Author: Caelin Bragg

All Wichita State students are invited to meet Norah O’Donnell, anchor for the CBS Evening News and “60 Minutes” contributor, at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 21 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room, for an informal Q&A.

The event is exclusively for registered WSU students, and refreshments will be served. Capacity is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge.

O’Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering the biggest stories in the world and conducting impactful, newsmaking interviews and is currently the only woman anchoring an evening news broadcast. During her career, she has covered six presidential elections and interviewed every living president of the United States.

Additionally, students are invited to attend the Craig W. Barton Speaker Series event featuring O’Donnell later that same day at 6 p.m. at Miller Concert Hall in Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Learn more about the event and how to reserve a seat.

The Craig W. Barton Speaker Series is an annual WSU event established to expose students and the community to differing points of view and encourage critical thinking and conversation. Previous speakers include Robert Gates, 22nd United States secretary of defense (2006-2011), and Cody Keenan, former White House director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama.

Jeremy Kohn, ChFC, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) financial consultant, will be available at Wichita State on Tuesday, Feb. 6 and Wednesday, Feb. 7 for in-person KBOR retirement plan consultation meetings.

Kohn can help individuals confirm they are on track for enough income at retirement and provide specific investment recommendations at a fiduciary level of care for their TIAA funds.

To schedule a meeting with Jeremy, visit the TIAA website, login and follow the prompts to schedule an in-person meeting at WSU. Call the TIAA scheduling team at 800-732-8353 for assistance in scheduling a meeting, or email Kohn at jeremy.kohn@tiaa.org to schedule a virtual meeting later in February.

You are cordially invited to join the National Employee Appreciation Day celebration with President Rick Muma and his executive team from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, March 1 in Woolsey Hall.

Confirm your attendance by submitting an RSVP online by Monday, Feb. 26 to meet the executive team, eat a hamburger or hotdog, and enjoy some yard games.

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting a town hall for College of Health Professions faculty and staff at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9 via Teams.

Wichita State University has selected the 2024 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State University starting in August 2024.

The 2024 Gore Scholars are:

• Karinton Newton, Summit Christian Academy (Missouri)
• Karaline Scott, Goddard High School
• Chloe Strecker, Eureka High School (Missouri)

The students competed in the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational in November, with 544 other students also competing. To be invited to compete in the invitational, students had to have a 27 or higher ACT score, a 3.5 or higher GPA, or rank in the top 10% of their class. Once invited, students completed an application, including essays, and competed in an on-campus leadership competition. Thirteen finalists came back to campus Jan. 18 for final interviews.

As with Gore Scholars before them, the three recipients this year are involved in their schools and communities and plan to do the same at Wichita State University.

Wichita State University is committed to the safety of its campus community and provides fire safety resources to help Shockers stay safe on and off campus.

Learn more and find resources on how to stay safe on the Fire & Safety Office webpage, including information on:

• Working with open flames, heat or sparks
• Proper use of extension cords
• Restrictions for potentially dangerous decorations
• Proper use of fireworks and other pyrotechnics
• WSU’s commitment to a tobacco free campus
• How to use fire extinguishers in the case of an emergency
• Filling out a permit to host a grilling activity
• The prohibition on the use of portable space heaters
• The potential fire hazards of battery powered mobility devices
• General advice on fire safety off campus
• Keeping corridors free of storage and equipment for emergency evacuations

For more information or questions, contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

Join Wichita State and individual teams/departments as they prepare future Shockers for a lifetime of success. The university is raising money for the United Way’s Champions for Literacy initiative, which puts books and supplies into the hands of USD 259 students.

Wichita State is supporting the Champions for Literacy initiative with the following teams that you can donate through:

• The President’s team
• Shocker Athletics
• Admissions
• Evelyn Hendren Cassat SLH Clinic

Reading helps children build cognitive skills, gain a deeper understanding of the world, improve their concentration and fuel their imagination. As an educational driver for the state of Kansas, Wichita State is committed to helping students of all ages achieve success and become the leaders of tomorrow.

During the 2022-23 school year, 79% of third graders in Wichita were not reading at a proficient level, and students not reading proficiently by the fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out. Donations to the campaign stay local to the Shocker Neighborhood through United Way of the Plains to alleviate illiteracy in the community.

All Wichita State students are invited to meet Norah O’Donnell, anchor for the CBS Evening News and “60 Minutes” contributor, at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 21 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room, for an informal Q&A.

The event is exclusively for registered WSU students, and refreshments will be served. Capacity is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge.

O’Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering the biggest stories in the world and conducting impactful, newsmaking interviews and is currently the only woman anchoring an evening news broadcast. During her career, she has covered six presidential elections and interviewed every living president of the United States.

Additionally, students are invited to attend the Craig W. Barton Speaker Series event featuring O’Donnell later that same day at 6 p.m. at Miller Concert Hall in Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Learn more about the event and how to reserve a seat.

The Craig W. Barton Speaker Series is an annual WSU event established to expose students and the community to differing points of view and encourage critical thinking and conversation. Previous speakers include Robert Gates, 22nd United States secretary of defense (2006-2011), and Cody Keenan, former White House director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama.

Norah O’Donnell, anchor for the CBS Evening News and “60 Minutes” contributor, will speak at the 2024 Craig W. Barton Speaker Series event at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21 at Miller Concert Hall in Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Seat reservations are required, and the event is free and open to the public.

O’Donnell is a multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering the biggest stories in the world and conducting impactful, newsmaking interviews and is currently the only woman anchoring an evening news broadcast. During her career, she has covered six presidential elections and interviewed every living president of the United States.

The Craig W. Barton Speaker Series is an annual Wichita State event established to expose students and the community to differing points of view and encourage critical thinking and conversation. Previous speakers include Robert Gates, 22nd United States secretary of defense (2006-2011), and Cody Keenan, former White House director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama.

In compliance with state and federal laws, Wichita State University is moving forward with implementing an E-Verify program for all new employees. Beginning Feb. 1, the university will begin utilizing E-Verify, an internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA), to check an employee’s authorization to work in the United States. The E-Verify system will be utilized for all new hires at WSU or the Intercollegiate Athletic Association (ICAA), including students, graduate assistants, lecturers, and temporary employees. This will mean that any job offers made starting Feb. 1 will include E-Verify as part of the onboarding process for that candidate.

This change comes after a Kansas House Bill was passed last year requiring all state agencies to enroll in and use E-Verify to verify employment eligibility of all new employees on or before July 1, 2024.

Wichita State is currently using E-Verify in a limited capacity for some of its workforce to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and contractual requirements.

E-Verify is a web-based system that requires enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees by electronically matching information provided by employees on the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, against records available to SSA and DHS.

Human Resources will implement the E-Verify process into the new employee onboarding process. This change will not require the new employee to complete any additional steps during on-boarding. All new WSU and ICAA employees will have E-Verify automatically completed at the time they complete their I-9 document prior to starting work. A new employee must have a Social Security Number to complete the E-Verify process, which is an existing requirement for completing the Form I-9.

For any questions about the process, contact your talent consultant or the Talent Acquisition team at employment@wichita.edu.