Picture of two students working at MDL at Wichita State.

While COVID-19 seems to be dominating just about everything, it’s not the only virus infecting Wichitans. Influenza and RSV seasons are beginning to ramp up.

In an effort to meet community needs, Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab (MDL) has developed a test to detect all three viruses — RSV, influenza and COVID-19 (RIC) — from one nasal swab. The RIC test is available to all individuals and partners who test via the MDL.

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 Trang Bui, M.Ed. academic advisor for the School of Music, College of Fine Arts Advising Center.
  • Please note that graduation cords are available for fall 2021 first-gen graduates. Students should work through their college to obtain their cord, which is provided to them on behalf of the First-Gen Coordinating Council. Learn more by visiting the First-Gen Graduate Cords website.
  • Any administrator, faculty or staff member interested in representing their first-gen status at the fall 2021 commencement can purchase one by contacting Lydia Santiago at fgshockers@wichita.edu.

Have questions about your student account? OneStop will still be available to take phone calls and chat sessions all hours of the day during the holiday break.

For more information, contact OneStop a 316-978-3990 or visit the OneStop website. If it’s a question not answerable through chat or the phone, a OneStop specialist will contact you within three to five business days after we’ve returned to campus.

Perspectives: Legacies of Racism in American Culture 3 p.m., Nov. 3, Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, 2021 Via Zoom www.wichita.edu/perspectives Wichita State University .

The “Legacies of Racism in American Culture” as part of the Perspectives series will return at 3 p.m. Dec. 8 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 998 4330 8081, Passcode: 441316). Dr. Chuck Koeber, associate professor and chair of the sociology department, will present on the subject while Andrew Hippisley, dean, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will host the event.

This presentation will address the context of work (labor) and its influences on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. It examines the types of jobs in which insurrectionists were employed and also reviews types of right-wing political activism that took place within mass and social media and within communities and political rallies. Several, if not many, insurrectionists learned the skills necessary to carry out a military-style attack while working in their vocation. However, and perhaps more importantly, was the work done away from their jobs, as would-be insurrectionists devoted much time and money to consuming, producing and transferring media and social media content, much of which was not factual. This resulted in the formation and spread of radical right-wing political and racial ideologies that motivated the insurrectionists.

While at Wichita State, Koeber has been the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and senior associate dean of Fairmount College. He teaches courses in introductory sociology, sociological theory, work and globalization. His research examines contemporary changes and social inequalities in the nature and organization of work. He is the coeditor of “The Critical Study of Work:  Labor, Technology, and Global Production,” and the author of a handbook for laid-off Wichita workers titled “I’ve Been Laid Off, What Should I Do?” Koeber has published in several peer-reviewed journals.

The search for WSU’s new executive vice president and provost position is under way. A search committee with shared governance representation from academic affairs and other constituencies has been formed.

The committee members are:

  • Dr. Whitney Bailey (co-chair), president of Faculty Senate and Athletic Training Clinical Education coordinator, Human Performance Studies
  • Werner Golling (co-chair), vice president of Finance and Administration
  • Kathy Downes, dean, University Libraries and associate professor
  • Dr. Marche Fleming-Randle, vice president, chief diversity officer and director of Military and Veteran Programs
  • Gabriel Fonseca, Staff Senate president
  • Dr. Linnea Glenmaye, associate vice president, Provost Office
  • Kamilah Gumbs, vice president of Student Government Association
  • Dr. Teri Hall, vice president of Student Affairs
  • Dr. Andrew Hippisley, dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor
  • Vijay Matheswaran, graduate student
  • Dr. Doug Parham, chairperson and associate professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders
  • Fiffy Petty, executive assistant, VPFA
  • Jeff Pulaski, director of the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries and professor
  • Jodie Simon, associate educator and undergraduate coordinator
  • Sheelu Surender, Staff Senate
  • Dr. Sheree Utash, president, WSU Tech
  • Dr. Gergely Zaruba, interim director and professor, School of Computing

Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES), an executive search firm, has been engaged to assist WSU with this important search. Jennifer Muller, managing partner and senior search consultant, will lead the ACES team.

The search committee had its kick-off meeting on Nov. 11, with President Muma joining the meeting to give the committee its charge.

Muller and the ACES team met with the search committee via Zoom on Nov. 23 to discuss various aspects of the search and search process.

ACES will conduct its work and present candidates for the search committee to review at the end of January 2022.

Ideally the new executive vice president and provost will be named in April 2022, with a starting date no later than July 1, 2022.

Picture of Madeline Shonka and Devon Creasman.

Wichita State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship (CEI) has granted two students the Women for Women’s Innovation Award — one who wants to use an app to help those with chronic illnesses, the other who wants to support local businesses by creating Wichita artisan gift boxes.

President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case help Wichita Habitat for Humanity members raise wall.

Further extending its community outreach, Wichita State partnered with Wichita Habitat for Humanity to build a house near campus for a Wichita family with three children.

The first step was a wall raising Dec. 1 at Wichita Habitat’s Rock the Block. WSU President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case were in attendance and helped with the wall raising. 

Wichita State University’s efforts to recruit and retain students from historically underserved and underrepresented areas rank it in the top 28% of the 2021 Social Mobility Index (SMI).

The 2021 SMI, calculated by CollegeNET Inc., benchmarks 1,549 four-year colleges and universities in the United States according to how effectively they enroll students from low-income backgrounds and graduate them into well-paying jobs.

Graphic of United States in gray. Illinois Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. are highlighted in yellow with WuShock on Kansas.

Beginning fall 2022, eligible students from Illinois will be able to attend Wichita State University for the same cost as in-state tuition, a significant savings that will provide increased access and affordability to a growing number of students.

The Office of Financial Aid will temporarily close Friday, Dec. 3 for staff development. For more information or assistance during this time, please contact OneStop at 316-978-7440 or visit the OneStop office at Jardine Hall (Room 112).