2020 shines with Wichita State innovation
Rick Muma
Hello, Shocker Nation and happy holiday season to you and your family.
As we wind down 2020, it might be difficult to recall anything beyond the pervasive cloud COVID-19 has cast over the entire world. But as I think back on the year, I can鈥檛 help but to be in awe with the Shocker innovation, determination, and grit that have been borne out of these unprecedented circumstances.
Not only has 黑洞社区鈥檚 spirit of ingenuity been spurred by this pandemic, but we鈥檝e also continued to thrive and excel in propelling our university to new heights as one of the top research and innovation institutions in the country.
Faculty and Staff Virtual Town Hall today
A live YouTube virtual staff and faculty town hall will be held from 3-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. This is an opportunity to hear and interact with Interim President Rick Muma and Interim Provost Shirley Lefever. The event will be moderated by presidents of the UP, USS and Faculty Senates.
Faculty and 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.
You can watch the town hall live and recorded after the event at .
A special gift of time for employees
In times of great change and challenge, organizations often have to ask for one of the most precious things an employee has, more of their time. In appreciation for all the extra time and effort devoted on behalf of 黑洞社区 during these ever-changing and challenging times, 黑洞社区 wants to provide back a bit of what it has had to ask of our employees.
黑洞社区 is providing benefit-eligible employees three personal days away from work during the upcoming campus shutdown. Employees will not have to use accrued leave on Monday鈥揥ednesday, Dec. 21-23, 2020. If an employee is unable to take personal days away from work on those dates, they may substitute the dates of Monday鈥� Wednesday, Dec. 28鈥�30, 2020.
We wish you and your family a safe and restful Holiday. Please take with you our gratitude for all you do.
For more information about who is eligible for the personal days away from work during the campus shut down, instructions on recording time and information on what to do if you are unable to take a personal day(s) away from work on Monday鈥揥ednesday, Dec. 21鈥�23, click here.
Wichita State names Steven Skinner interim dean of College of Engineering
Steven Skinner
Steven Skinner has been appointed interim dean of 黑洞社区's College of Engineering by Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Shirley Lefever. The appointment is effective Jan. 18.
Skinner is a professor and associate dean in the College of Engineering. He has been with Wichita State for nearly 30 years and has held other leadership positions including department chair and president of the faculty senate.
Lefever said: 鈥淒r. Skinner possesses the experience and expertise to provide the interim leadership we need in the coming months as we search for a permanent dean. We appreciate his willingness to serve in this capacity.鈥�
A national search will begin immediately. Andrew Hippisley, dean of 黑洞社区鈥檚 Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will chair the search to replace Dennis Livesay. Livesay resigned to serve as dean of the College of Computing at Michigan Technical University, beginning Feb. 1.
鈥淒ean Livesay has done very well in moving the College of Engineering to a new level of excellence,鈥� Skinner said. 鈥淚 look forward to continuing the momentum until a new dean is hired.鈥�
Wichita State establishes new School of Computing
The Kansas Board of Regents has approved the creation of the newest department at 黑洞社区鈥檚 College of Engineering 鈥� the School of Computing. Dean Dennis Livesay called the establishment of the new school a significant marker of the university鈥檚 commitment to producing digital-skilled workforce needed by industry.
鈥淐omputing and data are ubiquitous in modern society and together are transforming every discipline,鈥� Livesay said. 鈥淚n order to better prepare our students and lead in this transformation, we are integrating all of our computing academic programs and faculty. This high visibility change and the associated new degree programs prepare us to be a major player in computing and data science going forward.鈥�
Faculty stories featured in the news
Our Wichita State faculty are remarkable. Their stories are regularly captured in the news featuring their research, engagement with students, and service to the community.
A collection of recent news stories can be found on the Faculty Advancement webpage (scroll down to see the stories). Check out what your colleagues are doing and share your latest accomplishments with Strategic Communications.
Help ODI and the KLC Beat the Virus!
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is participating in the Kansas Leadership Center鈥檚 statewide initiative to help 鈥淜ansas Beat the Virus.鈥� We are tasked with convening and facilitating 20 virtual meetings of 8-12 people to come up with action ideas that will help Kansans stop the spread of Covid-19.
If you are able to help convene a group of your staff, students and friends, please reach out to Alicia Sanchez at alicia.sanchez@wichita.edu to schedule a meeting. The meetings must take place before Monday, Dec. 21.
Teams training next week!
Do you want to learn more about Microsoft Teams? Newly listed! Two remote training sessions for next week:
Tuesday, Dec. 15: Teams Essentials: Learn about navigation, chat (and hidden features of chat), the calendar, setting up meetings, the Teams app and conversations, how to make calls in Teams ... and more.
Thursday, Dec. 17: Teams Advanced for Team Owners: Learn how to create a Team, how to manage team members and files, and delve into the inner workings of the SharePoint side of your Team, including how to restore deleted files, access previous versions of files ... and more.
Sign up for these sessions in myTraining here.
Testing Services is still open to students and community members
Testing Services is open for students and community members. If you need to take a proctored exam this semester, we are here for you! Our hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. We will be closed for the Holiday Shutdown but will return on Jan. 4, 2021.
Zoom appointments are available to students registered with the Office of Disability Services only and require prior instructor approval. Please note that Zoom appointments are first come, first served and we ask for at least 72 hours notice.
Testing Services cares about your safety. We disinfect all testing stations after use and require all who enter wear a mask. Plus, we've expanded our space to offer better social distancing and have limited private rooms available.
Please call 黑洞社区-TEST (978-8378) for more information.
The Ulrich is 46!
The Ulrich Museum of Art celebrated its 46th birthday on Dec. 7. The museum was dedicated on the 黑洞社区 campus on that day in 1974. Today, the Ulrich holds a nationally significant collection of approximately 6,700 works of modern and contemporary art that span the 20th and 21st centuries, and includes the exceptional Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, which currently has 81 pieces spread out across the 黑洞社区 campus.
The Ulrich is a vital community resource that supports intellectual inquiry at 黑洞社区,
the quest for enjoyment and lifelong learning in Wichita, and scholarship anywhere.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years--we couldn't have done it
without you!
Pictured above: Photo from the Ulrich dedication at 黑洞社区 on December 7, 1974. (Right) The exterior
of the Ulrich Museum of Art taken in February 2020.
Shocker Blast will resume for students in 2021
The email student newsletter Shocker Blast will take a break from now until mid-to-late January. Look for more information next month.
Cultural Value Orientation as a Predictor of Adolescent Bullying
Are you a parent of a teenager?
The INSPYRE Research lab at 黑洞社区 is conducting a study to explore how parent and child values relate to how adolescents respond to bullying situations.
In order to be a part of the study, parents and their teen must be together at the start of the survey, and parents must provide permission for their teen to participate. We will ask parents to complete demographic questions and study measures. Then, we鈥檒l ask the parent to hand the study off to their teenager to complete the remaining survey. This study should only take 15 minutes to complete in total. Parents must be at least 18 years old, adolescents must be between the ages of 10-17 years old, and both must be able to read English in order to participate. At the end of the study, the family has the opportunity to be entered into a raffle to win a prize.
For more information, click the survey link to find the parent consent form.
If you have any questions, please e-mail Dr. Samantha Gregus, director of the INSPYRE lab, at inspyre@wichita.edu or call at 316-978-6180.
Correction: GRASP 2021 abstract submission deadline is Feb. 11
The Graduate School is currently 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 黑洞社区 Community viewing starting on April 2. Abstract submission closes Feb. 11. .
Apply for Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol
The Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol event is an opportunity for students to present their research experiences virtually to state lawmakers, Board of Regents members, and the 黑洞社区 community on March 2, 3, and 4, 2021.
Up to 40 students participate each year representing each of the state鈥檚 eight public four-year institutions. Projects from a broad range of disciplines are encouraged --especially those that relate to the state of Kansas and issues important to the State Legislature (e.g. education, health, agriculture, aviation, biotechnology, energy, transportation, manufacturing, environment, and social services).
Up to five projects will be selected from each institution, and students working on the same research project are encouraged to apply as a group.
Go to for more information. Apply by Jan. 24.
Want to learn more about internal grant opportunities? Attend the 黑洞社区 Faculty Support Committee Panel Discussion
黑洞社区 Office of Research Workshop: The 黑洞社区 Faculty Support Committee & Internal Funding Opportunities: Dec. 15, 2020
Join the 黑洞社区 Faculty Support Committee for a panel discussion about internal grant funding opportunities available to 黑洞社区 faculty, including the URCA, ARC and MURPA. The 黑洞社区 Faculty Support committee will describe each funding opportunity, the rating criteria that is used to evaluate applications and how to improve your likelihood of receiving this internal funding. The workshop will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.
Please sign up through myTraining or by emailing proposals@wichita.edu.
Enjoy lunch at the Food Truck Plaza today
Stop by the plaza for lunch with Funky Monkey Munchies and Bread Sled Cafe! Get your meal to go or spread out on our socially distanced picnic tables or beautiful green space. Both trucks will be on site from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11.
60-day termination timeline
黑洞社区 made a change in how it processes terminations for non-benefit eligible employees (i.e. students, graduate assistants, lecturers, and temporary employees) beginning April 1, 2020. For employees with no active job (because of a 鈥淧osition Only Termination ePAF鈥� or an end date on their hire ePAF) for a continuous time frame of 60 days, their employment status automatically terminates in Banner. This change was implemented to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to university systems, data, and buildings by individuals who may not return to an active employment status.
If it is known that an individual will be re-engaged for active employment, but it will be greater than 60 days, the department should submit a future dated electronic Personnel Action Form (ePAF). This ePAF must be submitted and fully approved before the 60 days of inactivity expires. If an employee has been terminated after 60 days with no active position, they will not have access to 黑洞社区 systems (including 黑洞社区 email, My黑洞社区, and Blackboard). If the individual needs to be rehired, the regular hiring and on-boarding process will take place.
By completing the future dated ePAF process before the 60 days of inactivity expires, the employee will not need to go through the hiring and on-boarding process. ePAF Originators can review employees with an upcoming termination date using the Reporting Services report: HR 鈥� EPAF Reports>ORIG00240 鈥� Employee Termination in Next 30 Days.
Supervisors will receive an email once a non-benefit eligible employee (Lecturer, Temp, Student or Grad Employee) has no active job; if it is known that the employee needs to retain access to 黑洞社区 systems because they will return to work at a known future date, an ePAF must to be submitted at that time to avoid the need for the hiring and on-boarding process, and to maintain access to the system. Supervisors will receive a final reminder 15 days before the full termination process is completed if no ePAF has been submitted.
Blackboard will be down several days starting the evening of Dec. 17
In an effort to improve Blackboard's performance and stability, and to set the foundation for further improvements in the Blackboard Learn system throughout 2021, 黑洞社区 will be bringing Blackboard down for several days in December.
Our system will go down at 11 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, and be down for several days. Our current estimate for the system to be restored and fully functional is Tuesday, Dec. 22, although it's possible this down time could extend to Christmas Day.
To prepare for this down time, instructors should:
1) Plan to have all fall 2020 final grades submitted
2) Have any January term classes set up before Dec. 17, or make plans to do so after Dec. 22
3) Notify any students who are working on incompletes or late submissions that Blackboard will not be available during this window.
Once Blackboard service is restored, Instructional Design and Access will run extensive testing on the system. If you notice any technical problems after service is restored, please report those problems through a OneStop Blackboard Help ticket and not by direct emails to IDA staff. It is very important that technical problems can be addressed in a systematic way to ensure a quick resolution.
Student Affairs congratulates and recognizes retiring staff
Student Affairs would like to congratulate our retiring staff and thank them for their dedication to our vision of connecting every student!
Linda Claypool is retiring from her position in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs after 17 years of service.
Jean Ann Dandurand is retiring from her position at Student Health Services after 16 years of service.
Judy Gariepy is retiring from her position at Student Health Services after 23 years of service.
Kathy Stewart is retiring from her position in the Office of Disability Services after 38 years of service.
If members of the campus community have cards or well-wishes for Linda, Jean Ann, Judy or Kathy, please send them to Box 128 (RSC 231) by Dec. 17.
Congratulations Bender of Twigs Class of 2020!
Bender of Twigs was conceived in 1951 by then University of Wichita President Harry Corbin (1949-1963), his assistant Kathryn Griffith, and English Professor Bill Nelson. This unique designation is bestowed upon employees who have served 25 years of service to 黑洞社区.
The name "Bender of Twigs" is a reference to the similarity between the way a young sapling bends toward the light as it grows and how faculty and staff help lead the student in their search for knowledge.
Go to to learn more about the Bender of Twigs Class of 2020 (recently inducted during Service Recognition on Nov. 19), and to read their induction remarks online!
Great prices on last minute gift ideas
Didn鈥檛 get a chance to make the Shocker Store鈥檚 Shock the Halls Sale? Don鈥檛 worry, because they still have some of those ! Items are available in the RSC store and online at . Choose free in-store pickup or free shipping over $75. Happy Holidays, Shockers!
Saturday Sale in the Shocker Store
This Saturday, Dec. 12, save on some great gifts in the Shocker Store! That day only, take 20% off kids鈥� merchandise, headwear and cold weather gear. Sale is in both the RSC and Braeburn Square locations.
Stocking stuffer special at the Heskett Center. Buy 2 get 1 FREE!
Need a stocking stuffer? What about a 黑洞社区 face mask? Right now you can buy 2 get 1 FREE at the Heskett Center. Visit us at the guest services desk to get yours today! For more information call 316-978-3082.
Santa letters available at 黑洞社区 Post Office
黑洞社区 Postal Services is selling letters to Santa now to Wednesday, Dec. 16. The letters will be sent to Santa Claus, Indiana, and will receive a pictorial cancellation when sent to the recipient. The cost per letter / envelope is $1.50 and covers all postage.
Donate to Toys for Tots!
Christmas will be here before you know it and our toy drop off deadline before that! Please consider children who will be in need this Christmas by donating to Toys for Tots. With your help we can reach underprivileged children in Wichita this Christmas.
You can drop off a new unwrapped toy 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday until Tuesday, Dec. 10 in the Campus Credit Union lobby. Thank you for your support!
10 political science students accepted into D.C. and Topeka internship program
Ten 黑洞社区 political science students were recently accepted into the Washington, D.C. and Topeka Internship Program.
The program provides undergraduate students the opportunity to earn nine course credits while interning in D.C. or Topeka. The program also offers stipends and covers housing for the students. After being accepted into the program, participating students seek out and apply for placements relevant to their post-graduate career goals. Funding for the internship program is provided by the Department of Political Science and the Cohen鈥檚 Honors College.
The internships will begin in spring 2021.