Category: Student Success and Persistence

Help your students tackle academic challenges more effectively by encouraging them to attend an online workshop from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, presented by University Libraries.

In this week’s workshop, students will start learning geographic information systems (GIS) with ArcGIS Online. Participants will learn about finding data and making attractive and informative maps with an easy-to-use interface.

While many factors help student retention, Samantha Corcoran’s favorite is fostering curiosity. She likes to ask her students: “Do you love learning? Do you love going new places?”

“We’ve chosen to focus on increasing student curiosity in everything that we do,” says Corcoran, associate engineering educator in the College of Engineering.

Wichita State University’s First-Year Seminar “Introduction to Technology and Innovation” and Shocker Design Experience are producing impressive retention increases. Freshman persistence has increased to 80% from fall 2024 to fall 2025. That’s a 14% increase since the program was updated in 2021.

Instructors: this is an ideal time to provide student feedback in the Student Early Alert System (SEAS). SEAS allows you to share observations on attendance, participation, assignments and quizzes/exams for all students.

Also review previously flagged students. If a student has shown improvement, removing or updating the flag helps ensure the accuracy of the data and better reflects the impact of early intervention.

Access SEAS via myWSU > Home or Teach/Advise tab > SEAS link

Thank you for your continued support of student success. For more information about SEAS, visit the SEAS website.

Help your students tackle academic challenges more effectively by encouraging them to attend a workshop from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 at Ablah Library.

The workshop covers using EndNote to import, organize and share citations, and how to insert them into Microsoft Word in multiple citation styles.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to share a new scholarship opportunity within Wichita State’s Teacher Apprentice Program with prospective students or those who may be interested.

Through support from the Patterson Family Foundation, 30 scholarships valued at $9,500 each are available to eligible students.

The scholarship allow students to:

• Continue working as a paraprofessional or long-term substitute while completing the program
• Earn the Limited TAP license and serve as teacher of record before graduation

Students must apply by April 1.

Help your students tackle academic challenges more effectively by encouraging them to attend an online workshop, presented by Ablah Library, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3.

The workshop, with Ablah Library’s new data librarian, will explore R, a powerful and flexible open-source tool for reading data, analyzing results and creating visualizations.

The URCA Hub research grants can be used for travel in direct support of the research project (e.g., books, field sites, museums, historic sites), as well as most materials and equipment. All materials and equipment must stay at WSU once the project is complete. Grants may be used as participant incentives with proof of appropriate IRB approval.

Students who meet the following requirements are eligible to apply:

• Must be a sophomore, junior, or senior (by credit hour)
• Must have at least two semesters remaining at WSU, including the semester in which they apply for the grant (i.e., a senior graduating spring 2024 would be eligible to apply in fall 2023).
• Must have a faculty research mentor who is willing to submit a statement in support of the project
• Has not received funds from this program in the past
• Must present this project at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Forum, held annually in the spring

Note: Preference is given to students whose projects are not currently receiving funding from another source (e.g., faculty mentor grants).

More information:

• Application deadline: March 9 for grants to begin in the fall
• The grant amount is up to $1,500 per application

Learn more about the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Grant Program and encourage your students to apply.

WSU HOPE Services asks staff and faculty to encourage students to complete the confidential National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey sent to their WSU email addresses. Experiences reported by students will help HOPE Services capture a snapshot of health and mental wellness on campus and will inform future wellness programs and services at WSU.

Students can enter a drawing to win a grand prize of either a red parking spot for an entire semester or a GreenPhire gift card worth $250, among other prizes.

For questions about the survey, contact Cora Olson, assistant director of HOPE Services, at 316-978-4792 or cora.olson@wichita.edu.

Help your students tackle academic challenges more effectively by encouraging them to attend an online workshop from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, presented by University Libraries.

The focus will be learning all the steps to create a literature review, from conducting comprehensive research to synthesizing perspectives to presenting their findings.

Quick reminder: SEAS is still open for submitting feedback on student progress on attendance, participation, assignments and quizzes/exams.

Next week will be the last week to use the “No Academic Activity” flag for students who haven’t engaged at all. Student Success will follow up with those flagged.

If no students are at risk, check the “no students at-risk” box. If a flagged student improves, remove the alert to help Student Success track progress accurately.

Access SEAS via myWSU > Home or Teach/Advise tab > SEAS link

For more information about SEAS, visit the SEAS website.