Category: News

The Wichita State University Strategic Engagement and Planning (SEP) has officially announced Wichita State Good Neighbor Week Sept. 28-Oct. 4.

During the week, there will be a student-led panel on food insecurity, events including a neighborhood tour through campus Oct. 2 and a panel on service providers in the neighborhood.

Good Neighbor Week speaks to Wichita State’s 2019 Climate Survey indicating opportunities for improvement within the satisfaction of culture and atmosphere on campus and the “Why Good Neighboring Matters” featured in the Chung Report. In the report, of “108 cities surveyed, Wichita ranked the 11th lowest on talking with neighbors frequently, ninth-lowest on doing favors for neighbors frequently and the lowest on seeing and hearing from friends and  family frequently.”

Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to an increase in both heart attacks and strokes. Data has shown that loneliness, social isolation, or both were associated with an increased risk. The risk was similar to that of light smoking or obesity, according to the researchers.

SEP hopes that through Good Neighbor Week we increase engagement on and off-campus and create connections to lead to a sense of belonging. Helping people feel connected and part of something bigger than themselves is the goal. Neighboring does take time and effort, but there are both personal and community benefits.

Thank you to the WSU Student Government Association outreach director, the WSU Department of Sports Management, Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes, the United Way of the Plains and the Ulrich Museum and for committing to being a part of the Good Neighboring Week activities.

For more information or to get involved with Good Neighbor week, email Naquela Pack. 

As Kansas’ only Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), University Libraries works to keep our local and regional innovators informed more about intellectual property protection. In keeping with the tradition, University Libraries has compiled a schedule of upcoming no-cost virtual events hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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

The third quarter topic is “Avoid these common mistakes when naming a beneficiary.”  

The Wichita State University Office of Strategic Engagement and Planning requests community input for its current development process. The input will be shared later on with the private developers who will submit proposals for augmenting the west and south boundaries of the university, also known as University Village.

Private developers typically build at their discretion with a focus on items that drive economic benefit. We see this survey as an opportunity to elevate the voices of the communities that make up Wichita State and hope that we can bring the desires of those communities into the development process and help bring to fruition some mutually beneficial opportunities.

The Office of Strategic Communications offers headshots for WSU faculty and staff at no charge. For summer 2021, headshot events will be scheduled once a month over two days at the Rhatigan Student Center. You must reserve your spot with an appointment.

RSC, Room 142 (Harvest)
2:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 29
8:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, July 30

Beginning July 6, Zoom will require users to sign in with their myWSU ID via the Single Sign-On (SSO) option. Users already using SSO will not notice any difference.

For more information, or if you experience any error messages, please visit the July 2021 Zoom Login Update page.

Blackboard has gone through several changes lately and there are more to come. If you are confused by Ultra, you’re not alone.

To help  with the confusion, the Office of Instructional Resources has put together several web pages to answer your questions and to give you the information you need to make the necessary choices about your class materials in Blackboard:

• Am I “in Ultra”?
• Ultra Transition Schedule
• What is Ultra?
• Turning on Ultra Course experience
• Using Both “Old” Blackboard and Ultra
• Ultra FAQ

For this next episode of Tuesday Talks, join Nurse Heather Stafford, Student Health Services associate director; Chad Steinkamp, Undergraduate Admissions assistant director; Pamela O’Neal, Office of Adult Learning associate director; and Jamie Shaddix, APRN and returning adult student, as they discuss what resources Wichita State University offers returning adult students.

Due to Covid-19,  the 26th Annual McNair Scholars Closing Symposium will be a virtual event beginning with the Bradley Cole Poster Competition. The survey for poster voting will be available July 16-20.

Oral Presentations will be available via YouTube July 31 at a later date. Please note the survey is constructed for total anonymity, however, to prevent ballot stuffing, voters will not be able to use the same computer or laptop or mobile device to view the posters.

If you have specific concerns or questions or need more information, please contact the McNair Scholars Program at mcnairscholars@wichita.edu or by phone 316-978-3139.

Alicia Sanchez views equity and inclusion as goals needed to help Kansas thrive economically and culturally.

“When the quality of life and opportunities are good for all people, regardless of ethnicity and gender . . . we can grow the state and grow the economy,” she said. “It’s quality of life for all Kansans.”