Year: 2024

Faculty, it’s time to collect summer and fall 2024 textbook information. The adoption due date for summer courses is April 1 and fall is April 15.

Verba Collect is a simplified faculty experience including pre-populated course assignments, easy-to-adopt past adoptions and smart book search. Verba Collect will send out customized emails to faculty and department coordinators with a unique link that logs you into a walk-through process without any need for username or password. Once you get into Verba Collect, there are four short videos for your perusal showing how to get started, add materials and submit your adoptions. Keep an eye on your email inboxes for an email from Verba.

If you are interested in providing your course materials digitally through the Shocker Store’s “Access Now” program, where students will access them in Blackboard, select that option in the “Item Questions.” Should you choose to have your courses participate in the program and those courses cross list with another course. please order the same thing for both and note that on your order.

Those planning on using open resource materials can indicate that on their order as well and to flag the course as such and the information can be made available to students.

Those interested in learning more about Access Now can reach out at accessnow@wichita.edu. For any other questions or concerns, contact the Shocker Store at shockerstore.books@wichita.edu or 316-978-7032.

The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ (NASPA) Success Coaching Knowledge Community annually recognizes a professional that has shown innovation above and beyond the role as a professional mentor or coach within the field of success coaching. Award winners must adhere to professional standards within the association and demonstrate their unique contributions to success coaching to enhance the life of their students.

Chelsea Dey is one of two coaches who will receive the national award at the NASPA 2024 Annual Conference in March. Dey began her professional career at Wichita State five years ago as the first success coach, serving students in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Currently, she serves the students in the College of Health Professions and serves as the lead success coach in Student Success. She also serves on a number of campus committees in her current role.

“Chelsea has been instrumental in building the Success Coaching program at Wichita State,” said Kim Sandlin, director of Student Success. “Faculty, staff and most importantly students have all given individual examples of the positive impact she has on student experiences, not only in CHP but also across all majors through her leadership and commitment to coaching students.”

Employees 55 years old and older are invited to participate in the pre-retirement planning seminar from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 29. This is a virtual event, so participants can choose to attend only the segments that interest them.

Topics will include:

• WSU retirement process
• Medical insurance options after retirement
• Medicare and Medicare supplement plans
• KBOR mandatory retirement plans with TIAA/Voya
• KPERS pension plan
• Estate planning basics

Event registration is not required. The event will be held virtually and will include both live and recorded webinars.

Staff from the WSU CARE Team were recognized as the next recipient of Rick Rewards Feb. 21. The staff were honored for their commitment to helping members of the campus community overcome difficult situations and ensuring all students, faculty and staff can achieve their full potential.

Rick Rewards is awarded each month by President Rick Muma to show his appreciation for the efforts of the campus community.

Would you like to get more involved and volunteer with your fellow shockers this spring? The Community Service Board has several upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer opportunities include serving a meal at the Lord’s Diner, cleaning-up the areas around the Arkansas River, volunteering with the United Way, Kansas Food Bank Warehouse, tree planting, helping with the Child Development Center’s Easter egg hunt and carnival and more.

For questions, email CSB@wichita.edu or call 316-978-3022.

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting a town hall for Honors College and College of Innovation and Design faculty and staff at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 via Zoom.

Yolanda and Gene Camarena — the dynamic Entrepreneurs-in-Residence duo at the Barton School of Business for the spring 2024 semester — will provide a keynote presentation as part of the James Schwartz Lecture Series, “Unlocking Success: Key Insights from Visionary Entrepreneurs on Building, Innovating, and Transforming Futures.”

Gene is the president and CEO of La Raza Pizza, Inc., and Yolanda is a dedicated leader in social justice and equity advocacy in education, bringing unparalleled expertise and insights to our academic and entrepreneurial community.

The keynote event is at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Woolsey Hall Auditorium.

Doors open at 9 a.m. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event.

Shockers are encouraged to apply to be a Passage 2 Success Mentor for the summer and next school year term, an opportunity to help diverse backgrounds transition to Wichita State.

The program will be hosted the week before classes begin. The group of leaders will ensure that Passage 2 Success is operated smoothly and efficiently as possible. This year, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is seeking 12 to 16 current WSU students to serve as the leaders for Passage 2 Success.

Requirements of becoming a Passage Leader:

• Currently in good academic standing with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA
• Ability to perform duties in an ethical and professional manner
• Ability to be on campus as early as Aug. 5
• Preferred: Experience working with diverse populations, such as AALANA (African American, Latino, Asian and Native American), international, LGBTQ+ and ally groups

The deadline to apply is March 1.

Join the Artist Exploration Association (AEA) for its February meeting and learn different watercolor painting techniques from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room.

Supplies will be provided and all majors are welcome. AEA is an art club dedicated to connecting students to the community through art, creativity and service.

Health, Outreach, Prevention and Education Services (HOPE Services) is offering a substance use and mental wellness prevention course from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 in 245 Rhatigan Student Center, CUW Room.

The course aims to help students, faculty and staff develop tools to reflect on how they engage with substances, stigma related to substance use disorder and how to best support members of their community. Participants will receive a free Suspenders4Hope T-shirt on completion of the training.

Students can register by submitting a form online and faculty and staff can register on myTraining.