To help employees plan for time off and work schedules throughout the year, the university has shared Winter Break has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 18, 2026, and the university will reopen on Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. The break is 10 business days, three of which are paid holidays. Thanks to President Rick Muma, employees may use four “Additional Personal Days” to remain in pay status during Winter Break. Classes will not be in session during this period.

Unclassified Professional and University Support Staff may use accumulated paid leave, Additional Personal Days or their 2027 discretionary day* to cover time off during Winter Break. Non-exempt employees may also use accumulated compensatory time off during Winter Break.

If an employee’s role requires them to work during Winter Break, it must be approved in advance by their immediate supervisor.

Dates of Winter Break:

  • Monday, Dec. 21, 2026
  • Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2026
  • Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2026
  • Thursday, Dec. 24, 2026 (paid holiday**)
  • Friday, Dec. 25, 2026 (paid holiday)
  • Monday, Dec. 28, 2026
  • Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2026
  • Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026
  • Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026
  • Friday, Jan. 1, 2027 (paid holiday)

An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays to receive holiday pay. This year the official state holidays (bolded) are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Employees required to work during Winter Break will be allowed to use their four Additional Personal Days anytime from Dec. 21, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027.

*The discretionary day for 2026 must be used on or before Friday, Dec. 18, 2026, prior to the beginning of Winter Break. The discretionary day for 2027 will be available as of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026, and may be used during the 2026 Winter Break.

**The governor may designate additional paid holidays for state employees, often around holiday seasons in some years. In 2026, with Christmas falling on Friday, the governor has designated an additional holiday for Thursday, Christmas Eve.

The 2027 fiscal and academic year annual appointment notices are available online and will not be printed and distributed to departments. Please log in and acknowledge your appointment notice by Aug. 31.

Note that University Support Staff (USS), non-benefit-eligible employees (students, lecturers and temporary employees) and WSU Intercollegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) employees are not subject to the annual appointment notice process.

Therefore, Unclassified Professionals (UP) and faculty of WSU can view, electronically acknowledge and print their 2027 appointment notice through myWSU:

  • myWSU (Chrome is the preferred browser)
  • Faculty/Staff tab
  • Human Resources links
  • Notice of Appointment (You may need to clear the browser cache to see the link)

The 2027 appointment notices will be available to view, electronically acknowledge, print and revisit via myWSU. Due to the sensitive nature of this data, always close the browser to protect privacy.

Contact the Help Desk at 316-978-4357 for assistance with logging into myWSU, if needed.

For questions with any of the information contained on your fiscal year 2027 appointment notice, discuss with your supervisor and they may contact HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu if needed.

Note: Appointment notices are generated based on your information at a specific point in time with the beginning of the fiscal year for staff and 12-month faculty (June 7) or the beginning of the academic year for 9/10-month faculty (Aug. 2). If your information changes after that point in time, it will not be reflected on your 2027 fiscal year appointment notice.

Job reqs created prior to July 1, 2026, cannot be copied moving forward.

In HR’s efforts to refine the WuHire system, it is committed to identifying features that improve efficiencies and align with institutional standards. To support these priorities, and with your partnership, it is implementing a process from last year again. The following does not apply to IDP, due to their difference in data entry methods and hiring process.

Effective July 1, 2026, job reqs may not be copied if the original requisition was created prior to July 1, 2026.

This change is essential to ensure accurate data flows between WuHire and subsequent integrated university systems, uphold compliance and maintain consistency as HR continues its improvements related to the WuHire applicant system.

To discover if job req has been copied from a previous one, go to the revision history to ensure the original was not created prior July 1, 2026. Revision history can be found as follows:

  • Go into the job req
  • Click on ellipses next to “View Applicants”
  • Choose “Revision History”
  • Check the “Date Request Started”

If the “From” and “To” field dates differ then the job req was copied from a previous version. This is an instance of a job req that cannot be copied.

HR encourages everyone to follow the steps above so it does not lead to declined job reqs in the future. Should you still have questions, you may reach out to the Talent Team by way of employment@wichita.edu. There is also a new on-demand training available in myTraining for WuHire, with expanded system features addressed.

A version of this message with help images is available on the WuHire Sharepoint – Announcements.

4 boxes across & 3 down. Text on each is Wuhire. Moving Applicants, Acknowledge form, Approver Training, Job Requisition Activity. Offer Training Activity, Create offer, Create Job Requisition, Total Hiring Process Steps

HR is launching new training for WuHire, which is the official hiring system for the university, and this training is now available on demand online.

For any staff or faculty who would need “hiring manager” or “department admin” level access to the system, you are required to complete the full training curriculum in order to receive this level of access. Other users can complete either the whole curriculum training or refresher courses for specific topics, as needed.

Go to myTraining, search “WuHire” and see all your options awaiting you. HR strongly encourages users who do not conduct hiring regularly and who’ve already gone through the training in previous years, to use the refreshers. HR also encourages areas on campus that do hire regularly to use the refreshers as we still see many similar decline reasons as previous years and the refreshers could help clear up confusion or common mistakes.

Should you have questions regarding this information, contact HR through employment@wichita.edu.

As the highest-volume hiring period approaches, please review the following important updates and reminders. Your attention to these items will assist with smooth hiring experiences at the university.

Background checks

Effective immediately, changes in the criteria for background checks have been made to help HR maintain a safe, productive and compliant workplace. The criteria below are applicable to all WSU and ICAA employees, including domestic and international.

For benefit eligible employees/graduate student employees/lecturers, a background check is always required.

For regular student employees/Work Study student employees, a background check is always required, if the position:

  • Requires handling of financial transactions, or
  • Requires direct interaction with minors, or
  • Will perform work on a project where a background check is required by contract or a third party

For temporary employees (U3/U4), a background check is always required, if the position:

  • Will last six months or longer, or
  • Requires handling of financial transactions, or
  • Requires direct interaction with minors, or
  • Will perform work on a project where a background check is required by contract or a third party.

For rehires into any of the above positions, a new background check is required unless there is a prior background check on file less than five years old and the break in service does not exceed one year.

For current employees moving to new position listed above, a background check is required, unless there is a prior background check on file less than five years old.

Additional details can be found on the background checks webpage.

Work authorization (Form I-9)

All employees, including students and graduate assistants, must present valid work authorization and be cleared by Human Resources before beginning work at Wichita State. Employees must schedule an appointment with Human Resources to complete the verification process. Departments will be notified via email when the employee is considered hired, along with the employee’s approved start date.

System inactivation and rehire requirements

NBE employees whose job in Banner has been inactive for 60 days will be terminated in the system to ensure proper security and access management. Once terminated, the individual must complete the entire new hire process again — including new hire paperwork, work authorization and background checks (if required). To avoid unintended terminations, ensure an add job ePAF for future appointments is fully approved before the 60-day inactivity window closes.

Due to the expanded background check requirements, AddJob ePAFs for Non-Benefit Eligible positions (NBE) may no longer be dated retroactively. All AddJob ePAFs for NBEs must be submitted a minimum of five business days prior to the effective date.

In the effort to refine the Wuhire system, we are committed to identifying features that improve efficiencies and align with institutional standards. To support these priorities, and with your partnership, we are implementing a process from last year again. The following does not apply to IDP due to their difference in data entry methods & hiring process.

Effective immediately, job requisitions may not be copied if the original requisition was created prior to July 1, 2026.

This change is essential to ensure accurate data flows between WuHire and subsequent integrated University systems, uphold compliance and maintain consistency as we continue our improvements related to the Wuhire applicant system.

To discover if job req has been copied from a previous one, go to the revision history to ensure the original was not created prior July 1, 2026. Revision history can be found as follows:

  • Go into the job req
  • Click on ellipses next to “View Applicants”
  • Choose “Revision History”
  • Check the “Date Request Started”
    • If the “From” and “To” field dates differ then the job req was copied from a previous version. This is an instance of a job req that cannot be copied.

We encourage everyone to follow the steps above so it does not lead to declined job reqs in the future. Should you still have questions, you may reach out to the talent team at employment@wichita.edu. There is also a new on demand training available in myTraining for WuHire, with expanded system features addressed.

Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we work to serve you the best we can.

A version of this message with help images is available on the Wuhire SharePoint -> Announcements.

Students walking on campus, a sign with directions to various building sits off the path, and a building with the words Rhatigan Student Center on it is in the background.

The Federal Work Study (FWS) program provides meaningful employment opportunities for students with financial need, helping them gain valuable work experience, build professional skills and earn money to support their education. FWS positions offer flexible schedules that fit within academic commitments, making them an ideal option for students balancing work and coursework.

FWS also benefits campus departments by sharing wage costs. Departments pay only 25% of the student’s hourly wage, while federal funds cover the remaining 75%. This cost‑sharing model allows departments to bring on motivated student employees who can support a wide range of tasks and contribute to departmental goals.

Departments interested in the Federal Work Study program, should contact the following offices for:

As preparations begin for the 2026-27 academic year, Human Resources encourages departments to consider offering competitive student wages — at least $10 per hour — to help ensure FWS roles remain attractive and accessible to students seeking financial support through on-campus employment.

The 2027 fiscal and academic year annual appointment notices are now available online and will not be printed or distributed to departments. Log in and acknowledge your appointment notice by Aug. 31.

Note that University Support Staff (USS), non-benefit-eligible employees (students, lecturers and temporary employees) and WSU Intercollegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) employees are not subject to the annual appointment notice process.

Unclassified Professionals (UP) and faculty of WSU can view, electronically acknowledge and print their 2027 appointment notice through myWSU:

  • myWSU (Chrome is the preferred browser)
  • Faculty/staff tab
  • Human Resources links
  • Notice of appointment (you may need to clear the browser cache to see the link)

The 2027 appointment notices will be available to view, electronically acknowledge, print and revisit via myWSU. Due to the sensitive nature of this data, always close the browser to protect privacy.

Contact the Help Desk at 316-978-4357 for assistance with logging into myWSU, if needed.

For questions with any of the information contained on your fiscal year 2027 appointment notice, discuss with your supervisor and they may contact HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu if needed.

Note: Appointment notices are generated based on your information at a specific point in time with the beginning of the fiscal year for staff and 12-month faculty (June 7, 2026) or the beginning of the academic year for 9/10-month faculty (Aug. 2, 2026). If your information changes after that point in time, it will not be reflected on your 2027 fiscal year appointment notice.

In Wichita State’s efforts to refine the WuHire system, we are committed to identifying features that improve efficiencies and align with institutional standards. To support these priorities, and with your partnership, we are implementing a process from last year again. The following does not apply to IDP due to differences in data entry methods and hiring processes.  

Effective immediately, job requisitions may not be copied if the original requisition was created prior to July 1, 2026.

This change is essential to ensure accurate data flows between WuHire and subsequent integrated university systems, uphold compliance, and maintain consistency as we continue our improvements related to the WuHire applicant system. 

To discover whether a job req has been copied from a previous one, go to the revision history to ensure the original was not created prior to July 1, 2026. Revision history can be found as follows: 

  • Go into the job req
  • Click on the ellipses next to “view applicants”
  • Choose “revision history”
  • Check the date the request started: If the from or to field dates differ, the job req was copied from a previous version. This is an instance of a job req that cannot be copied.

We encourage everyone to follow the steps above so job reqs are not declined in the future. Should you still have questions, reach out to the Talent team at employment@wichita.edu. There is also a new on-demand training available in myTraining for Wuhire, with expanded system features addressed. 

Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we work to serve our university community.

A version of this message with help images is available on the Wuhire SharePoint -> Announcements

The 2027 fiscal and academic year annual appointment notices will be available online through myWSU during the week beginning Monday, July 6. You will then need to log in and acknowledge your appointment notice by Aug. 31.

Note that University Support Staff (USS), non-benefit-eligible employees (students, lecturers and temporary employees) and WSU Intercollegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) employees are not subject to the annual appointment notice process.

Appointment notices are generated based on your information at a specific point in time with the beginning of the fiscal year for staff and 12-month faculty (June 7) or the beginning of the academic year for 9/10-month faculty (Aug. 2). If your information changes after that point in time, it will not be reflected on your 2027 fiscal year appointment notice.