I hope this note finds you and your families doing well and that you are healthy and in good spirits. It is hard to believe that in just over a month’s time that our students will be back on campus. I know they are very excited to come back and be with their friends, and we are excited to welcome students back, too.
This is exemplified in the fact that we are only 3% below last year’s enrollment, which was the fourth year in a row of sustained enrollment growth. Importantly, Wichita State continues to be a national leader in providing access and affordability to higher education. In fact, in fall 2019, 44.5% of our undergraduate degree seeking students were first-generation.
Also in 2019, we led Kansas research universities with 76.8% of our graduates employed in Kansas after college. This is critical as we continue to recruit talent from our state and the I-35 corridor and develop innovative programs, including our focus on applied learning, to retain talent in our state.
While reopening our physical campus is exciting, I also know and respect that many of us are anxious as we prepare for the new semester. There is no doubt that it is going to take a lot of hard work and a strong commitment to each other’s health and safety to make the semester happen in a way we all want to achieve. I am very appreciative that a broad segment of our campus community has been engaged and active in planning for our reintegration and providing critical input. You can learn more about that plan at
www.wichita.edu/shockersunited
.
This fall I’m honored to begin the academic year with Shocker Nation as we celebrate our 125th year. In September 1895, Fairmount College, the forerunner of Wichita State University, held its first classes at the corner of 21st and Hillside streets. Now, 125 years later, we celebrate the ever-expanding role of our institution as a pillar of cultural and academic excellence, a vital engine of economic growth and a positive force in the lives of millions.
