The holiday closedown period has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday Dec. 17 and reopen on Monday, Jan. 3. We are communicating the schedule at this time to ensure all employees can manage their time off appropriately. The closedown is 10 days, two of which are paid holidays. Classes will not be in session during this period.
Unclassified Professional and University Support Staff who would normally be scheduled to work the days may use accumulated vacation leave or their *2021 discretionary day during the holiday closedown. Non-exempt employees can also use accumulated compensatory time off during the holiday closedown.
If your role requires you to work during the holiday closedown it must be approved in advance by your immediate supervisor.
Closedown dates:
Monday, Dec. 20
Tuesday, Dec. 21
Wednesday, Dec. 22
Thursday, Dec. 23
Friday, Dec. 24 (State Paid Holiday)
Monday, Dec. 27
Tuesday, Dec. 28
Wednesday, Dec. 29
Thursday Dec. 30
Friday, Dec. 31 (State Paid Holiday)
An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays in order to receive holiday pay. The official state holidays are Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
For those who are required to work during the holiday closedown, we appreciate your dedication and service to the university.
*The discretionary day for 2021 must be used on or before Dec. 25, 2021.
The Cadman Art Gallery, located on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center, is accepting applications for fall 2021 exhibits through midnight on Sunday, May 9. The world needs art now more than ever. The Cadman accepts proposals from degree-seeking students wanting to exhibit their work solo, group shows with several students, or groups sponsored by student groups, clubs, or faculty and staff. All proposals must be art oriented, and there is no limit on the style of art displayed. Applicants will interview with a selection committee on the evening of Thursday, May 13. For more information and our easy application, please visit wichita.edu/cadmangallery.
Join our podcast crew as they traverse the cosmos — and the Libraries’ vast resources — for info on UFO research. Kerry Majher, WSU program coordinator for NASA in Kansas, drops in as well. Listen to “That’s A Shocker.”
This issue covers what you need to know about the change from Blackboard Learn to Blackboard Ultra, and what you need to prepare to see after May 29. We also talk about the Academic Resources Conference week in May, when we will be focusing on more advanced topics and material than usual to give everyone something to think about as they move into summer. We wrap up the issue with an essay from Aaron Rife, the First Year Seminar faculty coordinator on the topic of “thinking during a pandemic.”
The Student Government Association is excited to announce that we will designate Sept.13-17 as SGA Diversity Week. There will be student and department-led programming, events and discussions highlighting the diverse student experience on our campus.
The Steve Clark YMCA on campus is set to begin offering the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program. This free 12-week program focuses on healing the whole person. With LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, cancer survivors — whether it is a recent diagnosis, finished treatment, or in remission — work with trained Y staff to build strength and muscle mass, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability while providing a supportive community to enhance their emotional well-being. LIVESTRONG is available for any Wichita State students, faculty, staff, Y member or community participant. Beginning on May 3, the group will meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the YMCA for exercise and community time. For more program details or if you or someone you know are interested in enrolling, please contact Debbie Cruz by email at debbie.cruz@ymcawichita.org or by phone at 316-776-8178.
Is sexual harassment problematic in your public service organization?
Important public conversations about workplace sexual harassment have been taking place nationally and locally. Women in Public Service wants to know how the issue affects public service organizations in Kansas. WPS invites you to participate in a brief, anonymous survey.
Responses are confidential and are part of a broad gathering of data, which will only be shared as part of consolidated findings during the WPS conference on July 29.
On Saturday, May 29, Blackboard’s login page and landing page (the place you come to first when you login) will change significantly. This is a cosmetic change and will not impact Blackboard’s functionality. The change will be triggered at 8 a.m., and by 9 a.m. it will be complete.
What will happen on May 29? Our login area will become streamlined with a photo of campus on the left side of the page, and a login box on the right. You will access the login area the same way you do now, and your same credentials will work. Once you login, you will access your “my courses” area by clicking the “courses” link in the left-hand menu.
What will not change? Once you enter your course, it will look very similar to how it looks now. There will be some color changes as all courses will be standardized in terms of color. Everything should be in the same place, however. And tool availability will be the same. Your courses will still be in “old familiar Blackboard” and will not be in the “Ultra course format.”
Why is this change is happening on May 29? This date allows spring term grades to be turned in and for summer pre-session classes to be complete before the cosmetic changes to the login and landing pages happen.
How will students will be notified? Students will be notified through Shocker Blast and their advisors. Please help spread the word.
Where to go with questions: The Office of Instructional Resources has created an FAQ page. If you have other questions, please send them to OIR@wichita.edu
On Saturday, May 29, Blackboard’s login page and landing page (the place you come to first when you login) will change significantly. This is a cosmetic change and will not impact Blackboard’s functionality. The change will be triggered at 8 a.m., and by 9 a.m. it will be complete.
![April’s Teaching Today the “Changes” issue is now available [https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/TT/2021/April.php] . This issue covers what you need to know about the change from Blackboard Learn to Blackboard Ultra, and what you need to prepare to see after May 29. We also talk about the Academic Resources Conference week in May [https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/ARC/ARC2020-21/21May.php], where we will be focusing on more advanced topics and material than usual to give everyone something to think about as they move into summer. We wrap up the issue with an essay from Aaron Rife, the First Year Seminar Faculty Coordinator on the topic of “thinking during a pandemic.”](https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews/wsu_today/2021/04-april/_images/WSU_TODAY_TEACHING_TODAY_generic.png "April’s Teaching Today the “Changes” issue is now available [https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/TT/2021/April.php] . This issue covers what you need to know about the change from Blackboard Learn to Blackboard Ultra, and what you need to prepare to see after May 29. We also talk about the Academic Resources Conference week in May [https://www.wichita.edu/services/mrc/OIR/ARC/ARC2020-21/21May.php], where we will be focusing on more advanced topics and material than usual to give everyone something to think about as they move into summer. We wrap up the issue with an essay from Aaron Rife, the First Year Seminar Faculty Coordinator on the topic of “thinking during a pandemic.”")
