Author: Caelin Bragg

As Kansas expects freezing weather, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) offers advice on how to stay safe and avoid cold weather-related health issues:

• Wear appropriate clothing: Hat, scarf or mask that covers face/mouth, a water-resistant coat, gloves, several layers of loose-fitting clothing and water-resistant boots.
• Pay special attention to most-affected body parts: Nose, ears, toes, cheeks, chin and fingers.
• Know the signs: If a person’s temperature is below 95 degrees, they should seek medical attention immediately.
  • Hypothermia: Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness
  • Frostbite: Redness or pain on skin may be the first sign of frostbite. Other signs include a white or grayish-yellow area on skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, or numbness
• Monitor those at high risk: Although anyone can experience hypothermia and frostbite, some individuals are at a higher risk.

For questions, contact Student Health Services at student.health@wichita.edu or call 316-978-4792.

Start the semester off warm and cozy by enjoying hot cocoa with the colleges. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 and Thursday, Jan. 18, the academic colleges at WSU will serve Shockers hot cocoa to ring in the new semester.

Each college will serve the hot cocoa in their respective buildings:

• College of Applied Studies: Heskett Center and Corbin Education Center lobbies
• Barton School of Business: Woolsey Hall lobby
• College of Engineering: Wallace Hall lobby
• Fairmount College/Honors College: Lindquist Hall lobby
• College of Fine Arts: Duerksen Fine Arts Center in the Miller Lobby
• College of Health Professions: Ahlberg Hall lobby

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

Wichita State students can attend on-campus university fine arts and athletics events at no additional charge with a Shocker ID, thanks to the Student Government Association.

Support your fellow classmates and faculty while exploring some of the creative pursuits WSU has to offer and display your Shocker pride at home athletic games.

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.

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

Join the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Senate for a meeting at 6:30 p.m. today in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail room. There will also be a livestream available on the SGA YouTube.

The Wichita State SGA is the governing entity for the student experience at the university. SGA is charged with promoting and stimulating student participation in the university’s activities and providing an official channel of communication between the students, faculty, staff and administration.

Shockers — it’s time to complete the new and improved 2024-25 Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The FAFSA helps students unlock thousands of dollars to help fund their college education.

The new FAFSA form will be shorter and more intuitive. It will change how federal aid eligibility is calculated, broadening the number of students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant. Current Shockers who are interested in applying for 2024-25 scholarships should submit their FAFSA as soon as possible. The earlier, the better.

Questions? The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is here to assist you in completing your FAFSA and in understanding your financial plan. Visit the FAFSA webpage (wichita.edu/fafsa) for more information.

Welcome to Shocker Blast, Wichita State’s internal student newsletter! Shocker Blast provides you regular updates about Shocker Nation every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, sent directly to your official student email.

Here, you can learn more about the resources available for you to succeed; important campus updates about parking, traffic, closures and deadlines; how to get involved on campus; messages and news from Wichita State; and more.

Shocker Blast is here to help all students engage with Shocker Nation and get the most out of their time at WSU.

For more information about Shocker Blast, reach out to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor in the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

KMUW’s monthly book club, Literary Feast, features selections made by its staff. For January, KMUW is reading “This Other Eden” by Paul Harding.

Participants will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31 at KMUW for a group discussion over dinner. Dinner is provided by Public, and guests are invited to bring a beverage to share with the group.

In response to the current inclement weather, Wichita State University will move to remote operations, effective immediately. Critical campus operations will remain open.

Critical campus operations that will remain open include student housing, dining options (which may reduce business hours as needed), campus police, facilities services, research laboratories (at faculty discretion), student wellness (which may reduce business hours as needed) and operations otherwise designated by the president, athletic director or any vice president.

At this time, university operations are expected to resume Wednesday as scheduled.

In response to the current inclement weather, Wichita State University will move to remote operations, effective immediately. Critical campus operations will remain open, and employees who support these operations are expected to report to campus. All other employees should work remotely when possible. Pre-session classes will be moved to remote delivery. 

At this time, classes and university operations are expected to resume Wednesday as scheduled. 

Students with questions can reach out to their instructors, and employees can reach out to their supervisors. 

Critical campus operations that will remain open include student housing, dining options (which may reduce business hours as needed), campus police, facilities services, research laboratories (at faculty discretion), student wellness (which may reduce business hours as needed) and operations otherwise designated by the president, athletic director or any vice president. 

Employees can refer to the timekeeping website for more information on time reporting, pay and leave.  

See university inclement weather guidelines for general information

Additional updates will be shared as it becomes available. Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to ensure the safety of our campus community.