Category: Student Success and Persistence

The First-Year Seminars (FYS) program will host an informational session at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 in 256 Rhatigan Student Center, Edmiston Room. The session will describe the process on how to create and teach an FYS class for first-year students.

Teaching an FYS is an excellent opportunity support the academic transition of first-year students to Wichita State and support student success and persistence. For more information, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success and Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member through the initiative, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

Despite the challenges of the new FAFSA form, the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (OFA) was able to award more students more dollars than ever before. The OFA paid out $43 million to over 8,000 students last week. In addition, there has been a $2 million increase in need-based aid compared to the previous year.

2024-25 FAFSA forms are still being accepted. Students can go to Federal Student Aid to unlock every dollar at Wichita State. Students who need the OFA can go to the office for walk-ins from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout August in 203 Jardine Hall.

The Shocker Success Center — formerly Clinton Hall, located between the Rhatigan Student Center and Ablah Library — is open to the public. The Shocker Success Center brings together a number of student services that were formally spread out around Wichita State and houses them under one roof in the heart of campus.

The campus community can find multiple areas to relax or work throughout the day, and students can use the building as a study space.

Here is every service that has moved to the Shocker Success Center:

• First floor: OneStop Student Services; the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing
• Second floor: Shocker Learning Center, including the Math Lab, Physics Help Room and Writing Center; Office of Student Success; and TRIO Disability Support Services
• Third floor: TRIO Student Support Services; Hispanic-Serving Initiatives; CARE Team; Adult Learning; Tech Help Desk; and Military and Veterans Services
• Lower level: Civil Rights, Title IX & ADA Compliance; Shocker Support Locker; and Career Closet. And the Office of International Education will join the Shocker Success Center in September.

Faculty members with an interest in supporting student success and persistence should apply to become a Retention Faculty Fellow. Applications for the 2024-25 academic year are open through Monday, May 6.

Retention Faculty Fellows support Strategic Enrollment Management goal three to “Increase persistence rates of degree seeking student populations.” The Retention Faculty Fellows share best practices and create opportunities for other faculty members to be in dialogue about quality instructional design and student engagement.

Fellows should be endorsed by the dean or their representative. For questions, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success and Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Wichita State’s Student Success: First-Year Programs (FYP) attended the Region IV Joint Regional Conference in Columbia, Missouri, from NODA – National Orientation Directors Association. At the conference, representatives from FYP received awards for their efforts and results in orientation, transition and retention of students:

• Kim Sandlin: Outstanding NODA Orientation, Transition, and Retention Professional
  Kim Sandlin, director of Student Success, received the Outstanding Orientation, Transition, and Retention Professional Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions of a professional to the field of orientation, transition and retention who has five or more years of professional experience in higher education.
• Annie Wasinger: Best Undergraduate Educational Session
  Annie Wasinger, intern for FYP, received the Best Undergraduate Educational Session award for her topic entitled, “Is It Accessible? Is it REALLY Accessible?” Annie’s presentation will be presented at the National NODA conference in Portland, Oregon, in November.
• Hafsa Sadaf: Most Creative Solution in Case Studies
  Hafsa Sadaf, senior transition mentor for FYP, received the Most Creative Solution in Case Studies Award alongside three other orientation leaders from various universities.
• Kate Potter: Best Presentation in Case Studies
  Kate Potter, transition mentor for FYP, received the Best Presentation in Case Studies Award alongside three other orientation leaders from various universities.
• Winter Welcome: Innovation in Retention Programs
  The Winter Welcome event, hosted by FYP, received the Innovation in Retention Programs Award. The award seeks to recognize innovative and effective approaches in retention.

“For about 23 of my 25-year career on campus, I have been involved directly or indirectly with our orientation programs and welcoming new students to Shocker Nation,” Sandlin said. “It’s something I look forward to every year. Recently, as our work in Student Success and Persistence has grown, I’ve found deeper meaning in the work we do every day. The most rewarding part is seeing the data on how our efforts in Student Success are helping Shockers succeed. I am grateful for receiving the Outstanding NODA Orientation, Transition, and Retention Professional award; however I couldn’t have earned it without the hard work that the Student Success team at Wichita State does every day for students.”

Additionally, FYP hosted six different educational sessions for attendees at the conference:

• Austin Helgerson and George Giem: “Networking in 2024: Building Meaningful Connections During Orientation and Beyond”
• Annie Wasinger: “Is it Accessible? Is it REALLY Accessible?”
• Hafsa Sadaf: “Language Diversity Matters: Improving Orientation for Non-Native English Speakers”
• Kaelyn Hannah: “The Struggle is Real: Rebuilding and Rebranding Your Orientation Leader Team”
• Juan Gurrola: “Let’s Talk About it: Equality vs. Equity”
• Trinity Madden: “Silent Expression: Decoding Body Language and Understanding Non-Verbal Communication”

“I’m super proud of the students and staff in First-Year Programs,” Sandlin said. “We intentionally challenge our returning staff every year during their training to develop and facilitate interesting conference sessions that add value and knowledge to the region and profession.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member through the initiative, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

Eiran Saucedo-Rodarte, assistant director of first-year programs in the Office of Student Success, has received the Outstanding New Professionals Award from the NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community. This award is presented to an outstanding new professional who was worked one to four years in higher education and has contributed in various ways to supporting student success and the student culture on their campus.

As the assistant director of first year programs, he works with the logistics, execution and evaluation of the new student orientation and transition programs, the First Year Seminar peer coaches and the Common Read Program. He serves as the publicity chair for the WSU Latine Faculty & Staff Association and an active member of the First-Generation Coordinating Council.

This week’s Student Success and Persistence spotlight comes from Pamela O’Neal, associate director of student engagement in the Office of Online and Adult Learning.

• What role do you think faculty/staff play in a student’s success and persistence?
  “The potential staff and faculty have in a student’s success and persistence is immeasurable. I’ve heard students time and time again say to not only myself but to other staff and faculty, ‘I couldn’t have done it (meaning graduate) without you.’ Students need to know someone is not only there for them, but also that someone believes and is rooting for them the entire time they are at WSU.”
• What is one small thing any faculty/staff member can do to make a student’s day or let them know they’re cared for?
  “Ask them how their day is going and sincerely listen. Sometimes you’ll have advice or an answer for them, but sometimes they just want to know someone is really listening to them and not just hearing the words they are saying.”
• How do you promote student success through your campus duties?
  “In 2020, our office held the Inaugural Adult Learner Of The Year (ALOTY) Awards Celebration. Now in its fifth year, ALOTY Awards Celebration seeks to highlight adult learners who go above and beyond in the classroom and in the community as well.
  We also recognize a campus partner (a person or organization) at WSU who we work with and a community partner (a person or organization) we work with and highlight them and thank them for their work.
  We also highlight students throughout the year on our Shocker Proud website and during Online and Adult Learner Week at WSU.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

This week’s Student Success and Persistence highlight comes from Daniel Ludlow, custodial manager of special events and projects.

Daniel graduated from Wichita State in fall 2022 with his Bachelor of Arts in Education, emphasis in mathematics (secondary), while working full time in custodial services and took on his current role in October 2022.

While he found it difficult to work full time and earn an education at the same time, staff in the now Office of Online and Adult Learning (OAL) supported him every step of the way.

“Every time I hit a bump in my education and thought I needed to step away or couldn’t keep going, they were there to help me find a solution that kept me going,” Daniel said.

The department assisted him in determining the right major for him and shifting to being a part-time student to help him balance work and his education. Thanks to the department’s help, Daniel was able to graduate and further his career to support his family.

“If it wasn’t for a multitude of people in the department, I would not have earned my degree,” Daniel said.

One staff member who contributed to his success during his time as a student was Pamela O’Neal, associate director of student engagement in OAL.

“Daniel was an exemplary adult learner in that he was working full time, raising his family and earning his degree,” O’Neal said. “As an Osher Scholar, Daniel was a great asset to new incoming students, giving advice where he could and always having a great attitude. Wichita State benefited from having him as a student and now benefits from him being an employee.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.