For more than 50 years, the Mikrokosmos literary journal has allowed Wichita State students to publish their creative writing in an esteemed journal, and they are accepting submissions once again.

First published in 1958, Mikrokosmos is seeking submissions for its 69th issue. Submissions close on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Students can submit work ranging from fiction and non-fiction short stories to poetry.

A new report by Inside Higher Ed takes a close look at the experiences of U.S. college undergraduates and what they think their institutions could do to be more supportive.

WSU President Rick Muma contributed to the report, highlighting efforts at WSU such as holding frequent lunches with student groups to gather feedback from students; increased accessibility to campus resources through OneStop and, soon, the Shocker Success Center; and infusing applied learning into every major for every student.

There will be no bus service from Wichita Transit on Friday, Nov. 11 in observance of the Veteran’s Day holiday. This includes the shuttle between the Metropolitan Complex and the campus that day.

Wichita NAACP 2022 Awardees; Dr. Rick Muma, Person of the Year; Dr. Kevin Sylvester Harrison, HN Sims Excellence in Education

Wichita State University President Rick Muma and Dr. Kevin Sylvester Harrison, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at WSU, were each presented awards this weekend from the Wichita chapter of the NAACP.

Muma was named Wichita NAACP’s Person of the Year, an honor that reflects the work he and WSU do on the WSU campus and in the Shocker Neighborhood to develop a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for a thriving community and a stronger Kansas.

Harrison — who also holds the role of visiting professor in WSU’s Dorothy & Bill Cohen Honors College — was named the winner of the H.N. Sims Excellence in Education Award. The award honors his dedication to education in the Wichita community, specifically as it relates to telling the complete story of America and the Black experience.

The HR Total Rewards team reminds staff and faculty that the deadline for spring 2023 tuition assistance applications is Thursday, Dec. 1.

Tuition assistance applications are submitted through the Online Application Form.

Because of the volume of applications received each semester, requests to submit late applications will be automatically denied. There are no exceptions.

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

Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.

Riccardo Harris, executive director of college and career readiness at Wichita State, was recently featured on the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) podcast — “On the Ground” — which focuses on the challenges and triumphs of the GEAR UP community.

Harris, a native of Wichita, is an acclaimed public speaker and published author who has been on the front lines for social justice and student advocacy for three decades and counting. He has written over $5 million in grants while expanding WSU’s GEAR UP imprint and leveraging this brand as means of making college accessible, affordable and attainable for youth who come from marginalized ethnic and social populations.

On the podcast, Harris discusses the value of the Common App and NACAC fee waivers, which allow GEAR UP students across the country to have their application fees waived. Harris emphasizes the value of allowing students throughout the nation to apply for Wichita State free of charge.

If you requested SPTEs for your first 8-week course(s), the sealed results have been sent to your department. Please check with your department administration if you are expecting these results.

Any additional SPTE information can be found at the Social Science Research Lab’s website.

teaching today

Each month, the Office of Instructional Resources publishes a teaching-centered newsletter called Teaching Today. The October issue of Teaching Today addresses the important topic of digital transformation, and we are excited to share this conversation with our campus industry partners.

In this issue, we take on as many aspects of digital transformation as we can with topics such as high-performance computing, the influence of AI on teaching and learning, and practical applications of these technologies with approachable tools like ArcGIS and even some cool Microsoft 365 features. Along the way, we have lots of examples of how humans and AI can partner to create original creative work.

If you are interested in getting future issues of Teaching Today, please subscribe by emailing Wichita State’s Office of Instructional Resources at OIR@wichita.edu.

The October issue of Teaching Today addresses the very important topic of digital transformation. From what it is to where it’s going, we cover as many aspects of digital transformation as we could.

This month’s issue is huge! It also has many guests including Terrance Figy (high-performance computing), David Macdonald (music and artificial intelligence), Ethan Lindsay (Arc GIS), Ali Levine (Microsoft 365’s cool features), and Provost Shirley Lefever (digital transformation and education).

We hope you enjoy this issue, and as always, if you see something you like, please share it with a friend.

Anyone can subscribe to Teaching Today by simply emailing the Office of Instructional Resources at OIR@wichita.edu.

The ALOTYS 2021 award recipient holding his award plaque.

The Office of Adult Learning is preparing to host its third annual Adult Learner of the Year (ALOTY) Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 9. Every year, the ALOTYs recognize an outstanding adult student at Wichita State University and both a WSU partner and a community partner who support these adult learners on their journey toward a degree.

If you have an adult learner in mind who you would like to nominate for the ALOTY, you can nominate them at the link below. To learn more about the ALOTYs and see some of the past recipients, go to www.wichita.edu/aloty.