Author: Lainie Mazzullo

Supervisors: Strategic Communications has an updated signage toolkit for office and building use. Visit wsu.news/signage to download and print a variety of signs related to COVID operations and safety. Please remember that all signs should be hung up with painter’s tape only.

Is there a sign you think is needed in the toolkit? Let us know by emailing annelise.muret@wichita.edu.

If you need assistance printing these signs, including outdoor signage needs, please reach out to shockerprinting@wichita.edu. (Additional fees may apply).

The fall semester has begun, and we’re excited about your return to campus!

Because COVID-19 continues to require flexibility in our daily lives, we will continue throughout this time to keep you updated on what you need to know for a successful school year. 

We have updated our student guide with new information about classes, health and safety, campus events, and more.

The fall semester has begun, and we’re excited for the semester!

Because COVID-19 continues to require flexibility in our daily lives, we will continue throughout this time to keep you updated on what you need to know for a successful school year. 

We have updated our employee guide with new guidance regarding health and safety, testing and vaccination information, staffing details and more. 

Yesterday, in response to the increasing community spread of the COVID Delta variant, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a new mask requirement for state employees and in state facilities that will go into effect Monday, Aug. 2.

We are in the process of reviewing this requirement and how this change affects Wichita State. We will communicate that information to the campus community once we know more.

Thank you for your patience, and stay tuned for more updates on this evolving situation.

President Rick Muma

WSU remains committed to providing educational opportunities at no or low cost to senior citizens.

The recently announced change in fee structure will not impact the cost to senior citizens who audit WSU courses. The letter sent to seniors last week can be disregarded. We regret the confusion caused by that.

Individuals 60-plus years of age will continue to not pay course fees. Occasionally, as has always been the case, a course will have incidental costs for supplies needed to participate in class activities. In those cases, students will be responsible for those expenses.

WSU will be sending a letter of clarification to the seniors who received the previous letter.

With the goal of furthering its mission to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among the campus and community, Wichita State’s Center for Entrepreneurship has changed its reporting structure.

Formerly part of WSU’s Barton School of Business, the center is now under the operation of the College of Innovation and Design, led by Dean Jeremy Patterson.

This new reporting structure will continue to move the Center for Entrepreneurship forward as it seeks to grow WSU’s legacy as an entrepreneurship leader in our community. The entrepreneurship major and the associated private academic scholarships will remain with the Barton School.

Additional key decisions will be announced in the coming months.

“The Center for Entrepreneurship’s value to the university and our business community is immeasurable and will remain as we moved forward,” Patterson says.

As most of you know, for the past two years, Wichita State has been in the process of implementing a comprehensive, transparent compensation plan, utilizing independent third-party market survey data (market based). This is a cornerstone of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan for our workforce and what I believe to be imperative for us to achieve our goal of being a diverse, inclusive and equitable employer.

Implementing a comprehensive plan like this is a lengthy process, and I am pleased to announce that we are on track to implement the program in July. In fact, systems implementations are occurring now through July 19.

A lot of work has gone into the planning and implementation of this, and many have asked why we would implement a plan when there are no centralized financial resources to make immediate pay increases. But we know that a plan is essential to the process of prioritizing financial resources and making informed decisions.

Our goal is to be as transparent and communicative as possible. Human Resources has created a robust website, where you can view campus briefing documents and video, communication about the program, frequently asked questions, a timeline of implementation and more on market-based compensation. I encourage you to look it over and keep an eye out for frequent updates in WSU Today.

As you can see in the implementation timeline, employees will be receiving appointment notices and market-based compensation statements toward the end of July. Details of where to find this information will be announced soon in WSU Today.

Thank you for your patience and continued support as we work toward a compensation plan that is fair and equitable.

Sincerely,

President Rick Muma

Dr. Anthony Muscat has been named dean of Wichita State University’s College of Engineering, effective July 25.

Muscat is a professor and chair of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Arizona, where he has been since 1998.

His career history includes administrative appointments as Department Chair of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and Acting Department Head of the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, both at the University of Arizona. He received a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of California-Davis and a master’s and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University.

WSU community,

This summer we are preparing for a new fall semester – one for which we are excited for positive and exciting changes and growth. One area of growth and change that we are pleased to share is being led by Wichita State University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). Beginning in the fall, OIEC will be working on a number of initiatives to increase education and awareness of Title IX and campus safety, and to expand the accessibility and transparency of OIEC resources and processes.  

One of these initiatives that we are excited to implement is the Sexual Assault Prevention training requirement for all WSU students, faculty and staff. A recent survey aimed at gauging Title IX awareness and prevention indicated that 70% of employees and 63% of students feel the training should be mandatory. This is consistent with the Student Government Association’s resolution supporting mandatory Sexual Assault Prevention training. OIEC is partnering with SGA to develop content for a student-centric video promoting the importance of completing mandatory training.  

OIEC will continue to offer trainings to incoming and transfer students during new student orientation; content specific trainings to student organizations, graduate assistants, graduate teaching assistants, tutors, resident assistants, student athletes and mandatory reporters. OIEC will be offering a new advanced advisor training that will be released in late summer 2021.  

Finally, OIEC will see a staffing increase to assist with processing complaints and providing resources and education to the campus community. 

These initiatives are on the heels of a comprehensive review recently completed by Cozen O’Connor, a national law firm specializing in federal compliance issues mandated under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA). This review examined the University’s written policies, procedures and related documents and communications; interviews of campus implementers, stakeholders and persons who have utilized OIEC services; and a survey of students, staff and faculty seeking feedback, observations and recommendations. The review provided the university and the Kansas Board of Regents a comprehensive assessment of OIEC’s legal compliance and examined ways the university could enhance the effectiveness of its policies, procedures and practices related to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence under Title IX and related provisions of the Clery Act and VAWA. 

The review targeted three areas of the university’s Title IX regulatory compliance: (1) publishing a non-discrimination statement, (2) appointing a Director of Institutional Equity and Compliance, and (3) having a written, prompt, and equitable grievance procedure for resolution of reports and formal complaints of sexual harassment. The review revealed that the university was in compliance with all three areas, noting the university’s 2018 installment of a Director of Institutional Equity and Compliance and its efforts in adopting and updating as needed Policies 3.02 and 3.06.   

The review also highlights the extensive training materials that have been created and offered beginning in 2018. Several of the training materials can be found on OIEC’s website.   

The review also identified areas that could be improved, including visibility, enhanced advisor training, increased reporting, and education on mandatory reporting obligations by employees. These areas of opportunity were highlighted in the campus-wide survey conducted last spring. The review also found a discrepancy between the number of reports made compared to the number of formal investigations conducted.  It was found that a high number of individuals did not respond to OIEC’s outreach resulting in cases that could not be investigated.   

We support the external review of the university’s Title IX procedures, policies and practices and the recommendations that followed. We look forward to our students, faculty and staff returning to campus this fall and the positive and exciting changes and opportunities for growth that our students and our university as a whole are poised to achieve. 

For an accessible copy of the report or survey, please contact OIEC.wichita.edu. 

About the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance 

OIEC is committed to ensuring a work and educational environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct.  OIEC is a university resource and encourages Wichita State community members to reach out with any questions about related policies and processes.   

Dr. Richard Muma, President 

Christine Taylor, Executive Director of Institutional Equity & Compliance 

Twenty-five years ago, we asked a group of local professionals to predict what life would be like in 2020. As our celebration of Wichita State’s 125th year comes to a close, we asked experts and influencers to talk about those predictions from 25 years ago.