March 2026 Insights: Mid-terms and more!
March is always an energizing point in the semester for students, staff, and faculty. With the term now past its halfway mark, students are feeling a mix of stress and excitement as they look ahead to the finish line. The Shocker Success Center saw an increase in students using academic resources and study spaces, and with finals approaching, we remain committed to helping students maintain momentum and finish strong.
March Overview: Reports & Key Activity
Academic distress is common this time of year. Some students experience a decline
in academic performance that results in a Student Early Alert System (SEAS) flag,
while others feel pressure related to graduation or major academic milestones. Wherever
you or your student may fall on this spectrum, support is available.
In March, the CARE Team received 125 reports, involving 104 unique students. Each
report was evaluated for safety, risk, and threat, with referrals made to Student
Outreach & Support (SOS) for non clinical case management when appropriate.
The most frequent concerns reported to SOS included:
• Students expressing academic stress
• Students identifying a decline in the quality of their work
• Students reported for repeated absences
Mid terms are a critical part of the semester as they mark the point where academic pressure, personal stressors, and overall wellbeing intersect in ways that can significantly affect a student’s performance and sense of stability.
Campus Resources That Can Help
- Shocker Learning Center (SLC) : Offers free peer tutoring, study spaces, Math/Physics labs, and Writing Center support. Located on the 2nd floor of the Shocker Success Center.
- Ablah Library: Provides research support, technology access, and expert guidance from Subject Librarians for papers, projects, and scholarly sources.
- Success Coach: Help students build academic plans, strengthen time management and study skills, and stay accountable. Appointments can be scheduled through Navigate.
Department Highlights
March also brings the NASPA Annual Conference, the premier professional development
event for higher education professionals. The conference brings together the global
student affairs community to share best practices and address emerging campus issues.
Wichita State University had strong representation this year. A highlight for our
department was seeing our director, Katie Davidson, present alongside colleagues from
the Division of Academic Affairs on The Power of Collaboration: Building Success Teams.
The presentation showcased the development and implementation of the Success Teams
model at WSU.
Success Teams provide wraparound, personalized support from orientation through graduation.
Student Outreach & Support case managers serve as team members alongside success coaches,
subject librarians, financial aid advisors, academic advisors, career coaches, and
access coaches.
Left to right: Katie Davidson, Director of Student Outreach & Support; Chelsea Dey, Lead Success Coach; Kim Sandlin, Director of the Office of Student Success.
Looking Ahead:
Summer and Fall enrollment open in April. Students are encouraged to schedule an enrollment
appointment with their advisor soon—spots fill quickly.