Category: Faculty and Staff Resources

Join the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence for a focused, practical workshop, “From Reaction to Reflection: Making Hard Feedback Work for You,” from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 in 203 Rhatigan Student Center, Lancelot Room.

Critical reviewer comments on a manuscript you poured countless hours into, student evaluations that read like harsh online reviews and unsatisfactory marks on an annual evaluation. Faculty can face intense scrutiny across many parts of their careers. In this session, participants will:

• Explore why negative feedback feels so difficult from a psychological standpoint, with Rhonda Lewis, community psychology professor
• Learn strategies for reframing critique in constructive, self-supportive ways
• Hear practical advice from faculty members on how they navigate:
  • Reviewer comments on their writing
  • Student evaluations
  • Annual performance evaluations

The College of Health Professions and HealthHum are partnering with the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) for a special biomedical edition of the Faculty Research Collaborative from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room. The event will highlight the research of CHP faculty and opportunities for building partnerships with researchers throughout the university focused on biomedical sciences.

What to expect:

• Opening remarks by Dr. Heather Henderson, CHP associate dean of research, compliance and accreditation, on building successful transdisciplinary research collaborations
• Brief three minute presentations by CHP faculty on research projects for which they are seeking collaborators
• Coffee, soda and snacks provided by FARE
• Informal networking time

The Faculty Research Collaborative is a research-oriented faculty club that meets the last Wednesday or Thursday of the Month. The purpose is to create a research networking opportunity for faculty in the early stages or idea phase of a project for which they are seeking collaborators. Contact fare@wichita.edu with any questions.

Periodically, information will be posted regarding Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool to help users better understand Wichita State’s course evaluation tool.

Today’s focus is on Main Course Evaluation.

• The “Main Course Evaluation” is a core set of questions that will be sent to all courses in which the instructor has not selected to “opt-out.”
• Instructors can find these questions in CES. While in “Manage Courses,” click on the semester’s project, and then click on “Preview” to view the questions. The questions can also be found in the FAQs on the CES website.
• Some courses are not eligible for the “Main Course Evaluation.” These are courses that are appointment-based, research, COOP, Intensive English, Market-Based and weekend-only courses.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

For questions, contact Sandra Ranney at evaluations@ces.wichita.edu.

The table below is to assist instructors with certain dates regarding CES. These dates are for the spring 2026 semester.

• The first column includes the various start/end (part-of-term) dates for spring semester courses.
• The second column includes dates meant for instructors. This is the timeframe when instructors will receive emails about the CES process and procedures that they should complete. Instructors will receive additional emails during and after the student CES access dates.
• The last column includes the dates that CES will be available for the students to complete course evaluations.

The full CES administrative schedule can always be found on the website.

If your course is in bold, then your spring 2026 CES evaluation process will start soon. Review the start/end dates in each column so you know when your access to the CES system will start and end.

If you are a faculty member who feels that you don’t have the connections and support you need to thrive, FARE has the event for you. From 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Thursday, March 12 in 112 Jardine Hall, the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellent is opening its doors for an informal gathering of faculty interested in connecting with other faculty for support in professional growth through mutual mentoring groups. Soda and snacks will be served.

The event will include a 10-minute presentation on how to set up mutual mentorship groups for success, but most of the time will be spent gathering in groups with colleagues who have similar professional goals, such as:

• Growing in teaching skills
• Improving in proposal writing or publishing
• Learning about AI or other emerging tech

The event is a great opportunity for those who could use a little extra support when it comes to networking or who have difficulty meeting faculty outside of their units. Contact Dr. Debby Hinsdale at fare@wichita.edu with any questions.

Jonathan Cross and Stephen Cross Jr., investment adviser representatives with Voya Financial, will be available for in-person meetings at Wichita State Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10. Faculty and staff can get one-on-one advising and review their Voya Financial accounts as part of their KBOR retirement plan, or new employees can receive assistance in enrolling in their KBOR plan.

If you are interested in meeting with Jonathan or Stephen, you can schedule a time to meet and select the “Wichita State University / One-On-One Financial Counseling” while selecting your location. Time slots are limited, so reserve a time soon. For questions, you can call 316-788-0788.

The Pre-Tenure Club with Dr. Gery Markova, professor of management, will meet from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 3 in 261 Rhatigan Student Center, Olive Room. This is a casual time to ask questions and get guidance on preparation for the tenure and promotion process. If you have any questions, you can email gery.markova@wichita.edu.

Free mental health counseling services are available to anyone in the community, including WSU employees, partnership employees and their family members and friends. Services offered at the WISE Clinic are available at no charge, regardless of income/insurance status.

Counselors-in-training at the WISE clinic work with an array of client concerns (grief and loss, trauma, depression, anxiety, anger management, relationship conflicts, behavioral concerns, parenting skills, social support, aging issues, loneliness and isolation, etc.) under the direct supervision of faculty and licensed professional counselors. Services include individual counseling, couples and family counseling, group counseling, parent support, child and adolescent counseling, and play therapy.

Clients seen at the WISE clinic for play therapy are between four and 10 years old. Clients 11 years old and above take part in individual and/or family sessions. WISE is located in 209 Ahlberg Hall. Hours of operation are noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To make an appointment, visit the WISE clinic website or call 316-978-7529.

Thriving in academia isn’t just about what you know, it’s about who walks alongside you. Join the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) for a hands-on session where you’ll map out the mentors you need, recognize the expertise you can share and design a purposeful network to support your growth as a scholar, teacher and colleague from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room. Creating a mentor map will help you identify personal and professional relationships that will sustain a thriving academic career.

The New Faculty On-Ramp is a program for faculty in their first three or so years at WSU and sponsored by the FARE. It meets the first Wednesday of each month. Bring your lunch if you’d like, and come late or leave early if needed. Drinks, snacks and sweets are provided. On-Ramp leadership includes Dr. Carolyn Shaw, Dr. David Eichhorn, Dr. Jodi Pelkowski and Dr. Debby Hinsdale from FARE.

If you have any questions, contact fare@wichita.edu.

Justin Pierce, TIAA financial consultant, will be available for in-person meetings March 3-4. Meetings will be by appointment in 258 Rhatigan Student Center, Smoky Hills Room.

Those interested can schedule a meeting with Justin. For questions, you can also contact Justin by email at justin.pierce@tiaa.org.