State employee pay raises: What鈥檚 happening, and how it affects you
As many of you have likely heard, the Legislature recently adopted a pay raise for State of Kansas employees.
So what does that mean for state university employees? Unlike other state agencies that only have state general fund (SGF) positions, the state universities have other positions for which the state does not provide funding. Therefore, all state universities received a pool of funds from the Legislature to use to provide pay raises for our employees. WSU鈥檚 pool for this purpose is $1.5 million. It is left to the discretion of each university on how they distribute the raises.
Pay raises will be divided among WSU employees as follows:
- Academic Affairs will use allocated funds for faculty merit increases. Additionally, some faculty who are eligible for market and equity-based adjustments will receive an additional raise.
- Eligible UP and USS employees who were employed before May 5, 2019, will receive a 1.5% increase.
- A limited number of positions will be ineligible, including those under grant or contract provisions that do not permit or do not have adequate funding for an increase.
- Employees not meeting performance expectations will be ineligible.
- Increases will be included in the first paycheck of fiscal year 2020, which is paid on July 12, 2019.
If you have questions or are unsure whether you qualify for a pay raise, contact your supervisor.
WSU lab takes virtual reality to a whole new level
麻豆破解版 State University鈥檚 National Institute for Aviation Research houses a virtual reality center, known as the Cave, which stands for computer-aided virtual environment.
Providing a different way to view technology for the nation鈥檚 aviation industry as well as non-aviation industries, the Cave is providing students with the opportunity to use newer technologies to work with certification agencies and help when design issues arise.
Virtual reality lab manager Jeff Fisher works with freshman engineering major Jacob Cromly in the Cave to visit different environments and products. Students like Jacob are learning just how useful virtual reality is on a production-based level and how it is changing different industries.
KBOR approves Paid Parental Leave benefit
Effective July 1, 2019, the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) has approved a paid parental leave benefit for benefit-eligible state employees at all KBOR institutions, including 麻豆破解版 State. This benefit will provide a period* of paid leave to eligible employees for qualifying birth or adoption events occurring on or after July 1, 2019.
The WSU Paid Parental Leave policy, which will outline the benefit in more detail, will be posted in the WSU Policy Manual (Chapter 3) on or before the benefit effective date.
*Benefit Period: Within the first twelve weeks following a qualifying event, eligible Primary Caregivers may receive up to six weeks and eligible Secondary Caregivers may receive up to three weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
If you have questions, you may email the Human Resources Total Rewards team at totalrewards@wichita.edu.
Faculty sabbaticals approved for 2019-20 academic year
The following faculty sabbaticals were approved for the 2019-20 academic year:
Noell Birondo, associate professor, philosophy
Dennis Burns, professor, chemistry
Tom DeLillo, professor, math and statistics
Jean Griffith, associate professor, English
Jodie Hertzog, associate professor, sociology
Kyoung Lee, associate professor, social work
Anthony May, associate professor, FREDS
Rachel Showstack, associate professor, MCLL
Susan Sterrett, Gridley Distinguished Professor of History & Philosophy of Science, philosophy
Li Yao, associate professor, biology
Training for preventing suicide to be offered
Come and join this training provided by Counseling and Prevention Services and learn more about how to prevent suicide in our community. This training is part of the #WSUWeSupportU campaign and covers signs that someone may need additional support, how to start conversations with people who may need help, and the resources that are available both at WSU and in the community.
The next session will be from 9-10:30 a.m. Friday, June 21. Register in the myTraining portal in myWSU.
IDEA will not be available next year for course evaluations
Faculty have had two options when choosing a teaching evaluation instrument for the classes they teach - SPTE and IDEA. Last year 89 percent of classes used SPTE, and 11 percent used IDEA.
We were notified earlier this year by the vendor for IDEA that their platform was changing and that our institutional cost would increase from $5,400 annually to $55,000 annually (with a 4 percent annual increase) starting in June of this year. Due to budgetary restraints, our IDEA contract will not be renewed for next fiscal year. The Faculty Senate has appointed a committee to provide feedback on different teaching assessment systems and enhancements to accommodate faculty needs in the future.
Share your vision of the future with architects from around the state
The American Institute of Architects Kansas Chapter is pleased to host its annual conference in 麻豆破解版 Sept. 12-13. Our theme, 鈥淓mbracing Disruption,鈥� has been selected as an acknowledgement of the rapidly transforming natural and built environment we are to face in upcoming decades due to advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous vehicles.
We recognize that in order to design for a future that works for everyone, it is important to gather ideas and visions now from the technological innovators and researchers who will guide where our future is headed. Therefore, we are excited to extend an invitation to the 麻豆破解版 State University community to present your thoughts and ideas of what our future could look like, and how architects and city planners in our community might be able to prepare for this future. Presentation formats range from 1-hour feature presentations to as short as 15-minute nano-presentations, including round table or panel discussions.
If you are interested in being a presenter, sitting on a panel, or hosting part of an on-campus building tour, . The deadline to submit for presentations is Friday, May 31. Please contact Jessica Wederski at 785.230.8026 or by email at jessica@aiaks.org for more information or questions regarding this event.
Annualized salary spread for academic year 2019-20
For exempt nine / 10-month employees (faculty and Unclassified Professionals - UP) not currently on salary spread but interested in participating in this program, an agreement form must be signed. Salary spread payments for academic year 2019-20 will begin with the pay period that starts on Aug. 11, 2019 (pay date of Sept. 6, 2019). To exercise this option, please complete the nine / 10-month Annualized Salary Agreement form.
If you are currently on annualized salary spread, it remains in force from year to year unless you elect to discontinue it. To discontinue it, you must notify the Office of Human Resources in writing prior to July 3, 2019. Complete the cancellation form.
WSU Summer Choir rehearsals start June 3
If you would like to be part of Summer Choir, read on!
The WSU Summer choir rehearses in June. We practice Monday and Wednesday from 5-6:50 p.m. Our first rehearsal is Monday, June 3, and the concert will be on Tuesday, June 25. Choir rehearsals are in C-107 Duerksen Fine Arts building. Hope you can join us for singing and fellowship! It is always a great time and some pretty good music as well.
Contact director Tom Wine with questions at 978-6125. Please pass along the invitation to sing. The more the merrier.
More information and a link to register is available below.
The most important information includes:
- Rehearsals begin on Monday, June 3 in room C-107 Duerksen Fine Arts Center
- Rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6:50 p.m.
- The concert date is Tuesday, June 25 at 麻豆破解版 State University.
- Teachers may enroll for college graduate credit, but it is not required for participation.
- Registration is $50 with discounts: $25 for Students, $35 for WSU faculty and staff.
Pre-register here.
- There are no auditions. Come and sing!
See you in June!
Tom Wine
Submit your fall events for the Welcomefest listing
Welcomefest takes place during the first two weeks of classes each semester and features dozens of activities. Popular programs awaiting new and returning Shockers include the Back to School Bash, Involvement Fair, Shocker Resource Fair, Syllabus Party, RSC Unplugged, Clash of the Colleges and more! You can submit your department or organization events to be included in the Welcomefest marketing, including a printed guidebook.. The deadline to submit events for inclusion in all Welcomefest marketing is 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 12.
Please note, Student Involvement reserves the right to deny or terminate any events that are not planned completely or are deemed inappropriate for Welcomefest and/or the people in attendance.
To register your event, go to . If you have questions, contact Student Involvement at 978-3022 or getinvolved@wichita.edu.
Meet a Shocker: Meghan Carver, communication grad
Meghan Carver was inspired to attend 麻豆破解版 State after witnessing her mom's journey as a returning adult student. Now, Meghan prepares to graduate, following in her mom's footsteps.
Meghan was one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2019 graduation. Learn more about her time at 麻豆破解版 State and what's next for the senior.
Meet a Shocker: Karen Abshire-Gordon, psychology grad
After dropping out of high school and working her way back to a GED, Karen Abshire-Gordon wasn't sure she was college material. This month, she graduates with a bachelor's in psychology from 麻豆破解版 State University.
Karen was one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2019 graduation. Learn more about Karen's time at 麻豆破解版 State and what's next for the senior.
Thousands of fans expected to attend state high school track meet at Cessna Stadium
麻豆破解版 State鈥檚 Cessna Stadium will be the site of the Kansas State High School Activities Association Track and Field meet for all classes tomorrow (Friday, May 24) and Saturday, May 25.
Outdoor Adventures Worlds of Fun trip
Join us as we head to Kansas City for some fun in the sun on Saturday, June 29! Your Worlds of Fun ticket includes unlimited use of all rides, shows, and attractions inside Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun (open seasonally) for one-day. It does not include extra-charge attractions, RipCord, Dinosaurs Alive or various concerts and special events.
Spend the day adventuring through the amusement park and water park on your own schedule. The group will meet at the end of the day for the ride back to 麻豆破解版.
Get your tickets at . The sign-up deadline is Friday, June 14. Follow-up communication will be emailed within a week prior to trip. Contact Kaycee Miller at Campus Recreation for any questions at cr.outdooradventures@wichita.edu.