KBOR hears student fee increase proposals for the 2022-2023 school year

On May 18, President Richard Muma presented several fee proposal increases for WSU to the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR).

Most notably, the College of Health Professions proposed to increase the physician assistant and physical therapy programs’ semester fees by $400 and $450 to help with balancing the ratio between students and faculty. 

The College of Engineering proposed to eliminate the program fee of $53.43 per credit hour that all engineering majors currently have to pay — regardless of the college teaching the course that they are in — and replace it with an $89 course fee paid by all students in an engineering course.

In addition, a campus infrastructure and support fee increase was proposed that would raise the fee by $1, bringing the fee to $20 per credit hour. The additional funds created by this fee would help with the expected renovation of the Clinton Hall to become the Shocker Success Center.

Other fees proposed to increase were student support services and intercollegiate athletic fees. Both would be raised by 2.7% to increase student employee wages, market-based compensation for employees, physician access at the Student Health Center and student-athlete academic success. 

The KBOR will decide to approve or reject these fee proposals in June.

Softball set to compete in NCAA regionals this weekend

The Shockers are set to compete against Oregon tonight at 7:30 p.m.

This will be the Shockers’ sixth NCAA Regional appearance and fourth appearance with head coach Kristi Bredbenner. For the first time in program history, the Shockers will compete in the NCAA regionals for two seasons in a row.

While the Shockers take on Oregon, Arkansas will play Princeton at 5 pm. 

There will be at least four games between Saturday and Sunday with an optional additional game on Sunday if necessary.

Saturday

Game 1: Winners from tonight’s games will compete

Game 2: Losers from tonight’s games will compete

Game 3: Loser from Game 1 vs winner from Game 2

Sunday:

Game 4: Winner from Game 1 vs loser from Game 3

Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs loser of Game 4 (if necessary)

Freshmen conceptualize an app to solve issues with parking

With WSU being a commuter school, parking is an issue many students continuously struggle with. Civil engineering major Carly Overacker, computer science major Grant Johnson and aerospace engineering major Jonathan Colamedici created an app called Everwhen to solve this issue.

The students’ app idea aims to end this problem using Al-recognition software that scans parking spots for cars before sending the data to the app. The idea is meant to be cost-effective by attaching the sensors for the app to security cameras already installed around campus.

Their idea won them champion titles in the 2022 Koch Innovation Challenge. In addition, the Everwhen team received a grant to attend the national Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Conference as well as compete in the National Elevator Pitch Competition.

Varsity Esports Valorant team competes in the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC)

After winning the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship, the Esports varsity team received a direct bid to compete in the CECC at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The Valorant team, made up of five students, placed ninth out of the 16 teams that competed.