Category: News

Welcomefest takes place during the beginning of classes each semester and features dozens of activities. This campaign highlights events and services designed to help all new and returning students navigate life at Wichita State.

Submit department or organization events for inclusion in the spring 2024 Welcomefest marketing, which includes an event calendar, web listing and more. The deadline to submit events for inclusion in all Welcomefest marketing is 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18.

Please note, Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership (SEAL) reserves the right to deny or terminate any events that are not planned completely or are deemed inappropriate for Welcomefest and/or the people in attendance.

To register an event, visit the Welcomefest website. For questions, contact SEAL at 316-978-3022 or seal@wichita.edu.

Interested in studying abroad? Many options for summer 2024 are still available, however most deadlines will be by Feb. 1. Find the many options on the Study Abroad website for short-term/summer programs.

Some programs are for specific majors/minors, to learn a language, general education classes or open to all students. Scholarships are also still available for summer 2024 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until March 1. For questions, email studyabroad@wichita.edu.

The College of Engineering and Barton School of Business are joining together to offer an introductory AI course this coming spring. The new course, “Generative AI for Problem Solving,” will cover practical applications and novel use cases for generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. The course will also analyze the ethical, professional and social implications of the advancement of AI.

The class (ENGR 150A/BSAN 150A) will meet from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and is open to students from any college with no prerequisites or programming background required. To search for the course, students may use CRN 26636 and CRN 26637 respectively. For questions or override approval, contact Nathan Smith at nathan.smith@wichita.edu.

Student Health Services (SHS) has been providing convenient and affordable health care to WSU students for over 80 years. Currently enrolled students have access to all the services available at Student Health, located in the Steve Clark YMCA and Student Wellness Center.

Recently, a new WSU Staff/Faculty Acute Care Clinic was implemented at Student Health, where evaluation and treatment of acute illness and injuries (non-work related) are provided, along with immunization administration and tuberculosis screening and testing. Some laboratory, pharmacy and radiology services are also available.

Student Health files all insurance plans and are in-network with common private insurances. Student Health does not deny service to those who may not have the ability pay for services and offers a Health Equity Discount for students who have out-of-network insurance or are uninsured or underinsured.

Besides healthcare services, Student Health offers:

• Health education and presentations on numerous health and wellness topics
• Applied learning opportunities for many students to meet practicum or clinical requirements or shadow a professional and licensed healthcare worker at SHS. It also has opportunities for students in business operations and HOPE Services.
• Applied learning opportunities that are paid student employees positions in laboratory and clinic areas.

Students, bring in your gently used textbooks and get cash during Textbook Buyback at the Shocker Store in the Rhatigan Student Center. Buyback will be during normal operating hours Dec. 11-16.

The Mortar Board Honor Society is now accepting membership applications for the 2023-24 cohort. Members will develop leadership skills, be engaged in the community and enhance their career network. Eligibility requirements are to be enrolled at Wichita State (online students accepted), junior standing (60 credits completed), GPA of 3.0 (or outstanding academics) and graduating fall 2024 or later.

Applications due by Dec. 31.

Wichita State’s Information Technology Services (ITS) has recently deployed Jamf Connect for WSU Mac devices.

By utilizing this software, Mac users will have the following benefits:

• After logging into Jamf Connect, it will verify that your login password is current. If not, it will ask to sync/update your password.
• Users will have access to a live countdown on the number of days remaining before their myWSU password expires.

Visit the ITS Resources website (wichita.edu/jamfconnect) for more information.

For questions, contact ITS Help Desk at 316-978-4357, option one or email helpdesk@wichita.edu.

The Barton School of Business is excited to announce a $100,000 commitment from T. Michael Young, a retired managing partner at The CapStreet Group, to create a new Barton School scholarship for business students with financial needs. Young was a first-generation college student who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from WSU while married and working full-time.

“I believe that affordable and accessible education is imperative to the success of our society,” Young said. “The challenges I had and the lessons I learned during my time at WSU served me well throughout my career. I’m excited to be in a place where I can help other working students who desire a higher education.”

Wichita State congratulates Randy Sessions, technology specialist for the University Police Department, on his retirement after serving WSU for 38 years.

Before joining the UPD, Sessions worked in the College of Engineering for over 22 years starting in 1985 and in the university’s ITS Telecommunications department for eight years. While working at WSU, Sessions was an active participant in the university’s Staff Senate, serving as president three times, and chaired the Alternative Service Committee that looked at and facilitated the move from Classified Staff to University Support Staff. He also sat on multiple search committees, including the Presidential Search Committee in December 2020, and he currently serves as a member of the WSU Retiree Association Organizing Committee.

For his service to the university, Sessions received the President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2016, and he was honored as a Bender of Twigs in 2011.

Wichita State thanks Sessions for his years of service to the university and wishes him well on his retirement. If you would like to send Sessions congratulations, you can email randy.sessions@shockers.wichita.edu.

The Wichita State Accounts Receivable Office would like to inform students that the IRS requires WSU to report all tuition charges with a valid social security number and legal name. To be eligible for the 2023 Higher Education Tax Credit, you must have your SSN on file with WSU by Dec. 31, 2023.

Please complete the W-9S form by logging into your myWSU portal, going to myFinances tab, under Accounts Receivable Links click on “Provide your SSN to WSU with the W-9S form.” Please return within seven days by mail to: WSU Accounts Receivable, 1845 Fairmount Box 38, Wichita, KS 67260-0038. Accounts Receivable recommends students protect their private information by not emailing this form.

For questions, contact Accounts Receivable at wsuaccountsreceivable@wichita.edu or call 316-978-3333 for assistance.