Author: Caelin Bragg

Wichita State students can develop skills inside and outside the classroom by working with their career ready competencies and strengthening them before graduation. Students needing professional work experience in their field can also explore applied learning opportunities, and they can keep track of their applied learning opportunities in the app Shocker 360.

Wichita State has a number of programs that can help you travel the country or the world while simultaneously working toward your degree and enhancing your student experience. Students should explore academic travel opportunities such as Study Abroad and National Student Exchange early so they can prepare financially and academically. 

Additional tip to help this week:

If resources are running low, students can receive basic necessities from the Shocker Support Locker.

As enrollment approaches, you should consider how to complete 30 credit hours in one academic year. By enrolling in a combination of fall, spring and summer classes, you can remain on track with your degree programs and potentially shorten the time it takes to earn your degree.

Some studies show that completing 30 hours each academic year increases academic performance and decreases student debt.

Speak with your academic advisor to develop an academic plan or run a degree audit in Degree Works.

Now is the time for you to check your class progress and reflect on the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the semester. You can do this by locating your grades in Blackboard and attending academic success programs. You can also visit the Shocker Learning Center.

You can also contact student.success@wichita.edu to request a meeting with a success coach or schedule online.

You may feel anxious about approaching their professors and need encouragement to interact with them. Despite these reservations, making connections with faculty can help you feel more comfortable in class, get references for jobs or graduate school, and help them advise you about career options.

Use the link below and to learn few tips on how to approach and speak with your professors. Remember, faculty members are often your best resource for academic success.

It’s never too late to try new tactics in the classroom and at home to improve learning. Students can quiz themselves or other classmates on class concepts, create questions from assigned readings to ask during class, or join a study group with other motivated students to improve academic performance.

Do you need help? Wichita State’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has a variety of mental health services with people ready to help students. Visit the website to view its full list of services.

Are you feeling overwhelmed prioritizing, studying and juggling multiple roles while trying to meet your academic deadlines? Time management will always be one of the biggest challenges for all college students, but Wichita State’s student success coaches are here to help.

Students who want to to improve their time-management skills can find tips and resources in the time management section of the Student Success website.

Students can also reach out to their professional success coach for help on time management.

Students, have you been to your professors’ 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.

Brent Mai has been named the next dean of Wichita State University’s Libraries, effective Oct. 15.

Previously serving as the dean of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library at the University of North Florida since 2019, dean of libraries at Fairfield University from 2016 to 2019 and the University Libraries dean of Concordia University from 2003 to 2016, Mai brings nearly 30 years of experience working in academic libraries to WSU.

Mai will replace Kathy Downes, who retires in September. Downes served as dean since 2017, but initially came to WSU in 1979 as a biomedical librarian.