As we start the month of October, students also begin to prepare for their mid-term exams, papers, and projects. This month's newsletter includes updates on family weekend, academic resources, flu shots, spring enrollment, and mental and emotional health. As always, we welcome ideas and topics you would like to see shared in this monthly communication.
With Shocker Pride,
Alicia Newell
Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
Dates to Remember
FAFSA launches for 2020-2021 | October 1, 2019
FAFSA launches for the 2019-2020 school year. The FAFSA helps to determine a student's eligibility for need-based federal financial aid for college. This could include scholarships, work-study, grants and loans.
Housing application opens for 2020-2021 | October 1, 2019
Learn more at wichita.edu/student_life/housing/
Family Weekend | October 4, 2019 – Sunday, October 6, 2019
It begins today! We welcome you to our beautiful campus, and we hope you enjoy your time here!
Fall Break (no classes) | October 12 (starts at 2pm) – October 15
Mid-term grade reports available to students online | October 18
Last day to officially drop a course with a “W” | October 29
Thanksgiving Break | November 27 – December 1
Last Day of fall classes | December 5
Final Exams | December 7 – 12
Fall Commencement | December 15
Important Reminder
Mid-semester grades will be available to students on October 18. Be sure to ask your student how they are doing. These grades serve as an estimate of their progress to this point. It is not too late for them to seek help through tutoring and study sessions. Students may access their grades online.
Spring Registration
During the month of October, students will begin making appointments to meet with their advisor in preparation for Spring registration that starts mid-November. Information about the advisement process and contacts by school or program, are available at wichita.edu/advising.
Student Perspective
Name: William Butler
Year: First-Year Student
Major: Music Education
Hometown: Wichita, KS
Involvement: Black Student Union, Student Activity Council, choir
Q. Where are you living, and how it is different from high school?
A. I'm living in Shocker Hall. Before college I didn't share a room with anyone, which
has been an adjustment. It's been pretty good; it's just having to learn how to share
and being more confident in what you do. Don't worry about what he thinks of what
you do, just do it.
Q: How are your classes?
A: My classes are great, and the teachers are very supportive.
Q: What have you enjoyed most so far at WSU?
A: The community. Everyone is very friendly and open to meeting new people. Everyone
takes their major seriously, too; everyone has jokes and fun times, but we always
bring it back to what we came here to do.
Q: What has been your greatest challenge so far?
A: Time management, and being able to say, "I can't hang out today, I have an assignment
due at 11:59 tonight."
Q: Have you used any of your on-campus resources yet?
A: I go to BSU [Black Student Union] a lot, and my Success Coach, Stephanie Cockrell,
has been really great. She always asks me, "What are you doing to push yourself to
get your work done and not get distracted?" It's also great to talk to people who
work here and hear what they did or wish they had done at school and learn from those
other perspectives.
Looking Forward
During October, your student is hopefully settled in and comfortable with our campus; however, midterm exams can create stress and anxiety among new students. You may want to refer to the Office of Student Success’ resources from last month if your student is worried about their academic performance.
This month, your student will be able to access information to prepare for the spring enrollment process. Encourage your student to check their academic record to ensure they are eligible to enroll at the earliest possible time. Links to the schedule of courses and a helpful semester academic schedule can be found at wichita.edu/schedule. If they aren’t already, encourage your student to become familiar with the academic advising process and reach out to advisors for help in the degree planning process.
How Can Families Help?
- Encourage your student to check their academic record on myWSU to make sure all previous coursework has been posted to their transcript (if applicable). Your student will also need to begin to plan for the upcoming semester by meeting with an academic advisor. If your student doesn’t know where to go for advising, visit wichita.edu/academicadvising. If he or she doesn’t know which college houses their major, visit wichita.edu/majors.
- If your student is unsure of their intended major or needs help choosing one, encourage them to visit the Career Development Center and explore resources at wichita.edu/careerdevelopment.
Academic Resources
The first few months of the semester can be a time of adjustment to a new way of studying or even the way a particular course is taught. Some students may even be struggling to meet their academic goals or experiencing stress over their course load. This is especially true for first-year students who may have trouble adjusting to the more independent work-intensive environment of college level courses. If your student needs assistance, besides their academic advisor, a number of academic resources are also available:
- Shocker Learning Center: A "one-stop shop" for academic support and questions
- Office of Student Success: Offers workshops, group review sessions, and free tutoring
- The Writing Center: Offers professional writing consultants on any piece of writing (except for exams)
WSU Cares
Going to college is a big transition, and it can be challenging to navigate at first. If your student is struggling academically, financially, socially or in other ways, please don’t be afraid to reach out to the Care Team by submitting a concern at wichita.edu/care. Care Team exists to connect students with resources to ensure their success at WSU.
You can’t pour out of an empty cup. Please make sure your student is taking care of their needs and giving their body and brain the resources they need to be happy and healthy! If they’re struggling with mental health, encourage them to get in touch with Counseling and Prevention Services at 316-978-3440.
Flu Shots
The WSU Student Health Center is offering affordable FLU SHOTS for all WSU students at various pop up locations — including the Student Health Center — by appointment. The schedule for pop up locations can be found here.
Connect With Us
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Alicia Newell, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs directly.
- Email: Alicia.Newell@wichita.edu
- Call: (316) 978-3149
- Visit: Rhatigan Student Center, 231
Do you want to learn more about what is going on in Student Affairs and around the WSU community? Connect with us!
For office updates, live event recordings and more, follow us on social media:
Facebook | @wichitastatesa
Facebook | @parentfamilyshockers
Twitter | @wichitastatesa
Instagram | @wichitastatesa