Author: Caelin Bragg

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

Today’s focus is on “How to use CES?”

• While in Blackboard, instructors can access CES anytime by choosing “Tools” from the main menu and selecting “CES Course Evaluations.” It can also be directly accessed via the links provided in emails sent to the instructor.
• Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys Dashboard will appear.
• Widgets will appear on the dashboard. When a task is available for a course, it will display information. If not, it may state “No Project Found.”
• The manage courses widget will only appear when that option is open and available to instructors.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

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

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

Today’s focus is on emails.

• CES uses email communication to send out information regarding the evaluation process.
• Emails will come from WSU Evaluations (evaluations@ces.wichita.edu).
• Emails are sent according to a specific timeline. CES operates from the course’s part-of-term, meaning the course start and end dates will determine when emails are sent out.
• If you teach courses that are in different terms, you will receive duplicate emails. These emails provide information that pertains to that part-of-term.
• The emails will also inform instructors if they need to take any specific actions regarding their course(s) within CES.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

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

Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool is Wichita State’s new course evaluation tool. Find more information over the coming weeks in WSU Today about CES.

Today’s focus is on “What Is CES?”

• CES is a course evaluation platform from Watermark. The evaluation portion of the platform is called “Course Evaluations & Surveys” and at WSU is referred to as CES.
• CES has replaced SPTEs as the source for course evaluations.
• CES is easy to use and is integrated with Blackboard.
• CES results are electronic and will be available at the end of the term the course is assigned.
• Using CES should increase response rates.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

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

Enjoy popsicles and chat with officers in the Wichita State University Police Department from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 in between Shocker Hall and the Rhatigan Student Center.

Keep an eye out for the police-marked utility vehicle in the area.

The Wichita Eagle has released the 2024 Best of Wichita nominations, and Wichita State has been nominated in several categories:

• Education – College/university: Wichita State University, WSU Tech
• Education – Vocational school: WSU Tech
• Education – Childcare: WSU Child Development Center
• Health & beauty – Audiologist/hearing center: Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
• Things to do – Art gallery: Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU Shift Space, Clayton Staples Gallery
• Things to do – Bowling: Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes
• Things to do – Hotel: Hyatt Place at WSU
• Things to do – Museum: Ulrich Museum of Art, Lowell Holmes Museum of Anthropology
• Things to do – Live theatre: Wilner Auditorium
• Eat & drink – Lunch spot: WSU Food Truck Plaza, Sesame Mediterranean Kitchen
• Eat & drink – Bar/tavern: Social Tap Drinkery
• Eat & drink – Beer selection: Social Tap Drinkery
• Eat & drink – Mediterranean restaurant: Sesame Mediterranean Kitchen
• Eat & drink – Sports bar: Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes
• Eat & drink – Tacos: Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

The community can vote once a day for their choices in each category through the voting period until Friday Sept. 6.

Visit NetApp on the Innovation Campus for its semesterly campus-wide e-waste and shredding event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 in the NetApp parking lot, lot 44S.

The following are items that can be disposed of during the event:

• Personal documents accepted for secure shredding
• All personal electronics accepted, including appliances
  • Note: For recycling old TVs, refer to Sedgwick County’s recycling guide
• Secure data destruction for e-waste (hard drive shredder)
• On-site assistance available for larger loads

The event is sponsored by the NetApp Green Team.

Justin DeSanto met Casey Ratzlaff in 2017 at Wichita State University and agreed to coach him when it became obvious tennis mattered to Ratzlaff.

“Working with someone who was chasing a professional career and wanting to do this for a living was very appealing,” said DeSanto, now men’s coach at Dartmouth College. “You knew you were going to get that buy-in at every practice, and that’s what I got with Casey.”

The team that started at WSU’s Coleman Tennis Complex grew into one of the most successful in wheelchair tennis. Ratzlaff, a sport management major at Wichita State, will play in the men’s open division in the Paris Paralympics Games starting Friday. He is the top-ranked American and seeded No. 13 in the 64-man field.

Join the OzSec for an in-person event Oct. 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita, 400 W Waterman, where cybersecurity enthusiasts gather to discuss the latest trends and challenges in the industry. Shedding light and pushing back the darkness, bringing education to the information security community.

In addition, students, staff and faculty may have free passes to the conference thanks to a sponsorship with the School of Computing. Reach out to Julie Manning, lab coordinator in the School of Computing, at julie.manning@wichita.edu for more information.

Connect with like-minded professionals, attend informative sessions, and network with top experts in the field. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and skills in cybersecurity.

Lucille Portley, a Wichita State staff member of more than 23 years, passed away Aug. 3. She held varying roles within the Office of Admissions over her career and had most recently served as an admissions evaluator, reviewing applications and admitting students to the university.

Lucille’s longevity on the admissions team was a reflection of her loyalty to the university and dedication to student service. She’d annually hold the crown for answering the greatest number of incoming phone calls from students and parents, and would manage the largest volume of tickets from prospective students. Lucille was also the teammate who would be the first to remind the staff to celebrate upcoming ultra-important days like “National Ice Cream Day” or “National Cookie Day.” The staff could always depend on her for a stocked candy and chocolate jar, which made her workstation a popular destination for staff and any of their children visiting the office. Over the years she was a reliable presence in the office, provided a valued historical perspective and would keep service to students and parents paramount to her work every day. From being involved in orientation to supporting admissions representatives with their duties to processing applications, she had an impactful career and the team will greatly miss her as a colleague and friend.

The university community is invited to her homegoing service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 at New Life Church, 1156 N. Oliver.

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member through the initiative, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.