January 2024

Greetings Shocker families,

Happy New Year and welcome to 2024!

I hope you enjoyed the winter break with your Shocker and that you’ve been able to spend some quality time together.

As we embark on this journey together, I am looking forward to partnering with you to support your student’s success at WSU and beyond.

In reflecting on my time at WSU, one of the most valuable things I did as a student was work on campus. As a student assistant, I learned the importance of time management and what support truly looked like for me and others. When I struggled academically, I was immediately met with unwavering support from my supervisor who helped me get back on track. For students who are still trying to find their sense of belonging at WSU, a campus job is a great way to accomplish this goal. Students should check HandShake to see what’s available. In addition, our staff at Shocker Career Accelerator stand ready to assist students with navigating current and future job opportunities on and off campus.

If your student’s fall semester did not go as planned, remind them that they are not alone. Transition is difficult, and for many of our first-year students managing emotions, relationships, academic rigor, and being away from home for the first time is overwhelming. If your student struggled this fall, encourage them to meet with their academic advisor to create a success plan to help get them back on track. In addition, their Success Coach can assist them with setting goals, time management, accountability and more.

As always, the Student Affairs staff stand ready to assists you and your students throughout their journey. Don’t hesitate to call upon us at any time.

Here’s to an exciting and successful 2024!

Alicia A. Martinez Newell

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs

TIMELY TIPS

Here are some tips to touch base with your student about this month:

Higher Education Tax Credit (1098-T) and W-95S. If your student has not already done so, encourage them to sign up for an electronic 1098-T, that will be accessible as soon as it is published in their myWSU portal. For those not signed up for an electronic 1098-T, the form will be mailed to the current address that WSU has on file for the student.

Is your student on track for graduation? Encourage them to review their degree evaluation each semester in their myWSU portal. Degree Works monitors a student’s academic progress toward graduation. As a general rule, an undergraduate student taking 12 credit hours is considered a full-time student. You can view student classification by credit hours earned here.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

How will you reconnect with your friends on campus?
What new organizations will you get involved with this semester?
Is there anything different you will do academically to make sure you’re successful this semester?
(For graduating students) What do you hope to do during your final semester at Wichita State? What’s on your “Shocker bucket list?”

Office of Student Accommodations and Testing is fostering student success through access! Students who need accommodations while at WSU should connect with our OSAT team for an intake appointment. Students who are already connected should meet with their Access Coach each semester to review accommodations and their academic progress each semester. Learn more here.

Welcome back, Shockers!

Winter Welcome: Update regarding inclement weather | Friday, January 19 | 5:00-8:00pm

The location for the Winter Welcome has been moved to the Heskett Center due to expected inclement weather. Additional modifications have been established to ensure students, faculty and staff are able to safely enjoy the Wichita State tradition.

Join the second annual Winter Welcome at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19 and meet President Rick Muma and First Gentlemen Rick Case while you enjoy lots of fun and food while it lasts.

Upcoming Important Dates

January 15 - MLK Day - NO CLASSES, OFFICES CLOSED

January 16 - First Day of Spring Classes

January 22 - Last day to add full-semester classes or change sections of the same course

January 29 - Last day for registered students to make payment arrangements

February 21 - Last day to withdraw from a first 8-week course with a "W"

March 11-17 - Spring Break - offices open

May 2 - Last day of classes

May 4-9 - Final examinations

May 17 - Spring Commencement

Congratulations, class of 2023!

More than 1,400 amazing Shockers were eligible to graduate at the 126th fall commencement ceremony on Dec. 17, with Gene and Yolanda Camarena as the featured speakers. Gene Camarena is the president and CEO of La Raza Pizza Inc., and Yolanda Camarena has been an advocate for social justice and equity in education. They are also the founders of the Shocker Adelante Scholars scholarship program, which they started in 2020.

On December 16 before graduation, we raised a glass to 179 graduates with their families, friends, and fellow shockers at The Toast: A Graduation Celebration.

View Photos from The Toast

Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Charles Koch Arena.

Spring Commencement Information

Housing and Residence Life

February is the beginning of the next phase of the Housing Application. See below for some upcoming dates to help your student stay on track!

Housing Application Dates:

February 1 - Returners Priority Deadline - Returning students who apply before this date will be placed in the second round of room selection.

February 7 – Living Learning Community (LLC) Application Deadline for New Students to show their interest in joining an LLC.

February 15 – All students may complete their Personal Profile and/or Roommate Group. Students can begin searching for roommates or suitemates at this time and can form roommate groups.

March 1 - New Student Priority Deadline - New students who apply before this date will be placed in the second round of room selection.

Mid-March- Mid April (and beyond) – room selection begins! Students will be notified via email one week before their timeslot opening to let them know when they can login and select their room.

Questions? Email us at housing@wichita.edu or call us at 316-978-3693.

Housing Application FAQ

Academic Advising Transition

To date, your students have been working with their first-year advisor in OneStop Student Services to schedule classes. Beginning summer 2024, students will begin transitioning from their first-year advisor to the advisors in their academic college. First-year advisors are here to help students with their spring classes and will reach out to students to let them know of the pending transition and who their new academic advisor will be.

Students are invited to an Advising Transition event, on Wednesday, February 21, and Thursday, February 22, to join their first-year advisor who will introduce them to their college advisor. These events take place from 11:00 – 1:00 p.m. in the Groover Lounge, the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center. This is a great opportunity to meet their new advisor and start to get comfortable with their new advisor.

OneStop Student Services specialists and first-year advisors are available throughout the student's time at Wichita State (first semester all the way through graduate school) to answer questions and guide students through financial aid, student accounts, or their record and registration questions. This can be done in person in Room 112 Jardine Hall from 8:00 – 5:00 p.m., virtually at Wichita.edu/onestop or they call/chat with live staff 24/7/365 by going to Wichita.edu/onestop and following the instructions on the page.

Please have students see their advisors or OneStop with questions! We want students to be successful and are proud to walk with them on their student journey.

Student Health Services

Kansas is experiencing its flu season right now! Encourage your students to get vaccinated for influenza at Student Health Services for prevention efforts. If your student does get sick, here are some helpful tips: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/treatment/takingcare.htm.

If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, they should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Student Health Services can test patients for influenza, Covid and RSV. We have treatment in our pharmacy for influenza and can assist your student with other medications to help manage symptoms.

Encourage your student to make an appointment in our myShockerhealth portal: www.wichita.edu/shs

News Around Campus

Forward Together

Monthly Update from President Muma.

Read the Latest Edition

50% Off Professional Clothing at JCPenney

The Shocker Career Accelerator is excited to share an incredible opportunity for your student that's just around the corner – the JCPenney Suit-Up Event on February 18, 2024, from 3-6 p.m. at JCPenney, Town East Square (7700 E Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67207). Up to 50% off Career Wear!

Learn more at wichita.edu/JCP.

Learn more

Academic Calendar

January 15 - MLK Day - no classes

January 16 - First Day of Spring Classes

January 22 - Last day to add full-semester classes or change sections of the same course.

January 29 - Last day for registered students to make payment arrangements

February 21 - Last day to withdraw from a first 8-week course with a "W"

March 11-17 - Spring Break - offices open

May 4 - Last day of classes

May 6-11 - Final examinations

May 13 - Spring Commencement

Full Academic Calendar

Event Calendar

Shocker Must Haves

for your Student

Blackboard

Blackboard.wichita.edu

myWSU

mywsu.wichita.edu

ShockerSync

Shockersync.wichita.edu

Shocker Alert

wichita.edu/shockeralert

Handshake

wichita.edu/handshake

myStop

wichita.edu/shuttle

Help Desk

wichita.edu/helpdesk

Report It

wichita.edu/reportit

Connect with Us

Shocker Family Network Group

Connect with other Shocker Families @ShockerFamilyNetwork for a member-led discussion group to get connected and get your questions answered by other Shocker Family members!