Kansas State University

Dear ArtSci Students,

It’s hard to believe it’s almost time for final exams and Fall 2023 Commencement!

We enjoyed getting to meet many of you at events like our Week of Welcome Coffee Break and Aggieville Adventure, the Lunches with the Deans, the ArtSci Education Abroad Fair and the Health and Helping Professions Networking Nights. And it was especially fulfilling to witness your many talents as you showcased your scholarly work and creative activities at research exhibits, stage performances and more. We look forward to seeing more of you next semester! (Be sure to join our Civil Rights Teach-In Jan. 24, during K-State’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Observance Week!)

For those of you graduating and moving on to the next phase of your life, congratulations! Earning a degree is a lot of work and you should be proud of your achievement. We look forward to seeing all that you accomplish and hope you’ll stay in touch (and consider serving as a mentor to students in the ArtSci Mentorship Program).

We look forward to celebrating our graduates at the Commencement ceremonies December 8 (graduate) and 9 (undergraduate), and to seeing the rest of you back in January!

On behalf of the ArtSci Dean’s Office, good luck on finals and have a great Winter Break!

Chris Culbertson
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Chemistry

New FAFSA due to launch this month

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is undergoing major changes. It is supposed to launch by Dec. 31, but no date has been announced as of the writing of this newsletter. Keep an eye on K-State’s FAFSA page.

Inclement weather guidelines

With winter weather here, you should probably brush up on K-State’s inclement weather guidelines. Start by reading this Preparing for Inclement Weather article in K-State Today.

Important dates

Dec. 8 – Fall 2023 Application for Graduation Closes
Dec. 8-9 – Manhattan Campus Commencements
Dec. 11-15 – Final Exams
Dec. 12 – Deadline to Return I-NR Grades
Dec. 19 – Fall 2023 Grades Due by 5 p.m.
Dec. 20 – Fall 2023 Grades available in KSIS
Dec. 25-29 – Winter Break: Campus Closed
Dec. 26 – First Day of January Intersession
Jan. 2 – Spring and Summer 2024 Application for Graduation is Open
Jan. 12 – Last Day of January Intersession
Jan. 12 – Spring 2024 Financial Aid Refunds Begin
Jan. 15 – Martin Luther King Jr Day Observed: Campus Closed
Jan. 16 – First Day of Spring 2024 Classes. Late Enrollment Fee ($65).
Jan. 22 – Last Day to ADD Course(s) without Instructor Permission 

View full 2023-2024 Academic Calendar (pdf)

Commencement reminders

Congratulations, graduates! You truly have made a great achievement! If you’re participating in undergraduate Commencement, remember to arrive at Bramlage Coliseum in your purple regalia by 7:30 a.m. Sat., Dec. 9, and head to your department’s ceiling sign on the Bramlage concourse. Bring a printout of your Grad Pass (all nice and smooth) and don’t bring personal items that don’t fit under your robe. More tips are on K-State’s Day-Of Ceremony Guide.

Enjoy your moment!

Finals got you stressed? Pet a puppy!

Tue., Dec. 5
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
In front of Nichols Hall

Sponsored by School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter, City of Manhattan

10th Annual Civil Rights Teach-In

Jan. 24, 2024 | 2:30-5 p.m. 
Leadership Studies Town Hall
K-State Martin Luther King, Jr., Observance Week

Come see presentations that spark powerful discussions regarding teaching and research as it pertains to current social issues and the legacy of activism at K-State and beyond.

Hint: Some professors give extra credit for attending.

ArtSci Mentorship Program restarts in January

The ArtSci Mentorship Program, open to all undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences, pairs students with professionals who provide insight and guidance for career preparation and pathways and help students develop a professional network. It’s facilitated on WildcatLink, where you can activate your account by signing in with your K-State eID. Watch for more information in January. The deadline to sign up is Jan. 29 in order to onboard everyone before the program launches Feb. 5. If you have questions, contact the program coordinator, Zac Malcolm, malcoz@ksu.edu.

With final exams around the corner, you’ll be spending a lot of time studying, and home might not be the best spot for that. K-State has many great spots for studying!

A favorite study spot for many students, including Dayne Balmer, junior in environmental science, is the Great Room in Hale Library.

In fact, beautiful Hale Library offers a variety of quiet and functional study spaces, from the Great Room and Historic Farrell Library reading rooms to collaboration rooms with large monitors and white boards. Explore them all on Hale’s Study Spaces page.

Tell us your favorite place to study! Email marcia@ksu.edu a photo of yourself in your favorite spot (like our friend Dayne here), along with your name, grade level, major and what to call the spot, for a chance to win an Arts and Sciences swag bag and be in the newsletter!

English grad student recognized for exemplary teaching

Delaney Sullivan, master’s student in English, received a Graduate Student Council Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence. She wins $500 and will be one of K-State’s nominees for similar regional awards.

read more 

Three ArtSci students win awards at Model UN conference

K-State’s Model United Nations team competed against more than 1,400 students from 77 colleges and universities at the American Model UN International Collegiate Conference Nov. 18-21 in Chicago. Topics debated were natural disaster resiliency and financing of clean energy.

Three ArtSci students won awards:

• Andrew Navarro, junior in political science, pre-law, with a minor in Spanish.
• Jacob Hofman, senior in political science, pre-law, and economics with a minor in statistics.
• Maria Velazco, freshman in sociology and international studies with a minor in business.

Read more about the conference.

Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and other multilateral bodies. In Model UN, students represent UN member states and debate current issues. K-State’s Model UN competes in annual conferences in Chicago and elsewhere.

¡Viva San Fermín!: K-State student visits home of the Running of the Bulls

Madison Quinn, junior in Spanish and advertising and public relations with a minor in marketing, shares her experience studying in Spain as part of a K-State summer abroad program. Read about her visit to Pamplona and the route of the world-famous, centuries-old event in her blog post published by K-State Education Abroad.

Professors to know!

Go places with media and communication professor Andrew Smith!

Dr. Smith was recently chosen from applicants across the country to participate in a faculty and administrative education abroad workshop in Barcelona, Spain, and he regularly teaches photography and digital storytelling courses for the K-State in Italy summer program and has taken students to London to learn mobile journalism (and will again next spring).

read more

Get a lesson in chemistry from Dr. Yasmin Patell!

Dr. Patell is a popular Chemistry I and II lecturer who impacts well over a thousand undergraduate students a year. She’s known for her highly organized lectures, carefully optimized to help students learn the unique concepts covered in first-year chemistry. This is just one of her many teaching awards.

read more

It was great to visit with first-generation students at our Nov. 6 Lunch with the Deans! We enjoyed getting the students’ input, and they got great tips and insight from our deans and special guests Dr. Rana Johnson, vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and Rebeca Paz, assistant director of the First-Generation Student Center.