Welcome to the Spring 2020 semester!

All honors students are invited to submit their papers and presentations to the 2020 Great Plains Honors Council Conference held at Wichita State this year! Faculty also are encouraged to nominate student work.

• You may request that your work is submitted as competitive or non-competitive.
• Up four students may be entered into the poster competition, one in each of 4 disciplinary categories, and one student may be nominated for the prestigious Boe paper award.
• An unlimited number of non-competitive posters and oral presentations may be submitted.
• This is a student -friendly conference. If you’ve never presented before, this is a great place to start!
• Submissions to the conference are made by the Honors Director/Dean. Send your poster or paper abstract and all information required for submission (including your preference for competitive or non-competitive) to honors@wichita.edu by midnight Thursday, January 23^rd.

This interdisciplinary undergraduate academic conference is open to all members of the Great Plains Honors Council. The Honors College will cover the cost of registration for WSU honors students who are presenting. Students will be present from the entire Great Plains region. This is a priceless opportunity to share your research, ideas, and work with your peers outside of Wichita State. 

In addition to the opportunity to present, attendees will be able to choose from a selection of exciting excursions and activities. 

To learn more about the conference and presentation opportunities, visit www.wichita.edu/gphc2020.

Our new President Jay Golden has requested two Honors town halls—one with students and one with faculty/staff—before he has his retreat with campus leaders in early February. Please make time to attend this important first conversation, hear President Golden’s vision for the university, and share your ideas or questions.

Honors Faculty/Staff Town Hall with President Golden

Tuesday, January 28^th 4:15-5:00pm

Shocker Hall Room 134 – Multi-Purpose Room

Honors Student Town Hall with President Golden

Tuesday, January 28^th 5:00-6:00pm

Shocker Hall Room 134 – Multi-Purpose Room

The Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol event is an opportunity for students to present their research experiences to state lawmakers in Topeka on March 4, 2020. WSU takes up to 5 students each year, and up to 40 students total represent the state’s public four-year institutions.

Please visit wichita.edu/undergradresearch for more information and to apply.

The Outstanding Cohen Honors Student Award recognizes a high-achieving senior leader who takes on challenges and demonstrates commitment to academic excellence in Honors. Awards are presented each year at the spring Senior Honors Banquet. For more information, visit the Current Students section of the Honors webpage and click on Outstanding Honors Student Award.

Eligibility Requirements 

• Graduating Senior who has completed at least 90 credit hours by the end of the summer prior to award being selected
• Active standing in Honors

The Grand Canyon Semester is an integrated learning experience in the humanities and sciences through which each student comes to understand the environmental and social challenges confronting society in the 21st century. The Grand Canyon Semester fosters a deep interest in exploring the intertwined issues that surround, influence, and shape the natural and cultural worlds of the Grand Canyon region. Using interdisciplinary approaches, students understand how cross-sections and intersections of people, culture, and environment shape the economic, political, artistic, ecological, social, and spiritual forces of the greater Grand Canyon region. Students explore how management, policy, and research strive to balance the complex issues such as climate change, mining, dams, tourism, land development, and biological and cultural diversity. This immersion into the interconnected regional issues poses challenging questions that foster critical thinking skills that will help students address 21st century global issues.

Registration Details

The Honors Student Council has instituted a scholarship fund to alleviate any financial burden placed on students by the honors student fee.

The application contains a 250 word essay. Applications are evaluated by the Student Council. If selected, this scholarship will cover half of the applicant's $50 Honors Student Fee for the Spring 2020 semester. Preference will be given to applicants who do not receive the Honors Merit Scholarship. Applicants will need to reapply every semester.
   
Applications are due February 3rd.

Contact information
Email -- ambridge@shockers.wichita.edu

WSU’s Center for Organizational Development and Collaboration within the Community Engagement Institute uses a variety of tools and resources to promote best practices in organizations and communities interested in improving people’s lives, as well as fostering connections with community partners looking to create positive change.

The Center is looking for 4 part-time Associates to provide support to an effort that involves designing and conducting stakeholder engagement activities, environmental scans and data support, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping. They are interested in Associates who can communicate well verbally and in writing, who can think critically, work well as part of a team as well as independently, who care about community organizations and engaging with them and are interested in making a difference in state systems that serve the vulnerable.

Hours: Approximately 20hr/week.  Rate: $12/hr

Full Position Description

Reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as we collaboratively envision ways to carry forward his work, as well as participate in an impactful, inclusive and engaging celebration of his life.

Join us at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the RSC Beggs Ballroom. Hear musical selections from the A.R.I.S.E. Ensemble and our featured keynote speaker, Teresa Lovelady, president and CEO of HealthCore Clinic, Inc. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is proud to honor the 2020 Drum Major Award recipient Sheelu Surender, Director of the Office of Financial Aid.

The event is cosponsored with the African American Faculty & Staff Association, Black Student Union and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

For more information, go to wichita.edu/mlk or contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 316-978-3034.

As of Jan. 6, Wichita State students have access to physical and mental health services all in one place. Located in the new Steve Clark YMCA building at Mike Oatman Drive and Mid-Campus Drive, Student Health Services and Counseling and Prevention Services will now share an office known as the Student Wellness Center. 

Both SHS and CAPS are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and offer discounted services for currently enrolled students. Students can call 316-978-4SWC (4792) with questions or to schedule an appointment.

Student Health Services provides low-cost, confidential services ranging from routine and preventative care to managing acute illnesses and minor injuries. Detailed information about all services provided can be found at wichita.edu/studenthealth.

Read more about the new Student Wellness Center

To schedule an Honors Advising Appointment email Honors@wichita.eduHonors@wichita.edu or Jessica.Raburn@wichita.edu. If you happen to be in the Honors College or nearby when a question occurs to you, please feel free to stop by to see if the Honors Academic Advisor can visit with you immediately.  

-Jessica Raburn, Assistant Director and Academic Advisor