Author: Caelin Bragg

Join the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Senate for a meeting at 7:30 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.

Important message: Due to rising costs of captioning services, effective Sept. 11, SGA will no longer be livestreaming regular meetings. SGA will only livestream select meetings such as Student Fees, and other meetings as determined by SGA Leadership. All meetings will be recorded and uploaded to the SGA YouTube by end of day Thursday. If you have feedback, email sga@wichita.edu.

Join the Shocker Career Accelerator for the Career Connection Root Beer Kegger from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28 on the lawn east of Hubbard Hall. Grab a hot dog, an ice-cold root beer (while supplies last) and chat with employers to learn about their organizations. Connecting with employers in this casual environment is a great way to make initial connections and learn more about their organizations.

Don’t forget to bring your Shocker ID for entry. You can leave the formal attire behind because the dress code for this event is casual. Register and view employer list, and let others know about the Root Beer Kegger.

For questions, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at 316-978-3688 or SCA@wichita.edu; visit in-person in the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139; or learn more on the Shocker Career Accelerator website.

Wichita State University is progressing in the search for a senior executive vice president and provost. The university recently completed a successful search for its senior vice president for administration, finance and operations (appointed Dr. Aaron Mitchell on Aug. 19), with the assistance of the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller, which is now facilitating the SEVP and provost search.

Dr. Shirley Lefever, the current executive vice president and provost, announced her plans to retire at the end of the calendar year last semester. The search for her successor has been active throughout the summer and continues into the fall semester. Key upcoming milestones in the search process include:

• Early September: The search committee will select semi-finalists.
• Late September: The search committee will interview semi-finalists and select finalists.
• October: Finalists will visit campus with opportunities to meet with faculty, staff, students and additional university stakeholders.

WSU plans to announce the final selection of a candidate later in the fall. The start date is expected to be spring 2025.

Join an open house to celebrate Kevin Young, architect with Facilities Planning, who is retiring after 10 years of service to Wichita State, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 at the Facilities Planning office in Gaddis Physical Plant.

Stop by for refreshments, shared memories and well-wishes to send Kevin off into retirement.

Since 2005, Wichita State’s Marcus Welcome Center has served as the gateway to campus, welcoming prospective students and their families. It showcases the university’s commitment to excellence and guides visitors through the application and admissions process.

Thanks to another generous gift from the Marcus family, the center now features a new addition that underscores Wichita State’s dedication to students’ applied learning and career development.

The Milly Marcus Annex is now the permanent home for the Shocker Career Accelerator, a multidimensional career-readiness experience that helps students build resumes and LinkedIn profiles, practice and prepare for interviews, meet with prospective employers, and find applied learning and post-graduation full-time employment opportunities.

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 you 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!

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.