Category: News

Is your organization hosting an event during Dec. 1-5 that focuses on promoting study skills, relaxation or entertainment? If so, you can register your event with SAC’s De-Stress Fest. Registering your event entitles it to all advertising campaigns hosted in promotion of De-Stress Fest, including digital signage, physical advertising materials and in-person advertising. Any campus department, campus partner or student organization may register. For questions contact sac@wichita.edu.

Join the Military and Veteran Student Center as Wichita State honors the legacy of Captain Riley L. Pitts, the first African American officer to receive the Medal of Honor, during the rededication of the center at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in 318 Shocker Success Center.

Program of events will include remarks from campus leadership, a presentation to the Pitts family and the unveiling of the newly dedicated Pitts Memorial Plaque. All students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are welcome to attend as the center celebrates the enduring service, leadership and sacrifice of WSU’s military-affiliated community.

The Sunflower student newspaper at Wichita State was awarded three Pacemakers from the Associated Collegiate Press at the National College Media Convention in October.

The team was awarded the Newspaper Pacemaker, Multiplatform Pacemaker and the Innovation Pacemaker. The Sunflower is one of two college newspapers who have been awarded five consecutive Newspaper Pacemaker awards, and this marks the first time the paper has received the Innovation Pacemaker.

The Sunflower was the only college newspaper in Kansas to have been awarded a Pacemaker and was among other prestigious college newspapers from across the United States.

Halfway through the fall semester, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State University’s 330 acres and beyond.

Wilkins Stadium

Construction is complete on the indoor softball practice facility adjacent to Wilkins Stadium. Inside the building is a netted softball infield that is divisible into batting and pitching practice areas.

Exterior work continues on the north side of the new building where the outdoor batting cages will be relocated in preparation for construction of the softball team and operations building to the south of the new building.

Corbin Education Center

Work is complete in Corbin Education Center – all displaced faculty and staff have moved back into their offices in the building. Classes are scheduled to resume in the building in the spring semester.

Ablah Library

Repairs are complete in the basement of Ablah Library and the space reopens to the public this week.

University Stadium Phase 1A/1B

Construction is underway for Phase 1B of the University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium). This phase of construction consists of widening the field to hold a regulation-sized artificial turf soccer field and installing a nine-lane track and internal stadium sidewalks that will connect the east and west sides of the facility inside of the fence.

Improvements to the throwing area south of Charles Koch Arena are also underway. A storage building is under construction. Additions also include a longer javelin runway and warmup lanes. Shot put competition will move to this area from inside the stadium.

Construction is anticipated to continue through the fall semester.

Brennan I, II and III demolitions

Demolition of the three buildings is underway. TRIO/Upward Bound staff have relocated to their new home in Grace Wilkie Hall/Grace Wilkie Annex. The demolition project is anticipated to be complete by the end of November.

Grace Wilkie Hall/Grace Wilkie Annex roof replacement

A roof replacement project is scheduled for October/November. Fencing will be installed around the perimeter of the building as work progresses.

Henrion Hall HVAC improvements Phase 3 and 4

Construction has begun in Henrion Hall for a project to provide air conditioning to the remainder of the building following recent projects in the sculpture and ceramics classroom areas as well as relocating and expanding the wood shop.

The project will be phased to allow the building to remain occupied but will affect building entrances throughout the year. Construction is anticipated to be completed in time for the Fall 2026 semester.

Morrison Hall

Construction is underway in Morrison Hall on a project to replace the elevator and update the finishes/ceiling/lighting on the first floor of the building. The first floor and elevator are anticipated to be open to the public in February 2026.

NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research

Construction on the NIAR HAMR building continues to progress. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.

The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices.

The building is located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.

Partnership Building 3B

P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory @Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The building is expected to be complete early in spring 2026.

Are you ready to improve digital course accessibility and make a real impact? Join Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) and the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) for Blackboard Anthology’s Fix Your Content Day — a worldwide event where instructors work together to enhance course materials using Anthology Ally’s color-coded dials. Every improvement made on Nov. 17 and 18 counts toward Wichita State’s goal to climb the leaderboard. Last year, WSU finished second in the world, and with your help, WSU can reach the top.

OIR’s Ally experts will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 17 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room. Instructors are welcome to drop in at any time for personalized support. Don’t forget to register for a free boxed lunch.

Let’s make the digital learning environment more inclusive for everyone. Watch Wichita State soar on the FYCD leaderboard and be part of the change. View the links below or email OIR@wichita.edu for more information.

• View content accessibility score
• Improve content accessibility

Wichita State is proud to celebrate National Student Transfer Week (Oct. 20-24) by recognizing the diverse journeys of all Shocker transfer students. WSU is kicking off the week by sharing the story of Kristen Knott, a health management online student who’s living out the very lesson she’s always taught her children: there’s no single timeline for success, and there’s more than one way to reach your goals.

Campus is invited to celebrate with the week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Shocker Success Center. Explore the building and connect with campus offices stationed across the lower level, first, second and third floors. Just like Kristen, WSU wants you to discover that you have a team of Shockers rooting for you to succeed.

 

Check out the new issue of the myShockerhealth newsletter. Monthly, the Student Health newsletter provides relevant health information and wellness tips for WSU students and staff. Opportunities to engage in healthy activities, events and volunteer service are also highlighted:

• Flu vaccines at Student Health
• October is ADHD Awareness Month – Download an ADHD calendar
• How to tell if your ADHD medication is working
• Student Health prescribes ADHD medication 
• Pimples. What are the six types of acne? 
• Employee Corner: Health insurance enrollment period starts now and how to retire before the age of 65 and still maintain health insurance

If you missed the September issue, you can find all previous issues on the website.

The College of Health Professions at Wichita State is continuing to revolutionize its classroom and lab experience with the installation of new microscopes in the Medical Laboratory Sciences and Scientific Foundations Division facilities.

The new microscopes are a major upgrade, replacing dozens of older units with new equipment as part of a strategic investment to ensure that students are trained on the current tools they will use in clinical practice and biomedical research. The investment comes as the college prepares to relocate to the Wichita Biomedical Campus in 2027, positioning its programs for a new level of education, research and innovation.

The Office of Instructional Resources’ (OIR) newsletter is back with a new name: Teaching Tomorrow. Last spring, OIR took a step back and reevaluated what it wanted the newsletter to accomplish. OIR is finally back with a renewed focus on the constantly changing landscape of higher education and technology. The first issue of Teaching Tomorrow is out now.

Ablah Library’s lower level will reopen to the public Monday, Oct. 20 following a six-month closure.

On the morning of March 16, it was discovered that a broken pipe was flooding the lower level of the Ablah Library. By the time the water was shut off, four inches of water covered about 50,000 square feet. Approximately one third of the Library’s print collection was located on the lower level, but quick work by library personnel prevented the water from damaging materials. Contractors quickly removed the water and began drying out the space. The collections were boxed up and relocated to a warehouse off campus.

The shelving, flooring and drywall were removed. For several weeks, dehumidifying equipment was used to remove all moisture from the lower level. The drywall was replaced and painted, new flooring installed and shelving from the library’s second floor was disassembled and installed on the lower level.

During August and September, contractors returned the books from the R-Z range of the collection and reshelved them. In coming weeks, the Q range will also be integrated into the stacks of the lower level. In the meantime, continue to request materials from the Q-range at the Circulation Desk on the first floor.