WSU Today: Monday, Nov. 4, 2024

Required Training

Title IX & Civil Rights Training required for faculty and staff

At WSU, we believe in the importance of creating a safe and healthy environment for all of our community members. To that end, we have partnered with Catharsis to provide Title IX & Civil Rights Training. This training is highly interactive and engaging, and is based on research around best practices for healthy communities.

Human Resources

University announces schedule for the 2024 winter closedown

To help employees plan their time-off and work schedules throughout the year, Wichita State has shared the winter closedown schedule, which has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 20 and end starting the morning of Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The closedown is 10 days, two of which are paid holidays. In addition, employees may use Presidential Administrative Days to remain in pay status for the four days between Christmas and New Years Day — thanks to President Rick Muma. Classes will not be in session during this period.

Unclassified professional and university support staff who would normally be scheduled to work these days may use accumulated vacation leave or their 2025 discretionary day* during the winter closedown. Non-exempt employees may also use accumulated compensatory time off during the winter closedown.

If your role requires you to work during the winter closedown it must be approved in advance by your immediate supervisor.

Winter closedown schedule:

Monday, Dec. 23, 2024
Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 (Paid holiday)
Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
Friday, Dec. 27, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 (Paid holiday)
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025
Friday, Jan. 3, 2025

An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays to receive holiday pay. The official state holidays are Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2025.

Employees required to work during the winter closedown will be allowed to use their four Presidential Administrative Days anytime from Monday, Dec. 23 through Jan. 31, 2025. WSU appreciates your dedication and service to the university.

*The discretionary day for 2024 must be used on or before Friday, Dec. 20 prior to the beginning of the winter closedown. The discretionary day for 2025 will be available starting Sunday, Dec. 22 and may be used during the 2024 winter closedown.

Health and Safety

Flu vaccines will be available for staff, faculty and students at RSC pop-up clinic Nov. 6

Student Health is hosting a pop-up flu vaccine clinic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 in 203 Rhatigan Student Center, Lancelot Room, for the WSU community. Staff, faculty and students are encouraged to come get vaccinated.

If you have insurance, bring your insurance card; flu vaccine and administration fees may be free with WSU employee health insurance plans. If you are a student, fees can be applied to your myWSU student account.

Wellness-To-Go vending option now available

A student grabs an item from the Wellness-to-Go vending machine

Check out the new Wellness-To-Go vending machine in the Heskett Center lobby. Student Health Services has increased access to health and wellness products that include at-home COVID-19 tests, multiple over-the-counter medication options, personal hygiene and other medical supplies at low prices. Free Narcan and Julie, emergency contraception, is also available.

Faculty, staff, students, Innovation Campus partners and the general community can purchase items with credit cards and pay with phone, as well as cash.

Learn more about Wellness-to-Go

Free COVID-19 tests are now available to order

U.S. households will be eligible to order four free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. The COVID-19 tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year. The site will also provide instructions on how to read COVID at-home tests and finding COVID tests in your community.

Faculty and Staff Resources

Learn more about the new Faculty Annual Activity Report: Watermark Faculty Success

Attend a come-and-go training session for faculty who want to learn more about Watermark Faculty Success, the new platform for the Faculty Annual Activity Report (FAAR). Learn how to get started or bring your questions to these open labs. All sessions are offered in remote format through Microsoft Teams. If you have questions, contact Rachel Crane at rachel.crane@wichita.edu.

Get started:

Entering activity data
Importing citations
Running reports

Schedule:

1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5
3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7
11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8

Faculty, staff clinic available on campus

Faculty and staff can visit the Faculty/Staff Acute Care Clinic for minor and acute medical issues only. Appointments are required for the clinic.

Open the drop down to learn more about the services offered.

Read more of Faculty, staff clinic available on campus

Awards and Recognitions

KMUW named Station of the Year for the 11th consecutive year

KMUW, Wichita’s NPR station, has been named Large Market Radio Station of the Year by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. This is the 11th consecutive year that KMUW has received top honors.

News

Excellence award nominations are being accepted by the Office of Research

Nominations for Excellence Awards in Research, Creativity Activity and Community Research are now being accepted by the Office of Research.

All full-time faculty, including distinguished professors and endowed chairs, who have served at WSU for at least three years are eligible. Faculty who hold an administrative position above that of chair are not eligible.

Previous winners of the award are ineligible to be nominated for a period of five years following the award. See the Office of Research website for additional details and online nomination forms. Nominations must be received by Dec. 6 to be considered.

Faculty nominations sought for president’s distinguished service award

Do you know a faculty member who is deeply engaged in service? Do you know a faculty member who exemplifies any of the following?

Distinguished service to the university
Distinguished service to the community
Notable outreach efforts and/or forging of connections between WSU and the community
Long-term commitment to WSU through extensive committee service

Consider nominating them for the Presidential Service Award. Complete a nomination form, attach a CV that includes the nominee’s service activities and include a letter of support. Previous recipients of this award are not eligible for nomination. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Jan. 24, 2025. You can send your nominations to leeann.birdwell@wichita.edu.

Request a presentation from Student Conduct & Community Standards

Are you needing Student Conduct & Community Standards (SCCS) staff to present in a classroom, at a conference, at a departmental meeting or for a program?

OAL launches Students Who Are Parents (SWAP) Group

The Office of Online and Adult Learning is thrilled to introduce the Students Who Are Parents (SWAP) Group. This initiative is dedicated to fostering a welcoming, inclusive and supportive space for WSU students who balance academics with the responsibilities of parenting or caring for young dependents. SWAP will be hosted online through Blackboard, creating a focused community where student caregivers can connect, share resources and find support.

To learn more or join the group, visit the WSU SWAP Group website.

Students can attend next Savvy Scholar workshop on systematic reviews

Students can join University Libraries’ upcoming workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Ablah Library Digital Scholars Commons (in-person and online). There is no cost to attend, and with the new attendance tracking system in place, offering extra credit for student participation is now simpler than ever.

The session will help them understand what systematic reviews are and aren’t, what makes them systematic, how to read and interpret them and how to write them. Discover why systematic reviews are rapidly becoming one of the fastest-growing forms of published scholarly research.

Learn more and register

Presentations and Talks

Next physics seminar will feature researcher from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago

The next physics seminar will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 in 226 Jabara Hall. The talk will feature Dr. Ohana Benevides Rodrigues, senior research associate from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, and is titled “Short-Baseline Neutrino Oscillations with the PROSPECT-l Detector at HFIR.”

Dr. Benevides Rodrigues has been completing her Ph.D. degree Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. She has worked extensively on low energy neutrino experiments, most notable the Oak Ridge National Lab Prospect experiment and is now preparing a new follow on measurement in an experiment called Prospect-II. Watch a pre-seminar interview with the speaker with Dr. Nick Solomey.

The physics seminar series brings several speakers to campus each semester and is sponsored by the Eddy and April Lucas Fund, Wichita.

Learn more about the physics seminars

Learn how educators can strengthen Hispanic students’ pathways to higher education at Corbin Connect Speaker Series

Join the Corbin Connect Speaker Series for a panel of speakers, who are all educators from the surrounding area, on “Educators Strengthening Hispanic Students’ Pathways to Higher Education” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Wichita State Connect.

Speakers:

Gil Alvarez, deputy superintendent, Wichita Public Schools
Fabian Armendariz, division director of operations, Wichita Public Schools
Joel Escarpita, principle/director, Horace Mann K-8 Dual Language Magnet
Maria Kury, Spanish communications specialist, Wichita Public Schools
Lauren Rust, school counselor, St. Margaret Mary

The event is free and open to area educators and WSU faculty, staff and students, and it is presented by Credit Union of America.

RSVP by Nov. 8

Performances

Epic sounds await at the Wichita State Wind Ensemble concert

Mark your calendars for a musical event with the Wichita State Wind Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 in Miller Concert Hall. This evening promises a captivating lineup of compositions that explore diverse emotions, themes and histories through the power of live music.

The program will open with “Nobunaga – A Shaft of Light in the Renaissance” by Eiji Suzuki, setting a dramatic and historical tone. Lee Gannon’s “Symphony No. 1” will follow, offering a compelling symphonic journey. Audiences will also experience “I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold” by James David, a vibrant tribute inspired by a renowned piece of modern art, and “A deep reverberation fills with stars” by John Mackey, a piece filled with wonder and celestial imagery.

Tickets are available now. Secure your seats through the Fine Arts Box Office and join the WSU Wind Ensemble for a powerful and inspiring performance.

Wichita State Opera Theater to present world premiere

Wichita State Opera Theater will present the world premiere of Lance Hulme’s new opera “December Night” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 430 N. Broadway. A second performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 in Wiedemann Hall.

The one-hour opera is based on Willa Cather’s “Death Comes for the Archbishop.” The Bishop of Santa Fe is suffering from a “dark night of faith” and becomes inspired by the great devotion of Sara, an old Mexican slave.

The composer will conduct these performance which will be under the direction of WSU Opera Theater director, Alan Held. Admission to the Nov. 7 performance is free. Tickets are available for the Nov. 8 performance at the College of Fine Arts Box Office or by calling 316-978-3233. Students can get a ticket at no additional charge with their Shocker ID, thanks to the Student Government Association.

Events and Recreation

Student Activities Council to host Veterans Day celebration

The Students Activities Council is hosting a special Veterans Day celebration social for all veterans, CHAMPVA family members and active-duty members from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes.

Vets are welcomed sit back and relax and enjoy free bowling, billiards, concessions and socializing.

Join Shockers Vote Coalition and political science for election night party

Join the Department of Political Science and Shockers Vote Coalition in a non-partisan watch party of the 2024 general election from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the Bluestem Lounge on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center.

There will be light food and drinks provided.

Party to the Polls with the Shockers Vote coalition on Election Day

Do you need a ride to your polling location on Election Day? The Shockers Vote coalition has you covered and wants to celebrate with you along the way. Stop by the Rhatigan Student Center between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to get a ride to the polling location at the Atwater Community Center.

While you’re there, stop by the Shockers Vote table for games, food and raffles throughout the day. For questions about the Party to the Polls, reach out to the Shockers Vote coalition at CivicEngagement@wichita.edu or call 316-978-3022.

Campus community invited to Hispanic American Leadership Organization’s 3rd annual Baile

Glow all out at the Hispanic American Leadership Organization‘s (HALO) third annual Baile from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 at 305/306 Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom. Take a spin on a 360 photo booth, enjoy free food and listen to tunes by DJ Metiche. The theme for 2024 is glow in the dark.

Students, faculty and staff can join for free with their Shocker IDs.

Help celebrate first-gen students at National First-Generation Celebration Week group photo

The F1RST Generation Coordinating Council invites all faculty, staff and students to join for a photo at 1:11 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 on the east side of the Rhatigan Student Center to kick off National First-Generation Celebration Week.

All are invited to wear their First-Gen Shocker T-shirts for the photo. If you do not have one, visit the F1RST Generation Coordinating Council table from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 on the first floor to pick up a free First-Gen Shocker T-shirt while supplies last.