Author: Brett Bruner

Applications are open for the First-Generation Fellows coordinator and three First-Generation Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year. The First-Generation Fellows support Strategic Enrollment Management Goal 3: Increase persistence rates of degree-seeking populations.

Each First-Generation Fellow and the First-Generation Fellows coordinator will chair a working group of the F1RST Generation Coordinating Council. Position descriptions and applications can be found on the FIRST Generation Coordinating Council page and are due by Aug. 4. For questions or more information, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Applications are currently open for the 2025-26 Retention Faculty Fellows. Retention Faculty Fellows support the university’s Strategic Enrollment Management Goal 3 to Increase persistence rates of degree seeking student populations. The university identifies faculty who are interested in becoming more engaged in retaining students and promoting student success and persistence through excellent and creative pedagogy. These faculty will share best practices and create opportunities for other faculty members to be in dialogue about quality instructional design and student engagement.

More information and the application can be found by visiting the Retention Faculty Fellows website. Applications are due by Monday, May 5. For more information or questions, contact Cindi Mason, 2024-25 Retention Faculty Fellows coordinator, at cindi.mason@wichita.edu; or Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Academic and specialized advisors who completed various eTutorials during the fall semester from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising will host a series of professional development sessions during the spring semester for all advisors (academic advisors, specialized advisors, faculty advisors, etc.).

Ana Abente and Sara Leftwich from Shocker Career Accelerator will host a professional development session on “Career Advising” from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 12 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room.

For more information or questions, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Academic and specialized advisors who completed various eTutorials during the fall semester from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising will be hosting a series of professional development sessions during the spring semester for all advisors (academic advisors, specialized advisors, faculty advisors, etc.).

Sarah Mathews from Shocker Career Accelerator and Noelle Wilson from the Office of Online & Adult Learning will host a professional development session on “Creating Online Flipped Advising Activity Modules for Students” from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. via Teams. 

If you are interested in attending the session, RSVP by emailing Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu by noon Friday, March 7.

Academic and specialized advisors who completed various eTutorials during the fall semester from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising will be hosting a series of professional development sessions during the spring semester for all advisors (academic advisors, specialized advisors, faculty advisors, etc.).

Angela Blackerby from College of Engineering Advising, and Aaron Evans and Alexandra Lazarova from Shocker Career Accelerator will host a professional development session on “Advising Undecided & Exploratory Students” from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 in 135 Woolsey Hall, INTRSUT Bank Classroom.

For more information or questions, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Kim Sandlin, director of Student Success, has been selected by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Technology Knowledge Community to receive the 2025 Outstanding Contribution/Contributor to Technology Programs Award.

The award recognizes an individual NASPA member who demonstrates innovative use of technology within higher education and utilizes technology to support strategies and programs in new and groundbreaking ways at their institution or within the fields of student affairs and student success more broadly. Kim will receive this award at the NASPA Annual Conference March 17.

Academic and specialized advisors who completed various eTutorials during the fall semester from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising will be hosting a series of professional development sessions during the spring semester for all advisors (academic advisors, specialized advisors, faculty advisors, etc.).

Monica Bergkamp from OneStop Student Services will be hosting a professional development session on “Advising First-Generation College Students” from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 in 261 Rhatigan Student Center, Olive Room.

For more information or questions, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Academic and specialized advisors who completed various eTutorials during the fall semester from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising will host a series of professional development sessions during the spring semester for all advisors (academic advisors, specialized advisors, faculty advisors, etc.).

Emily Stevens, College of Applied Studies Advising Center, and Nancy Krehbiel, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising Center, will host a professional development session on “Theory and Practice of Advising” from 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room.

For more information or questions, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Academic and specialized advisors who completed various eTutorials during the fall semester from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising will host a series of professional development sessions during the spring semester for all advisors (academic advisors, specialized advisors, faculty advisors, etc.).

Dr. Pamela O’Neal, Office of Online & Adult Learning, and Justin Petersen, College of Fine Arts Advising Center, will host a professional development session on “Advising Transfer Students” from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room.

For more information or questions, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

The Shocker Teaching Community of Practice Team will be hosting its spring 2025 High DF Course Institute from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in the Shocker Success Center and Ablah Library. The morning will provide instructors of high D/F courses with a community of practice to examine promising practices from the Student Experience Project as well as technology resources and resources from the Shocker Success Center that can be utilized with your course. With support of NISS funding, faculty who participate in this experience will receive $50.

Wichita State is focused on student success and persistence for every student from admission to completion. In spring 2022, WSU received the National Institute for Student Success report that focused on identifying and resolving institutional barriers to college completion. This report provided four recommendations that focused on key actions that all members of Wichita State (faculty, staff and administrators) should implement to fully support the success of each student. Within NISS recommendation one, WSU is focusing on the use of academic data for course retention in ongoing efforts to fully support student success and persistence. One such data source examined are high D/F courses. These are courses where a larger percentage of students are not successful and would benefit from continuous support.