Category: Shared Governance

Dr. Christopher Leonard has been part of Wichita State for more than 11 years and serves as the director of Counseling and Psychological Services. He joined Staff Senate to be of service to the university and his colleagues, hoping to support others and contribute to the greater good. Now serving as vice president, he values the people who make WSU what it is and appreciates being part of something larger than himself. He believes the incredible work happening across campus is possible because of the dedicated individuals who show up for one another every day.

Outside the office, Christopher finds joy in family dinners and the time spent connecting with loved ones. He enjoys running, golfing, watching movies, playing music and catching live performances whenever he can. And of course, he proudly adds, “Da Bears!” These moments of movement, creativity and community keep him energized and grounded in his work at Wichita State.

Senator Spotlights are a community initiative to support the mission of the Staff Senate. Contact Staff Senate if you don’t know your Senate representative.

Kendra Nguyen has been part of Wichita State for nine years and works as the public health program specialist in the Community Engagement Institute. She joined Staff Senate five years ago because she’s passionate about elevating voices that don’t always have a seat at the table and helping staff better understand university processes and policies. She now serves as secretary on Staff Senate. Kendra also loves the people at WSU. She believes the university is strongest when diverse perspectives are welcomed and staff feel informed and included.

Outside of work, Kendra enjoys crafting of all kinds, from knitting and crocheting to cross‑stitching, and she helped start a monthly “Crafternoon” for her department. She also finds energy and joy in live music, especially being in a concert crowd, singing along with her favorite artists. If you’re a crafter and want to connect, she’d love to help build a WSU crafting community.

Senator Spotlights are a community initiative to support the mission of the Staff Senate. Contact Staff Senate if you don’t know your Senate representative.

Dr. Gabriel Fonseca has been part of Wichita State for eight years, helping shape a more connected and inclusive student experience as executive director of Student Engagement & Belonging. He joined Staff Senate four years ago to ensure young professionals were represented and to help strengthen the staff voice across campus. Now serving as president‑elect, he values the opportunity to bring people together, elevate student voices and contribute to a culture of engagement. Gabriel hopes the campus community remembers that one moment, one choice or one connection can have a powerful impact – and that choosing kindness, community and courage truly makes a difference.

Outside the office, Gabriel enjoys watching movies, spending time with friends and building Legos to unwind and stay creative. His niece and nephew are a major source of joy, and time with them keeps him grounded and energized. He believes Wichita State is at its best when people show up for one another and lift each other up.

Senator Spotlights are a community initiative to support the mission of the Staff Senate. Contact Staff Senate if you don’t know your Senate representative.

Dr. Jacob Mendez has been part of Wichita State for nearly eight years, supporting student success in the College of Engineering. Encouraged by a former Staff Senate president to get involved, he joined the Senate in 2023 as a way to give back and build connections across campus. Now serving as president, he values the relationships he’s formed and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues who care deeply about students and aren’t afraid to try new approaches to help them succeed.

Outside of work, Jacob stays active through running, coaching and CrossFit. He enjoys supporting others in their fitness goals and is usually training for something himself. A fun fact: he’s always happy to have company — if you ever want to join him for a local 5K, he’d love to run together and make new connections.

Senator Spotlights are a community initiative to support the mission of the Staff Senate. Contact Staff Senate if you don’t know your Senate representative.

The next University Staff Senate (USS) meeting is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27 in 266 Rhatigan Student Center, Pike Room, or online via Microsoft Teams. All USS meetings are open to the Wichita State campus community.

Learn more about University Staff Senate, access meeting links and review previous meeting minutes on the Staff Senate website.

The Staff Senate is proud to announce the recipients of the spring 2026 Staff Senate Scholarships. These scholarships support the educational goals of Wichita State staff members and their dependents, helping them achieve academic success.

• Madison McCullough – Applied drawing
• Brynn Potter – Cyber security
• Wendy Brooking – Criminal justice
• Jacob Crabtree – Music theatre

The Staff Senate Scholarship Fund is made possible through generous contributions from the WSU community. Want to make a difference? Consider donating to help future scholars achieve their dreams.

Thank you for supporting education and empowering staff.

The next University Staff Senate (USS) meeting is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room, or via Microsoft Teams. All USS meetings are open to the Wichita State campus community.

Learn more about University Staff Senate, access meeting links and review previous meeting minutes on the Staff Senate website.

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee, on behalf of the Faculty Affairs Committee, invites faculty to review the draft of WSU Faculty Workload Policy and share feedback via an anonymous survey.

The survey will close Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The next University Staff Senate (USS) meeting is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room, or via Microsoft Teams. All USS meetings are open to the Wichita State campus community.

Learn more about University Staff Senate, access meeting links and review previous meeting minutes on the Staff Senate website.

This past spring, the UPS-USS Council of the Kansas Board of Regents worked together to conduct a survey on its campuses with support from the universities’ administrative leaders. This council represents both Unclassified Professional (UPS) and University Support Staff (USS) at the six Regents universities, and the survey focused on topics related to employee satisfaction.

The survey was conducted in April by the Docking Institute and was emailed to 1,951 UPS and USS employees at WSU. The Docking Institute received 517 completed surveys, resulting in a response rate at WSU of 26.5%. The response rate decreased considerably from the 2022 survey, when 37.5% of staff members responded. It should be noted that only 31 USS employees responded to the survey. Across all six participating universities, the Docking Institute received a response rate of 36.6%.

Key findings:

• More than 70% of WSU UPS employees and 60% of WSU USS employees said their work is greatly appreciated by their immediate supervisors. Over half of both groups also feel appreciated by their coworkers. In fact, WSU USS employees reported higher appreciation from department heads (58%) compared to the statewide average (41%).
• About 45% of USS employees and 40% of UPS employees said morale had worsened in the past two years. Salary stagnation and added duties without additional pay were the main reasons cited. Concerns about leadership, workplace culture and workload were also noted.
• Pay and compensation ranked as the most important issue for both USS and UPS. Nearly 90% of WSU USS employees and more than 80% of WSU UPS employees placed it at the top of their priorities.
• Employees placed high importance on flexible scheduling, hybrid work options, improved health care benefits, tuition assistance and professional development. Parking, workload balance and leadership transparency were also frequent concerns.
• Nearly 30% of USS employees and more than a third of UPS employees said they are looking for another job. Most of those reported interest in leaving for off-campus employment. This is consistent with the statewide average.
• Roughly 80% of WSU UPS employees and 87% of WSU USS employees said they enjoy the things they do at work and feel sufficiently trained to complete their duties. This is higher than the statewide average.

As the Staff Senate moves forward, along with WSU administration, it will look closely at the results of the survey to determine what initiatives can be developed on campus to act on the issues and topics brought forth in the responses. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions as Staff Senate proceeds, reach out to Staff Senate President Jacob Mendez or to your representative.

The Staff Senate thanks President Rick Muma for agreeing to fund the survey for Wichita State employees.