Category: Human Resources

The HR Total Rewards team reminds staff and faculty that the deadline for summer 2024 tuition assistance applications is Monday, April 15.

Tuition Assistance applications for Summer 2024 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 www.wichita.edu/tuitionassistance.

Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.

To help employees plan their time-off and work schedules throughout the year, Wichita State has shared the winter closedown schedule, which has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 20 and end starting the morning of Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The closedown is 10 days, two of which are paid holidays. In addition, employees may use Presidential Administrative Days to remain in pay status for the four days between Christmas and New Years Day — thanks to President Rick Muma. Classes will not be in session during this period.

Unclassified professional and university support staff who would normally be scheduled to work these days may use accumulated vacation leave or their 2025 discretionary day* during the winter closedown. Non-exempt employees may also use accumulated compensatory time off during the winter closedown.

If your role requires you to work during the winter closedown it must be approved in advance by your immediate supervisor.

Winter closedown schedule:

• Monday, Dec. 23, 2024
• Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024
• Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 (Paid holiday)
• Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Friday, Dec. 27, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 (Paid holiday)
• Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025
• Friday, Jan. 3, 2025

An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays to receive holiday pay. The official state holidays are Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2025.

Employees required to work during the winter closedown will be allowed to use their four Presidential Administrative Days anytime from Monday, Dec. 23 through Jan. 31, 2025. WSU appreciates your dedication and service to the university.

*The discretionary day for 2024 must be used on or before Friday, Dec. 20 prior to the beginning of the winter closedown. The discretionary day for 2025 will be available starting Sunday, Dec. 22 and may be used during the 2024 winter closedown.

Pursuant to Kansas Board of Regents and WSU policy, all employees are required to annually disclose certain external interests, activities and consulting arrangements. The university has an internal platform designed for the collection and review of all such disclosures. This platform can be found in the myWSU portal under “Employee Required Training.” Employees who have not yet completed a disclosure will be prompted to complete the disclosure in its entirety. Employees who have previously timely completed a disclosure will simply be prompted to review and certify the accuracy of their prior submissions. Employees must complete and submit their disclosures by end of day Tuesday, April 30.

For additional guidance on how and what disclose, please review the Conflict of Interest “Frequently Asked Questions.” For any additional questions, please email coi@wichita.edu.

As a reminder, in addition to the annual disclosure process, WSU employees are required to disclose new external interests, activities, and consulting arrangements as soon as such situations become known.

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2024-25 are now accessible for managers to complete the planning step of the myPerformance evaluation cycle. Planning should be completed by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 31.

The 2024-25 review period begins March 1, 2024 and ends on Feb. 28, 2025. Managers should log into myPerformance to add expectations, competencies and goals for the current review period then meet with their employees to review and provide a copy of their evaluation for reference throughout the year.

Helpful hints:

• Managers have unlimited access to update and edit content on evaluations in myPerformance until the employee self-evaluation step begins Jan. 1, 2025.
• Be sure to save and submit anytime you update or make changes to an evaluation. You still have access to make changes after you save and submit.
• Employees don’t have access to their 2024-25 myPerformance evaluation until the employee self-evaluation step which is why it’s important to review and provide a copy of their evaluation for reference throughout the year.
• To find in-progress or past evaluations in myPerformance, check the small box “Show completed and expired tasks” then click “Search.”

For more information (including myPerformance training, quick reference guides, and other resources) go to the myPerformance webpage (wichita.edu/myPerformance).

The Office of Human Resources has launched a new professional development website as part of its continued focus on generating easier employee access to HR information, tools and resources.

Designed as a central hub for employees interested in professional development, it provides available resources including information needed to use them and course recommendations for developing the knowledge and skills most critical to fostering a culture of empowerment, leadership and ownership here at WSU.

The HR team would love to hear any feedback employees have as it continues to curate more resources and develop learning paths. Go to the professional development website to look around and explore any resources or curated content that interests you.

Email the HR Organizational Development team at hr.organizationaldevelopment@wichita.edu to share any feedback on the usability of the site or if there are other resources or content you would like to recommend.

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2024-25 are now accessible for managers to complete the planning step of the myPerformance evaluation cycle. Planning should be completed by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 31.

The 2024-25 review period begins March 1 and ends Feb. 28, 2025. Managers should log into myPerformance to add expectations, competencies, and goals for the current review period then meet with their employees to review and provide a copy of their evaluation for reference throughout the year.

Helpful hints:

• Managers have unlimited access to update and edit content on evaluations in myPerformance until the employee self-evaluation step begins Jan. 1, 2025.
• Be sure to save and submit anytime you update or make changes to an evaluation. You still have access to make changes after you save and submit.
• Employees don’t have access to their 2024-25 myPerformance evaluation until the employee self-evaluation step which is why it’s important to review and provide a copy of their evaluation for reference throughout the year.
• To find in-progress or past evaluations in myPerformance, check the small box “Show completed and expired tasks” then click “Search.”

For more information (including myPerformance training, quick reference guides, and other resources) go to the myPerformance webpage (wichita.edu/myPerformance).

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2023-24 will be available for manager signatures beginning March 8 provided that their employee has submitted their employee signature in myPerformance.

Managers should log into myPerformance then electronically sign and submit their employee’s 2023-24 evaluation by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 14.

Helpful hints:

• Progress through each page of the evaluation to review all comments and ratings.
• Enter your name in the signature field, click “Sign,” and then click “Submit” on the approval signature page and the submit review pop-up window.
• Check the box that says “Show completed and expired tasks” if you think an evaluation has disappeared from your scheduled tasks.
• Don’t forget that the first step of the 2024-25 myPerformance evaluation cycle, planning, is due March 31.

Note: The first step of the evaluation cycle, planning, for 2024-25 evaluations is accessible to managers in myPerformance. The planning step is for setting expectations and goals for the new review period which runs March 1, 2024 through Feb. 28, 2025. If you have not already done so, you should enter and submit this information in myPerformance, and then meet with your employees by March 31. Your employees will not have access to their 2024-25 evaluation until Jan. 1, 2025, so it is important to provide them with a copy to use as a reference throughout the year.

For more information (including myPerformance training, quick reference guides, and other resources) go to the myPerformance webpage (wichita.edu/myPerformance).

The Office of Human Resources has launched the first pages of its new website. You’ll notice a new look and feel to the HR website starting today and continuing throughout the year as it generates easier employee access to HR information, tools and resources.

Designed to improve navigation for existing employees and potential candidates, it brings the information, tools and resources that you are looking for to the forefront of the page. This new landing page also highlights employee success, important news and how the HR team is here to help you.

The HR team would love to hear any feedback you have as they continue this work. Go to the main landing page and look around. Use the survey widget on the site to share any feedback on the usability of the site or if there are resources you would like to see as a quick link.

Stay tuned for further development of the service area pages.

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2023-24 will be available for employee signatures beginning March 1 provided that their manager has submitted their manager review in myPerformance.

Employees should log into myPerformance then electronically sign and submit their 2023-24 evaluation by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 7.

Helpful hints:

• Let your manager know if you don’t have access to your evaluation. Managers must “Submit” their manager review for you to have access.
• Progress through each page of your evaluation to review all comments and ratings.
• Enter your name in the signature field, click “Sign,” and then click “Submit” on the approval signature page and the submit review pop-up window.
• To find in-progress or past evaluations in myPerformance, check the small box “Show completed and expired tasks” then click “Search.”

For more information (including myPerformance training, quick reference guides, and other resources) go to the myPerformance webpage (wichita.edu/myPerformance).

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2023-24 are now accessible to managers to complete the manager review step of the myPerformance evaluation cycle. Managers, go to myPerformance to access and complete performance evaluations for your non-teaching employees which are due by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 29.

Follow these steps to complete your evaluations for the 2023-24 review period which began March 1, 2023 and end Feb. 29:

• Provide summary comments for expectations, competencies and goals.
• Select rating for all competencies.
• Progress through each page of the evaluation and select “save” then “submit” on the final summary page for the evaluation.
• Meet with your employee(s) to review their evaluation and provide them with a copy.

Helpful hints:

• Managers have unlimited access to update and edit performance evaluations throughout the month of February.
• Evaluations must be saved and submitted to progress to the employee signature step on March 1. Employees will not have access to their evaluation if the manager has not submitted their review.
• Managers can add co-planners during this step. A co-planner is someone who has managed a portion of the employee’s work assignment during the evaluation period.
• To find in-progress or past evaluations in myPerformance, check the small box “Show completed and expired tasks” then click “search.”

NOTE: End of year performance review conversations are also a great time to set expectations and goals for the new review period. The 2024-25 evaluations are now accessible to managers in myPerformance so you can discuss both the current end-of-review (2023-24 Manager Review) and the upcoming begin-of-review (2024-25 Planning) at the same time, if desired.

For more information (including myPerformance training, quick reference guides and other resources) go to the myPerformance webpage (wichita.edu/myPerformance).