Category: Faculty and Staff Resources

Faculty and staff can visit the Faculty/Staff Acute Care Clinic for minor and acute medical issues only. Appointments are required for the clinic.

The clinic is located in the Student Wellness Center within the Steve Clark YMCA. Most appointments are $30 to $50 for an office visit evaluation by a Student Health Services medical provider, dependent on insurance. The office visit cost does not include the costs for laboratory services, medications or radiology services. Call 316-978-4792 to schedule an appointment.

Co-pays or deductibles are the employee’s responsibility and depend on personal health insurance benefits.

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 accessing CES.

• While in Blackboard, instructors can access CES anytime by choosing “Tools” from the main menu and selecting “CES Course Evaluations.” It can also be directly accessed via the links provided in emails sent to the instructor.
• Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys Dashboard will appear.
• Widgets will appear on the dashboard. When a task is available for a course, it will display information. If not, it may state “No Project Found.”
• The “Manage Courses” Widget will only appear when that option is open and available to instructors.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

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

Faculty and staff are invited to join an on-campus training session facilitated by Donna Louden, who brings extensive experience as a trainer and as a member of the International Ombuds Association, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. April 3. This workshop provides practical, everyday skills that can improve your work environment and strengthen campus connections.

What you’ll gain:

• Greater confidence in approaching and managing tough conversations
• Techniques for active listening and building trust
• Insight into how an Ombuds-style perspective promotes a healthier, more equitable workplace
• A chance to discover whether future Ombuds involvement might be right for you

If you’re interested in learning about the Ombuds role — or simply want to enhance your everyday communication and problem-solving — this introductory session is the perfect place to start.

Reserve your spot by contacting Dr. Carolyn Shaw, professor of political science, at carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu.

Faculty are invited to take advantage of quiet space and support toward their writing goals at a three-day Research & Writing Sprint, hosted by the Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 17-19 at Wichita State Connect.

What to expect:

• A quiet space free of distractions to work on your research and writing
• Coffee, tea, beverages and snacks provided
• A catered lunch provided by Academic Affairs on day one
• Camaraderie with colleagues, time for goal setting and accountability, and an opportunity for peer feedback on writing for those who want it
• Choose from a half day (9 a.m.-noon or 1-5 p.m.) or whole day (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Leo Wetta, investment adviser representative with Voya Financial, will be available for in-person meetings at Wichita State Wednesday, Feb. 25. 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.

There is a weekly Thursday option to meet if all meeting times on Feb. 25 are taken. You can select a time and a place of your choosing for the meeting.

If you are interested in meeting with Leo, you can schedule a time to meet and select the “Wichita State University – Rhatigan Student Center Room 313 (Prairie Room)” location. Time slots are limited, so reserve a time soon. For questions, you can call Voya Financial Advisors at 316-686-2428.

The annual STRIVE Conference is coming up and all WSU staff are invited to participate again in 2026 on March 27. STRIVE is full of great professional development and networking. The goal is to provide as much flexibility as possible, therefore the morning and afternoon sessions have been duplicated to accommodate staff schedules.

More information on the conference will be available on the Staff Senate webpage.

Presentation topics include:

• Artificial intelligence
• Docking Survey
• Supporting students and applied learning
• Role of the leader
• Staff resources
• Belonging with purpose
• Finance 101
• Putting strengths to work

All are invited to join Adelante Juntos for its next general meeting from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room. Join for a light activity, refreshments and fun.

Contact Enid Ortiz Colon at enid.ortizcolon@wichita.edu for any questions.

The next Faculty Research Collaborative is from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room. The Research Collaborative is a research-oriented faculty club where, every month, three faculty give three minute presentations and take questions on ideas or works in progress that could benefit from cross-disciplinary collaboration. Come hear what colleagues are working on, lend your disciplinary expertise in relaxed conversation over a cup of coffee and snacks, and potentially find your next innovative research partnership.

The presenters for Feb. 25 include:

• Dr. Nils Hakansson, professor of biomedical engineering, presenting “Making Smart Homes Smarter: Unified Local Control with Offline Resilience”
• Ted Adler, professor of ceramic media, presenting “Collaboration & Convergence: Material Methods and Applications in Art and Beyond”
• Dr. Nadia Kianvashrad, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, presenting “When Air Turns Extreme: From Tornado Damage in Wichita to Predicting Pressures in Hypersonic Flight”

And mark your calendars now for a special Faculty Research Collab featuring health-oriented research coming 2-3:30 p.m. March 26 in partnership with HealthHum and the the College of Health Professions.

The HR Total Rewards team reminds staff and faculty that the application window for summer 2026 Tuition Assistance will be open from Sunday, Feb. 15 through April 15.

Just a reminder, Tuition Assistance applications for summer 2026 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. There will be no exceptions.

Full program details can be found at wichita.edu/tuitionassistance.

Questions may be directed to tuitionassistance@wichita.edu.

The Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) is partnering with faculty to create space for dedicated writing time. There are currently two writing groups running weekly, which you are welcome to come to as you are able. To request a calendar invite to either group, email Dr. Debby Hinsdale at fare@wichita.edu.

• 2-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays in 112 Jardine Hall, facilitated by Dr. Trevor Nelson
• 1-3 p.m. Fridays meeting virtually on Microsoft Teams and facilitated by William Weare, University Libraries associate dean

For those desiring peer feedback to improve their writing, there is a Writing Circle meeting, led by Weare. The group currently meets from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays in 112 Jardine Hall, but FARE is in the process of possibly setting a new meeting time for this group. If you are interested in this opportunity, email fare@wichita.edu.