Author: Caelin Bragg

Do you want to be the star of your own video feature for Wichita State’s social media? Video introductions are now being accepted from students just like you.

You can submit your video through the online Student Stories form. Videos should be under two minutes long and briefly showcase your story and personality. If selected, Wichita State will produce a short feature video to be posted on WSU’s social media.

The following are a few examples of similar features created by WSU:

• From WSU to NASA: My Journey Into Space Innovation
• This Shocker Followed His Passion at Shocker Studios
• This Shocker Made Wichita State University His Home

For questions, contact Marcus Wright, director of videography in the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, at marcus.wright@wichita.edu.

All students on campus have access to the all-you-can-eat Shocker Dining Hall, located on the first floor of Shocker Hall. Pay at the door, grab a plate (or two) and fill it with options from multiple kiosks. Want to see what’s on the menu? Head over to dineoncampus.com/wsudining.

Students, have you been to student hours yet? If your answer is no, take the opportunity this week to visit at least one of your professors in their office during their student hours. Only a handful of students each semester use this opportunity to get to know their professors outside of the classroom. You might even gain an advisor, mentor or get the answer to your questions from your text.

The table below is to assist instructors with certain dates regarding CES. These dates are for the spring 2026 semester.

• The first column includes the various start/end (part-of-term) dates for spring semester courses.
• The second column includes dates meant for instructors. This is the timeframe when instructors will receive emails about the CES process and procedures that they should complete. Instructors will receive additional emails during and after the student CES access dates.
• The last column includes the dates that CES will be available for the students to complete course evaluations.

The full CES administrative schedule can always be found on the website.

If your course is in bold, then your spring 2026 CES evaluation process will start soon. Review the start/end dates in each column so you know when your access to the CES system will start and end.

As the Wichita area prepares for a winter weather storm, be sure you are prepared and remain aware of current campus operations. 

Over this coming weekend, university operations will remain normal, including the men’s basketball game, Shocker Dining services and WSU Libraries. However, event organizers and instructors have mitigation plans in place and will communicate any changes to weekend events, classes or clinicals. Please reach out to your event organizer or instructor for additional questions. 

Continuing operations updates 

WSU relies on forecasts and emergency notifications issued by emergency management professionals and meteorologists in monitoring weather that may affect campus operations.  

If there are changes to the university’s operations status, they will be communicated via WSU email, WSU social media, the Weather Emergencies Page and Shocker Alerts. Sign up to receive Shocker Alerts to your mobile phone – wichita.edu/alert.  

Safety reminders 

• Dress in layers and limit time outdoors during extreme cold. 
• Keep devices charged and check email regularly for updates. 
• Weather conditions can vary widely depending on where you live or the time of day you travel. When the university remains open for normal operations, each individual must evaluate their own situation, prioritize personal safety, and make responsible choices about whether it is safe to come to campus. 

If you’ve ever stood up from your game console and yelled, “I could design a better game than this!” this spring is your chance to prove it with Introduction to Game Design (MART 104), CRN: 22425. Build stories, mechanics and player experiences from the ground up. Enroll by Monday, Jan. 26.

Concerned about the commute? Shockers like you get free access to bus routes from WSU’s main campus to Shocker Studios with your Shocker ID. Learn more about the route to Shocker Studios, including outbound and inbound times.

Philosophy of Medicine (PHIL 410), CRN: 21064, tackles the big questions behind modern medicine: What counts as a disease? Who decides? And how do we balance data, judgment and the human experience? How will AI change health care? Enroll by Monday, Jan. 26 for the spring 2026 semester.

Justin Neel is the guy you want in charge of the menu.  

“Pizza is what I love. It’s what I do,” said Neel, co-owner of Social Tap, which has a location at Wichita State’s Braeburn Square. Neel has more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry — 17 of those specifically in pizza.  

Now, Neel and partners Luke Luttrell and David Hopkins are bringing another pizza option to Braeburn Square: Pizza Shuttle.  

Pizza Shuttle aims to start serving the public sometime during the week of Jan. 26 and will initially be open from 11 a.m. to midnight. Though if demand necessitates it, the restaurant will extend its late-night hours.  

Students can now apply to join the first cohort of WSU’s new TRIO SSS STEM program. The program provides academic support, financial guidance, tutoring, conference travel opportunities and graduate school prep for eligible STEM majors, such as first-generation college students, income-eligible students and students with a documented disability.

You can encourage students to apply at wichita.edu/sss-stem. TRIO SSS STEM is a community that helps students stay on track academically, explore career paths and prepare for graduate school, all while connecting them with resources and opportunities that make their college experience richer.

Encourage students to start the semester off warm and cozy by enjoying hot cocoa with the colleges. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, the academic colleges at WSU will serve Shockers hot cocoa to ring in the new semester.

Each college will serve hot cocoa in their respective buildings:

• College of Applied Studies: Hubbard Hall
• Barton School of Business: Woolsey Hall
• College of Engineering: John Bardo Center
• Fairmount College/Cohen Honors College: Lindquist Hall
• College of Fine Arts: Duerksen Fine Arts Center in the Miller Concert Hall
• College of Health Professions: Ahlberg Hall
• Graduate School: Jardine Hall

For questions, contact the Division of Student Affairs at 316-978-3021.