Revisions to remote work guidance and review process are now available
Notice of Revised Remote Work Guidance and Review Procedures 鈥� February 12, 2021
On Jan. 15, 2021, President Rick Muma announced new guidance and review procedures for remote work. After listening to questions and comments received about the guidance and review procedures, revisions have been made. The revised guidance and Employee Remote Work Request Form can be found on the HR web page Remote Work Guidance.
Although remote work raises unique legal and administrative issues and must be reviewed and approved before remote work begins, HR and Legal colleagues have worked diligently to ensure only those remote work situations with the most risk require review/approval beyond the direct supervisor.
- The revised guidance requires the Employee Remote Work Request Form be submitted prior to the remote work being performed only when:
- Regular Remote Work is performed at an Alternate Work Location outside the state of Kansas;
- Remote Work is being performed internationally; or
- The Employee is on an H1B/VISA and the Alternate Work Location is different than the Assigned Work Site approved on the H1B/VISA application.
The Employee Remote Work Request Form is not required if Regular Remote Work is performed at an Alternate Work Location within the state of Kansas and in the case of an Employee on H1B/VISA, at the location contained on the VISA application. An optional form has been developed for use by leaders if they find it helpful to memorialize discussions with an employee regarding an approved remote work arrangement in which a review beyond the direct supervisor is not required.
The Employee Remote Work Request Form is intended to gather information needed for each of the three above situations so a review may be conducted and little, if any, additional information may be needed from the Employee. For ease of location and use, there is one form but only the sections that are pertinent to the individual request need be completed (i.e. if remote work is not being performed internationally, the international questions do not need to be answered).
All employees who are required to complete the Employee Remote Work Request Form and have not previously submitted the Form should complete and submit this revised Form no later than February 26, 2021. All previously submitted forms are valid and there is no need to complete the revised form.
We appreciate your feedback and patience as we work through the implementation of this Remote Work Guidance and Review process to ensure we have a process that works both in the immediate term as well as into the future. We know remote work will continue to be an important option for some employees to enhance work/life balance, job satisfaction and being an inclusive work environment.
Phone scam to watch out for
It has been reported to ITS Telecommunications that employees are contacting Human Resources in regards to strange phone calls received. The phone calls are saying the person鈥檚 social security information has been compromised. What makes these a little different than a normal spam calls is that the calls appear to come from a campus number (316-978-XXXX). This leads people to think this call is coming from the university and is, therefore, a legitimate call. Luckily, we are not aware of anyone that has followed through with the scam.
Please be cautious with your personal information and do not provide it to anyone on a call. Scammers are more clever every day and would love to get your personal and financial information. The Kansas Attorney General鈥檚 office has an entire site dedicated to scam calls and how to protect yourself at . The Federal Trade Commission also has some suggestions on how to recognize a scam, examples of scams, how to stop these calls and what to do if you already paid at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0208-phone-scams. This site will also allow you to report phones scams.
Unfortunately, there is nothing 黑洞社区 can do to stop these calls. The Federal Communications Commission has identified blocking illegal robocalls and spoofed caller ID as top priorities; but until all telecommunications providers prevent their customers from spoofing caller IDs, the practice will continue.
The best way to combat calls like this is to be attentive. Do not give out personal, professional or financial information to these callers. If the calls are legitimate, the caller would happily wait on hold while you verify the identity or let you call them back later.
In this time of remote learning and remote work, it is more important than ever to be vigilant with our information.
Brown's escape from slavery was creative, dangerous
Henry 鈥淏ox鈥� Brown was born enslaved in Louisa County, Virginia in 1815. When he was 15, he was sent to Richmond to work in a tobacco factory. His life was filled with unrewarded drudgery, although he had it better than most of his enslaved peers. The loss of freedom prevented him from living with his wife, Nancy, who was owned by a slave master on an adjacent plantation. She was pregnant with their fourth child when, in 1848, he heard the tragic news: Nancy and his children were to be sold to a plantation in North Carolina. He stood with tears in his eyes on the side of the street as he watched 350 slaves in chains walk by him, including his wife with their unborn child and three young children. He could only wish them a tearful last farewell. He was helpless to save them.
After months of mourning his loss, Henry resolved to escape from slavery. He was a man of faith and a member of the First African Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir. He acknowledged that, through his faith in God, he was given the inspiration and courage to put together a creative plan of escape.
Henry enlisted the help of his choir-member friend, James Caesar Anthony Smith, a free Black man who knew Samuel Alexander Smith, a white sympathizer. (They were not related but had the same last name.) The plan that Henry envisioned was for himself to be shipped in a box by rail from Richmond to Philadelphia 鈥� a very creative and dangerous endeavor.
Samuel Alexander Smith in turn contacted James Miller McKim, a white abolitionist and seasoned member (along with William Still) of the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society. Samuel Alexander Smith shipped Henry by Adams Express Company on March 23, 1849, in a box that was 3 feet long by 2 feet 8 inches deep by 2 feet wide, and sent the box as dry goods. Henry Brown traveled in the box lined with baize, a coarse woolen cloth, carrying with him only one bladder of water and a few biscuits. There was a hole cut in the box for air, and it was nailed and tied with straps. 鈥淭his side up鈥� was written on the box. Brown and his box traveled by wagons, railroads, steamboats, ferries, and a delivery wagon that brought the box to the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society before daybreak.
During the 27-hour journey, the box was turned upside down on several occasions and handled roughly. Henry wrote that he 鈥渨as resolved to conquer or die. I felt my eyes swelling as if they would burst from their sockets, and the veins on my temples were dreadfully distended with pressure of blood upon my head.鈥� At one point, Henry thought that he might die, but fortunately two men needed a place to sit down and, 鈥渟o perceiving my box, standing on end, one of the men threw it down and the two sat upon it. I was thus relieved from a state of agony which may be more imagined than described.鈥� The box with Brown in side was received by William Still, James Miller McKim, Professor C.D. Cleveland, and Lewis Thompson.
Upon the box being opened, Brown said, 鈥淗ow do you do, Gentlemen?鈥� then recited a psalm: 鈥淚 waited patiently on the Lord and He heard my prayer.鈥� He then began to sing the psalm to the delight of the four men present, and was christened Henry 鈥淏ox鈥� Brown.
Morehouse College has a history of educating students to become strong, Black leaders
William Jefferson White was born at Ruckersville, Georgia on Dec. 25, 1831, to Chaney and William White. His father was white, and his mother had African American and Native American ancestors. He could pass for white, but self-identified as black. His mother was a slave, but William never was.
On Jan. 12, 1867, White was appointed educational agent of the Freedmen's Bureau by Oliver O. Howard, and organized schools for Black children in Georgia. He fought against illegal black curfews and helped register Blacks to vote. He organized educational societies and worked to obtain land and build schools.
White established the Augusta Institute in Springfield Baptist Church in 1867 and served as one of the trustees there as well. White was among those involved in the moving of the Augusta Institute to Atlanta and the change of name to the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. It was renamed Morehouse College in 1913, and still stands today as a prestigious private college for Black men.
Alumni of Morehouse have accomplished a broad range of achievements, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Olympic gold medals, Rhodes and Fullbright scholars, and being among some of the most successful artists and entertainers in the world. Thought the list is too long to name in full, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Spike Lee are a few of the many successful men who have come from Morehouse. President's Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter both hold honorary degrees from Morehouse College.
Side note for hip-hop fans: William Jefferson White is the great-great-great grandfather of rap legend Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and today (Feb. 18) is the birthday of hip-hop pioneer and business mogul Dr. Dre.
TRIO Student Support Services congratulates spring 2021 scholarship recipients
The spring 2021 semester brings the opportunity to award scholarships to participants in Student Support Services made possible through the generosity of donors. Join us in congratulating the following Endowed Scholarship recipients:
- Skylar Fulton, senior 鈥� Marti Farha Ammar Scholarship
- Dawnye Haynes, junior 鈥� Phillip and Gloria Farha Scholarship
- Tony Le, sophomore 鈥� Clark and Rowena Ahlberg Scholarship
- Maleea Madison, senior 鈥� Antione Tubia Scholarship
- Chelsea Morales, sophomore 鈥� Jess Cornejo/Cornejo & Sons Scholarship
- Caitlin Nolen, senior 鈥� Marion Hicks Scholarship
- Danniele Ritter, senior 鈥� Dr. Harshini deSilva Scholarship
- Laura Roberts, senior 鈥� Dr. Christine Thelen Scholarship
- Deborah Royse, sophomore 鈥� Eleanor Rudd Scholarship.
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 黑洞社区 and the community.
- Long-term commitment to 黑洞社区 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.
High SEAS participation by faculty in fall 2020
Fall 2020 saw the highest number of instructors (384) utilize the Student Early Alert System (SEAS) since the tool was designed by faculty in 2014. 89.5% of undergraduate, degree-seeking students were enrolled at census in at least one course where the instructor used SEAS.
SEAS is an important retention tool and promotes student persistence by signaling them about performance issues while there is still time to improve. The tool automatically generates a message to any student that an instructor reports as being at-risk in a class based on attendance, participation, assignments, and quizzes or exams.
Our faculty care about student success, and this is one area where that care is evident. Keep up the great work!
Accepting proposals and abstracts for virtual Diverse Women鈥檚 Summit
Individual students, groups and community members are invited to submit abstracts and proposals to present papers, posters, art works, dialogues, skits and other projects at the Diverse Women鈥檚 Summit. The summit will be by Zoom on March 8. The proposal should be 100-200 words describing the presentation (type, subject, theme and purpose).
Presentations that focus on the following topics will be given priority:
- Research on issues of covid-19 and special populations
- Citizenship and COVID-19
- Gender-based violence
- The future
Submit your proposal via email to chinyere.okafor@wichita.edu. We will accept proposals and abstracts until Feb. 25. For questions, call Women's Studies' office at 978-3358.
New Campus Visitor Guides now available
Free Campus Visitor Guides are available upon request. They are particularly helpful if you鈥檇 like to have a stack of guides to share with students or prospective students. These guides can be delivered via campus mail or to your office.
To order guides for your office, please contact Garrett Rupp in the Office of Admissions at garrett.rupp@wichita.edu or 978-6293 with how many guides you need and a campus box number or office number for delivery.
Summer 2021 tuition assistance applications available now
Tuition Assistance applications for summer 2021 are now being accepted through the The online application will be available through April 15, 2021, and will close at the end of this application period.
The fillable PDF form will no longer be accepted. Due to the volume of applications received each semester, requests to submit late applications will be automatically denied. There will be no exceptions.
Full program details can be found at .
Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.
From ants to diversity: Harvard professor presents at 黑洞社区
Dr. Corrie Moreau from Harvard University will speak on 鈥淧iecing Together the Puzzle to Understand the Evolution of the Ants: Macroevolution to Microbiomes鈥� on from 4 to 5 p.m. Feb. 22.
In addition to her research seminar, Moreau will provide a special discussion titled 鈥淒iversity, Equity, and Inclusion: An Everyone Issue鈥� from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Mary.Jameson@wichita.edu for more information.
More information on the discussion
Pu拧karevi膰, Hammer featured in Ulrich's Biennial Talks
The Ulrich Museum of Art's series of virtual talks with faculty artists featured in the XXIII Faculty Biennial exhibition continues at 10 a.m. today with Irma Pu拧karevi膰, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and John Hammer, Adjunct Professor. The program is free and open to all, but registration is required to get the Zoom link.
The XXIII Faculty Biennial exhibition, on display at the Ulrich until May 8, features
works by Department of Art, Design and Creative Industries faculty at Wichita State.
The Ulrich galleries are open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is
always free. Closed Sundays, major holidays, and university holidays. Safe physical
distancing practices are observed.
Understanding Finance at 黑洞社区 event set for Feb. 25
If you're new to working with finance and/or budgets at 黑洞社区 or are experienced but have questions, 黑洞社区 Finance 101 is for you. Understanding finance at 黑洞社区 can be a challenge for budget officers and support staff.
Lois Tatro will present 黑洞社区 Finance 101 from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, via Zoom. This presentation is designed to help answer questions and clarify information.
Topics will include:
- Information on GU and RU funding
- How to stay on top of departmental finances
- Processing revenue, expenses, BPC cards, travel and more
You are strongly encouraged to submit questions regarding the finance process prior to the session. Email questions to training@wichita.edu as soon as possible and so they can be addressed during the presentation.
Go to myTraining located in my黑洞社区 to view session details, Zoom link and register. Contact ITS Applications Training at training@wichita.edu for assistance.
Tilford Talks set for Feb. 19 and 26
In celebration of both the legacy of Dr. Michael Tilford and that of Black History Month, the 黑洞社区 President's Diversity Council will host "Tilford Talks" of from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 19 and 26. The talks will be hosted by Riccardo Harris and Dr. Kevin Harrison.
In the spirit of traditional Tilford initiatives, the events will hold true to the mission of inspiring and promoting equity awareness at Wichita State, while also exploring the challenges to educating diverse student populations. However, "Tilford Talks" will explore these important values through lenses that are more abstract than what we are traditionally accustomed to. In ongoing efforts to bridge gaps between the community and the university, these conversations will look at areas that take for granted the responsibility of the entire community in properly educating students of color. While these areas are far too vast to list, we have chosen the areas of spirituality and law enforcement for this years conversations.
The Role of the Black Church in Socializing African American Students for School Success: Discussion on the role that spirituality and religion has had in helping students of color become successful in K-12 and secondary, as well as areas of opportunity. Featured panelist will include Dr. Gayln Vesey and Pastor Lincoln E. Montgomery and First Lady Annie K. Montgomery.
- : The Role of the Black Church in Socializing African American Students for School Success. Discussion on the role that spirituality and religion has had in helping students of color become successful in K-12 and secondary, as well as areas of opportunity. Featured panelist will include Dr. Gayln Vesey and Pastor Lincoln E. Montgomery and First Lady Annie K. Montgomery.
- Discussion on how some groups feel threatened and even traumatized by law enforcement. How can institutions and law enforcement work together to lessen these disparities? How are these disparities impacting the process of educating students of color? What role does research play in changing the narrative so that students of color are empowered by institutions of higher learning rather than subjugated? Featured panelist include Dr. Michael Birzer, Chief Gordon Ramsay, Chief Rodney Clark and Captain Wendel Nicholson.
Learn about ISME professional organizations
Discover the many opportunities professional organizations have to offer at this week鈥檚 Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering (ISME) Colloquium. In a first-ever joint event, speakers from ASCM, ASQ, IISE, SME, and Alpha Pi Mu will give presentations explaining what their respective organizations do and highlight some of the key advantages of professional membership.
Join us from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 19.
Meeting ID: 949 1119 0690
Password: 700721
Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
- John Danley, Chapter President; Master Scheduling Manager at Spirit AeroSystems
American Society for Quality (ASQ):
- Roger Merriman, ASQ Aviation, Space and Defense Division 鈥� Voice of the Customer Chair; Quality Assurance Manager at Textron Aviation
Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE)
- Kirsten Jensen, Chapter President; Logistics & Sustainment Specialist at Textron Aviation
- Tate Lampe, Chapter President-Elect; Research & Technology Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems
- Joshua Kempke, Young Professional; Industrial Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
- Katheryn Daniels, Chapter Vice-Chair and Treasurer; Contract Design Engineer, Dept. of Defense
Alpha Pi Mu
- Dr. John Huffman, Senior Member; Senior Technical Fellow at Spirit AeroSystems
Ulrich community forum tackles issues of race and parenting
Join the Ulrich Museum of Art at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 for a virtual community forum tackling the timely issue of race and parenting. Marquetta Atkins, executive director of Camp Destination Innovation and director of Seed House, leads a panel of community activists in an open dialogue for parents from different ethnic and racial backgrounds around how we talk to our kids about race, racism, and identity. This virtual community forum is free and open to all, but registration is required to get the Zoom link.
Panelists participating in the forum:
- Marquetta Atkins, executive director of Camp Destination Innovation and director of Seed House
- Dr. Michelle Vann, retired teacher, author, and CEO of Vanntastic Solutions
- Britten Kuckelman, director of Library Services at Wichita State
- Claudia Amaro, Kansas Leadership Center Field Team
Fraternity and Sorority Life seeking award judges
Fraternity and Sorority Life is currently seeking staff and faculty members to serve as interview judges for our Annual Greek Awards. We are in need of 8-10 judges from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22 and/or 1-6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. All interviews will take place virtually over Zoom.
If you are interested and able to help, email Randi Beggs at randi.beggs@wichita.edu.
Volunteers needed for a research study
A research study is being conducted to determine the validity of the SWAY app modules in assessing balance, reaction time and cognitive function measures in relation to cognitive overload, mental fatigue and sleep deprivation. If you are interested in participating in this study, please email rjbritton@shockers.wichita.edu or call 620-203-1164.
Validity of SWAY App in Detection of Cognitive Overload, Mental Fatigue and Sleep
Deprivation: Telemedicine Approach
Purpose of the study: To determine validity of the SWAY app modules in assessing balance, reaction time,
and cognitive function measures in relation to cognitive overload, mental fatigue,
and sleep deprivation.
Procedures: Participants balance, reaction time, and cognitive function will be tested in rested
and sleep deprived state using the SWAY application on a SMART device. Daily consensus
journal will also be completed. Instruction will be received through a virtual zoom
session.
Time: Participation will include sixteen (16) consecutive days. The SWAY assessment will
be performed two (2) times a day and consensus journal once (1) daily. Each assessment
will take approximately 10-15 minutes. If randomly assigned to the Fatigue Group,
participation will also include two (2), 36-hour sessions of no sleep and seven (7)
hourly SWAY assessment check-ins during each no-sleep session.
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:
Participants must be age 18 or older
No known muscular disorders
No known neurological disorders
No known orthopedic disorder
No uncorrected vision
No known sleep disorders
Location: Telemedicine approach: virtual Zoom appointments using computer technology and a
SMART device.
Contact: If you are interested in participating in this study please contact RJ Britton at:
rjbritton@shockers.wichita.edu or 620-203-1164.
Questions/concerns: Should you have any questions or concerns, email Dr. Heidi Bell at: heidi.bell@wichita.edu
or 316-393-3339.
SGA elections: Encourage students to take part
Do you have a student in mind to run for a position in the Student Government Association? Encourage them to make their mark on history. The Association Election Commission is excited to formally announce the kick-off of the 2021 General Election season.
It is now finally time for your students to take action and declare themselves a candidate
in the 2021 elections. This is a great opportunity to give back to campus and allow
their leadership skills to shine.
Students can visit www.wichita.edu/sgaelections to declare as a candidate. They can send questions to sga.elections@wichita.edu.