Author: Caelin Bragg

At Wichita State, 2021 data shows that 7% of faculty and staff identity as Hispanic/Latino. Of this information, there are two full tenure Latina/o professors.

As WSU continues to grow, the campus is excited to introduce the first Latine employee resource group. Join the WSU Latine Faculty and Staff Association for a come and go reception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday Sept. 15 in the Cadman Art Gallery.

The gallery will feature the history of Latinos in the Wichita area as well as those who have made their mark at WSU. In addition, the gallery will feature art from the Ulrich showcasing Latino artist in their collection.

Kansas had the 27th largest Latino population in the United States. Currently, 19% of the K-12 population in Kansas is Latino and in Wichita, USD259 reports the Hispanic/Latino population is 37%.

Join Dr. Teri Hall, vice president for Student Affairs; Dr. Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence; Dr. Bobby Berry, assistant dean for Diversity and Outreach for the College of Applied Studies; Aaron Hamilton, OneStop; and Dr. Sara Mata, executive director of Hispanic Serving Initiatives, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday Sept. 14 in 266 Rhatigan Student Center, Pike Room for a deeper dive into the data and numbers related to Wichita State’s journey of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution.

In Kansas in 2021, 16% of Hispanics (ages 18 to 34) were enrolled in higher education, compared to 23% of White non-Hispanics. In addition, 23% of Hispanic adults (25 and older) had earned an associate degree or higher, compared to 47% of White non-Hispanic adults.

The importance of becoming an HSI is strengthening the support for how to serve not only Hispanic students, but every student at WSU, from recruiting, to retaining and ultimately graduating.

Join a brown bag lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room to get an overview of Hispanic Serving Institutions.

In support of HACU-Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Wichita State recognizes Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Week, observed by colleges and universities across the nation.

As an emerging HSI, with a current percentage of 17% of students that identify as Latinx/Hispanic, WSU plays an important role of improving access to education and advancing equity for traditionally underserved students.

Interested in learning more about what is an HSI? Join a brown bag lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room to get an overview of Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Step three for students to become Suspenders4Hope mental health advocates is for them to share their stories, like Alison has for fellow students, and be visible, vocal and vulnerable.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will feature one step a day for the following two weeks on how to be a mental health advocate. Stay tuned for the next steps.

Step three for faculty and staff to become Suspenders4Hope mental health advocates is for them to share their stories, like John Kirk has for his fellow students, and be visible, vocal and vulnerable.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will feature one step a day for the following two weeks on how to be a mental health advocate. Stay tuned for the next steps.

Step two in becoming a Suspenders4Hope mental health advocate is to complete the “Preventing Suicide” training to learn about the tools available to assist those in need. Participants will receive a Suspenders4Hope T-shirt at no additional charge upon completion of the training.

Students can sign up for training through the Suspenders4Hope homepage

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will feature one step every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Stay tuned for the next steps.

Step two in becoming a Suspenders4Hope mental health advocate is to complete the “Preventing Suicide” training to learn about the tools available to assist those in need. Participants will receive a Suspenders4Hope T-shirt at no additional charge upon completion of the training.

Faculty and staff can sign up for training through the Suspenders4Hope homepage

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will feature one step every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Stay tuned for the next steps.

The first episode of the Forward Together podcast for the fall 2023 semester airs Tuesday, Sept. 12. President Rick Muma will interview Travis Yang and Joe Mazzara with Wichita State Esports. The episode also debuts the brand new podcast set.

You can find previews of the episode on Wichita State’s YouTube channel, under “Shorts.” The first preview is already available, and more will publish over the weekend leading up to the air date.

Subscribe to be notified when the new episode is available.

Students should take time to reflect on their past semester and think about their successes and what they can change to maximize their future success. To do this, there are a number of resources are available to students, including meeting with a success coach or a peer financial coach in Student Success for assistance in setting goals, completing success plans or designing a financial plan to remain on the path to graduation.

Students should also think about about what applied learning experiences they are interested in as well as social and leadership opportunities, which can be found in Student Involvement.