Category: News

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and Voya Financial have created joint quarterly newsletters designed to communicate information about both the KBOR Mandatory and Voluntary 403(b) Retirement Plans.

These newsletters are designed to help benefit-eligible employees become more aware of the plans, the expertise that goes into managing and administering the plans and the benefits the plan provides with each newsletter touching on various topics of importance.

Wichita State University Police Capt. Guy Schroeder has been named as the new police chief, effective Jan. 12. Schroeder had been serving as the interim police chief since Sept. 5, 2021, after replacing Police Chief Rodney Clark.

Schroeder began his law enforcement career at WSU in 2014 after serving as a police officer for the City of Wichita for 33 years. During that time, he served in many different positions of responsibility, including patrol officer, drug enforcement administration, detective work, SWAT team commander and undercover operations.

In announcing Schroeder’s promotion, Finance and Administration Vice President Werner Golling offered his congratulations and discussed the university’s decision to select Schroeder.

“During his time serving as interim chief of police, Schroeder has stepped up to the challenge, performed admirably and proven himself worthy of the position,” said Golling. “He cares deeply about WSU and our students, faculty and staff. I am very confident in his ability to lead our police department’s outstanding officers and team members to serve the WSU campus community.” 

The Heskett Center will close Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Heskett Center will reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18. For more information, contact the Heskett Center at 316-978-3082.

KMUW’s sixth annual #ReadICT Challenge is back for 2022. To participate, read 12 books from 12 categories in 12 months. The challenge was created by KMUW book reviewer and education reporter Suzanne Perez who hoped to inspire Wichita-area readers to explore new books, authors and genres.

To see the categories or to learn more about #ReadICT, visit KMUW Books website.

Student Health Services (SHS) will close Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. To receive emergency care on this day, scan the QR code featured in the image or visit the SHS Medical Emergencies website.

W-2 forms for calendar year 2021 are now available. A list of step-by-step instructions is also available. The steps also help with accessing electronically through the State of Kansas Employee Self Service (ESS) Portal.

Employees who have previously consented to receive the W-2 electronically will still be in
effect for this year. Employees who would like to sign up for the electronic copy must log on to the ESS Portal and consent to receive this information electronically.

For more information about W-2s, you can visit the Wichita State W-2 Information website.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently announced that Wichita State University has been selected as one of 29 institutions to participate in the 2022 Institute on ePortfolios.  

“This institute is an opportunity for us to work across disciplines and areas to integrate ePortfolios more intentionally into our campus and curriculum,” said Dr. Kimberly Engber, institute team member and dean of the Cohen Honors College.

The professional development opportunity aligns with Wichita State’s strategic priorities to be a leader in digital transformation and student-centered education. Engber said that several departments currently use portfolios to meet course or program requirements, but “we haven’t engaged in a campus-wide conversation about ePortfolio strategy.”

The goals of the ePortfolio initiative are to foster student self-authorship, demonstration of learning and development, and program assessment.

“We’re considering electronic portfolios as a capstone requirement for honors students, for example, but we don’t want to make this decision in isolation from national conversations about best practices or from initiatives on our own campus,” she said.

Students may use ePortfolios to collect their work for a course or select evidence from an applied experience. An electronic portfolio typically requires reflection as well, asking students to connect learning across courses or from a course assignment to a work environment. EPortfolios are designed to integrate learning and build personal and academic identities. Faculty design and evaluate assignments within electronic portfolio systems, and the university might sample work from electronic portfolios to support program-level assessment.

Wichita State’s ePortfolio team consists of Elaine Bernstorf and Cheyla Clawson-Chandler from the College of Fine Arts; Drs. Kimberly Engber and Kevin Harrison from the Cohen Honors College; Chelsea Redger-Marquardt from the College of Applied Studies and Honors College; Carolyn Speer from Instructional Resources; and John Watkins from the College of Engineering.

Ulrich Museum of Art Director Leslie Brothers has announced her resignation, effective Feb. 15.

Brothers has been the museum’s director since June 2018.

Her initiatives at the museum have been focused on connecting the museum more profoundly to the university’s strategic goals. She refreshed the marketing of the museum to promote the unification of all the communities it serves. More recently she worked with the university and the WSU Foundation to realize a vision for the creation of the Dr. Sam and Jacque Kouri Collection Study Center and Student Lounge located in the public space of the museum.

“I have enjoyed my time at the museum and the university. It has been a pleasure working with many wonderful colleagues across campus. The Ulrich will celebrate 50 years in 2024, and I, like so many before me, am honored to have been a part of former President Ahlberg and Dr. Martin H. Bush’s visionary legacy.”

“We are grateful to Leslie for her service to the university and visionary leadership while serving as director of the Ulrich Museum,” said Dr. Shirley Lefever, interim executive vice president and provost at Wichita State.

Brothers will join the Museum Campus in her hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, as executive director.

The Ulrich Museum will soon begin a search for a new director.

Dr. Bobby Berry has been named assistant dean for diversity and outreach for the College of Applied Studies at Wichita State University.

In the newly created position, Berry will provide leadership for diversity and inclusion initiatives, oversee diversity and inclusion educational programs, and serve as a resource for students, faculty, staff, administration, and the community regarding diversity and inclusion matters. He will also provide leadership for the college’s recruitment and retention efforts.

The John A. See Innovation Award provides support entrepreneurs and innovators with prototype development and moving your idea forward. Awards typically range from $1,000 to $20,000. Past recipients have included prototype development, product testing, and marketing analysis.

All students and faculty are eligible to apply. Applications are open until Jan. 15, and will be awarded based on the order they are received.