a virtual discussion will take place about the points of emphasis and how they relate to their club and personal professional development.
Those are just a few presentation options. We welcome any idea of how to present each topic virtually.
If you are interested in assisting, please contact sports programs coordinator Austin Sanderson at austin.sanderson@wichita.edu.
Annual Greek Awards broadcast virtually tonight
Join Fraternity & Sorority Life and Student Involvement in celebrating the innovation and accomplishments of our members and chapters virtually at our annual Greek Awards! The event will be livestreamed at 5 p.m. tonight and will be available for playback after the event.
Shocker Baseball hosts K-State for midweek matchup
Shocker Baseball hosts a midweek game versus in-state foe Kansas State at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 23. A limited amount of single game and free student tickets are available, so come out and enjoy an evening of great weather and Shocker Baseball. The date and time is subject to change.
Faculty Senate meeting today
The Faculty Senate meeting will be held via Zoom at 3:30 p.m. today (Monday, March 22). The senators have been sent the meeting information. If you are interested in joining the meeting, please email Lee Ann Birdwell for the details.
Shockers thrive with 30 credits per year
Enrollment for summer and fall starts soon. Do your students have a plan for graduation? Encourage them to schedule an appointment with a faculty or academic advisor to discuss their plan to keep on the path to a degree. Students should consider if and how they can complete 30 credit hours each academic year, which has many academic and financial advantages. Advisors in the colleges, advising centers, the Office of Financial Aid, and the peer financial coaches in the Office for Student Money Management can help students understand how to stay on track academically and financially.