WSU Today: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026

Shared Governance

Illustration of a group of people beside the words "University Staff Senate Meeting"

University Staff Senate meeting set for Sept. 15

The next University Staff Senate (USS) meeting is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room, or join 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 by visiting wichita.edu/staffsenate.

Support the WSU Staff Senate Scholarship on Founders Day

Field of flowers with WSU Water Tower in background

The WSU Staff Senate invites you to support the Staff Senate Scholarship during WSU Founders Day Sept. 17.

The Staff Senate Scholarship helps advance the educational goals of WSU staff members and their dependents. Staff members and their dependents who are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree, whether beginning or continuing their studies, are eligible to apply. The scholarship may be combined with the university’s Tuition Assistance program and other awards, and funds may be used for tuition, books and fees.

To learn more about the scholarship, visit wichita.edu/staffsenate.

Consider making a gift on Founders’ Day and encourage your colleagues, family and friends to do the same. Together, we can strengthen this important scholarship fund and expand educational opportunities for WSU staff and their dependents.

The Staff Senate thanks everyone for their support.

Give today

Human Resources

University shares schedule for the 2026 Winter Break

To help employees plan for time off and work schedules throughout the year, the university has shared Winter Break has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 18, 2026, and the university will reopen on Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. The break is 10 business days, three of which are paid holidays. Thanks to President Rick Muma, employees may use four “Additional Personal Days” to remain in pay status during Winter Break. Classes will not be in session during this period.

Unclassified Professional and University Support Staff may use accumulated paid leave, Additional Personal Days or their 2027 discretionary day* to cover time off during Winter Break. Non-exempt employees may also use accumulated compensatory time off during Winter Break.

If an employee’s role requires them to work during Winter Break, it must be approved in advance by their immediate supervisor.

Dates of Winter Break:

Monday, Dec. 21, 2026
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2026
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2026
Thursday, Dec. 24, 2026 (paid holiday**)
Friday, Dec. 25, 2026 (paid holiday)
Monday, Dec. 28, 2026
Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2026
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026
Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026
Friday, Jan. 1, 2027 (paid holiday)

An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays to receive holiday pay. This year the official state holidays (bolded) are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Employees required to work during Winter Break will be allowed to use their four Additional Personal Days anytime from Dec. 21, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027.

*The discretionary day for 2026 must be used on or before Friday, Dec. 18, 2026, prior to the beginning of Winter Break. The discretionary day for 2027 will be available as of Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026, and may be used during the 2026 Winter Break.

**The governor may designate additional paid holidays for state employees, often around holiday seasons in some years. In 2026, with Christmas falling on Friday, the governor has designated an additional holiday for Thursday, Christmas Eve.

Learn more about Winter Break

Faculty and Staff Resources

Learn more about the course evaluation tool: CES

Periodically, information will be posted regarding Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool to help users better understand Wichita State’s course evaluation tool.

Wichita State University. Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE). Faculty Get Stuff Done Groups. Thursdays: In Jardine 112. 2 to 4 p.m. GSD Group. In Jardine 112. 4 to 5 p.m. Writing Circle. Fridays: In Person. 1 to 4 p.m. First and Third Fridays. In Jardine 112. Online (Teams). Weekly on Fridays, 1 to 4 p.m. Contact fare@wichita.edu for a calendar invitation.

Weekly faculty ‘Get Stuff Done’ groups offer protected time for scholarly activity

The Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) is restarting two group opportunities to support faculty scholarly work.

Events and Recreation

Black background with gold and yellow type. Stars and sparks in gold and yellow.

Attend SEM recognition event Oct. 6

Save the date for the come and go Strategic Enrollment Management Recognition event from 10:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room. Comments will begin at 11 a.m.

Join in recognizing and celebrating the hard work, dedication and contributions of everyone who helped make this possible. Attendees may receive limited edition swag while supplies last.

HOPE Fest 2026 flyer shows a smiling yellow mascot WuShock holding a “There is HOPE” box, with Sept. 12 Wichita event details and organization supporter logos.

Attend HOPE Fest, a community event for mental health, hope and recovery

Join HOPE Fest 2026 from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Rhatigan Student Center courtyard. Connect with fellow students, faculty, staff and community members while supporting mental health, suicide prevention and recovery.

Participate in a campus walk at 10:30 a.m., build your own Hope Kit by collecting wellness resources from participating organizations and explore the Recovery Roots Market featuring handcrafted items from vendors with lived recovery experience. HOPE Fest is free and open to everyone.

Together, everyone can build connections, share hope and strengthen the community’s commitment to mental wellness.

Veterans Upward Bound and Veterans Student Support Services to host open house

Come join the staff of Veterans Upward Bound and Veteran Student Support Services as they kick off their very first open house. Stop by any time between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 in Grace Wilkie Hall for an afternoon filled with fun, games, prizes and a scavenger hunt.

Enjoy free food, meet the staff and learn more about the services and support available to military-affiliated students at Wichita State.

For detailed information about the program, visit wichita.edu/vub and wichita.edu/vsss.

Campus Safety

WSUPD offers advice for driver, pedestrian safety

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

The University 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 suddenly 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 accidentally 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 proceed with caution when 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.

September is Campus Fire Safety Month. Fire prevention starts with you

Campus Fire Safety Month is a reminder that preventing fires starts with everyday habits. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety encourages students, faculty and staff to take simple steps to reduce fire risks at home, in residence halls and on campus.

Learn more about preventing fires

News

Shocktoberfest Shocker Royalty Nominations and Application

Shocker Royalty nominations and applications are now open

Shocktoberfest, Wichita State’s annual celebration of spirit and pride, is Sept. 28-Oct. 3. During this week, twelve outstanding students represent Shocker Nation on the Shocktoberfest Court, and two are selected to hold the title of Shocker Royalty.

Academe - Faculty/Staff. Wichita State University

Submissions for the next Academe newsletter are due Sept. 14

Submissions are open for the next edition of Academe. Any submissions after Monday, Sept. 14 will be saved for a future edition of the Academe newsletter.

If you are submitting on behalf of someone else, please indicate that in the comments section of your submission. Academe highlights faculty and staff accomplishments.

If you have questions regarding submissions to Academe, reach out to Caelin Bragg, publications editor, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu or 316-978-3013.

Submit an item to Academe

Programs and Courses

Badge programs can enhance your skillset and broaden your opportunities

Professionals looking to boost their skillsets or retrain for new opportunities can enroll in the many Badge courses offered at Wichita State in the fall 2026 semester. With Badges, professionals can take bite-sized, one credit hour or fewer courses to learn or enhance their skills.

Wichita State has been a national leader in creating a standard for microcredentials, allowing employers to be confident that meaningful learning has occurred when you list the badge on your resume. Badges are developed with input from employers, government licensing agencies, trade associations and faculty.

One such series of Badges is the Human Resource Management series, which can enhance your capabilities of being an effective supervisor. Badges in this series cover designing jobs, recruiting, hiring and managing and mentoring employees.

To learn more about Badges, including how to enroll, visit wichita.edu/badges.