WSU Today: Monday, Jan. 30, 2023

Campus Safety

WSUPD offers advice for driver, pedestrian safety

The Wichita State Police Department encourages all students, faculty, staff and visitors to remain safe while driving and walking across campus.

WSUPD offers the following safety tips to both drivers and pedestrians:

For drivers:

Follow all traffic laws, including driving at or under speed limits and coming to a full stop at stop signs.
Stop for all pedestrians and offer proper clearance for them to cross the road.
Be vigilant when approaching intersections. Even if you have a green light, pedestrians may still be crossing.
Be prepared for pedestrians to cross the road if you see them approaching a crosswalk. They may not give you adequate signals they will cross before doing so.
Make sure to use your blinkers when making turns, and check that you don’t accidently have your blinker on when you don’t intend to turn.
When making turns, make sure to check for pedestrians in front of you as well as where you are turning into.
If you see a yellow light, slow down and stop if it is safe to do so. Pedestrians may start crossing as you pass through.
Be extra vigilant when visibility is low, such as at night or in heavy rain, snow or fog.
Consider using the Wichita State Transit buses when traffic is high or visibility is low, or when you have to drive a considerable distance across campus.

For pedestrians:

Follow all traffic laws and traffic signals that tell you when and when not to cross.
Always use marked crosswalks. Many drivers are not expecting pedestrians crossing elsewhere.
Check for cars coming from both directions before you begin to cross the road.
Remain vigilant for cars when crossing the road. Pedestrians have the right of way on roads, but drivers may not see you crossing in time to slow down.
Make sure drivers coming from both directions have clear sight of you before you cross the road.
When using a crosswalk, make it clear that you are about to cross before doing so to give drivers enough time to see you, slow down and let you through.
If a driver has their car blinker on, make sure they are slowing down and completing the turn before crossing the road. They may have a malfunction or left it on by mistake and may not be turning.
Be extra vigilant when visibility is low, such as at night or in heavy rain, snow or fog.
Consider using the Wichita State Transit buses when traffic is high or visibility is low, or when you have to walk a considerable distance across campus.

Learn more about the Wichita State Police Department

Human Resources

New HealthQuest provider in 2023

Employees enrolled in 2023 coverage through the State Employee Health Plan can earn a premium discount worth $480 annually and HSA/HRA rewards dollars up to $500 per year, just by participating and logging healthy activities throughout the year.

New HealthQuest vendor: Marathon Health.

Employees enrolled in 2023 coverage through the State Employee Health Plan can earn a premium discount worth $480 annually, and HSA/HRA rewards dollars up to $500 per year, just by participating and logging healthy activities throughout the year.

HealthQuest by Marathon is a program that rewards State of Kansas Employee Health Plan (SEHP) participants for completing activities that promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. HealthQuest provides two incentive programs, which may vary depending on the SEHP plan in which you are enrolled.

Many of the activities available for incentive program participation are simple: get an annual Well Man or Well Woman exam, go for an annual eye exam, and go to the dentist twice per year. In addition, guided online workshops, real-life wellness challenges and simple webinars are just a few ways to earn points and support healthy lifelong habits!

Take advantage of some of the On-Demand and online options to earn HealthQuest credits.

2023 HealthQuest program overview video & quiz: You can earn five credits for watching this video and completing the short quiz.

Learning modules: You can earn up to 10 credits by completing on-demand learning modules in the HealthQuest portal. There are many different topics to choose from.

EAP on-demand trainings: You can earn up to 10 credits combined by completing EAP on-demand trainings that you can access through the HealthQuest portal and attending EAP webinars (max one credit per day).

Marathon health chronic condition management programs: You can earn up to 10 credits by participating in and completing the criteria of the marathon health chronic condition management programs to earn five credits each toward your program goal.

Diabetes Self-Management, Education and Support program (DSMES) (five credits)

Healthy Hearts program (five credits)

They will be publishing upcoming events each month, but if you’d like to plan in advance, check out all currently scheduled HealthQuest events.

Access the HealthQuest portal

News

Update on rpk Group report

The Jan. 23 Faculty Senate meeting provided updated information on the academic portfolio and workload review from rpk Group that was commissioned by the Kansas Board of Regents last spring.

University Budget Office updates webpage

The University Budget Office webpage has a new look. Check out the changes and find some new resources and information as the office starts to get ready for the next fiscal year’s budget process.

Visit the new University Budget Office webpage

Events and Recreation

Join Shocker Career Accelerator for the JCPenney Suit-Up event Feb. 5

Students, faculty and staff are invited to find everything they need for their next interview, career fair or new job, including suits, dresses, sport coats, dress pants, shoes and accessories.

The event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 at JCPenney in Towne East Square. Show a Shocker ID and receive up to 50% off select professional dress apparel.

Want to shop online? Text SHOCKS to 67292 to get a coupon.

Shop online through JCPenney

Monday Melodies to feature Patz at the RSC

Join the Rhatigan Student Center for its music series, Monday Melodies, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30 in the Starbucks lounge. This event will feature live music from the local Wichita musician, Patz.

Publications and Presentations

January Teaching Today has recordings from the ARC

Each month, the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) publishes Teaching Today, a teaching-focused newsletter for instructors at WSU. For the first Teaching Today of 2023, it is taking a look back at the January Academic Resources Conference (ARC) with links to all available session recordings.

OIR has organized all its sessions by topic so they are easy to find. Nearly all of the January ARC23 sessions are there, but a few will not be available until the February issue because of necessary editing.

It hopes readers enjoy the look back at the ARC and are able to catch up on any sessions they missed. Suggestions for topics for the May ARC or in future issues of Teaching Today can be sent to the OIR at OIR@wichita.edu.

View the January Teaching Today newsletter

Student Organizations

Student Ambassador Society requesting nominations

Nominate a student for membership in Wichita State’s Student Ambassador Society (SAS). All nominations will be accepted by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 31.

SAS is supported by the Office of Admissions and provides support and outreach to prospective students with Shocker spirit. SAS is a community of selfless, hardworking and involved students from all areas of our campus who seek to give back to our university through service to others.

The SAS nomination application is an anonymous form that allows the WSU community to recognize remarkable students.

For more information about SAS or nominations, contact SAS vice president of selections at sasvpselections@wichita.edu.

Nominate a student here

Learn more about the Student Ambassador Society