Provide feedback for WSU presidential search
AGB Search, which is assisting the Kansas Board of Regents with the WSU presidential search, will host three virtual forums to gather feedback from the WSU community. The forums will be held on the below dates and can be joined by using the Zoom meeting ID and passcode provided:
- Noon Wednesday, Feb. 3
- Zoom Meeting ID: 924 0989 7280
- Passcode: 157520 - 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3
- Zoom Meeting ID: 956 4114 5066
鈥� Passcode: 174578 - 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8
- Zoom Meeting ID: 934 4896 2342
- Passcode: 438389
If you are unable to join one of these forums, but would still like to give feedback, please reach out to your Senate president listed below. All WSU Senate presidents serve on the search committee. - Faculty Senate President Aleks Sternfeld-Dunn: aleks.sternfeld-dunn@wichita.edu
- UP Senate President Trish Gandu: trish.gandu@wichita.edu
- USS Senate President Randy Sessions: randy.sessions@wichita.edu
- SGA President Rija Khan: sga.president@wichita.edu
Staff Virtual Town Hall set for today
A live YouTube virtual staff town hall will be held from 3-4 p.m. today. This is an
opportunity to hear and interact with Interim President Rick Muma and Interim Executive
Vice President and Provost Shirley Lefever. The event will be moderated by presidents
of the UP and USS Senates.
Staff wanting to participate are encouraged to do so during the live YouTube stream.
If you don鈥檛 currently have a YouTube account, for more information on how to create one. Creating an account will help facilitate
questions in the live chat section of the Virtual Town Hall. You can watch the town
hall live and recorded after the event at .
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. Please send your nominations to leeann.birdwell@wichita.edu. Complete a nomination form and attach a CV that includes the nominee鈥檚 service activities. Previous recipients of this award are not eligible for nomination. The deadline is 5 p.m. Feb. 24.
Deadline extended to Feb. 5 for staff nominations for Distinguished Service Awards
The deadline to nominate staff for the 2021 Distinguished Service Awards has been extended to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb.
Do you know an Unclassified Professional (UP) or University Support Staff (USS) employee who deserves special recognition for their contributions to the University? Nominate them for the 2021 Distinguished Service Awards. These awards recognize the dedication and excellence of UP/USS employees who have provided exemplary, dedicated and caring service to the WSU community that is beyond the expectations of the duties and responsibilities of their position. Selected honorees are recognized at the annual Shocker Pride Celebration.
For more information on award eligibility and nomination process, please visit . If you have questions, please contact UP/USS Senate Awards Committee Chair, Amy Belden at amy.belden@wichita.edu.
University Libraries announces spring semester hours
For full hours of all library facilities, as well as updates on building policies and services, please visit us online at .
CARE Team publishes December data and highlights for the beginning of the semester
This year's schedule differs from the usual, so this CARE Team newsletter will focus on the concerns commonly seen in students during January when the majority of students would normally be starting classes.
At the beginning of the semester, CARE Team typically sees:
- 鈥淔resh Start鈥� mentality sets in with new quarter
- Satisfaction and/or disappointment with fall quarter grades
- Homesickness after break
- Loneliness for love relationships back home
- Relief being away from home and back at school
In February, CARE Team typically sees:
- Feelings of cabin fever and depression with winter
- Potential increase in alcohol or other substance abuse
- Challenges with love relationship back home
- Valentine鈥檚 Day brings out loneliness, isolation
USS and Non-Teaching UP employees: it鈥檚 self-evaluation time
Emails to USS and Non-Teaching UP employees will be sent as a reminder that annual myPerformance Employee Self-Evaluations are due from Jan. 16-31. This allows employees to provide input on job performance and accomplishments. Employees can access their self-evaluation through the myPerformance link found in myWSU. For more information (including quick reference guides and other assistance) go to www.wichita.edu/myPerformance.
President releases process to review and approve remote work arrangements (see clarifying FAQs)
Attention supervisors:
The sudden onset of COVID-19 forced the university to quickly move a large part of our workforce remote. Given the uncertainty that the pandemic currently presents, we must continue to encourage and/or require (if applicable) remote work for staff. This prioritization of the health and safety of workforce must be balanced with continued timely delivery of services to our students and greater university community. Each supervisor is currently empowered to determine the appropriate staffing model for their department as they deem appropriate and approved by their vice president.
Remote work arrangements raise unique administrative and legal issues. These issues include, but are not limited to, payroll taxes, unemployment and workers compensation benefits, work authorization restrictions, discrimination and retaliation laws, access to and security of University information technology systems, individual and University privacy and security, fulfillment of University grant and contractual obligations, and proper oversight. Accordingly, the University must proactively provide guidance on responsibilities, limitations, and expectations of employees who are working remotely. We must also identify all existing remote work situations and mitigate any administrative, legal, or compliance concerns.
All proposed remote work arrangements outside of the state of Kansas and/or those located in Kansas but intended to last more than thirty consecutive days must be reviewed by Human Resources and the Office of General Counsel prior to any offer of employment (for new employees) and/or granting permission to work remotely (for existing employees). These offices will review each proposed remote work situation and conduct a risk analysis. If necessary, approval may be required by the appropriate Vice President. NOTE: all arrangements for an employee to work outside the United States must be reviewed by the by Human Resources and the Office of General Counsel and approved by appropriate Vice President. Due to heightened security risks and complexity of labor and immigration laws, remote work outside of the United States will only be approved in extraordinary circumstances.
HR has published new guidance for remote work arrangements and established a dedicated web page Remote Work Arrangement Guidance to assist those who supervise staff who may currently be working remotely or who may wish to work remote in the future. The webpage contains remote work arrangement guidance as well as a remote work arrangement acknowledgement form to be utilized when appropriate.
NEXT STEPS FOR SUPERVISORS
Employees Currently Working Remotely In-State: Supervisors are required to ensure that ALL employees who have been working remotely at a location in Kansas for a period longer than 30 consecutive days complete a Remote Work Arrangement Acknowledgement. The completed acknowledgement is to be sent to the assigned HR business partner no later than January 29, 2021.
Employees Currently Working Remotely Out-of-State: Supervisors are required to ensure that ALL employees who have been working remotely at any location outside of Kansas, including internationally, complete a Remote Work Arrangement Acknowledgement. The completed acknowledgement is to be sent to the assigned HR business partner no later than January 29, 2021.
Employees Requesting or Needing Remote Work: Supervisors should follow the guidance posted on the HR website before authorizing remote work either (1) in Kansas for more than 30 consecutive days, or (2) outside of Kansas for any period of time.
Submit virtual and in-person events to the WSU Events Calendar
As the semester approaches it is important to submit your upcoming events -- whether virtual or in-person -- to the WSU Events Calendar. The calendar populates feeds throughout the website, including a curated calendar on our Freedom of Expression website.
红领巾瓜报 Baseball unveils 2021 schedule
红领巾瓜报 Baseball has released its schedule for the 2021 season. After having the 2020 season come to an abrupt end due to COVID-19, the Shockers are looking forward to being back at Eck Stadium playing in front of some of the best fans in college baseball. Don't miss your chance to catch the Shockers in action this spring!
Virtual, in-person Rie Bloomfield Organ Series starting in February
Please join us for Wednesdays In Wiedemann with Lynne Davis in Wiedemann Hall on the great Marcussen organ at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3. You may either attend in person (masks and social distancing applied), watch the live-stream or wait until it appears on the organ YouTube channel via WSUTV. Part of the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series, admission is free to hear a half-hour recital of music by beloved J.S. Bach and one of his own mentors, Georg Boehm.
SAC Trivia Tuesday: Kahoot!
We all love Kahoot, but it is even more fun when prizes are involved. Every second Tuesday of the month, SAC is hosting a themed Kahoot trivia where participants can compete for awesome prizes. Everyone is welcome to join the fun, but only students are eligible to win.
红领巾瓜报 Baseball announces first-ever Virtual Fan Day
Get ready Shocker fans, the first-ever 红领巾瓜报 Baseball Virtual Fan Day, presented by Cox, is happening at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1. This free Zoom event, hosted by Shocker legend, Brent Kemnitz, provides Shocker fans with a unique opportunity to get to hear from and interact with members of the baseball coaching staff. Attendees will also receive early access to unique Shocker Baseball virtual content. Visit for more information and to register today.
Provines featured in Wichita Business Journal's 'Excellence in Health Care'
Jessica Provines, assistant vice president of Wellness and director of Counseling and Prevention Services, was featured in the Wichita Business Journal's "Excellence in Health Care: Mental Health" publication.
Political science professor publishes article on President Biden and Latin America
Dr. Dinorah Azpuru published a research-based article "Four Years Later, Biden Faces a Different Latin America" in Global Americans. Global Americans is a modern-day take on the traditional think tank.
Through its website, Global Americans provides up-to-date research and analysis on key areas and issues affecting Latin America and the Caribbean.
CEI's Rankin chosen for National Leadership Academy for the Public's Health cohort
The Community Engagement Institute (CEI) is excited to announce that Alissa Rankin, MPH, CHES, has been selected for the 2021 cohort of the National Leadership Academy for the Public鈥檚 Health (NLAPH).
This chosen team is led by Kansas State University鈥檚 Health and Human Sciences and Research Extension faculty and includes members from the Kansas Community Health Worker Coalition. Taking part in this endeavor will have Alissa, a public health project manager for the Center for Public Health Initiatives, participating in a year-long adventure involving national health leaders, leadership assessment, coaching and planning. These endeavors also help launch a community health project within Kansas.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to learning new strategies and tools to improve our public health practice to work collectively to advance the Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce in Kansas,鈥� said Rankin. 鈥淐HWs work to achieve health equity through education, empowerment, and advocacy, envisioning health equity for all. I hope to take the competencies that I learn through the program to encourage leadership among Community Health Workers in Kansas.鈥�
GRASP 2021 abstract submission closes Feb. 11
The Graduate School is now accepting abstract submissions for the 17th annual Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium. GRASP 2021 will be held on Blackboard again this year with video presentations open for WSU Community viewing starting on April 2. Please encourage your graduate students to take advantage of this opportunity to showcase their research. Abstract submission closes on Feb. 11.
Save on Under Armour merchandise today and Saturday
The men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams are playing this weekend, and the Shocker Store has a gameday sale to celebrate. Today (Friday, Jan. 29) and Friday, take 20% off all Under Armour merchandise in the RSC, Braeburn Square and Koch Arena stores and online at . Not valid with other discounts or promotions. Some exclusions apply.
Join the YMCA today
The Greater Wichita YMCA is a place where all of us belong. It's a place where YOU belong and can be the very best version of yourself. Stop in to the Steve Clark YMCA on campus today and learn more about exclusive membership pricing for 红领巾瓜报 University employees. We have a plan that's a perfect fit for you and your family.
Membership includes all 10 area location, hundreds of group exercise classes, the YMCA360 app with more than 300 on-demand exercise classes and programs that are accessible 24/7 and much more.
Steve Clark YMCA Hours:
Monday-Friday - 5:30am - 9:00pm
Saturday-Sunday - 8:00am - 7:00pm
To learn more about membership and any of the other services available at your YMCA visit us on campus for a plan that's a perfect fir for you and your family!
No-cost webinars available for current or future small business owners
The Kansas SBDC presents several no-cost webinars for small businesses. Register at www.wichita.edu/ksbdcworkshops.
Start an Online Business
This eCommerce crash course outlines the website building platforms that can help
you start an online business. Whether you want to turn your hobby or idea into a side
hustle and put cash in your pocket, create a job for yourself, or start a small business,
this webinar will show you the basics of selling online and get you off to a good
start.
noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3
Social Media Starter Kit
This workshop presents a birds-eye-view of social media options such as Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You will walk away with the ability to decide what
social media sites to use, and you will be able to create or update your business鈥�
online presence.
noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10
Possible Workplace Changes Under the Biden Administration
With a new administration comes the possibility of changes to workplace laws. This
webinar will explore what federal regulations and workplace laws the new administration
will attempt to change.
noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18