Author: Lainie Mazzullo

Wichita State University’s request for no increase to tuition in the 2021-22 academic year has been approved by the Kansas Board of Regents.

This follows a 2% increase last year and no increase in 2019. Holding tuition rates flat for the second time within three years, while state direct funding to the university was also reduced by 1.8%, was a significant challenge. After careful consideration of the overall impact to students, a 3.0% campus-wide budget reduction was implemented on operations funded with tuition and/or state funding, with the goal of maintaining existing tuition rates.

Also approved by the Board of Regents is an increase in all combined mandatory student fees of $13 per credit hour. These fees were not increased last year.

The increase in mandatory student fees is driven predominantly by the elimination of the Online Fee of $97.25 that students paid when enrolled in a class with online course delivery. But as online credit hours have continued to experience significant growth – even prior to the pandemic – both students and parents have voiced a preference for a more consistent and equitable pricing model, regardless of the method of course delivery.

“We decided to remove the online course fee in response to students’ requests for a more equitable fee structure,” says Interim Provost Dr. Shirley Lefever. “We hope this allows students to select courses that are the best fit for their learning needs without worrying about online fees.”

The $13 increase in the campus infrastructure and support fee will support the costs currently funded through the Online Fee that are largely beneficial to all students, as well as provide the infrastructural support for online class offerings. Examples include Blackboard software and 24/7 support, software for video lectures, test proctoring services, Zoom licensing for the entire campus, and support for instructional design.

Some colleges will also implement increases to existing course fees to support instructional costs associated with learning in those disciplines that was previously funded through the Online Fee.

Wichita State’s tuition proposal submitted to the Kansas Board of Regents can be found at www.kansasregents.org.

As Wichita State University’s division of Industry and Defense Programs (IDP)** continues to develop and grow to support industry-driven research initiatives, several organizational structure changes are being implemented to provide a strong foundation to drive these programs forward.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT*

Pierre Harter will serve as associate vice president of research operations and NIAR director of research and development. Harter has a B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State and an M.B.A. with management emphasis from Newman University. He previously spent more than 20 years in the aviation industry, including as an executive director at Spirit AeroSystems. Harter will report to the senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs.

FINANCE & OPERATIONS*

Caleb Loss will serve as associate vice president of finance and operations. Loss has a B.A. and M.B.A from Wichita State and more than ten years of experience in operations, including previous positions as associate director of finance and operations for NIAR, contracts manager with WSU’s Office of Research and in supply chain management for Spirit AeroSystems. He will oversee the newly created IDP Research Office as well as finance, human resources and program and business management. Loss will report to the senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs.

IDP Research Office*

Karen Davis will lead the newly-created IDP Research Office. Davis has a B.S. from Friends University and M.B.A. from Tabor College and most recently administered the university’s pre-award Services in the Office of Research. Davis has most recently administered the university’s pre-award Services in the Office of Research. The IDP Research Office will manage all IDP proposals and contracts and grant/contract management. It will also provide expertise for awards specific to IDP. The Research Office team will consist of seven contract/grant managers, two grant administrators and one business technology analyst.

Finance*

Paul Werner, who recently announced his phased retirement, will move to a financial reporting role as NIAR senior director of financial reporting. NIAR is exceptionally grateful for Werner’s 30 years of dedicated service and congratulates him on his well-deserved phased retirement.

Lois Tatro joins the division as director of financial services and special projects. Tatro has been a valuable part of the university’s financial management team for 18 years.  Tatro also recently announced a phased retirement from Wichita State in her role as senior associate vice president for Financial Operations. In her new role, she will be responsible for special finance projects and will continue to support the entire university by providing oversight of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds and facilities and administrative rate negotiation.

Leah Woolsoncroft will serve as a financial analyst. She will develop billing rates, analyze financial performance, establish new performance metrics/reports and support divisional reporting.

Human Resources

Marcie Holsteen currently leads and will continue to lead the IDP human resources (HR) team as HR director.  Holsteen has a B.S. in Business/HR from Kansas State University, an M.B.A. from Wichita State and more than 17 years in the HR field. Holsteen previously served as director of talent acquisition/HR business partner for WSU’s main campus.  Holsteen is joined by Mikayla Irish, a two-time Wichita State graduate with a B.A. and M.B.A. and four years of HR experience within Wichita State and industry.

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Tracee Friess will continue to serve in a communication and marketing role as the associate vice president of strategic communications and marketing. Friess has a B.A. in communication from Wichita State and more than 17 years of experience in public relations, marketing and event planning. She previously served as director of communication and special programs for NIAR and the Office of Research and Technology Transfer. Friess reports to the senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs.

COMPLIANCE & SECURITY*

Tom Aldag recently announced his phased retirement, and during this transition time, he will serve in a director role as the facility security officer (FSO) and insider threat program officer. Aldag has worked in the aviation industry for more than 38 years, 14 of those at NIAR. We also congratulate him on his well-deserved phased retirement.

In the coming months, IDP will finish its search for an export control officer. This individual will also serve in a director role and will be responsible for export control oversight, including policy and procedure management, training and advice to promote the university’s ongoing compliance with export control laws.

An associate vice president of compliance and security position will be established, but will remain vacant at this time. During this period, the FSO and export control officer positions will report to the senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs.

ADDITIONAL CHANGES

Austin Nordyke recently joined the division as executive business administrator. Nordyke is a graduate of Wichita State’s Masters of Innovation Design program and has a B.S. in engineering technology management. He previously worked for the Molecular Diagnostics Lab. Nordyke reports to the senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs, managing programs and communication.

Lauren Smith will serve as the newest NIAR business manager working with ATLAS and select centers within Industry and Defense Programs. Smith comes to the division from the WSU Budget Office.

*Changes in these areas are effective June 14, 2021

**Wichita State University Industry and Defense Programs (IDP) includes Applied and Experiential Learning, Ennovar and the Cyber Security Forensics Research Group; FirePoint Innovations Center; GoCreate, A Koch Collaborative; Kansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center; National Institute for Aviation Research; National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation; Molecular Diagnostics Lab; Strategic Initiatives and the Training and Technology Team (T3). The division is led by Dr. John Tomblin, WSU Senior Vice President for IDP and NIAR Executive Director.

Safety is a priority at Wichita State University. Please take a few moments to read through the information below regarding how we will keep you informed of weather-related activity.

• We strongly encourage you to sign up for the Shocker Alert System, which will send weather and class alerts to your phone and or email.
• wichita.edu will be updated with a warning message during a tornado warning or weather situation that impacts classes or activities on campus.
• You can call the Activity Line / Weather and Class Status at 316-978-6633, option 2.
• WSU’s official WSU Facebook and Twitter pages will be updated with pertinent information.
• See a list of tornado shelters for each building on campus.

For more information about the weather outlook, consult the National Weather Service forecast for Wichita.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has partnered with WSU Tech to create a pathway program for WSU Tech students committed to continuing their education with a business degree. The Barton School and WSU Tech have also collectively committed to $35,000 in scholarships for students participating in this program.

As we transition over the summer toward a return to in-person operations at Wichita State, we continue to update the campus on COVID best practices.

Reminders for ways to keep yourself and those around you safest include:

• Get a COVID vaccine.
• Masks for those who are unvaccinated are appreciated.
• Continue your wellness checks.
• Get a COVID test if you’re experiencing symptoms.
• Practice good hand hygiene.

Additional updates and reminders: 

• Printable outdoor COVID signs have been updated and are available on the online signage toolkit for office and building use. Go to 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.
• Student Health Services and the RSC Information Desk will soon have “I’m vaccinated” buttons available for anyone who would like to wear them. They are not required, nor is proof of vaccination.
• Do not ask a student, direct report, other staff/faculty member, or a campus guest whether they are vaccinated.

As always, the entire campus community’s understanding and flexibility has been – and continues to be – greatly appreciated.

Residents in south-central Kansas (including Sedgwick County) can complete a voluntary, anonymous survey about the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine survey takes five to 10 minutes to complete.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every part of our world, and the airline industry is no exception. Complaints against major U.S. airlines rose 400% last year. But there were some bright spots, too, among the chaos of the pandemic. Read more about how airlines fared and which one topped the 2021 Airline Quality Rating.