Author: Caelin Bragg

Hello, Shockers.

I can’t wait to see all of you back on campus for the beginning of the 2024 academic year at Wichita State. We have a lot of exciting new buildings and areas on campus for you to explore, with some completed over the summer, including the Milly Marcus Annex at the Marcus Welcome Center — home of the Shocker Career Accelerator; the Shocker Success Center in the former Clinton Hall; the Digital Research and Transformation Hub on the Innovation Campus; and the new Adelante Juntos (Forward Together) mural at the Duerksen Amphitheater.

I encourage our faculty and staff to take the opportunities available to you at Wichita State to foster innovation, collaboration and personal growth.

Let’s make this a year of discovery, connection and achievement.

Go Shockers!

The College of Innovation and Design is forming a team for the 2024-25 NASA SUITS Challenge. Students from all backgrounds and majors are welcome, especially those with AR/VR or Unreal Engine skills.

Students who want to learn more can attend a NASA Suits info session from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29 in 103/104 Devlin Hall, Open XR Lab.

Students who have questions or can’t make the info session can email Maggie Schoonover at maggie.schoonover@wichita.edu for more information.

Despite the challenges of the new FAFSA form, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (OFA) was able to award more students more dollars than ever before. The OFA paid out $43 million to over 8,000 students last week. In addition, there has been a $2 million increase in need-based aid compared to the previous year.

2024-25 FAFSA forms are still being accepted. Students can go to Federal Student Aid to unlock every dollar at Wichita State. Students who need the OFA can go to the office for walk-ins from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout August in 203 Jardine Hall.

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.

Wichita State University is committed to preserving and supporting freedom of thought, speech and expression on our campus.

Visit the WSU Freedom of Expression web page for more information. And new this year is guidance on facilitating constructive conversations.

You can also view the Kansas Board of Regents’ Statement on Free Expression here.

ShockerStrengths is proud to celebrate its fifth year at Wichita State. Help celebrate by participating in its campus-wide survey to learn when, where, how and why faculty, staff and students are engaging with their natural talents and strengths. As WSU prepares for growth and continue its progress towards a Strengths-Based Institution, your input and stories are impactful.

Also, don’t forget to plug strengths into your courses, groups and teams by requesting one of the workshops. All workshops include the inventories and materials.

For more information and to request the inventory or a workshop, visit the ShockerStrengths webpage.

Temporary construction fencing will block foot traffic between Jardine Hall and the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC). Pedestrians may detour through the RSC or Jardine to get to their destination.

In March 2020, Ryan Barnes considered himself a high school basketball player, a 5-foot-10 point guard who wanted to play like NBA star Chris Paul. He wore his hair like former Shockers star Ron Baker and made himself valuable on a team loaded with talent.

Within a few months, Ryan considered himself a collegiate bowler, even though he barely qualified as a recreational bowler. Four years later, he appears on a path to be the next PBA Tour great and, along with his parents, heirs to a family bowling legacy the tour last experienced with Dick and Pete Weber.

“(Ryan) has all the makings of a superstar,” PBA Tour Commissioner Tom Clark said. “He’s clearly obsessed with being the best he can be. That something that’s rare in athletes. He’s got it.”

As the fall semester begins, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State’s 330-acres and beyond.

The Shocker Success Center — formerly Clinton Hall, located between the Rhatigan Student Center and Ablah Library — is open to the public. The Shocker Success Center brings together a number of student services that were formally spread out around Wichita State and houses them under one roof in the heart of campus.

The campus community can find multiple areas to relax or work throughout the day, and students can use the building as a study space.

Here is every service that has moved to the Shocker Success Center:

• First floor: OneStop Student Services; the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing
• Second floor: Shocker Learning Center, including the Math Lab, Physics Help Room and Writing Center; Office of Student Success; and TRIO Disability Support Services
• Third floor: TRIO Student Support Services; Hispanic-Serving Initiatives; CARE Team; Adult Learning; Tech Help Desk; and Military and Veterans Services
• Lower level: Civil Rights, Title IX & ADA Compliance; Shocker Support Locker; and Career Closet. And the Office of International Education will join the Shocker Success Center in September.