Category: From the President

Hello, Shockers! After more than a year of virtual classes and Zoom meetings, it is with particular enthusiasm that I welcome you back to Wichita State! I look forward to seeing all your faces around campus, in meetings, and in our classrooms.

In this time of uncertainty around COVID-19, it’s particularly important that we take measures to promote and protect our own wellness, as well as the health of our loved ones and the community.

One such precaution you can take is getting vaccinated against COVID-19. As a licensed physician assistant myself, I have taken this step, and know these vaccines are an important part in ending the pandemic. We’ve made it easy for you to receive a vaccine at Student Health located in the Wellness Center. We are also requiring masks in our classrooms and labs, and we’re strongly recommending masks be worn in all other indoor spaces on campus. 

As we head into the fall semester, I hope you’ll also take some time to enjoy a meal in the RSC, take a stroll around our beautiful campus, and connect with other members of our Shocker family.

During the coming weeks and months, I look forward to talking with all of you about how we can work together to achieve our shared vision for Wichita State. I hope to see you in person or virtually at our annual faculty and staff fall address on Wednesday.

Again, welcome back, Shocker family. And best of luck in all your endeavors.

Go Shockers!

In response to the increasing community spread of the COVID Delta variant – Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a new mask requirement for state employees and in state facilities that will go into effect Monday, Aug. 2.  

In her news conference, Gov. Kelly stated that all state employees and visitors inside state facilities will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. 

At this time, we believe this new mandate applies to all WSU employees, students and campus visitors. However, we are still awaiting final confirmation.  

We will communicate that information to the campus community once we know more. 

I feel confident that we can handle this change as we’ve handled so many others. I implore those of you in Shocker Nation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you are able.  

Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving situation. 

Sincerely, 

Rick Muma,
President, Wichita State University 

Yesterday, in response to the increasing community spread of the COVID Delta variant, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a new mask requirement for state employees and in state facilities that will go into effect Monday, Aug. 2.

We are in the process of reviewing this requirement and how this change affects Wichita State. We will communicate that information to the campus community once we know more.

Thank you for your patience, and stay tuned for more updates on this evolving situation.

President Rick Muma

As most of you know, for the past two years, Wichita State has been in the process of implementing a comprehensive, transparent compensation plan, utilizing independent third-party market survey data (market based). This is a cornerstone of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan for our workforce and what I believe to be imperative for us to achieve our goal of being a diverse, inclusive and equitable employer.

Implementing a comprehensive plan like this is a lengthy process, and I am pleased to announce that we are on track to implement the program in July. In fact, systems implementations are occurring now through July 19.

A lot of work has gone into the planning and implementation of this, and many have asked why we would implement a plan when there are no centralized financial resources to make immediate pay increases. But we know that a plan is essential to the process of prioritizing financial resources and making informed decisions.

Our goal is to be as transparent and communicative as possible. Human Resources has created a robust website, where you can view campus briefing documents and video, communication about the program, frequently asked questions, a timeline of implementation and more on market-based compensation. I encourage you to look it over and keep an eye out for frequent updates in WSU Today.

As you can see in the implementation timeline, employees will be receiving appointment notices and market-based compensation statements toward the end of July. Details of where to find this information will be announced soon in WSU Today.

Thank you for your patience and continued support as we work toward a compensation plan that is fair and equitable.

Sincerely,

President Rick Muma