WSU Today: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

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

Technology and Security

Protect privacy by protecting your Microsoft SharePoint or Teams sites

The Microsoft Teams and Microsoft SharePoint logos

Keeping Microsoft SharePoint or Teams sites set to “public” can unintentionally expose sensitive information to a wider audience than intended. When a site or its content is accessible without proper restrictions, it increases the risk of oversharing and unauthorized access, editing or deletion by individuals who should not have visibility or access into that information.

To protect organizational data and maintain compliance, you should always follow the principle of least privilege by configuring SharePoint or Teams sites as private by default, granting access only to those who truly need it. This ensures better control over who can view, edit, or share content.

Being mindful of SharePoint and Teams visibility settings is a simple but critical step in safeguarding company information. If you have any questions about how to do this, email privacy@wichita.edu or visit the ITS training site.

Professional Development

Register for Microsoft Word essentials training June 30

This hands-on training, from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 30 virtually via Microsoft Teams, covers foundational skills in the document tool used every day across higher education.

Whether you are new to Microsoft Word or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this session will leave you better equipped to apply formatting, styles and themes, build lists, work with comments and markup, insert and arrange images and take advantage of new Microsoft 365 features including the editor.

To register, log in to myTraining via your myWSU and search for “Microsoft Word Essentials.” Space is limited, so register early.

Professional Development Series, Session #13. Moving from Criticism to Feedback. 1:00 to 4:00 PM, July 9, 2026. Westlink Branch Library, Wichita, Kansas. Led by Percy Turner of the WSU Community Engagement Institute.

Join professional development session on giving effective feedback July 9

Turn difficult conversations into opportunities for growth. Led by Percy Turner of the WSU Community Engagement Institute, the session helps participants deliver feedback that builds trust, strengthens performance and supports continuous improvement. Join the session from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 9 (check-in at 12:45 p.m.) at the Wichita Public Library Westlink Branch, 8515 Bekemeyer St.

Cost is $100 per person. Shockers can use code 2025ProDev to receive 10% off registration for any class.