WSU Today: Oct. 15, 2018

 

Town Hall Topic: Strategic Planning on Oct. 25

Town Hall Oct. 25, 2018

Plan on attending the next Town Hall from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in Shirley Beggs Ballroom, third floor, RSC. A dessert reception will follow. The topic for the next Town Hall is “Activating the Strategic Plan.” Your voice matters!


2019 Open Enrollment is in progress!

Open Enrollment is in progress

Log in to the  to make your elections, even if you don't plan to make any changes from 2018. All benefits-eligible state employees must make their 2019 elections by the deadline on Oct. 31. Those who do not will be defaulted into medical Plan N with a use-it-or-lose-it HRA and all other coverage types waived effective Jan. 1. If you waived all coverage or only had vision or supplemental options in 2018, those elections will carry over into 2019. Otherwise, you must make your 2019 elections during Open Enrollment.

We've developed many ways to learn about 2019 plan changes and get help completing your online enrollment! See how we can help you get enrolled for 2019!

  • Registration is required for KDHE webinars.
  • Registration is required for HR lab sessions. Register in myTraining at
  • For a full listing of Open Enrollment events & resources, see the Open Enrollment website.

Total Rewards is hosting an in-person presentation at 9 a.m. today (Monday, Oct. 15) in 233 RSC. There is a KDHE webinar scheduled for 9 a.m. 


Faculty and staff judges needed for Shocktoberfest

Call for Shocktoberfest judges

Campus Traditions is looking for faculty and staff to help judge competitions during Shocktoberfest. There are two events, Banner competition and Songfest, that need your help! If interested, please fill out the form(s) on  in the judges section, by today (Monday, Oct. 15) for one or both events.

If you have any questions email the Campus Traditions chair, Emily Kirkman, at emkirkman@shockers.wichita.edu.


Space is available in Employment Relationship Training class on Wednesday, Oct. 17

Space is available in an Employment Relationship Training class from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, in 102 Marcus Welcome Center. To register for training, go to myTraining through myWSU.

This course is provided for leaders who supervise employees (UP, USS, students), and will focus on the overall employment relationship. It will provide guidance on managing performance, setting expectations, how to identify when an employee has not met expectations and how to effectively address those concerns. This could include concerns with attendance, job performance, conflict with coworkers, etc. This training will also introduce you to tools to use to effectively document an unmet expectation. If you have questions, contact mytraining@wichita.edu.


Encourage students to attend Careers for the Creative

Careers for the Creative Oct. 18, 2018

Faculty and staff, please encourage any students you feel would benefit to attend Careers for the Creative, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, in 256 Rhatigan Student Center.

This event offers students and alumni the opportunity to meet employers and individuals within the creative world. Some may have internships and other employment opportunities. Representatives from creative fields like art, design, entertainment, media, advertising, creative writing and more will be present!

Students won't want to miss out on this opportunity to follow their passion. Encourage them to come and have a conversation!

For a complete list of employers attending, visit


Give a warm Shocker welcome to Margarita Baez

Margarita Baez

The Career Development Center is pleased to introduce Margarita Baez as our new College of Applied Studies and College of Health Professions Career Specialist.

Learn more about .


Sidewalk closure this week by McKnight Art Center

Sidewalk closure by McKnight Oct. 2018

To accommodate construction activities for the McKnight Art Center window replacement project, there will be a partial sidewalk closure this week. The sidewalk area shown in red above on the south side of the Ulrich Museum of Art will be closed today (Monday, Oct. 15-Friday, Oct. 19) and reopen on Monday, Oct. 22.


Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance to host event in RSC

The Consortium Oct. 22-23, 2018

The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance will host The Consortium of Title IX and Equity Officers in Higher Ed on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 22-23, in the Rhatigan Student Center.

The theme is “Accountability, Advocacy and Action: The Role of an Equity Officer.” Speakers will include attorneys from the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, Martin Pringle Law Firm, Husch Blackwell and Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service in Washington, D.C.

Various universities will be represented. Students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to attend. Sessions are free and open to everyone. Food will be provided.

Please see Featured Links section at www.wichita.edu/oiec  to register and obtain more information about the consortium. 


2018 Ad Astra Film Studies Conference coming Oct. 17

Ad Astra Conference Oct. 2018

The 2018 As Astra Film Studies Conference (AAFSC) is being held from 8:15 a.m.-4:20 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 17, in 261 and 256 Rhatigan Student Center. The book signing by keynote speaker Laura Kirk is at 11:30 a.m.

AAFSC coincides with the start of the 16th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival in 鶹ƽ, and Communications Week, sponsored by the Elliott School of Communication at WSU.

Conference themes include film criticism, film in education and filmmaking/makers. 

AAFSC welcomes students, faculty, staff and members of the local community.

, but no fee is required. Entry is on a first-come, first-admitted basis.


Get your team together and support breast cancer research

Big Pink Volleyball Oct. 26, 2018

Get your team together for this national fundraiser for breast cancer research. The event is a blast and it funds a great cause. This is a one day tournament begins at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at the Heskett Center Gymnasium.

Grab your friends, create some costumes (not required) and play volleyball with our four-foot pink volleyballs. Sign up at 


Retirement party planned for Jane Hodge

Save the date for a retirement party for Jane Hodge, graduate admissions specialist, from 3-4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, in 257 RSC. Hodge has been at WSU for 26 years.


Nominate a special Shocker

Alumni Award Nomination fall 2018

Every year since 1955, the WSU Alumni Association has honored Shocker excellence through its WSU Alumni Awards Program, which applauds the accomplishments and service of not only deserving alumni, but also faculty, staff and friends of 鶹ƽ State University. Nominations are being taken now through Monday, Nov. 5 for 2018 honorees, who will be recognized during a gala ceremony on Thursday, April 18, 2019. Nominate a special Shocker today at .

Graphic above, from left: M. Lee Pelton, Mike James, Cindy Claycomb, V. Kaye Monk-Morgan, Lisa Teachman, Dorothy and Bill Cohen, and Bob Gutschenritter, 2017 Alumni Award honorees


‘Women in the Professoriate' presentation coming Nov. 2

Women in the Professoriate Nov. 2, 2018

Women faculty in STEM fields on average receive lower pay, are less likely to be promoted, and are more likely to leave academia than their male counterparts. Come for a presentation by Joan Lorden, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 2, in the Ulrich Museum, second floor, Beren Gallery.

Lorden will present “Dear Colleague: The Ups and Downs of Institutional Transformation.” Lorden will share her perspective on the successes and failures of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program, and the challenges of changing the anatomy and physiology of an institution.


Clash of the Colleges save the date for Aug. 23, 2019

Clash of the College 2019

Student Success: First-Year Programs and Campus Recreation hosted the 4th annual Clash of the Colleges on Aug. 24, with more than 1,000 participants representing seven academic colleges and an additional 150 spectators, including students, faculty and staff. The W. Frank Barton School of Business was named the 2018 Champions, and the Spirit Award went to the College of Engineering.

We invite the campus to save the date for the 5th annual Clash of the Colleges, which will be held on the first Friday of the fall semester, Aug. 23, 2019.

For more information, go to Clash of the Colleges.


‘Patent Basics for New Inventors' workshop on Oct. 23

Library workshop Oct. 23, 2018

University Libraries is holding the workshop “Patent Basics for New Inventors” from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in 217 Ablah Library. This workshop will introduce new inventors to types of patents and applications, patent eligibility, parts of a patent, how to find free assistance, and more.​

This workshop is the first in the Entrepreneurship Research Series this semester. The workshops in this series are open to the public.

For more information about this workshop and others in the series, visit . To RSVP, go to . Seats are limited, so sign up today!


Do your students need accessibility training?

Do your students provide any course-related instruction in your classes? If you are not sure, check out this short explanation on .

鶹ƽ State is working to provide training for them to help ensure their instruction is accessible. At this time, students can be trained in accessible face-to-face presentation by going to  and clicking on “Accessible Face-to-face presentations.” They will need to make a free account to access the training. The full course will take about one hour to complete and has a outcomes-based quiz at the end.

 Students who successfully complete this training will receive a digital credential from Credly.com and will have the opportunity to print a completion certificate as well. Students can provide this digital credential to you as proof of training.  More student-facing accessibility training is coming soon. If you have questions or requests for training you would like to see, please contact IDA@wichita.edu.


Fright Night Haunting at the Heskett Center on Oct. 26

Fright Night Oct. 26, 2018

Fright Night Haunting at the Heskett Center is coming from 8 p.m.-midnight Friday, Oct. 26. This is a free event that begins with food, costume contest and more. If you dare, our guides will take you on a tour of the Heskett Center, where countless students may have gone missing … or maybe they're still there, waiting for you …


Fresh Mex is here!

Fresh Mex available Oct. 15, 2018

The Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes has added Fresh Mex to its menu! Stop down and choose from traditional Mexican options including tacos, burritos, sanchos and more! Fresh Mex is served from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday–Friday, or while supplies last.