"Congratulations" in gold, cursive font on a black background

Wichita State’s Open/Alternative Textbook (OAT) Committee would like to congratulate:

  • Moriah Beck
  • Susan Castro
  • Crystal Dozier
  • Doug English
  • Linda Grossman
  • LaDonna Hale
  • Matthew Howland
  • James S. Johnson-Schwartz
  • Alyssa Lynne-Joseph
  • Mindy McKinley
  • Trevor R. Nelson
  • Jacy Pederson
  • Yumi Suzuki
  • Lisa Wray

For their successful creation and approval of 22 new OAT-Z (zero-cost) and OAT-L (low cost of under $50) courses for spring 2025 and on their commitment to making higher education within reach for more students.

If you would like more information on OAT courses, visit the Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative, where you can also access the OAT course designation request forms.

The deadline to submit OAT designation request forms for fall 2025 is Feb. 15, 2025.

picture of 2 girls together who are paired this semester as part of the international buddy program. The image spotlights the domestic buddy, Isabella Grabell who is an applied linguistics major and Japanese minor. It also states who her buddy is which is Karin from Japan.

Hear from Isabella Grabell about her experience in WSU’s International Buddy Program. Isabella was paired this fall semester with her buddy, Karin from Japan.

Nominate a colleague for a $2,500 Excellence Award: Research - Creativity - Community Research

Nominations for Excellence Awards in Research, Creativity Activity and Community Research are now being accepted by the Office of Research.

All full-time faculty, including distinguished professors and endowed chairs, who have served at WSU for at least three years are eligible. Faculty who hold an administrative position above that of chair are not eligible.

Previous winners of the award are ineligible to be nominated for a period of five years following the award. See the Office of Research website for additional details and online nomination forms. Nominations must be received by Dec. 6 to be considered.

Are you needing Student Conduct & Community Standards (SCCS) staff to present in a classroom, at a conference, at a departmental meeting or for a program?

SCCS staff are always happy to present on any of the following topics, to provide more education for students, staff and faculty on campus regarding the office or policies it oversees:

  • Overview on academic integrity
  • Overview on submitting incident reports
  • Overview on specific conduct policies found in 05/student code of conduct
  • Overview of specific data from the office
  • Hazing prevention
  • Classroom management
  • General information about Student Conduct & Community Standards

Fill out the online “Request a Presentation” form if you would like SCCS staff to create a specific presentation for you. A member of the SCCS team will be assigned to work with you to meet the presentation goals and will be available to present on the topic as well as answer any questions.

Ensure there is ample of time between the request and the presentation due date, as presentations will take time to create. The office will do its best to accommodate presentation dates, and staff will work with you if there are conflicts.

If there are any questions, feel free to reach out to SCCS@wichita.edu.

Do you know a faculty member who is deeply engaged in service? Do you know a faculty member who exemplifies any of the following?

  • Distinguished service to the university
  • Distinguished service to the community
  • Notable outreach efforts and/or forging of connections between WSU and the community
  • Long-term commitment to WSU through extensive committee service

Consider nominating them for the Presidential Service Award. Complete a nomination form, attach a CV that includes the nominee’s service activities and include a letter of support. Previous recipients of this award are not eligible for nomination. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Jan. 24, 2025. You can send your nominations to leeann.birdwell@wichita.edu.

The Office of Online and Adult Learning is thrilled to introduce the Students Who Are Parents (SWAP) Group. This initiative is dedicated to fostering a welcoming, inclusive and supportive space for WSU students who balance academics with the responsibilities of parenting or caring for young dependents. SWAP will be hosted online through Blackboard, creating a focused community where student caregivers can connect, share resources and find support.

To learn more or join the group, visit the WSU SWAP Group website.

Attend a come-and-go training session for faculty who want to learn more about Watermark Faculty Success, the new platform for the Faculty Annual Activity Report (FAAR). Learn how to get started or bring your questions to these open labs. All sessions are offered in remote format through Microsoft Teams. If you have questions, contact Rachel Crane at rachel.crane@wichita.edu.

Get started:

  • Entering activity data
  • Importing citations
  • Running reports

Schedule:

  • 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1
  • 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5
  • 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7
  • 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8
Systematic Reviews (and how they differ from regular lit reviews) 5 NOV · 3:00-4:00 PM Ablah Library In-Person & Online

Students can join University Libraries’ upcoming workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Ablah Library Digital Scholars Commons (in-person and online). There is no cost to attend, and with the new attendance tracking system in place, offering extra credit for student participation is now simpler than ever.

The session will help them understand what systematic reviews are and aren’t, what makes them systematic, how to read and interpret them and how to write them. Discover why systematic reviews are rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing forms of published scholarly research.

Food for Fines November 4 to 8

The November 2024 Food For Fines will take place Nov. 4-8. Food for Fines is an initiative to support the Shocker Support Locker, while providing a cheaper alternative to pay parking citations.

Note that donations can only be accepted during the donation period and that citations can not be more than two months old.

All donations for Food for Fines can be dropped off at the Student Government Association office in 219 Rhatigan Student Center or the Parking Services building. Questions can be directed to sga@wichita.edu.

Join the Shockers Vote Coalition for its final meeting leading into Election Day at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1. At the meeting, members will discuss the Get Out the Vote and Election Day celebration plans. They will also provide information about getting involved with the student-led Shockers Vote Coalition.

The meeting will be hosted on teams and everyone is welcome to join. To RSVP and for meeting information, email CivicEngagement@wichita.edu or call 316-978-7016.