Category: Events and Recreation

Employees 55 years old and older are invited to participate in the pre-retirement planning seminar from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 29. This is a virtual event, so participants can choose to attend only the segments that interest them.

Topics will include:

• WSU retirement process
• Medical insurance options after retirement
• Medicare and Medicare supplement plans
• KBOR mandatory retirement plans with TIAA/Voya
• KPERS pension plan
• Estate planning basics

Event registration is not required. The event will be held virtually and will include both live and recorded webinars.

Are you undecided and seeking clarity and direction for your academic journey? Join an empowering event and free lunch, designed just for students, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 1 in 233 Rhaitgan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room.

At “Navigate Your Potential,” ShockerStrengths is dedicated to helping you unlock your strengths and discover your true potential. Using ShockerStrengths and PathwayU, they’ll guide you in understanding your unique abilities and interests, paving the way for a fulfilling academic and professional future.

Whether you are unsure about your major or simply looking to align your passions with your academic path, “Navigate Your Potential” is here to help guide you every step of the way.

Reserve your spot today and take the first step towards a brighter future. Reach out to Kennedy Rogers at kennedy.rogers@wichita.edu with any questions.

Join WSU’s Sexual Health, Advocacy, Resources & Education (SHARE) at its first sexual and reproductive health event since the apex of COVID-19, “Sex in the Dark” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 in 265 Rhatigan Student Center, Lucas Room.

Delve into a nuanced discussion on reproductive and sexual health, including topics on sexuality, pleasure, protection and more in a discreet and educational setting. The event invites participants to submit anonymous questions, fostering a thoughtful and judgment-free space.

The expert facilitators of sex education from Planned Parenthood Great Plains will provide comprehensive, evidence-based answers, encouraging an atmosphere of learning and understanding. Join SHARE for an evening of exploration, where curiosity meets knowledge, and participants can gain valuable insights into the complexities of reproductive and sexual well-being. Food will be provided as well as tabling resources from various organizations.

All faculty and staff are invited to attend a workshop led by Barbara Glesner Fines, dean emerita of the UMKC Law School, focused on promoting equity through assessment. During the session, participants will explore teaching and assessment methods that respect diverse ways of knowing and communicate high expectations for student learning, sharpening objectives and improving methods of communicating with students regarding their progress toward those objectives. RSVP online to attend the Promoting Equity through Assessment Workshop from 3 to 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 in 261 Rhatigan Student Center or via Zoom.

Immediately following the workshop, enjoy the Provost’s Pedagogy Happy Hour with drinks and light appetizers from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Ablah Library, introducing a new Faculty Lounge space on the second floor. RSVP for the mixer.

Join First Generation Student Organization (FGSO) and the Office of Financial Aid for an afternoon of information on investing during and after college as well as money management tips from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room.

First generation students will gain knowledge of how to accumulate generational wealth and how to successfully manage money. The first 30 attendees will also receive a meal ticket valid for one free meal at any RSC restaurant/ All WSU students welcome.

The World Trade Council of Wichita (WTCouncil) is back for a semester of programming; visit the website to see the latest program and registration, which includes a three-course dinner at the Wichita Country Club. Usha Haley, Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business, asks those interested to also invite other faculty and students. The WTCouncil subsidizes students below cost as the board considers networking an important part of an education.

The next WTCouncil dinner program will be on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at the Wichita Country Club and will feature insights from two WTCouncil board members: Edo Geromel (Cargill) and Ted Vlamis (Vlamis International Business Advisors) on “Operating in Mexico, Successful Strategies and Cautionary Tales.” For the first time in two decades, the United States buys more from Mexico than China, and this trend will only accelerate as supply chains continue to adjust (see the Financial Times article below). But, how much is really known about the U.S.’s neighbor to the south? Both speakers bring a world of experience to this event, so it hopes to see everyone there for a frank and free discussion.

The Financial Times recently invited Haley to write an MBA style teaching case for it dealing with current topics on supply chains, China and technology for use in graduate and executive programs, but also something that international executives (its main audience) may wish to consider. The case, “Supply Chains: When the Chips are Down” is available to read online. At the WTCouncil, it discusses these topics, and similar, and will continue to do so with the community’s help.

The WTCouncil also received a nice mention in EFMD’s Global Focus’s issue on Business School Internationalization in a Changing World, which was highlighted at the Barton School of Business’s dean’s meeting. The article, “Societal Impact through Sustainable Scholarship” is available to read online. With about 983 institutional members worldwide, including 30,000 management professionals, spanning 93 countries, EFMD is a global non-profit association devoted to management development and one of three major accrediting bodies for business schools.

As before, WTCouncil’s program begins with networking at 6 p.m. followed by the main dinner event at 6:30 p.m. Join it in the cutting-edge conversations at its town-meets-gown program at the Wichita Country Club. For more information, contact the WTCouncil at wtcouncil@wichita.edu with “WTCouncil program” in the subject line.

Student Health Services (SHS) is hosting its next Pee for Pizza event. It will take place noon-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 at the Student Wellness Center in the Steve Clark YMCA.

Pee for Pizza is a sexual health awareness event that allows participants to test for sexually transmitted illnesses such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C and know their status at no additional charge. Pizza is also provided to participants.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Positive Direction and Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes, Pee for Pizza is by reservation only. No walk-ins will be accepted. Participants must not use the restroom at least one hour before testing.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact SHS at 316-978-4792. Other testing is available upon request.

HealthHum (Academic Center for Biomedical and Health Humanities) is meeting to discuss grant possibilities at 2 p.m. every Tuesday beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20 in 301 Lindquist Hall.

Anyone who’d like to find collaborators for health-related grant projects is welcome. Email susan.castro@wichita.edu with any questions.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend an Implicit Bias Session with speaker Crystal U. Davis — a dancer, movement analyst and critical race theorist whose current research explores implicit bias in dance through a critical theory lens — at noon Tuesday, Feb. 20 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room.

The work of Davis, CLMA, has been renowned by a broad community of adjudicators and audiences from Donald McKayle to the royal family of Jodhpur, India.

Lunch will be provided for attendees. Be sure to register ahead of time as space is limited.

The session is coordinated by the Campus Climate Committee and sponsored by Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and the College of Fine Arts.

The Office of Special Programs (College Readiness and Retention Programs) is celebrating the National TRIO and GEAR UP Day 2024 at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16 in Woolsey Hall.

Wichita State has nine TRIO programs and two GEAR UP programs such as Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services, Veterans Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Centers and McNair programs. The celebration will include a presentations by Dr. Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, and a resilience and mental strength workshop by Hoan Do, American Ninja Warrior and national award winning motivational speaker.

TRIO and GEAR UP programs are comprehensive educational support services to help disadvantaged students succeed in higher education.