Wichita State University
The History of Campus
The development of Wichita State's campus is symbolic of its strong relationship with the community and the growth of the institution over time. Today, the campus exhibits three distinct land use patterns: the early development concentrated along North Hillside Street, the mid to late-century development of the central campus, and the Innovation Campus on the east side of campus. The Hillside and central campus areas reflect not only patterns of land use consistent with the period of time they were developed and the corresponding trends in architecture.
Fairmount College 1895-1926
Fairmount College was founded as a congregational college by the Rev. Joseph Homer Parker in 1886. The campus was initially organized around a large oval drive with buildings radiating from a central green space. This layout is reminiscent of educational institutions in New England and is the first example of this style west of the Mississippi River. Even the trees were shipped from the New England region to be transplanted in Wichita and lend to the prescribed ambiance that the founder wanted to achieve. In the 1920s, Fairmount College developed a significant financial burden, threatening the survival of the college in the years prior to the Great Depression. After two campaigns for a transfer of ownership to the public domain, the institution was renamed the Municipal University of Wichita, thereby transforming the institution into one of the first in the emergence of city institutions in the Midwest.
The Municipal University of Wichita 1926-1964
The fall of 1926 marked the transition of Wichita State from a small New England-style institution into the Municipal University of Wichita. The student population increased substantially from an initial enrollment of 28 students in 1895 to 7,000 students in 1964. From the very beginning, the Municipal University of Wichita enabled students with financial setbacks or family obligations to participate and earn degrees. Even with the Great Depression and World War II, the university grew at a stable pace in both student enrollment and physical development. The institution constructed dormitories to support student population growth and to encourage students to live on campus. Several new schools and departments were established during this period, including a push for a research-centric environment. After WWII, the need to expand the campus quickly and inexpensively changed the look of Municipal University of Wichita. A spate of building ensued, which reflected the popular international style of architecture. The sometimes-elaborate buildings included the Duerksen Fine Arts Center and the innovative roundhouse, Levitt Arena. Capping off these four decades of construction was the Corbin Education Center, a facility for the College of Education designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A long and arduous battle that began in 1955 finally culminated in 1963 with legislative approval of a new state university. The citizens of Wichita responded in the form of a 1.5 mill levy to pay the bonded indebtedness and provide a perpetual endowment for the new state institution. After 38 years as a municipal university, Wichita State University entered the state system of higher education and is now governed by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR).
Wichita State 1964-2014
Wichita State emerged as a state institution with a period of monumental growth and achievement. In 1965, for the first time, the Shocker basketball team reached the Final Four; the debate team won the national title; and students passed a referendum to fund half the cost to build Cessna Stadium. During this growth phase, the university struggled to hire enough faculty to keep pace with the increasing enrollment numbers. The 1960s were turbulent times for campuses across the country. Wichita State, though, weathered the storm of continued controversy over the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, increasing racial tensions and the Vietnam War. The student movement resulted in cooperation among faculty, students and administration to pass the Joint Statement of Rights and Freedoms of Students. Wichita State was the first campus to offer the document to all campus constituencies, and to have all responded positively. In the 1970s, WSU formed the College of Health Professions, the university’s well-known outdoor sculpture collection was established, the Ulrich Museum of Art was constructed to house the art collection of WSU, and doctoral studies grew substantially as Wichita State encouraged departmental research — a surge in growth not seen by WSU since its former status as a municipal institution. The demographics of the student body shifted drastically as women garnered a majority presence on campus. Ethnic minorities grew to account for 12% of WSU’s population and continued to increase as more programs were introduced and the graduate programs expanded to accommodate a growing population.
Wichita State 2014-Present
In the 1960s, Braeburn Golf Course was acquired by the Wichita State Board of Trustees for the purpose of future campus expansion. In 2014, the golf course closed its doors to make way for the construction of the Innovation Campus. Alongside this development, Wichita State University has been actively adapting to the evolving demographics of its student body. As part of the university’s steadfast commitment to inclusive excellence and engagement, WSU prioritizes the success of its diverse community of students. Notably, the university recently established the Shocker Success Center, a project that transformed the former Clinton Hall into an all-inclusive and holistic support network of resources and tools to promote student success and persistence.
The Wichita State Innovation Campus
WSU Innovation Campus is a highly successful public-private research campus. As part of the 330-acre main campus, the Innovation Campus comprises approximately 120-acres. It is a synergistic collaboration of university, public and private partners working together to promote WSU’s research and academic mission and the economic development of the region and state. Private development of office, research, hotel, restaurant, and retail space comprises over 570,000 square feet of third-party developed space. Several private companies, ranging from multinationals listed on Forbes’ Global 1,000 to startup firms, call the campus home.
The City Is Our Campus
Driven by a passion for connection and engagement, Wichita State is deeply committed to the people and businesses of its community. This sense of purpose propels the university to expand its footprint throughout the greater metro area, including nine distinct locations and four partner locations. By embracing the city as its campus, WSU is shaping the future of Kansas through education, research, and applied learning.
Nine distinct locations for Wichita State
- Wichita State's main campus, 1845 N. Fairmount in Wichita
- WSU West, 3801 N. Walker in Maize, Kansas
- WSU South, 3821 E Harry St., B105, in Wichita
- WSU Old Town, 213N. Mead in Wichita
- Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th Street, Wichita which houses Advanced Education in General Dentistry
- National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT), 4004 N. Webb Road in Wichita
- NIAR Research Labs - Aircraft Structural Test & Evaluation Center (ASTEC) 1229 E. 85th St. North in Park City, Kansas
- NIAR Research Labs (WERX) 3800 S. Oliver, Wichita, Kansas
- In Development: Wichita Biomedical Campus, the corner of Broadway and William in downtown Wichita
Four distinct locations for WSU Tech:
- National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT), 4004 N. Webb Road in Wichita
- WSU South, 3821 E. Harry St. in Wichita
- WSU Tech City Center, 301 S. Grove, in Wichita
- National Institute for Culinary and Hospitality Education (NICHE), 124 S. Broadway in Wichita
Wichita Biomedical Campus
The Wichita Biomedical Campus is a collaboration between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas Medical Center to build a 470,000-square-foot health science center in the heart of downtown Wichita.
The Wichita Biomedical Campus proposes the creation of a health corridor, beginning with Phase 1 construction near Broadway and William streets in downtown Wichita, where health care services, education, research and technology can be established near existing private hospitals and health care providers. That proximity will strengthen collaboration, and support inter professional health care learning, while foraging opportunities for partnerships in new and emerging research fields.
Phase 1 is currently in design. It is anticipated to be completed in Fall 2026. There are also plans underway Phase 2 of the campus at a later date.
The campus will co-locate many programs currently spread across Wichita. Programs within the building will include Wichita State College of Health Professions, WSU Tech's Health Professions program, and the University of Kansas School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy Wichita locations. Programs will share state-of-the-art spaces for clinical research and advanced laboratory technologies.
Upon completion, the first phase of the Wichita Biomedical Campus is expected to house 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff members. The facility is strategically situated to facilitate future expansion, which will allow it to grow its footprint to accommodate for the growth of existing and new degree programs and research projects.
The Plan's Development Process & Engagement
Transparency, collaboration, access, and equity are core values that have continually underlined Wichita State's culture and identity. The process and engagement for developing the campus master plan is built on this foundation to create an open and inclusive five-phase design process that ensures that diverse voices and perspectives were heard and considered as we built the university's master plan.
Phase 1: Discover
At the start of the project, large amounts of information were collected to provide a baseline understanding of today's campus and inform the vision and guiding principles of the masterplan. Included in this deep dive were a 600+ participant survey and five visioning sessions with over 100 individual perspectives.
Phase 2: Analyze
Following the discover phase, the second phase of the masterplan assessed and synthesized the qualitative and quantitative data amassed to understand project priorities and potential short, medium, and longterm goals for the campus. Within this phase, facility conditions (FCI scores), classroom and building utilization, and current and future enrollment projections metrics were analyzed.
Phase 3: Explore
Building on the analysis of the campus, future needs, and the collective vision for the plan, three campus scenarios were developed to explore the physical opportunities of the future campus. Each scenario explored a different organizational and development strategy and allowed university leadership to compare varying priorities.
Phase 4: Recommend
Pulling from strengths within each scenario explored in the previous phase, a preferred scenario was developed and further refined in this phase.
Phase 5: Document
As the selected scenario was refined, the final phase of the project developed the plan into an actionable playbook for future growth and transformation
Photos from in-person versioning exercises; and a steering and executive committee workshop.
To plan for a future environment that educates, empowers, and mobilizes students, faculty, staff, and the community to thrive, it was essential to ensure all WSU stakeholders were represented and actively engaged in the planning process. As part of the master plan we would like to thank the following groups and individuals for their participation and contribution in shaping the future of Wichita State.
EXECUTIVE & STEERING COMMITTEE
- Dr. Rick Muma, President
- Dr. Elizabeth King, President and CEO of the WSU Foundation
- Stacia Boden, JD, General Counsel
- Andy Schlapp, Executive Director of Government Relations and Strategy
- Dr. Sheree Utash, President of WSU Tech
- Shelly Coleman-Martins, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing
- Vicki Whisenhant, Executive Director of Human Resources
- Zachary Gearhart, Chief of Staff
- Emily Patterson*, Executive Director of Facilities Planning
- Werner Golling*, Vice President of Finance and Administration
- Dr. Shirley Lefever*, Executive Vice President and Provost
- Dr. John Tomblin*, Senior VP of Industry and Defense Program + Executive Director of NIAR
- Dr. Teri Hall*, Vice President of Student Affairs
- Kevin Saal*, Athletic Director
- Dr. Marche Fleming-Randle*, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
* Indicates committee members who served on both executive and steering committee
STAKEHOLDER REPRESENTATIVES
- WSU Foundation Leadership
- Admission & Recruitment Staff and Leadership
- Academic Faculty and Leadership
- WSU Tech Faculty and Leadership
- Student Affairs Staff and Leadership
- Housing Staff and Leadership
- Student Success Staff and Leadership
- Facilities & ADA Staff
- Athletic Department Leadership Fitness
- and Recreation Leadership
- Undergrad Students
- Graduate Students
- Non-Traditional Students
- City of Wichita Officials
- Sedgwick County Officials
- WSU National Advisory Council
Strategic Plan Alignment
Wichita State University endeavors to build a stronger Kansas and a brighter tomorrow through our relentless commitment to the people, business, and economy of our state. As such, the university has adopted a strategic plan and vision to be one of the nation’s premier urban public research universities. The campus master plan update proposes physical and spatial recommendations in support of the university's strategic plan.
VISION
To be one of the nation’s premier urban public research universities, known for providing impactful applied learning experiences and driving prosperity for the people and communities we serve.
MISSION
The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas
UNIVERSITY GOALS
Student Centeredness
Promote holistic student success through a supportive learning environment in which all of our students — past, present and future — continually thrive and grow.
Research and Scholarship
Accelerate the discovery, creation and transfer of new knowledge.
Campus Culture
Empower students, faculty, staff and the greater Wichita community to create a culture and experience that meets their ever-changing needs.
Inclusive Excellence
Be a campus that reflects and promotes – in all community members – the evolving diversity of society.
Partnerships and Engagement
Advance industry and community partnerships to provide quality educational opportunities and collaborations to satisfy rapidly evolving community and workforce needs.
2023-24 UNIVERSITY PRIORITIES
Helping families through access and affordability
- Provide an accessible, affordable and impactful higher education for all Kansans with increased community connections and network.
- Implement plan to increase enrollment. Grow Wichita State enrollment from 16K to 17K by 2025 and WSU Tech enrollment from 4,800 to 6,500 by 2025.
- Equalize completion rates among underserved and non-underserved students.
- Implement Shocker Promise statewide: Full tuition and fees for Pell-eligible families.
- Increase need-based aid
Supporting Kansas businesses with a talent pipeline that meets employer needs
- Increase relevant applied learning experiences that match the needs of industry, agency and community partners.
- Continue the development of the Innovation Campus by completing the Hub for Advanced Manufacturing (HAMR) facility and Partnership Building 11, which will house new Innovation Campus partners.
Increasing economic prosperity with higher education that benefits the Kansas economy
- Elevate Wichita State as a premier, urban public research university in the United States.
- Seek and capitalize on opportunities for innovation and research for the Innovation Campus and beyond.
- Increase faculty research and innovation infrastructure.
- Continue to improve support of applied research efforts for industry and defense.
- Open the Digital Research and Transformation Hub in 2024.
- Enter into financially prudent public-private partnerships (P3) on university-owned property that provide services.
- Develop, enhance and maintain exceptional campus facilities.
- Support Wichita downtown development via hospitality, culinary arts and health sciences.
Vision & Guiding Principles
DEFINE. BRIDGE. LEAD. CHARTING WSU'S NEXT CHAPTER ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND
The Wichita State University master plan is establishing a framework for physical and experiential transformation across campus.
The plan will support WSU in defining the future of research, applied learning, and cuttingedge partnerships. Working at the scales of the individual, campus, community, city, region, and beyond, it will enable the university to bridge between academics and industry to be one of the nation's leading urban public research universities.
01 - BE THE ENGINE FOR INNOVATION
Showcase the evolution happening on campus
Spotlight everything Wichita State University is doing. From cutting-edge industry partnerships to next-generation pedagogical approaches on an ever-changing campus, the master plan will highlight and establish WSU as a leader in applied learning and research.
02 - FOSTER A HOLISTIC CULTURE
Unify the WSU experience across campuses and buildings
Enhance WSU’s culture of belonging through the design of equitable open environments that encourage diversity, accessibility, inclusion, and choice to promote ownership and form a stronger collective identity.
03 - THINK BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Build an 18-hour campus
Learning happens everywhere. Create environments and experiences at WSU for students, staff, industry partners and community members, to learn, live, work, and play beyond scheduled class hours.