Category: Faculty and Staff Resources

Student Health Services is offering current WSU faculty and staff the ability to schedule their HealthQuest physical exam and lab work April 1 through July 31.

If you do not have a primary care provider and currently have private insurance through your employment with WSU, call to schedule your appointment with Student Health providers at 316-978-4792.

The HR Total Rewards team reminds staff and faculty that the deadline for summer 2025 Tuition Assistance applications is Tuesday, April 15.

Reminder: Tuition Assistance applications for summer 2025 are submitted through the online application form.

Due to the volume of applications received each semester, requests to submit late applications will be automatically denied, with no exceptions.

Full program details can be found at wichita.edu/tuitionassistance. Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.

Faculty, it’s time to submit fall 2025 textbook information to the Shocker Store.

• The book order due date for fall courses is April 15.
• The latest Access Now requests will be accepted is June 30.

Verba Collect will send out customized emails to faculty and department coordinators with a unique link that logs you into a walk-through process without any need for username or password. Book orders will also be accepted via email (lisa.fitzsimmons@wichita.edu), in person (RSC Shocker Store) or campus mail (box 55).

Those planning on using open resource materials can indicate that on their order as well and flag the course as such so the information can be made available to students.

For any questions or concerns, contact the Shocker Store at shockerstore.books@wichita.edu or 316-978-7032.

The Urban Adult Learner Institute (UALI) is an online professional development program designed to equip faculty, staff and administrators with tools to support adult learners at urban institutions.

Through self-paced modules (one to two hours each), you’ll explore research-backed strategies, earn four digital badges and achieve Adult Learner Advocate certification.

WSU faculty and staff can enroll for free (normally $500) using the code USUMEMBER2025 at uali.thinkific.com. Use your WSU email to verify affiliation.

This is an opportunity to strengthen support for adult learners. Become certified Adult Learner Advocates to ensure that adult learners receive the support they need to thrive.

For questions, contact Jimmy McClellan at jmcclellanjr@aplu.org. You can also email Pam O’Neal, who previously completed all four modules, at pamela.oneal@wichita.edu

Faculty need one another. The Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) wants to help create the space for that support to happen by launching our Faculty Support Network. Join the FARE Office in April for:

• A Faculty Support Network discussion on navigating the current political environment as a faculty member, facilitated by Dr. Rhonda Lewis, professor and graduate coordinator of psychology, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 in 102C McKinley Hall.
• FARE Open House Coffee Hour from 9 to 10 a.m. every Friday in April in 112 Jardine Hall. The office is stocked with coffee, tea, soda and snacks. Drop by any Friday morning in April to meet colleagues and check out the new office.

It seems like there are numerous digital platforms with profiles to keep updated, but which are really needed for what you want to accomplish? If your goal is to build a research network and create collaborations (inside or outside WSU), the FARE Faculty Exchange workshop is for you.

The workshop will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. April 18 in 266 Rhatigan Student Center, Pike Room.

• Hear from Fran Cook, Office of Research, about updating your ORCID profile to update your Pivot. You may think about Pivot as being just for grants, but it can also be a powerful tool for networking with other researchers and finding mentors.
• Learn the how and why of updating your WSU faculty profile and LinkedIn to build industry partnerships and to make your work visible to foundations, other researchers and media.
• As with every FARE event, you’ll also get to hear from faculty peers what has worked for them in building research partnerships.
• Bring your laptop and updated CV to make the best use of the time.

Spend three days of your spring break working in a peaceful setting, free from distractions of everyday life, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 18-20 in the lower level of Ablah Library. Come and go to the retreat as needed.

The writing retreat offers faculty members:

• A chance to focus on their research and writing projects, with ample time and space to delve deep into their work.
• Morning coffee/tea, lunch, and afternoon soda and snacks provided.
• The motivation and camaraderie (and positive peer pressure) of surrounding yourself with people who are leveraging the teaching break to make research/writing progress.

Attend one of the FARE office’s Mutual Mentoring information sessions to learn how to submit proposals for funding collaborative, peer-driven professional development.​

Unlike traditional one-on-one mentoring, Mutual Mentoring groups are peer networks that focus on shared learning and collective growth. ​

Upcoming information sessions:​

• 9:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24 virtually via Teams (meeting link​)
• 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 virtually via Teams (meeting link​)
• 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5 in person in 203 Rhatigan Student Center, Lancelot Room

​The sessions are sponsored by the National Science Foundation, FARE office, Academic Affairs and the Office of Research​

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

Today’s focus is on CES 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.
• There is a new report option available to instructors. Results Home incorporates the previous 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 Sandy Ranney at evaluations@ces.wichita.edu.

Periodically, information will be posted regarding Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool to help users better understand Wichita State’s new 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 Sandy Ranney at evaluations@ces.wichita.edu.