Author: Caelin Bragg

Suspenders4Hope, a program developed at Wichita State University, is highlighting different departments and individuals on campus who are advocates for mental health in hopes that their stories will inspire others to continue supporting one another in the community.

The WSU School of Social Work (SSW) is being recognized for its support of the mental health of students, faculty, staff and health care professionals.

Wichita State’s Student Success: First-Year Programs (FYP) attended the Region IV Joint Regional Conference in Columbia, Missouri, from NODA – National Orientation Directors Association. At the conference, representatives from FYP received awards for their efforts and results in orientation, transition and retention of students:

• Kim Sandlin: Outstanding NODA Orientation, Transition, and Retention Professional
  Kim Sandlin, director of Student Success, received the Outstanding Orientation, Transition, and Retention Professional Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions of a professional to the field of orientation, transition and retention who has five or more years of professional experience in higher education.
• Annie Wasinger: Best Undergraduate Educational Session
  Annie Wasinger, intern for FYP, received the Best Undergraduate Educational Session award for her topic entitled, “Is It Accessible? Is it REALLY Accessible?” Annie’s presentation will be presented at the National NODA conference in Portland, Oregon, in November.
• Hafsa Sadaf: Most Creative Solution in Case Studies
  Hafsa Sadaf, senior transition mentor for FYP, received the Most Creative Solution in Case Studies Award alongside three other orientation leaders from various universities.
• Kate Potter: Best Presentation in Case Studies
  Kate Potter, transition mentor for FYP, received the Best Presentation in Case Studies Award alongside three other orientation leaders from various universities.
• Winter Welcome: Innovation in Retention Programs
  The Winter Welcome event, hosted by FYP, received the Innovation in Retention Programs Award. The award seeks to recognize innovative and effective approaches in retention.

“For about 23 of my 25-year career on campus, I have been involved directly or indirectly with our orientation programs and welcoming new students to Shocker Nation,” Sandlin said. “It’s something I look forward to every year. Recently, as our work in Student Success and Persistence has grown, I’ve found deeper meaning in the work we do every day. The most rewarding part is seeing the data on how our efforts in Student Success are helping Shockers succeed. I am grateful for receiving the Outstanding NODA Orientation, Transition, and Retention Professional award; however I couldn’t have earned it without the hard work that the Student Success team at Wichita State does every day for students.”

Additionally, FYP hosted six different educational sessions for attendees at the conference:

• Austin Helgerson and George Giem: “Networking in 2024: Building Meaningful Connections During Orientation and Beyond”
• Annie Wasinger: “Is it Accessible? Is it REALLY Accessible?”
• Hafsa Sadaf: “Language Diversity Matters: Improving Orientation for Non-Native English Speakers”
• Kaelyn Hannah: “The Struggle is Real: Rebuilding and Rebranding Your Orientation Leader Team”
• Juan Gurrola: “Let’s Talk About it: Equality vs. Equity”
• Trinity Madden: “Silent Expression: Decoding Body Language and Understanding Non-Verbal Communication”

“I’m super proud of the students and staff in First-Year Programs,” Sandlin said. “We intentionally challenge our returning staff every year during their training to develop and facilitate interesting conference sessions that add value and knowledge to the region and profession.”

Hiring today looks very different than it did 20 years ago. Applicant Tracking Systems, AI keyword matching and LinkedIn Recruiter mean that it’s the rare recruiter who’s just sitting there looking through paper resumes.

So why are so many job-seekers still applying for jobs like it’s 1999? Join Jeremy Schifeling, who served in leadership roles at LinkedIn and Khan Academy (OpenAI’s first education partner for ChatGPT), for a deep dive into the most advanced LinkedIn and ChatGPT techniques from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 18 virtually via Teams.

This workshop is co-hosted by Shocker Career Accelerator and the Graduate School. Faculty, staff, students and alums are invited to attend.

Quiet Time meets at 2 p.m. every Tuesday for two short meditations: The first meditation starts a little after 2 p.m., and the second starts around 2:15 p.m. Come for either or both.

These mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) meditations are offered by a certified workplace mindfulness facilitator from the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) and are offered both via Teams and in-person in 204 Ablah Library, faculty lounge.

If you can’t make it in “real time,” you can participate in Quiet Time meditations from the podcast: Quiet Time at Wichita State, which you can subscribe to on Apple, Amazon or Spotify.

You can also add the Teams invitation link to your calendar.

Shockers viewing the April 8 solar eclipse can do so at a variety of hotspots on campus. Check out the selfie spots tag on the digital campus map for great locations on campus to watch the eclipse from, including:

• The south side of Jabara Hall, where starting at 1 p.m., Dr. Jason Ferguson — professor and director of physics at WSU — will have a special solar telescope set up for Shockers to get an up close look of the eclipse.
• The third floor balcony of the Rhatigan Student Center
• The Promise Bridge south of Woolsey Hall
• The Wichita State sign at 21st and Oliver
• The west lawn of Morrison Hall
• The Shocker Hall courtyard
• The Braeburn Square eating areas (and grab a lunch)
• The seating area north of the RSC
• The west entrance of Ablah Library

The eclipse begins at about 12:30 p.m., and the best viewing, when the eclipse is at its maximum, is around 1:45 p.m.

And don’t forget to follow guidelines on how to have a safe viewing experience.

To help employees plan their time-off and work schedules throughout the year, Wichita State has shared the winter closedown schedule, which has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 20 and end starting the morning of Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The closedown is 10 days, two of which are paid holidays. In addition, employees may use Presidential Administrative Days to remain in pay status for the four days between Christmas and New Years Day — thanks to President Rick Muma. Classes will not be in session during this period.

Unclassified professional and university support staff who would normally be scheduled to work these days may use accumulated vacation leave or their 2025 discretionary day* during the winter closedown. Non-exempt employees may also use accumulated compensatory time off during the winter closedown.

If your role requires you to work during the winter closedown it must be approved in advance by your immediate supervisor.

Winter closedown schedule:

• Monday, Dec. 23, 2024
• Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024
• Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 (Paid holiday)
• Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Friday, Dec. 27, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 (Paid holiday)
• Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025
• Friday, Jan. 3, 2025

An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays to receive holiday pay. The official state holidays are Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2025.

Employees required to work during the winter closedown will be allowed to use their four Presidential Administrative Days anytime from Monday, Dec. 23 through Jan. 31, 2025. WSU appreciates your dedication and service to the university.

*The discretionary day for 2024 must be used on or before Friday, Dec. 20 prior to the beginning of the winter closedown. The discretionary day for 2025 will be available starting Sunday, Dec. 22 and may be used during the 2024 winter closedown.

From the second floor of his office in Morrison Hall, President Rick Muma can see the Duerksen Fine Arts Center Amphitheater. Three miles to the west, he can see the Beachner Grain Elevator mural “El Sueño Original – The Original Dream,” from his office window.

By May, that view will be connected when Nathalia Gallego (GLeo) completes a new mural, called “Adelante Juntos – Forward Together,” covering the on-campus amphitheater.

“It adds to the cultural vibrancy of the university,” said Muma. “We’re now an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Bringing art focused on the Latino population, of the university, the city and the state demonstrates that we value everybody on campus. That’s what I see this mural doing for the campus.”

Dr. Nick Solomey, professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, provided insights on what has been described as the “Great American Eclipse” to KWCH on April 8.

He discussed the mechanics of a solar eclipse and what viewers should do to safely watch the eclipse.

Dear colleagues,

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the upcoming retirements of Dr. Shirley Lefever and Werner Golling. Both Shirley and Werner recently informed me separately of their plans to retire.

After nearly 20 years at Wichita State, Shirley will retire as provost and executive vice president at the end of the calendar year. And Werner, who has been at WSU for more than seven years, will retire as vice president of finance and administration in July.

Please be assured that while they are leaving WSU in the same year, the timing is coincidental. I am truly happy for Shirley and Werner as they move on to this next phase of their lives. I’ll miss their influence at Wichita State and the pleasure of working with them each day.

I am starting the process of forming search committees to conduct open national searches to replace both positions. I’ve asked Shelly Coleman-Martins, vice president of Strategic Communications and Marketing, to lead the search committee for the provost position and Zach Gearhart, chief of staff and executive director of Government Relations, to lead the search committee for the finance and administration position.

Stay tuned to WSU Today for announcements about the next steps in the search process and plans to celebrate Shirley and Werner’s time here.

President Rick Muma

The Kansas APEX Accelerator, based at Wichita State University, has reached a significant milestone in its decade-long history of empowering businesses: the attainment of more than $1 billion in government contract awards for its clients.

With a total dollar amount of contract awards reaching $1,084,113,363, the accelerator has solidified its position as a driving force behind economic growth and innovation in Kansas. Since its inception, the Kansas APEX Accelerator (formerly Kansas PTAC) has aided 4,620 businesses, guiding them through the intricacies of government contracting and facilitating access to funding opportunities.