Wichita State University

Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in six colleges. The university's graduate school offers 44 master's degrees in more than 100 areas and a specialist in education degree. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[8]

Wichita State University
Seal of Wichita State University
TypePublic research university
EstablishedSeptember 11, 1895 (1895-09-11)
Parent institution
Kansas Board of Regents
Academic affiliation
Endowment$276.142 million (2019)[1]
Budget$398.212 million (2020)[2]
PresidentRick Muma (interim)[3]
ProvostRick Muma
Academic staff
520
Students16,058 (Fall 2019)[4]
Undergraduates11,206 (Fall 2019)[4]
Postgraduates2,841 (Fall 2019)[4]
Other students
2,011 (Fall 2019)[4]
Location
Wichita
,
Kansas
,
United States[5]

37°43′09″N 97°17′35″W
CampusUrban, 330 acres (130 ha)
NewspaperThe Sunflower[6]
ColorsBlack and Shocker Yellow[7]
   
NicknameShockers
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division I – The American
MascotWuShock
Websitewichita.edu

Wichita State University also hosts classes at four satellite locations: WSU West in Maize, WSU South in Derby, and the WSU Downtown Center that houses the university's Center for Community Support & Research, the Department of Physician Assistant, and the Department of Physical Therapy.[9] A quarter-mile northeast of campus, the Advanced Education in General Dentistry building, built in 2011, houses classrooms and a dental clinic.[10] It is adjacent to the university's 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m2) Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, where many of WSU noncredit courses are taught.[11]

History
Naming History
YearsName
1895–1926Fairmount College
1926–1964Municipal University of Wichita (WU)
1964–presentWichita State University (WSU)

Wichita State University began in 1886 as a private Congregational preparatory school, founded by Rev. Joseph Homer Parker. Initially it was referred to as "Young Ladies College", "Wichita Ladies College", and "Congregational Female College". It was founded during a boom in college and university creation and it was envisioned to admit women twelve years and older who were "able to read, write, spell and recite the parts of speech." In early 1887, the project's leaders received a land parcel from the developers of the adjacent Fairmount Neighborhood and in response, renamed their school Fairmount College. Envisioned to be the "Vassar of the West," the streets of the neighboring neighborhoods were named after prominent women's colleges including Vassar and Holyoke. Support came mainly from the Plymouth Congregational Church to build it, but the school never opened its doors. In 1892, a corporation bought the property and named the preparatory school Fairmount Institute. It opened in September to men and women, with an emphasis on training in preaching or teaching. It closed because of financial difficulties.

In 1895, on the same site, Fairmount College opened collegiate classes for men and women with funding by the Congregational Education Society. Amid growing financial troubles, the college's supporters tried to get the city of Wichita to buy it in 1925, but failed. A second referendum passed in 1926, and that fall it became the Municipal University of Wichita (popularly known as "Wichita University" or "WU"). It was the first municipal university west of the Mississippi, and catered to students of limited means. On July 1, 1964, the school officially entered the state system of higher education as Wichita State University (WSU).[12]

WSU is one of three research institutions in the state of Kansas, along with Kansas State University (KSU) and the University of Kansas (KU).

Campuses

The Main Campus is located at 1845 North Fairmount in northeast Wichita, is mostly bounded between the streets of 17th St N, 21st St N, Hillside St, Oliver Ave.

The campus includes the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art.[13]

WSU has six satellite locations:[14]

  • WSU West is located at 3801 North Walker in Maize, Kansas. This 9 acre (3.6 ha) campus hosts 80 to 100 university classes each academic semester.[15]
  • WSU South is located at 200 West Greenway in Derby, Kansas, began offering Wichita State University coursework in January 2008.[16]
  • WSU Haysville is located at 106 Stewart Ave in Haysville, Kansas.
  • WSU Old Town - A is located at 238 N. Mead in downtown Wichita.
  • WSU Old Town - B is located at 213 N. Mead in downtown Wichita.
  • WSU Old Town - C is located at 121 N. Mead in downtown Wichita.

Since July 1, 2018, the Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, also known as "WSU Tech" and formerly known as the Wichita Area Technical College, is located at 4004 N. Webb Road in Wichita.[17]

Research

Research facilities include:

  • National Institute for Aviation Research, which has multiple facilities:
    • Aircraft Structural Test and Evaluation Center (ASTEC) in the former Kansas Coliseum near Park City.
    • Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), a manufacturing research lab** Virtual Engineering & Flight Laboratory
    • Crash Dynamics Laboratory
    • Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel
  • Biology research labs (Hubbard Hall)
  • WSU Field Station,
  • Chemistry research labs (McKinley Hall)
  • Physics research labs (Jabara Hall)
  • Innovation Campus

Academics
Hubbard Hall (2011)
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
WSU's Grace Memorial Chapel

The university comprises the following academic colleges and schools:

  • College of Applied Studies (formerly College of Education)[18]
    • Counseling, Educational Leadership, Educational and School Psychology Department
    • Department of Human Performance Studies
    • School of Education
    • Sport Management Program
  • College of Engineering[19]
    • Aerospace Engineering Department
    • Biomedical Engineering Department
    • Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
    • Engineering Technology Program
    • Industrial, Systems, and Manufacturing Engineering Department
    • Mechanical Engineering Department
  • College of Fine Arts[20]
    • School of Art, Design and Creative Industries
    • School of Digital Arts
    • School of Music
    • School of Performing Arts
  • College of Health Professions[21]
    • Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program
    • Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
    • Department of Dental Hygiene
    • Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
    • Department of Physical Therapy
    • Department of Public Health Sciences
    • Physician Assistant Program
    • School of Nursing
  • Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College[22]
  • Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences[23]
    • Center for Women's Studies
    • Department of Anthropology
    • Department of Biological Sciences
    • Department of Chemistry
    • Department of English
    • Department of Geology
    • Department of History
    • Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics
    • Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
    • Department of Philosophy
    • Department of Political Science
    • Department of Sociology
    • Elliot School of Communication
    • Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs
    • Psychology Department
    • School of Criminal Justice
    • School of Social Work
  • Graduate School[24]
  • Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation[25]
  • W. Frank Barton School of Business[26]

Wichita State University was ranked the 52nd top college in the United States in 2014 by the Social Mobility Index college rankings.[27] Wichita State is placed among National Universities in the United States in rankings done by U.S. News & World Report.[28] For all engineering research and development expenditures, WSU ranked No. 63 in the US for year 2013, with $47 million[29] The National Science Foundation ranked Wichita State University No. 4 among all U.S. universities in money spent on aerospace research and development in fiscal year 2013, with $39 million in expenditures and No. 1 in industry-funded aerospace R&D.[30] Wichita State's W. Frank Barton School of Business was listed in The Princeton Review 2011 "301 Best Business Schools," ranked as the 11th best program in the country for students seeking an undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship for 2007.[31]

The Aerospace Engineering department was founded in 1928 and has longstanding collaborative relationships with Airbus North America, Boeing, Bombardier-Learjet, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, Spirit AeroSystems, and other Wichita aviation concerns. The department teaches in the areas of composites, structures, Engineering mechanics, computational Fluid dynamics, applied Aerodynamics, and Flight simulation. Students can readily do internships at the nearby airports and many airplane company like Cessna, Learjet, etc.

The Wichita State University Libraries have holdings of more than 2 million volumes, over 200 electronic databases and more than 70,000 journal subscriptions. The University Libraries consist of the main Ablah Library,[32] the McKinley Chemistry Library,[33] the Thurlow Lieurance Music Library[34] and University Libraries Special Collections.[35] The libraries are open to community users and serve as a regional United States Federal Government Documents Depository, a State of Kansas Government Documents Depository, and is the State of Kansas' only Patents and Trademarks Library.[36] WSU Special Collections and University Archives contains numerous rare books, incunabula, historical manuscripts collections, maps and photographic archives documenting Kansas history, as well as hosting the Wichita Photo Archives.[37]

In 2014, President John Bardo announced plans to launch a major academic and student life initiative, dubbed the "Innovation University."[38] The plan kicked off with the completion of renovations to the university's student union, the Rhatigan Student Center, and the opening of Shocker Hall, a new 318,000-square-foot, 784-bed housing facility on the main campus. It includes public/private partnerships with domestic and international companies that would build offices on the WSU main campus and collaborate with the students and faculty on research projects and product development through a technology transfer system. The university has secured partnerships with three companies: Wichita-based ABI Group of Companies; Sunnyvale, Calif.-based NetApp; and the Indian IT firm Tech Mahindra.[39] The plan calls for the addition of more than 20 new buildings, including a prospective new building for the Frank W. Barton School of Business,[40] a new residence hall, commercial offices, "creative collision" facilities, two mixed-use developments and a hotel.[41] Ground will break on the first building, the Technology Transfer/Experiential Learning Building, in Q1 2015.[42] The development will occur on the site of the WSU-owned Braeburn Golf Course adjacent to campus, which closed in November.[43]

President John Bardo's executive team passed a tobacco-free campus policy in August 2016. In 2017, the university, all of its satellite campuses and all WSU-owned properties became tobacco free. The ban applies to all tobacco products including smokeless tobacco, oral tobacco and electronic cigarettes. It does not apply to products that deliver nicotine for the purpose of cessation, or to tobacco used in controlled research or for educational, clinical or religious ceremonial purposes. Smoking was still allowed in designated areas outside of WSU-ICAA controlled athletic facilities and within designated areas of the WSU Innovation Campus.[44]

Student life

Greek organizations

Recognized fraternities and sororities at the university include:[45]

Interfraternity Greek Council Multicultural Greek Council Panhellenic Council
Beta Theta Pi FraternityAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.Alpha Phi Sorority
Delta Upsilon FraternityAlpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.Delta Delta Delta Sorority
FarmHouse FraternityChi Sigma Tau FraternityDelta Gamma Sorority
Lambda Chi Alpha FraternityDelta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.Gamma Phi Beta Sorority
Phi Delta Theta FraternityKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority
Sigma Alpha Epsilon FraternityKappa Delta Chi Sorority
Sigma Phi Epsilon FraternityLambda Pi Upsilon, Latinas Poderosas Unidas, Inc.
Mu Delta Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity, Inc.
Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Athletics
Charles Koch Arena at WSU is home to the Wichita State Shockers men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams. (2016)
Tyler Field in Eck Stadium at WSU is home to the Wichita State Shockers baseball team. (2005)
Cessna Stadium at WSU (2010)
Main article: Wichita State Shockers
See also: 2020–21 Wichita State Shockers men's basketball team

WSU is an NCAA Division I institution competing in the American Athletic Conference and fields teams in tennis, cross-country, basketball, track, golf, men's baseball and women's volleyball and softball. Also, it offers club sports such as crew, bowling, shooting sports, and other intramural sports.

The men's baseball team is college baseball's highest winning team for the past 31 years, with numerous conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances. The baseball team won the national championship in 1989 and was runner-up in 1982, 1991 and 1993. They play at Eck Stadium.

The men's basketball team has played in the NCAA tournament 10 times since 1954, advancing to the Final Four in 1965 and 2013, the Elite Eight in 1981, and the Sweet Sixteen in 2006 and 2015, and also entering the 2014 NCAA tournament unbeaten. The team also won the 2011 National Invitation Tournament Championship, beating the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Shockers have two alumni currently playing in the NBA in Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, guards during the 2013 Final Four run, unbeaten 2013–14 regular season, and 2015 Sweet Sixteen run. Other Wichita State products who have played in the league include All-Star Xavier McDaniel, power forwards Antoine Carr, Cliff Levingston and Cleanthony Early, two-time All-American Dave Stallworth, center Gene Wiley, guards Gal Mekel and Toure' Murry, and Greg Dreiling. Four-time All-American Cleo Littleton joined the Shocks in 1951, breaking the unofficial color barrier in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The men's and women's bowling teams have won numerous USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships,[46] including the men's 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010 title and the women's 2005, 2007 and 2009 title.

Shocker Track and Field History: Seven Olympians. Two National Champions. 60 NCAA All-Americans. Under Steve Rainbolt (2001–2012): 14 Missouri Valley Conference Championship Teams. 29 NCAA All-Americans.

Men's Cross Country: Established in 1947. Eight Missouri Valley Conference titles, five consecutive (1971–75). Five NCAA All-Americans. Nine Missouri Valley Conference Champions. 46 All-MVC award winners.

Women's Cross Country: Established in 1983. 10 Missouri Valley Conference titles, six consecutive (2005–10). Four NCAA All-Americans. Six Missouri Valley Conference Champions. 56 All-MVC award winners.

The school discontinued its football program following the 1986 season due to poor attendance, financial red ink, NCAA recruiting violations, and the state of disrepair of Cessna Stadium. It had been never fully recovered from losing 16 starters, its athletic director, football coach and many others critical to the WSU program in a plane crash in 1970 (see below). Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells was a linebacker at WSU in 1962 and 1963 before serving as a graduate assistant in 1964. Wichita State University was also the first Division I-A school to hire a black head coach in College Football, Willie Jeffries in 1979.[47][48]

Shockers

The name for WSU's athletic teams is the Shockers and, collectively, students are also referred to as being "Shockers." The name reflects the University's heritage: Early students earned money by shocking, or harvesting, wheat in nearby fields. Early football games were played on a stubbled wheat field. Pep club members were known as Wheaties. Tradition has it that in 1904, football manager and student R.J. Kirk came up with the nickname Wheatshockers.[49] Although the Wheatshockers name was never officially adopted by the university, it caught on and survived until it was later shortened to Shockers. Until 1948, the university used a nameless shock of wheat as its symbol. WuShock came to life when junior Wilbur Elsea won the Kappa Pi honorary society's competition to design a mascot typifying the spirit of the school. Elsea, who had been a Marine during World War II, decided that "the school needed a mascot who gave a tough impression, with a serious, no-nonsense scowl."

Once Elsea's mascot was adopted by the university, which by that time was known as the Municipal University of Wichita, all that was needed was a name. The October 7, 1948, issue of The Sunflower, the student newspaper, ran an advertisement urging students to submit names for the school's new mascot. It was freshman Jack Kersting who suggested the winning name, "WuShock."

In 1998, WuShock, also referred to as "Wu," marked his 50th birthday by undergoing a redesign and getting a pumped-up physique and revved-up attitude. The mascot's costume has changed over the years, as well. With the redesign, a new costume was introduced in fall 1998. In fall 1999, the head of the new costume underwent another redesign after a number of supporters suggested the mascot needed a more intimidating look. In 2006 it was decided to once again update the Wu costume. The general consensus was that many wanted the costume to more accurately reflect the depiction of WU in the school's logo. The new WuShock now has the ability to run, jump, and walk up stairs without help. Many officials feel that a more professional and intimidating mascot on the field will certainly bolster WSU's image.[50]

Football team plane crash
Main article: Wichita State University football team plane crash

On October 2, 1970, a plane carrying players and staff of the WSU football team took off from a Colorado airport after refueling and was bound for Logan, Utah for a game against Utah State University. It flew into a mountain valley too narrow to enable it to turn back and smashed into a mountainside, killing 31 of the 40 players, administrators, and fans near a ski resort 40 miles (64 km) away from Denver. It was the first, or "gold" plane, the twin to a second black plane. President Richard Nixon sent the president of the university a note which read, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to you in this time of sorrow."

Notable alumni and faculty
Main article: List of Wichita State University people

References
  1. As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian 2019 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2019 Endowment Market Value, and Percentage Change in Market Value from FY18 to FY19 (Revised)". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  2. "Annual Operating Budget for FY 2020" (PDF). Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  3. Swaim, Chance (September 25, 2020). "Wichita State President Jay Golden resigns less than a year after taking over". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  4. "Student Enrollment Factbook for Fall Census Day" (PDF). Wichita State University. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  5. "Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Wichita State University". United States Geological Survey (USGS). Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  6. "The Sunflower; About". thesunflower.com. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  7. "Wichita State University Brand Standards: Colors and Fonts". Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  8. "Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Center for Postsecondary Education. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  9. "Office of the Provost – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Wichita.edu. November 30, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  10. "Grand opening for WSU's dentistry building – Wichita State News". Wichita.edu. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  11. "Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Webs.wichita.edu. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  12. "ABOUT WSU – Wichita State University". Webs.wichita.edu. October 3, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  13. "Ulrich Museum of Art – Wichita State University". Webs.wichita.edu. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  14. "Maps and Directions - Wichita State University". wichita.edu. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019.
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  16. "SOUTH CAMPUS – WSU South Campus – maps/directions – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Webs.wichita.edu. February 11, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  17. "Campuses - WSU Tech". wsutech.edu. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  18. "College of Applied Studies". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  19. "Wichita State University College of Engineering". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  20. "College of Fine Arts". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  21. "College of Health Professions". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  22. "Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  23. "Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  24. "Graduate School". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  25. "Institute of Innovation". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  26. "Wichita State University W. Frank Barton School of Business". www.wichita.edu. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  27. "Social Mobility Index". Social Mobility Index. CollegeNet and PayScale. 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  28. "Wichita State University | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  29. "Total and federally financed higher education R&D expenditures in engineering, ranked by FY 2013 total: FYs 2010–13 – National Science Foundation". nsf.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  30. "Wichita State ranks among top universities for aerospace R&D". Wichita.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  31. "Center for Entrepreneurship – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Webs.wichita.edu. February 16, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  32. "Ablah Library". Libraries.wichita.edu. August 6, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  33. "McKinley Chemistry Library". Libraries.wichita.edu. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  34. Rachel Crane (June 26, 2013). "Home – Music – LibGuides at Wichita State University". Libraries.wichita.edu. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  35. "Special Collections". Libraries.wichita.edu. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  36. "Only State of Kansas Patents and Trademarks Library". Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  37. "Wichita Photo Archives". Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  38. "Wichita State becoming an innovation-focused university". Wichita.edu. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  39. "Innovation Partners". Wichita.edu.
  40. "New business school part of second phase of Wichita State's Innovation Campus". Wichita Business Journal. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  41. "WSU innovation campus: From vision to reality". Wichita Business Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  42. "Innovation Timeline". Wichita.edu. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  43. "WSU Innovation Campus to build on golf course site". Wichita.edu. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  44. Arnold, Chris (July 2, 2017). "Wichita State University goes tobacco free". KSN-TV. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  45. https://www.wichita.edu/student_life/greek/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  46. Archived October 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  47. Willie Jeffries." SportsCentury. February 22, 2002. ESPN
  48. "Athletics – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Wichita.edu. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  49. "WuShock: A True Original – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Wichita.edu. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  50. "WuShock: A True Original – Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas". Wichita.edu. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.

Further reading
See also: List of books about Sedgwick County, Kansas
  • Miner, Craig. Uncloistered Halls: The Centennial History of Wichita State University. Wichita KS: The Wichita State University Endowment Association, 1995.
  • Witrogen, Melvin H., Dennis C. Duell, and Jimmy M. Skaggs. An Act of Faith. Wichita, KS: Wichita State University, Board of Trustees, 1984. A history of the struggle to bring the University of Wichita into the state university system. online
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