Author: Caelin Bragg

As a Shocker, you have access to all of the following resources with the Shocker Career Accelerator to get applied learning experience and build skills:

LinkedIn Learning has thousands of courses that teach you skills in topics such as business, technology and creativity, which makes you more competitive in your field of study and career. And SCA has a guide to interviewing with companies that walks you through the process before, during and after so you can ace your first job interview.

For small work experiences, Forage connects you to top companies in the nation to develop skills using industry tools, ending with a certificate you can add to your LinkedIn profile. Micro-Internships are short-term paid assignments with companies year-round, which are a great way to ease into your career.

Looking to practice before your first big job interview? You can schedule an appointment with an SCA career coach through Shocker Central, emailing sca@wichita.edu or calling the office at 316-978-3688.

University leaders will share updates on current developments and other relevant topics at Wichita State at the in-person faculty/staff spring 2026 town hall at 2 p.m. Monday, March 30 in 110 Woolsey Hall, Frank A. Boettger Auditorium. A livestream option will be available on the Wichita State YouTube channel.

Audience members will be able to ask questions in person during the town hall or virtually via the YouTube chat. If you would like to submit questions ahead of time, email townhall@wichita.edu.

The newest cohort of Rudd Scholars includes 17 Kansas high school seniors who have chosen to attend Wichita State.

• Amiyah Beard — Newton Senior High School
• Gracin Bergmeier — Inman Junior-Senior High School
• Jayden Boggess — Washington High School (Kansas City)
• Ashley Caligiuri — Junction City Senior High School
• Adison Henderson — Central Junior-Senior High School (Burden)
• Gabriel Heredia — Pratt Senior High School
• Kinley Jones — Ellis High School
• Danielle MacKinney — South Barber High School
• Sumaita Masum — Wichita Northeast Magnet High School
• Madison McCaskill — Wichita South High School
• Sutton O’Crowley — Douglass High School
• Avery Powell — Andover High School
• Kenton Powless — Paola High School
• Vanessa Rayo Real — Dodge City High School
• Julissa Romero-Lopez — Wichita West High School
• N’Aliecia Taylor — Central Junior-Senior High School (Burden)
• Abraham Vasquez — Sumner Academy of Arts and Science

President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case will join KMUW on air at 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 25 for its pledge drive, where they are matching donations dollar for dollar. Tune in to KMUW 89.1 FM or listen at kmuw.org.

Others at Wichita State will join KMUW throughout the week, including Telly McGaha, president and CEO of the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, and his partner Justin Brown at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 26.

Remember that the University Police Department is available 24/7 on campus during emergencies.

See something? Say something: Call UPD at 316-978-3450 for emergencies on campus. Calling 911 while on campus will connect you to Sedgwick County dispatch, which could result in delays from responders. Add 316-978-3450 to your contacts list so you always have immediate access to emergency services on campus.

If you are away from a phone, you can use one of the many emergency phones on campus, which you can find the locations of through the campus map under “Campus Safety.”

The University Police Department is here to support students, employees and visitors and ensure they feel safe on campus.

Periodically, information will be posted regarding Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool to help users better understand Wichita State’s course evaluation tool.

Today’s focus is on the basic timeline.

• The CES administrator programs the pre-determined dates for each process. This pre-determined schedule cannot be modified.
• The CES tasks are sent at midnight on the scheduled start date and will end at 11:59 p.m. on the scheduled end date.
• The manage course process for instructors: Instructors have 10 days from notification of the opt-out window to delete courses from CES.
• CES evaluations will be open for students for varying lengths of time, depending upon the length of the course term:
  • Fall and spring one-week to four-week courses: Two days
  • Fall and spring five-week to 16+ week courses: 10 days
  • Summer one- and two-week courses: Two days
  • Summer four-week to 10+ week courses: Seven days
• Current CES Results will be available at the end of the semester. Results will continue to remain accessible afterwards.
  • The availability date will be the Friday after grades are due to the Registrar.
• A full timeline with specific dates is on the website. These dates will also appear as separate posts in WSU Today, with emphasis on the most relevant information for a specific date.   
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

For questions, contact Sandra Ranney at evaluations@ces.wichita.edu.

Stop by the Food Truck Plaza on campus to enjoy cuisines from local food truck vendors.

Wednesday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Carne Asada Jalisco: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• The Flying Stove: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Thursday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Carne Asada Jalisco: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Friday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Schedule is subject to change. Visit the Food Truck Plaza website for the most up-to-date information.

Stop by the Food Truck Plaza on campus to enjoy cuisines from local food truck vendors.

Tuesday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Carne Asada Jalisco: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• The Flying Stove: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Thursday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Carne Asada Jalisco: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Friday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Schedule is subject to change. Visit the Food Truck Plaza website for the most up-to-date information.

Claire Staggs, a senior psychology major graduating in May 2026, is gaining hands-on experience at Wichita East High School, part of Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), where she supports students as they plan their next steps after graduation. She began the role during the fall semester and continues her work this spring.

“My applied learning role at Wichita East High School consists of assisting Ms. Kennedy with helping students prepare for their futures after high school graduation,” Claire said. “As a student, I meet students where they are at and help them find scholarships, coach them through their applications, and help them take advantage of every opportunity presented.” 

As you come back from spring break, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State University’s 330 acres and beyond.

CAC Theatre

Construction is underway in the first phase of the accessibility upgrades to the CAC Theatre.

Improvements will include an exterior wheelchair lift, new widened entry doors, the addition of an accessible restroom and ticket booth, and a new accessible seating platform within the theater area. Construction is anticipated to be complete in June.

Wilkins Stadium

Construction is complete on the indoor softball practice facility adjacent to Wilkins Stadium. Inside the building is a netted softball infield that is divisible into batting and pitching practice areas.

Construction of the softball team and operations building to the south of the new indoor facility is anticipated to start this month. Construction staging is underway in the north section of Lot 15. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2027.

University Stadium Phase 1A/1B

The renovation of Wichita State’s University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium) took a big step forward Jan. 8 when the WSU Board of Trustees voted unanimously to invest $38 million into Phase 2 of the project.

Phase 2 will begin after the KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships May 29-30 with demolition of the west grandstand in June. Construction of the new west stadium will be phased to ensure that seating is available for the 2027 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships. Construction is scheduled to be complete before the 2028 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships.

Construction continues for Phase 1B. This phase of construction consists of widening the field to hold a regulation-sized artificial turf soccer field and installing a nine-lane track and internal stadium sidewalks that will connect the east and west sides of the facility inside of the fence.

Improvements to the throwing area south of Charles Koch Arena are also underway. A storage building is under construction. Additions also include a longer javelin runway and warmup lanes. Shot put competition will move to this area from inside the stadium.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in April ahead of the KSHSAA State Track and Field Meet on May 29-30.

Ablah Library

Construction is underway on the second floor of the library for a project to relocate the Lowell D. Holmes Anthropology Museum from the current location in Neff Hall. The project is anticipated to be completed in early summer 2026.

The museum relocation is the first step to vacate the building in preparation for demolition of Neff Hall. The anthropology department will relocate to the Geology Building in early 2027 following a renovation in the Geology Building anticipated to begin in summer 2026.

Henrion Hall HVAC improvements Phase 3 and 4

Construction is underway in Henrion Hall for a project to provide air conditioning to the remainder of the building following recent projects in the sculpture and ceramics classroom areas as well as relocating and expanding the wood shop.

The project will be phased to allow the building to remain occupied but will affect building entrances throughout the year. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.

NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research

Interior construction on the NIAR HAMR building is complete. Progress continues on the exterior site work and is anticipated to be completed in April.

The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices.

The building is located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.

Partnership Building 3B

P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory by Deloitte @Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The building is expected to be complete March 2026.