Dear Honors Students,

By now you should have read the university announcement about the university’s plans regarding COVID-19. We know some of these plans will be disruptive and you will undoubtedly have questions and concerns as we move toward online instruction.  I’m including some information below. We know that this situation changes daily. We’ll always send updates as we know more.

Remember we want you to reach out for help! Don’t hesitate to ask questions. If you are worried, let us know. Contact us in whatever way is most comfortable for you.

Honors Office

• Our office will be open. Contact honors@wichita.edu or 316-978-3375 with questions.
• Advising will be available to students through Zoom or telephone.  Email Jessica.raburn@wichita.edu  
• Faculty questions are welcome by email or phone as well.
• We may stagger staff work to reduce number of people in the office at one time.
• We expect limited access to the student areas but haven’t determined exactly what this will be.
• We know some students will stay on campus in the residence halls. All students are encouraged to move the majority of their interactions with faculty and staff to the online environment or telephone.

Classes

Our top priority is working together to ensure the quality of your learning.

Early next week, your instructors will send specific information about your course material and expectations for the next few weeks. For specific assistance with Blackboard, you can visit the Blackboard student resources page on the website.

Our Community

This is a time when we need to come together as a university community.  We are all going to have to help each other as we make the transition to online learning. Support each other and ask us if you need anything!

This is temporary, and we will return to normal operations as soon as possible. For additional information from the CDC, you can go here.  We know that each of us may have loved ones we particularly want to protect, and we’re taking these steps to ensure that we do the most we can to make that possible for each other.

Thank you for all you do to make Wichita State a great community.

Kimberly Engber

Dean, Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College | Associate Professor, English | Wichita State University

Shocker Hall Building A, Room 118 * 316-978-6459 *www.wichita.edu/honors

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

By now you should have read the university announcement about the university’s plans regarding COVID-19. I’m including some additional information, suggestions, and links below. Please feel free to reach out to me or anyone in our office with questions.

Teaching

Reach out to your students early next to week to explain to them how they will continue in your course. You may choose to manage your course completely through Blackboard, for example, or may set up virtual independent reading or study plans for your students. How you approach this depends on the needs for your course.

Instructional Design and Accessibility and ITS will be available to help you navigate through this transition. They won’t be able to address every question that may come up. We need to work together to problem solve and create the best possible learning environment for students.

I know that some faculty already have asked students what access they have to technology. I encourage you all to do this as well. Thanks to Chelsea for sharing with me some of the questions she posed and plans she’s made. If you have a Google drive, you can access her survey and edit it.

 

• Consider designing a brief survey to find out if students have computer and internet access.
• Ask them if they’ve taken an online course.
• Ask them to share any concerns or fears with you so that you can start addressing them.
• Think of ways to continue quality interaction with students by using Zoom.

Please reach out to college staff, department colleagues, and others for help! We all have to be willing to experiment and to help each other. 

 

Honors Office

• Our office will be open. We may stagger staff work to reduce number of people in the office at one time.
• Advising will be available to students through Zoom or telephone.
• Faculty questions are welcome by email or phone as well. You can contact any one of us through honors@wichita.edu or 316-978-3375.
• We expect limited access to the student areas but haven’t determined exactly how limited access will be.

Our Work for Students and Community

Although this may be difficult for us as faculty and staff, we don’t want to pass that burden on to the students. Please reassure students. Be as available as possible for student questions. Much of our staff interaction with students also will move online in the coming weeks, but students with concerns and students in distress are welcome to reach out to us in whatever way they find most comfortable.

This is temporary, and we will return to normal operations as soon as possible. For additional information from the CDC, you can go here. For additional information for moving classes online, go here.

This is a time when we need to come together as a university community. We know that this situation changes daily. We also know that each of us may have loved ones we particularly want to protect, and we’re taking these steps to ensure that we do the most we can to make that possible for each other. You’ll receive updates as we know more.

Thank you for all you do and for all the extra work you will be doing over the next few weeks.

Kimberly Engber

Dean, Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College | Associate Professor, English | Wichita State University

Shocker Hall Building A, Room 118 * 316-978-6459 *www.wichita.edu/honors

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers