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Service Recognition

Bender of Twigs

Bender of Twigs was conceived in 1951 by then University of Wichita President Harry Corbin (1949-1963), his assistant Kathryn Griffith and English professor Bill Nelson. This unique designation is bestowed upon employees who have served 25 years of service to Wichita State University.

Service Recognition at Wichita State University

Wichita State University employees who reach a State of Kansas service milestone are honored at an event hosted by the University.

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Guidelines

Wichita State University would like to thank individual employees and congratulate them for their years of service to the State of Kansas and our institution. Service Recognition is our University's Employee Recognition program. More information about Wichita State University's Service Recognition can be found at www.wichita.edu/ServiceRecognition.

Please refer to the guidelines below which are used to determine years of employment and service recognition.

Guidelines for Determining Years of Employment and Employee Recognition

Length of Service

Length of Service is calculated for determining service awards for state and affiliated benefits-eligible employees. Time counted will be from the original date of hire in a benefits-eligible position. (An employee who earns sick and/or vacation leave is considered to be benefits-eligible.)

Bender of Twigs

Bender of Twigs is for the purpose of honoring state and affiliated benefits-eligible employees for 25 years of service to Wichita State University. In addition to the time deductions listed below, time at other state agencies would not be included in calculating for Benders of Twigs.

Dates for Service Awards

As of 2005, September 1 is the cutoff date in figuring length of service. (Note: June 30 is used as the cutoff date for the 40 & 50 Year Service Recognition that the Governor sponsors each year in Topeka.) (See University Relations site for list of recent honorees.)

Type of Appointment Time in a benefits-eligible position will be counted. This includes: Time deducted includes: Other considerations:
University Support Staff
  1. Probationary
  2. Regular (Permanent)
  3. Intermittent for time before 11/28/98
  4. Conditional for time before 12/01/95
  5. Years of service at any State of Kansas institution
  6. Release time (from benefits-eligible position) for military leave and/or workers compensation
  1. Break in service
  2. LWOP time if more than 30 days
  3. Temporary time after 4/30/84
  4. Suspensions over 30 days
  5. Emergency appointments
  6. Seasonal workers
  7. Contractual labor (i.e. CWEP, Adecco & Kelly Temps)
  8. Undergrad and grad appointments
  
Unclassified Professionals
  1. Emergency
  2. Executive
  3. Regular
  4. Provisional
  5. Temporary
  6. Continuing
  7. Contingent
  8. Years of service at any State of Kansas institution
  9. Release time (from benefits-eligible position) for military leave and/or workers compensation
  1. Break in service
  2. LWOP time of more than 30 days
  3. Hourly appointments of non-benefits eligible positions
  4. Undergrad and grad appointments

Full- and part-time considerations:

  1. The years of phased retirement at less than 1.0 FTE will be counted as full years.
  2. Time in a regular 12 month appointment with .50 FTE, or greater, will be counted as full years.
Faculty
  1. Executive
  2. Regular tenure
  3. Provisional
  4. Temporary
  5. Sabbatical leave
  6. Contingent
  7. Years of service at any State of Kansas institution
  8. Lecturer/benefits eligible
  9. Release time (from benefits-eligible position) for military leave and/or workers compensation
  1. Break in service
  2. LWOP (except during summer)
  3. Lecturer appointments/not benefits eligible
  4. Adjunct faculty appointments
  5. Associate specialist (physicians) appointments
  6. Faculty associates appointments
  7. Undergrad and grad appointments
 An academic year appointment for 9, 10, or 11 months is considered the equivalent of a 12-month appointment for calculation of length of service.

The years of phased retirement at less than 1.0 FTE will be counted as full years.
Affiliated Corporations

Time counted will include any qualified State of Kansas time in addition to qualified employment with the affiliated corporation.
  1. Break in service
  2. LWOP
  3. Contractual employment (i.e. Sodexho, Aramark, Air Cap, etc.)
  4. Undergrad and grad appointments
  

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Employee Recognition

25+ Years of Service

Beginning in 2019, Wichita State employees celebrating 25+ milestone years (5-year increments: 30, 35, 40, etc) of service to the State of Kansas will be invited to a recognition dinner and reception, receive a certificate, service pin, token of appreciation, and have their name publicized on the Service Recognition webpage.

Bender of Twigs

Beginning in 2018, employees who reach their 25 year milestone of serving Wichita State University will be inducted into the Bender of Twigs Order and will be invited to a recognition dinner and reception, receive a framed certificate, service pin, token of appreciation, and have their name publicized on the Bender of Twigs webpage.

 

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Token of Appreciation

As of 2020, Service Recognition honorees will receive a Token of Appreciation for their years of service. Honorees will be sent information on where and how to select their Token of Appreciation closer to the Service Recognition event.

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SME: SP/SRAP
Updated: 08/21/2026 NH

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