Category: Faculty and Staff Resources

The Shocker Store is taking regalia rental orders from faculty and staff members who are planning on attending the fall 2025 commencement. The deadline to place your rental order is 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3. Email Julie at shockerstore@wichita.edu or call 316-978-7021. Payment is due when you place your order. If you would like to purchase custom academic regalia, the deadline is Friday, Oct. 24.

Join the first meeting of the WSU Faculty/Staff Club from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6 at Club 95 in Partnership Building 11. The event will feature the College of Health Professions, the College of Fine Arts and University Libraries with a rotating slide presentation. There will also be three live TEDx Talk starting at 4:30 p.m.:

• Dr. M’Lisa Sheldon will present on the state of access to care and rehabilitation for children in our local school districts.
• Ed Baker will present his TEDx Talk titled “Replace Fear of the Unknown With Curiosity,” centered on the power of curiosity to overcome fear and unlock human creativity and growth.
• Brent Mai will present  “The Volga Germans of Kansas”, a niche group of ethnic Germans who spent 110 years living on the Russian steppe before migrating to the plains of Kansas in 1876 and who have had a significant impact on all things Kansan.

Come have fun and enjoy the company of your colleagues as well as some good music, food and drink.

Dr. Mark Schneegurt, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, is the latest WSU faculty member to take advantage of the University Libraries-negotiated agreement with Springer and get his article published in Archives of Microbiology, a venerable journal, for free.

Shockers can publish their research articles in many Springer peer-reviewed journals at no cost. The agreement with Springer, negotiated by University Libraries, covers articles written by faculty, staff and students at Wichita State with no page charges and no APCs. Both print and open access fees are entirely waived.

There are dozens of high-quality journals available through this program, covering every area of scholarship. These range from modest journals to those with high impact factors. To find eligible journals, use Springer’s Journal Finder to identify which Springer journal is right for your next paper.

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.

WSU faculty and staff are invited to attend the 2025 WSU Wellness Retreat from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 at 305/306 Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom.

The retreat will include:

• Guided meditation
• Connection-focused conversation
• Mental health advocate recognitions
• Free lunch

WSU faculty and staff are invited to attend the 2025 WSU Wellness Retreat from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 at 305/306 Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom.

The retreat will include:

• Guided meditation
• Connection-focused conversation
• Mental health advocate recognitions
• Free lunch

Tuition Assistance applications for the spring 2026 semester are now being accepted through the online application form. The online application will be available through the end of the business day Jan. 6, 2026. Also, with the recent changes to the tuition assistance program, applications can now be submitted for both spring and summer 2026 in one application.

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.

Tuition Assistance applications for the spring 2026 semester are now being accepted through the online application form. The online application will be available through the end of the business day Jan. 6, 2026. Also, with the recent changes to the tuition assistance program, applications can now be submitted for both spring and summer 2026 in one application.

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.

Disagreements happen — even in the best workplaces. The Faculty Ombuds can help you explore resolution options, improve communication and preserve professional relationships in a safe and supportive environment. Find support wichita.edu/ombuds.

The Office of Strategic Communications will offer headshot photos to WSU faculty and staff at no additional charge. These opportunities are quick and walk-in only without needing to schedule an appointment.

The next headshot photo event is from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room. Additional dates will be announced in the future.

Learn more about headshots and what to expect at wichita.edu/headshots.