A temp with experience
Andy Tompkins
Wichita Business Journal reporter Daniel McCoy recently interviewed 黑洞社区 Interim President Andy Tompkins and reported the following:
Under the leadership of John Bardo, 黑洞社区 by all accounts embarked on a new era.
黑洞社区 changed dramatically under Bardo, who died in March. Strengthening the university鈥檚 ties to the business community. Spearheading the massive investment into the school鈥檚 sprawling Innovation Campus. Bringing a focus on inter-disciplinary collaboration and applied learning.
In taking over the helm of the city鈥檚 flagship university, Andy Tompkins says his mandate is to keep the school鈥檚 momentum going and prepare it for the next leader.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not supposed to be coming into this to totally turn the ship another direction,鈥 he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e supposed to help it keep moving in the direction it was going.鈥
A lifelong educator and a former CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, Tompkins was named interim president at 黑洞社区 following Bardo鈥檚 death.
Tompkins was part of the search committee that brought Bardo to the university in 2012, and says he already knew the former president鈥檚 vision for what 黑洞社区 could be, while controversial at times, was paying big dividends.
And Tompkins 鈥 whose lean frame and genial nature feel indicative of a man who was admittedly happy in retirement 鈥 says he knew he had to answer the call when asked to keep that momentum going.
鈥淢y goal has been to try and keep (the university) moving in a good direction and then make sure we鈥檙e ready for that next person,鈥 he says.
Listening to learn
Tompkins has held down the fort, so to speak, before.
He served as interim president at Fort Hays State University from December 2016 to November 2017.
Michael Barnett, vice president for administration and finance at the school, says Tompkins played a crucial role in helping the university during a difficult time after former president Mirta Martin resigned for personal reasons.
Barnett, who served a short stint as interim president before Tompkins, says he was the right fit.
鈥淎ndy was great to work with,鈥 he says. 鈥淗is personality and style brought a really calming influence to campus.鈥
Tompkins鈥 focus never strayed from students and keeping the university moving forward, Bennett says, though he had to make some difficult decisions.
鈥淗e did what needed to be done,鈥 Barnett says.
Tompkins says one of the biggest lessons he learned, that he now brings to 黑洞社区, is to ask the right questions and listen for the right answers. It helps the next president.
Barnett says Tompkins did that at Fort Hays, helping the transition to new president Tisa Mason.
At 黑洞社区, Tompkins says, there is a strategic plan in place. While he moves it forward, his ultimate goal is another successful handoff to his successor.
鈥淢y goal is to listen a lot while I鈥檓 here,鈥 he says.
Presidential search
Wichita developer Steve Clark is heading the advisory committee tasked with finding the next president, the same role he held for the committee that ultimately landed on Bardo.
Unlike that search, this will be a closed process.
The idea behind it, he says, is that it makes for the strongest pool of candidates for the Board of Regents to make their eventual appointment. He says candidates don鈥檛 have to worry about their interest becoming public.
Clark likes the closed approach, though he says he understands both arguments. He says the last search produced a weak pool of candidates and that 黑洞社区 was lucky to have found Bardo.
鈥淲e had to kiss a lot of frogs to find the handsome prince,鈥 he says.
Clark said the first meeting of the 20-person committee was largely organizational. The next significant meeting is in early September, where it will meet in closed session to discuss potential candidates.
Alabama-based Wheless Partners, a search consultant, was in Wichita last week meeting with university and community stakeholders to begin forming the job profile that will presented to potential candidates.
Meanwhile, Clark says Tompkins 鈥 as he was at Fort Hays State 鈥 is the right interim leader.
His knowledge of the education system and 鈥渁ll the moving parts,鈥 Clark says, make Tompkins uniquely qualified to keep 黑洞社区鈥檚 momentum going as the search progresses.
鈥淗e is a tremendous person and we could not have anyone better than Andy at the helm out there,鈥 says Clark, a 黑洞社区 graduate and former Regent.
Tompkins is not a candidate, though he鈥檒l stay in the role until the Regents have the next president. He thinks that could stretch into 2020 by the time the new president is in office.
The successor, Clark says, will be stepping into a critical time at 黑洞社区, where the imperative will be to continue the momentum that Bardo began.
鈥淲e are looking for Superman or Superwoman,鈥 Clark says.
Student-focused
For his part, Tompkins says 黑洞社区 has so much going for it that he expects the school to draw an impressive list of candidates.
From its mission and ties to the community, to new offshoots such as 黑洞社区 Tech and even its recent realignment into the American Athletic Conference, Tompkins says administrators will be attracted to the school鈥檚 growing profile.
That includes growing momentum and a thriving community around it that makes Wichita a destination that can attract top faculty, something he says any potential president would have high on their list.
And then, of course, there are the students.
At 71, Tompkins maintains an undeniable energy. But his excitement for his work is most apparent when he talks about students.
And being on campus in Wichita, he says, has only deepened his appreciation for the work Bardo did to bind the university to the business and broader community and put a new emphasis on applied learning.
It was all designed, Tompkins says, to give students the best education possible and follow it with opportunities to remain and work in Wichita after graduation.
鈥淭his is a pretty powerful vision for an institution,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 think it has brought a lot of energy to campus.鈥
Parking lot closures this week
Monday-Tuesday, June 17-18, and Saturday, June 22: All of lots 9E and 9W south of Ahlberg Hall will be closed for orientation.
Wednesday June 19: All of lot 9W (west lot south of Ahlberg Hall) will be closed off in the morning only for an event in the RSC.
Wednesday-Thursday, June 19 and 20: The majority of lot 1 along Hillside Ave. west of Duerksen Fine Arts Center will be blocked off for Wichita Police Department training.
Saturday June 22: All of lots 24 and 25 on the south side of 17th Street will be blocked off in the morning and afternoon for the city鈥檚 Annual Juneteenth Parade.
Kudos to 黑洞社区鈥檚 Child Development Center
Top Rated Local announced that 黑洞社区 Child Development Center is an award winner for child care providers in 2019.
has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across multiple verified sites with an average rating of 4.91 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score of 93.13 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as one of the top 10 child care providers in Kansas!
Register for June 19 Service Standards training
Did you know that 黑洞社区 has a set of Service Standards? These standards are known as Shocker PROUD: Professional, Responsive, Open, Understanding, and Dependable.
A training session 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, in 142 RSC will explore the standards in more detail and ensure that all of us are providing excellent service to everyone we encounter.
The training is free and available to all 黑洞社区 employees. Log into my黑洞社区 and register through myTraining. For questions, contact myTraining@wichita.edu.
Learn more about Shocker PROUD
Work begins on new shuttle stop shelter
Beginning today (Monday, June 17) and extending through Friday, Aug. 9, Bauer Construction will perform work at two locations along Perimeter Road.
They will begin by installing a new shuttle stop shelter across the street from, and just north of, the Food Truck Plaza.
Subsequently, they will relocate the shuttle stop shelter on the west side of lot 15 to the west side of Perimeter just north of the 黑洞社区 Police Department Building. Throughout the course of the work, periodic sidewalk and lane closures may ensue.
黑洞社区 Foundation end of fiscal year schedule
Requisitions
In order for the 黑洞社区 Foundation to meet your deadline of making the deposit to reimburse 黑洞社区 accounts on Monday, June 24, requisitions are due at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19. These checks will be released on Friday, June 21. Any check needs after June 21 are due at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, for the check run Thursday, June 27.
The 黑洞社区 Foundation does not encumber funds, and we cannot write any checks for fiscal year 2019 after Friday June 28.
Deposits
Please deliver all gifts by Wednesday, July 3, to the 黑洞社区 Foundation by 5 p.m. that day. Contact Amy Houpt at 978-5191 with any questions or concerns.
Central Services and Duplication Station will be closed for inventory today (Monday, June 17) and Tuesday, June 18
Central Services and Duplication Station will be closed for inventory today (Monday, June 17) and Tuesday, June 18. We will resume normal business hours on Wednesday, June 19.
Required fire drills to be held on campus the week of June 24-28
State fire regulations require that fire drills be held annually in all campus buildings. The 2019 fire drills will be conducted the week of June 24-28.
Fire Safety personnel will conduct the drill some time during each scheduled day. When the alarm sounds in your building, evacuate the building in an orderly fashion to your designated assembly point(s), at least 50 feet from the building. Emergency Building Coordinators will assist with the evacuation. Environmental, Health and Safety staff will be evaluating each drill.
The schedule of buildings is below:
Monday, June 24
Ablah Library, Media Resources Center, Grace Wilkie / Grace Wilkie Annex, Heskett Center, Clinton Hall, Neff Hall, Engineering Building, Geology Building
Tuesday, June 25
Aviation Testing Lab, NIAR, Wallace Hall, Beggs Hall, Gaddis Physical Plant Building, Central Power Building, Ahlberg Hall, Elliott Hall, Experiential Engineering Building (EEB), P2 Building
Wednesday, June 26
Brennan Hall 1, Brennan Hall 2, Brennan Hall 3, Garvey Center, Intensive English, Wilner Hall, Henrion Hall, Metro Building, Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD)
Thursday, June 27
Human Resources (HR), Jardine Hall, McKinley Hall, Fiske Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center, Wiedemann Hall, Koch Arena, Morrison Hall, Rhatigan Student Center
Friday, June 28
Shocker Hall, Devlin Hall, Hubbard Hall, Corbin Hall, The Flats, The Suites, Marcus Welcome Center, Woodman Alumni Center, Jabara Hall
Monday, July 1
238 N. Mead
Contact: Mike Strickland, director of Environmental, Health and Safety, 978-3347.
Shock Doc: Christian Yost, a music education major
The latest video in the Shock Doc series features music education major, senior Christian Yost. When he's not in the classroom, Christian can be found assisting illusionist Rob Lake with his performances as the show's "Illusion Director".
Having found a unique way to apply his education through this role, Christian has had the opportunity to travel all across the world doing something he's come to love.
RH: VanVleet's story often incomplete
Fred VanVleet is short and slow.
We know this because it's become the third part of the Fred VanVleet story told during
the NBA playoffs, accompanied by his three-point shooting and the recent addition
to his family that preceded the hot shooting.
BRAKES Teen Driving Courses coming to 黑洞社区
BRAKES teen driving school is offering five free advanced driver training courses to improve teens鈥 skill and confidence behind the wheel. Teens interested in registering must be 15-20 years old, have 30 hours of driving experience, a valid learner鈥檚 permit or driver鈥檚 license and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Courses will be offered from 8 a.m. 鈥搉oon or 1 p.m. 鈥 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, at the 黑洞社区 Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. N. For more information and to register, visit the .
Volunteers needed for a research study
Researchers in the School of Nursing are looking for volunteers for a nutritional research study that will examine changes in iron absorption with antioxidant supplementation.
Participants will be asked to consume a meal with phytic acid, complete a dietary recall, participate in taste testing and have blood and saliva sample collection during a meal challenge. Participation is expected to last about 2.5 hours total.
If you are interested in participating in this study, email nicole.delimont@wichita.edu or call 785-249-5533.
More information
Have fun in the sun and get your adventure on!
The Riversport day pass is the ticket to a full day of fun in the OKC Boathouse District on Saturday, July 13.This pass includes a 90-minute whitewater rafting experience, available to schedule throughout the day.
Register by July 3.
More information is available below.
While you aren鈥檛 riding the rapids, you can participate in any of the land and flatwater activities including the Sandridge Sky Trail, newly expanded Sky Slide complex, Rumble Drop, cloud bounce, rock walls, kayaks, stand up paddle boards and more.
The only activity not included is the SKY Zip. This can be purchased separately at the park.
During your day you can freely explore the park on your own or with a group of friends. Grab lunch at the Big Water Grill at your own convenience and enjoy your day.
The group will meet at the park entrance promptly at 5 p.m. to depart. To get your tickets go to . Follow up communication will be emailed within a week prior to trip. Contact Kaycee Miller at Campus Recreation for any questions at cr.outdooradventures@wichita.edu.