Category: Faculty and Staff Resources

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 results.

• Results will only be available at the end of the completed semester. It does not matter when your course took place during the semester. Holding results until the end of the semester complies with KBOR policy and allows for accurate norming.
• Results will become available the Friday after grades are due to the Registrar’s Office.
• The electronic results can be found through the Instructor Dashboard under Project Results.
• There are restrictions on results. If the response rate is 0% or if the number of respondents is lower than four, then there will be no results. This restriction includes both statistics and comments.
• Results will include the mean, standard deviation and median for the course. Reports will also show these statistics by university and division benchmarks. This benchmark data will be from the same semester as the evaluation and will not include any other data.
• The report option called “Results Home” incorporates all the report options under one roof. It also provides a quick glance at the results without creating a report. 
• Also included is a table of the “Mean of Means” by course and instructor questions. 
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

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

Sometimes, it’s good to start slow. Start your graduate education at WSU with a course this spring.

On Monday, Dec. 1, Graduate Admissions is waiving the application fee for Non-Degree B programs for WSU staff and eligible faculty. Make use of your tuition benefit and take a class (or two) this spring.

Non-Degree B allows you to complete courses numbered 500 through 799. With good planning, these courses may be used toward a future graduate degree or certificate.

All you need to apply is:

1. An earned bachelor’s degree
2. Be an eligible WSU staff member

Apply using our quick application, open only on Dec. 1. Then, complete your tuition assistance application and submit it by the Dec. 1 deadline.

The application isn’t a commitment, it’s the first step, your first step, to your future in the Graduate School. The full degree and certificate application is always available.

Amid the busyness of the semester, it can be challenging to make progress on your research and writing goals. The Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) has got you. Jan. 14-16, 226, join colleagues from across campus at the Wichita State Connect building for another three-day Research & Writing Sprint sponsored by FARE.

FARE will provide the space, caffeine, sustenance and camaraderie. You bring your pile of work and choose the schedule that works for you – full days or half days. As the time aligns with the Academic Resources Conference, there will also be space available for faculty to participate in those sessions and discuss while attending the Research & Writing Sprint.

Contact Dr. Debby Hinsdale at fare@wichita.edu for more information.

The Faculty Research Collaborative, sponsored by the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE), is an effort to establish a multidisciplinary research partnerships across Wichita State University. The final gathering of the semester will be from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room.

The events feature three brief presentations by faculty, followed by Q&A and free time for discussion. December’s presenters include:

• Mathew Muether and Terrance Figy of physics presenting on their grant proposal “From Fundamental Physics to Real-World Applications: Training the Next Generation in AI/ML and Image Recognition,” which will be of interest to those wanting to explore High-Performance Computing for their research
• Aweke Tadesse of social work presenting on Community-Based Financial Capability Intervention Targeting Low-Income/Vulnerable Groups
• John Hammond of mathematics presenting on Success Measures of Students in Corequisite Math Courses

For more information, contact Debby Hinsdale at fare@wichita.edu or faculty facilitators Susan Castro and Nils Hakansson.

All faculty and teaching staff are invited to an American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter meeting for updates on campus issues. The meeting will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 in 257 Rhatigan Student Center, Ashton/Bridges Room.

Bring a friend or two for updates on events around the campus and state. For questions or a link to a zoom remote link, contact AAUP chapter secretary, George Dehner, via email at george.dehner@wichita.edu.

Jonathan Cross and Stephen Cross Jr., investment adviser representatives with Voya Financial, will be available for in-person meetings at Wichita State Dec. 4. 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 Voya Financial Advisors at 316-686-2428.

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 response rate.

• A response rate widget will appear on the instructor’s dashboard when the semester’s project starts. However, data for a course may not appear until that course evaluation is available to the students.
• In the list below, there are some suggestions to potentially increase response rates and receive useful and constructive feedback.
  • Designate time in class for students to complete evaluations.
  • Add a blurb about course evaluations in the syllabus.
  • Let students know that you value their honest and constructive feedback and tell them how you use their feedback.
  • When evaluations open for the course, remind students that they are available.
  • Remind students that evaluations are completely anonymous, and results are not available until after grades are turned in to the Registrar’s office.
  • It is best to complete the evaluations sooner in the evaluation period rather than later. Blackboard will be affected if the student has not taken some action regarding the evaluation towards the end of the administration period.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

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

Faculty in their first three years as WSU are invited to join the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence’s (FARE) New Faculty On-Ramp from noon to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room for a panel on tenure and promotion for tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty.

The panel will feature faculty from across the university who have served on T&P panels and will provide valuable insights into the promotion process at WSU.

For more information, contact fare@wichita.edu.

Faculty, if you have not already done so, submit your spring 2026 textbook requests to the Shocker Store. The latest Access Now requests will be accepted is Sunday, Nov. 30.

Requests for course materials to be in the Access Now program will be accepted via email at lisa.fitzsimmons@wichita.edu, in person in the RSC Shocker Store or campus mail at Box 55. For any questions or concerns, contact the Shocker Store at shockerstore.books@wichita.edu or 316-978-7032.

Applications are now being accepted for undergraduate research support during the spring semester from the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) program. Students in this program are supported with an hourly wage for a ten-week period and mentors are allocated funds for lab supplies.

To be eligible, students must identify a mentor and a research lab in which to work. For full announcement and eligibility requirements, email Meris Carte, research laboratory manager for biological sciences, at meris.carte@wichita.edu. Applications are due at end of day Nov. 20.