March 2023

With rates of Fentanyl on college campuses and in Sedgwick County increasing, awareness is our best defense. Learn the facts about overdose and connect with available resources to prevent drug abuse and deaths of despair. Educate yourself and talk with your students about how to avoid these outcomes.

As midterms are approaching, students may experience increased stress as they prepare for new challenges and upcoming projects. It is common for students to demonstrate signs of heightened worry, fatigue and anxiety during this time of transition. Here are a few tips for parents and supportive adults to help students in the upcoming weeks:

• Provide support: Letting your student know you are there for them can increase their sense of stability and comfort. Ask them how they would like to be support- ed or what they need during this time.

• Encourage self-care and stress relief activities: Help your student prioritize time to re-energize and care for their overall well-being as they balance studying and completing projects.

• Provide study tips: Remind students of study tips such as taking breaks, studying in a conducive environment, and utilizing on-campus resources including Supplemental Instruction, Student Success, tutoring and advisors.

• Check in on their mental health: Helping students name their emotions and stressors during this time will help manage mental health. If they feel over- whelmed, providing additional support to help them cope can be valuable.

• Words of encouragement: Calling your student or sending texts and letters with words of encouragement can be a great way to show support and provide additional motivation.

Spring Break is quickly approaching. Shocker Dining closes March 10th at 8pm. It will reopen at 5pm on Sunday, March 19th at 5pm. If your student is planning on staying in the residence halls for the break, there are many other dining options available to you. See the Dining webpage for specific hours for each dining location.

If you are interested in purchasing a Break Meal Bundle, during spring break, please sign up here. The bundle will include 17 meals (1 entrée, 1 fruit, 1 chip, 1 bottled beverage) and will cost $153, which will be billed to your student account. Meals will be picked up at the Groundhouse.

Any questions about the Break Meal Bundle can be sent to katie.austin@wichita.edu.

The housing application for Summer 2023 opened on March 1st, 2023. If students are taking classes over the summer and want to reside on campus, they are able to do so; enrollment for the duration of the summer session (both June and July sessions) is required to be a summer resident.

Room Selection for 2023-2024 will begin the week of March 20th and run weekly until June. Notification of room selection opening will be sent to student emails one week prior to the process opening for them. Access to the selection process will vary by student based upon the date and time of completed housing application, and then a randomized lottery generator.

Upperclassmen housing is available in The Flats, where single bedroom spaces will be very limited due to very high requests for housing by returning students for 2023-2024.

• Spring Break - Student Health will be open 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

• Summer - students who are enrolled this spring semester can also be seen at Student Health over the summer, even if they are not taking classes in the summer. 

Forward Together

Monthly Update from President Muma.

Four new tenants fill WSU’s Braeburn Square with an array of dining, shopping options

Braeburn Square on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus is transforming the dining and shopping scene in Wichita. With four new tenants — Sesame Mediterranean Kitchen, Jersey Mike’s, Two Hands Corn Dogs and Pedego Wichita — the shopping center is fully occupied and fast becoming a hub for all Wichitans to gather, feast and shop.

SGA Scholarships for summer classes and the 2023-2024 academic year are now open. Visit wichita.edu/sgascholarships to apply for over $80K worth of scholarships. Questions? Email us at sga@wichita.edu. Deadline is March 31 at 11:59 p.m.

Dining Services

Shocker Dollars

Time for a balance check. Students can check their dining or shocker dollar balance after a purchase at any Dining Services location. Balance getting low? Reload shocker dollars for any meal plan type at dineoncampus.com/wsudining or purchase over the phone by calling 316-978-5918. Adding Shocker dollars is tax-free. They don’t expire as long as the student doesn’t leave the university and includes bonuses for purchases 75.00 and up. Shocker dollars can be used at RSC dining locations, Cargill Café in Woolsey Hall, Shocker Dining Hall, and Groundhouse. Load shocker dollars now and have one less thing to worry about next semester. Check out https://www.linktr.ee/wsudining for all official dining links. 

The Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.