Author: Lainie Mazzullo

Hello, Shocker family!

The leaves are turning, the weather is getting colder and before we know it, the winter holiday season will be upon us.

It’s been a wonderful year so far at Wichita State — and that’s because of all the hard work and dedication from you, my fellow Shockers.

As a token of my appreciation for all that you do, WSU is providing all benefits-eligible employees two personal days away from work during the upcoming campus shutdown. Employees will not have to use accrued leave for these two days during shutdown and may only use them from Dec. 21, 2022, to Jan. 2, 2023. The two holiday personal days will not be available except during the upcoming campus shutdown.

See these frequently asked questions for more information on your leave days.

Finally, you’re all invited to our annual tradition — the Winter Holiday Party — from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 1 in the RSC Beggs Ballroom. More details to come soon in WSU Today.

Thank you once again for all you’ve done this year for our students, your colleagues and all of Shocker Nation.

Go Shockers!

President Rick Muma

The FirePoint Innovations Center at Wichita State wrapped up the second year of its Future Innovators Program, an engineering internship opportunity that provides some of America’s brightest engineers from historically under-represented communities the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects and programs that directly support the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Center and the Department of Defense.

The program is a partnership between FirePoint, AvMC, Tuskegee University and Prairie View A&M University, connecting students from historically Black colleges and universities to internship opportunities with NIAR, Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation in the Wichita Area.

Each week, Shocker Athletics provides an update on the latest results, upcoming events and notable moments in WSU sports history.

To see this week’s edition of This Week in Shocker Athletics, go to wsu.news/shockerathletics.

Following a national search, Wichita State University’s newly restructured alumni organization — the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE) — has hired Stacie Williamson as its new vice president for alumni engagement, effective Nov. 28.

Williamson is a 2005 WSU business administration and marketing graduate.

“I’m thrilled to join the WSUFAE in this new role,” Williamson said. “As a WSU graduate, I feel immense pride when I step onto campus.

WSU President Rick Muma says he’s excited to welcome Williamson back to her alma mater in this new role.

“As Wichita State’s influence as an urban public research university grows, expanding the scope of alumni engagement is a key element in advancing WSU’s forward progress,” Muma said. “With her enthusiasm and drive, Stacie is the right person at the right time to lead our alumni engagement efforts.”

Results of Hanover Research’s 2022 Campus Climate Survey are now available. The survey was conducted this year and sought input from students, faculty and staff regarding perceptions of WSU’s campus climate, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion.

To see the results, log in to myWSU, go to the Employee Toolbox, scroll down to Hanover Climate Survey and click on 2022 WSU Student/Employee Climate Survey Results.

Student voting is now under way for WSU’s annual Academy for Effective Teaching Award. Winners of the award will receive university-wide recognition. 

To be eligible to vote, students must be either: an undergrad student with 30 or more hours of credit at WSU; a graduate student with 15 or more hours of graduate credit at WSU; or have 30 hours or more combined of undergraduate and undergraduate credit at WSU.

The student voting site can be accessed via myWSU. Voting ends Monday, Oct. 31. 

Students: If there’s a current WSU faculty member you think deserves to be recognized for their excellent teaching, now’s your chance to nominate them for WSU’s annual Academy for Effective Teaching Award. Winners of the award will receive university-wide recognition. 

To be eligible to vote, you must be either: an undergrad student with 30 or more hours of credit at WSU; a graduate student with 15 or more hours of graduate credit at WSU; or have 30 hours or more combined of undergraduate and undergraduate credit at WSU.

To nominate your favorite faculty member, log into myWSU. Under Student Tools, click on “Vote for Outstanding Faculty” under Surveys.

Voting ends Monday, Oct. 31. 

As we head into the mid-point of the fall semester, please remember these tips to continue to have a safe and productive year. 

• Hide any valuable items that are in your vehicle, take your keys and lock your vehicles. 
  
• Be alert and aware of your surroundings and utilize the buddy system when walking at night or very early in the morning.  
  
• WSU Police are here for you. If, at any time, you feel unsafe or would prefer to have an escort on campus, you can contact the WSU Police Department at 316-978-3450, dial 911 from an on-campus phone, use the emergency call boxes (blue lights) or use the RAVE Guardian App.  
  
• Please report any suspected criminal activity on campus to the WSU Police Department. 

The university has resources available to support victims of crime, including confidential counseling support available through Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS). CAPS can be contacted at 316-978-4792.   

As we head into the mid-point of the fall semester, please remember these tips to continue to have a safe and productive year. 

• Hide any valuable items that are in your vehicle, take your keys and lock your vehicles. 
  
• Be alert and aware of your surroundings and utilize the buddy system when walking at night or very early in the morning.  
  
• WSU Police are here for you. If, at any time, you feel unsafe or would prefer to have an escort on campus, you can contact the WSU Police Department at 316-978-3450, dial 911 from an on-campus phone, use the emergency call boxes (blue lights) or use the RAVE Guardian App.  
  
• Please report any suspected criminal activity on campus to the WSU Police Department. 

Last week, the WSU Foundation welcomed faculty, staff and donors to the grand opening celebration of Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, the first new academic building on WSU’s campus in more than 25 years.

The $60 million, 125,000-square-foot building on the Innovation Campus would not be possible without the efforts and sacrifices of every college and unit at Wichita State, in addition to the commitment of the Woolsey family and the generosity of the 215 donors who supported the project.

If you missed the grand opening, you can see all the action and learn more here.