Category: News

To successfully advance our new SEM 2025 Plan, we need engagement campus-wide. We want to grow our student body and see greater student success through improved retention and more equity for our underserved students.

Check out the featured strategy this week to see if it aligns with work in your area:

Objective 2.4.7: Advance initiatives to smooth the process for students to transfer to WSU.

More than half of Wichita State’s new students each year bring in transfer credits with them.

Ideas for the classroom:  Share department connection opportunities in upper-division classes (clubs, honors societies, research or internship experiences) – transfer students may not have heard about these opportunities. Share with your non-traditional students that we have an Office of Adult Learning that provides a number of services to support them.

Ideas beyond the classroom: Complete articulation agreements with community college partners so classes readily transfer, promote dual advising for transfer students before they enter a WSU program and work with community college partners to align courses for equivalency.

Shout-out to: John Perry and the Barton School of Business for updating and establishing new agreements with more than 22 community colleges and building bridges with two-year institutions, including partnerships with WSU Tech.

For more information, contact Dr. Carolyn Shaw at 316-978-7130 carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu.

To successfully advance our new SEM 2025 Plan, we need engagement campus-wide. We want to grow our student body and see greater student success through improved retention and more equity for our underserved students.

Check out the featured strategy this week to see if it aligns with work in your area:

Strategy 2.3: Grow the diversity of our student body through recruitment and retention efforts.

Ideas for the classroom: Include multicultural course content and get a diversity attribute in the course catalog so students are aware of this content. Invite students from the cultural ambassador program to visit your class or invite students from pre-college TRIO, Upward Bound, Gear Up and other programs to visit your class/department. For more information on how to do this, contact Deltha.Colvin@wichita.edu

Ideas beyond the classroom: Provide bi-lingual materials and support services or hire diverse student assistants and ambassadors to connect with prospective and current students with a broad range of experiences.

Shout-outs to:

• The staff in the Office of Financial Aid provides extensive outreach to high schools for FAFSA completion to help local and low-income students secure funding. They also promoted the launch of the Shocker Promise and Neighborhood programs to reach more students from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Ana Lazarin, College of Engineering director of Broadening and Student Recruitment, provides extensive outreach through admissions events for low-income and first-generation student populations in western Kansas.
• The Office of Admissions creates multiple publications in Spanish, including a Parent Guide, Housing brochure (with assistance from Housing and Residence Life), a scholarship flyer and hosts Shocker Information Programs and Shocker Saturdays entirely in Spanish.
• Anna Dixon, admissions representative, has worked with the WSU-USD 259 Better Academics and Social Existence initiative and produced a dedicated newsletter for more than 230 parents and students in the program.

For more information, contact Dr. Carolyn Shaw at 316-978-7130 carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu.

To successfully advance our new SEM 2025 Plan, we need engagement all across campus. We want to grow our student body and see greater student success through improved retention and more equity for our underserved students.

Check out the featured strategy this week to see if it aligns with work in your area:

Strategy 2.1: Regularly assess recruitment practices to leverage our most impactful efforts and promote continuous improvement for each initiative.

Assessment Ideas: Identify the desired outcomes for specific recruitment activities and communications. These can include a number of participants or media engagements (likes or shares), positive feedback on a post-event survey or contacts collected for future outreach.  Ask for suggestions for improvements. By collecting and evaluating feedback, we can focus our energy and resources on our most productive activities. We can help each other by sharing our successful ideas with others.

For more information, contact Dr. Carolyn Shaw at 316-978-7130 carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu

During fall 2021, Wichita State launched its new 2025 Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan with the overarching goals of expanding enrollments to 17,000 students, increasing first to second-year retention rate to 75%, and closing the equity gap for underserved students. The success of the new plan is dependent on the contributions of everyone on campus.

Check out the featured strategy this week to see if it aligns with work in your area:

Strategy 1.5 Offer opportunities to develop graduate teaching assistants, (GTAs), faculty and staff competencies around issues relating to first-generation students and other underrepresented populations.

Ideas for the classroom:  Ensure that all GTAs engage in professional development to improve support for underserved students and encourage first-gen faculty to connect with and share their stories with our first-gen students.

Ideas beyond the classroom:  Engage in regular professional development opportunities; identify and celebrate first-generation staff members and develop ways for students who visit the office to note this identity.

Shout-outs to: Dr. Bobby Berry, assistant dean for Diversity and Outreach and convener of the First-Gen Affinity group. Berry led a book discussion of “Eat First, Cry Later: Life Lessons of a First-Generation College Graduate, Penn State Alumna and Female CEO.”

Dr. Jason Bosch, assistant dean for Student Success and the College of Engineering, facilitates the Spirit Strong program for first-gen freshmen by offering tutoring, peer mentoring, professional development workshops and scholarships.

For more information, contact Dr. Carolyn Shaw at 316-978-7130 carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu

To help prevent items in your vehicles from being stolen, please hide any items left in your vehicle in the trunk or somewhere out of sight. You should also take your keys and anything of value with you and lock your vehicle.

If you see any suspicious activity or experience a break-in, call the Wichita State Police Department at 316-978-3450.

Wichita State students are invited to fill out the Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) survey now through Feb. 25. All responses will be kept confidential, and all identifying information will be removed.

In fall  2019, Wichita State began pursuing the IEP designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU).

The IEP designation program helps higher education institutions better know, measure, tell and enhance their economic and community development impact while recognizing institutions that have demonstrated a substantive, sustainable and institution-wide commitment to and strategy for regional economic engagement, growth and economic opportunity. In Kansas, both Kansas State University and the University of Kansas have received this designation, as well as 70 other universities across the country.

WSU’s APLU IEP submission will be based on our Strategic Plan Goals and documented activities through the Strategic Planning Dashboard Submissions. It aligns with what higher education institutions have been tasked with by the Kansas Board of Regents through their Building a Future strategic plan and the Department of Commerce Framework for Growth plan, as well as President Rick Muma’s goals and priorities.

At the heart of the IEP Universities program is promoting institutional change to maximize the impact of research, learning and engagement on the regional economy and society, and that’s where we need the help of Wichita State students.

The WSU IEP team wants to hear from students to get their feedback about where WSU needs to go from here, what direction the university needs to go in, what WSU needs to get done to move in that direction and what solutions does the university need to have to move forward.

For more information, please contact diane.tinker-hurst@wichita.edu.

What is a first-gen student?

A first-generation college student is defined as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor’s degree. A student who is the first person in their immediate family to attend a four-year college/university to attain a bachelor’s degree.

• Focus on first-gen: This week we highlight Cheyla Clawson, director, School of Performing Arts, assistant professor of dance.
• Sign-up to join the First-Gen Affinity Shockers—Designed to foster a community of first-generation professionals to build a group that offered professional development and networking opportunities where common experiences could be shared and address the needs of first-gen professionals as they navigate Wichita State University.

What is a first-gen student?

A first-generation college student is defined as a student whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed a bachelor’s degree. A student who is the first person in their immediate family to attend a four-year college/university to attain a bachelor’s degree.

First-gen students are encouraged to sign up to join the First-Gen Affinity Shockers. The group is designed to foster a community of first-generation professionals to build a group that offered professional development and networking opportunities where common experiences could be shared and address the needs of first-gen professionals as they navigate Wichita State University

Focus on first-gen: This week we highlight Natanya Ordoñez, majoring in pre-dentistry.

How does it feel to be the first member of your family to attend college?

It is very exciting and overwhelming as I have a lot to learn, not only for my degree but about myself. Overall, I am proud of all my achievements and hard work to get me to this point in my life.

What piece of advice would you share with an incoming first-generation college student?

Be curious and open-minded. Allow space for growth and experience. Most importantly, give yourself grace. You are your biggest critic but also your biggest cheerleader.

Any advice you would share with the Wichita State community working with first-generation students?

Every interaction matters when it comes to dealing with students, especially those who identify as first-generation. No matter how big or how small the interaction is, let it leave a positive and lasting impact on their journey here at WSU.

What do you hope to do after you graduate from Wichita State?

I plan to attend dental school I hope to specialize in endodontics. I want to be able to give people a smile worth smiling.

The Widener Global Leaders Program is now taking applications for the 2022-2023 class. Applications are open from Feb. 1-March 1. The program is looking for 10 women undergraduates who are eager to learn and want to develop personally and professionally.  

The Widener Global Leaders Program is an immersive, multidisciplinary approach to prepare Wichita State women scholars majoring in business, communication, or fine arts for leadership roles. The year-long program incorporates concepts from business, communication and music to develop a unique global perspective with an innovative mindset. It is designed to create a transformative experience while fostering an inclusive community and extended network. 

Participants will benefit from counsel and coaching from faculty leads in each of the areas, as well as individual consultations from a personal branding coach. The program also merges education and practical experiences with mentoring opportunities from a unique advisory board of distinguished women leaders from various industries, providing enviable one-on-one connections with and lessons directly from those who have walked the walk.

For more information about the Widener-GLP, please visit Wichita State’s Widener Global Leaders Program website.

The Barton School of Business Student Success Center will close for an all-campus advisor retreat today, Feb. 9. Regular hours will resume Thursday, Feb. 10.

Fore more information, contact business.advisor@wichita.edu.