Author: Caelin Bragg

The Wichita City Council approved a plan today that will move forward a project between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas to build a 471,000-square-foot health sciences center in the heart of downtown Wichita. 

Council members agreed to sell or lease two tracts of land – at 214 S. Topeka (where the Wichita Transit Center, set to move to Delano, is currently located) and a parking lot at the southeast corner of Broadway and William.

The university has extended the deadline to apply for fall 2023 tuition assistance. The new deadline is Friday, Aug. 25.

Applications for fall 2023 tuition assistance can be submitted through the online application form. Faculty and staff may apply for employee, spouse or dependent tuition assistance.

Tuition assistance can be applied to undergraduate, graduate or to the badge programs courses.

Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.

Wichita State invites all faculty and staff to its annual Fall Address at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16 in Wiedemann Hall. The event will also be available to watch via YouTube.

President Rick Muma, with the assistance of several university representatives, will outline key focus areas for the coming year:

• Access and affordability
• Talent pipeline
• Economic prosperity

A Shocker, “The City is Our Campus” travel mug or a small cross-body bag will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at no additional charge. Only one item per person in attendance. Light refreshments will be served following the address.

Refer to the faculty/staff parking map for nearby lots.

Wichita State junior Adam Key is certain that leadership can be taught. The best way is by example and application in real-world settings.

Key is one of eight students representing six WSU colleges who recently participated in the Lead for Tomorrow Leadership Academy in the Cohen Honors College. Five faculty members led the interdisciplinary course presenting content from their field focused on the theme “Connected Leadership: Creating a Community of Leaders.” Students then were tasked to apply course content to challenges presented by local community partners.

The Rhatigan Student Center will be without water starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, July 26 as the City of Wichita changes a water meter. The outage is expected to last up to two hours.

Restrooms and food services will be unavailable at this time.

As the City of Wichita changes out a water meter for Devlin Hall, water will be temporarily unavailable from around 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 27. The outage will also affect Hubbard Hall, the Heskett Center and Wilkins Stadium.

Nearby buildings throughout campus can be utilized during that time.

Water will be shut off in Lindquist Hall July 31-Aug. 1 and in Jabara Hall Aug. 2-3 as contractors replace faucets and toilet valves in the restrooms.

Students, faculty and staff should make preparations for the days without water.

As Wichita State’s Innovation Campus approaches its 10th anniversary, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is recognizing the Innovation Campus’ role in cultivating research and innovation. 

The APLU named Wichita State as one of five finalists for its 11th annual Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University Awards. 

KWCH spoke with Calvin Cupp, head coach for Shocker Rowing, who explained the history behind the Shocker Rowing program and how it has evolved. Cupp also shared what the program offers to students and the community, including the Boats & Bikes business.

KWCH also spoke with students in the program, who discussed the experience and their motivations to join the team.

“That student experience as an athletic experience is still at the core of it,” Cupp said. “… We’re pretty integrated into what’s happening here (in Wichita), because we want to make an impact, not just with our student athletes, but also with our community and the citizens.”

The College of Engineering has updated one of its programs to create a more strategic career pathway for its graduates and meet the needs of business and industry. Effective fall 2023, the new applied engineering program — formerly engineering technology — has been adapted based on feedback from employers and alumni.  

Applied engineering will be classified by the accreditation authority, ABET, in the general engineering category and move to the new 14.0103 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code, making graduates eligible to pursue their Professional Engineer (PE) licenses in Kansas and elsewhere.