Kansas State University

The Parents and Family Program will host it’s first ever Virtual Family Day. Leaders across the university have come together to provide ways for you and your family to engage with K-State. Some activities include a virtual Family Feud game, engagement with a student panel, and an opportunity to support our K-State Career Closet and Cats’ Cupboard.  We are also encouraging families to post pictures and memories with the hashtag #KSUFamilyDay2020. Submissions may be used in the upcoming Royal Purple Yearbook. Check back regularly for schedule updates. https://www.k-state.edu/familyday/index.html

The Every Wildcat A Wellcat initiative is a campaign designed to promote a safe return to campus, provide guidance, and address concerns from the students and their parents about face-to-face classes amid a global health crisis.  The campaign includes a pledge that details how students, faculty, and staff will be expected to maintain physical distance, limit participation in high-risk behavior, and wear a mask.  Those who take the pledge will voluntarily commit to caring for themselves, caring for fellow Wildcats, and caring for K-State and the surrounding communities.

The website for Every Wildcat A Wellcat is https://www.k-state.edu/covid-19/communications/every-wildcat-a-wellcat/.   Information on the website includes personal health and responsibility, isolation and quarantine, and frequently asked questions about the return to campus.

It is important for students to be prepared and plan ahead.  We encourage all students to make a quarantine and isolation plan prior to arriving on campus.  The plan should include what to do if they become ill, what to do if they are exposed to someone else who is ill, and how to continue studies if either of these things happen.  Students residing on-campus in the residence halls or Jardine apartments have access to on-campus housing designated for isolation and quarantine on Manhattan and Polytechnic campuses.  Parents will want to consider whether or not they want their student to return home if they become ill or exposed as well as how they will get home.  They should also consider what social supports (food, internet access, medication, etc.) will be needed and how to access them.

All students will receive an Every Wildcat A Wellcat kit when they arrive on campus.  The kits will be distributed at the residence halls and Greek housing.  More information about kit distribution for students living off-campus will be coming soon.  The kit includes a face covering, a no-touch key, a lanyard, hand sanitizer, and a first aid kit.

Guest contribution from Shawn Funk, Marketing and Communications, Lafene Health Center

Powercat Financial began in 2009 and is a financial education center where students are trained to assist fellow students with their money questions and provide financial education workshops and events across campus. We help students create personal spending plans or budgets to help them stay on track and to guide them in their financial decisions from moving into independent living, studying abroad or saving for their future.  Services also help students evaluate their student loans and plan for their future by understanding their student loan repayment options and possible loan forgiveness opportunities in conjunction with their future income potential. View our helpful financial worksheets and resources at www.k-state.edu/powercatfinancial/planning.

We recommend students meet early their first year with Powercat Financial to develop their own personal college financial plan and then review it each semester with their peer financial counselor. The earlier students meet with us the more successful their financial futures can become. We’re eager to assist your student!

Students can request an appointment for a free financial session by visiting http://www.k-state.edu/powercatfinancial/services/.  Our office is conveniently located on the third floor of the student Union in room 302. Students and parents can email questions to us at powercatfinancial@k-state.edu or give us a call at (785) 532-2889 between 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.  Free professional financial advice on a variety of important college financial topics is a rare commodity and can benefit any student from beginner to those more experienced with personal financial management

Guest submission from Jodi Kaus, Director, Powercat Financial

The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) is excited to welcome students back to campus this fall! This semester on campus may look different from any other semester we have experienced at K-State, but that doesn’t mean that students can’t still get connected and involved. The CSI is dedicated to ensuring that every Wildcat feels welcome and is able to find their home here on campus. We do this by helping students get connected, get engaged, and get involved!

To connect all K-State students from day one, we will kick off the semester with our Weeks of Welcome! This is an exciting time to get to learn about resources on campus and meet other students – from a social distance of course. Be sure to have your student check out the great events like New Student Convocation and the Career Center Carry-out. Also, make sure to have them grab their welcome bag that will be filled with great K-State swag – booths will be set up on campus throughout the first two weeks of classes! Visit wow.k-state.edu to see a full list of events.

Getting engaged with a student organization is one of the best ways for students to find their home here at K-State. We have over 500 student organizations here on campus. Be sure to have your student browse through our entire list of student organizations by visiting K-state.campuslabs.com. This is the best way to reach out and connect with members from the different student organizations. If your student isn’t sure what organization or involvement opportunity is right for them, have them take the Student Involvement Exploration Quiz or schedule a time to meet with the CSI staff.

Getting involved in student organizations by taking on leadership roles is a great way for students to not only get engaged on campus, but also to prepare for their future careers. We are here to help develop those leadership skills and are excited to host a series of leadership development workshops this year. A few of the topics we plan to cover include:

• Building inclusive communities
• Emotional resiliency
• Conflict resolution
• Empathy
• Civic Engagement
• And more!

We are here to support your student throughout their college career. We are always happy to meet with students one-on-one to learn about their specific interests and connect them with resources around campus. We are so excited to welcome your student to campus and can’t wait to help them get connected, get engaged, and get involved!

Submission from guest contributor Kelli Farris, Executive Director, Center for Student Involvement

Convocation is the first event to bring the incoming class of K-Staters together to mark and commemorate the beginning of the college journey, welcome students to campus, and story tell around what lies ahead. This year’s 2020 event will feature NFL star and K-State Alum, Tyler Lockett, Kansas State administrative leadership, and diverse leaders from the student body.

In a normal year, we would gather together, several thousand strong, in Bramlage Coliseum, to share in this moment of community and belonging. However, we want to put the health and safety of our community first during the time of COVID-19, so we will be gathering together virtually!

New Student Convocation 2020 will be streamed live on Sunday, August 16 from 5:30-6:15 at www.k-state.edu/convocation.

While we cannot gather in-person, K-State First has some ideas to help you creatively build community for our first-year students during this important occasion. We encourage you to watch along at the same time as your students and share in this powerful moment of K-State campus life. There is also an opportunity to move beyond watching, to process, create meaning, and build community. Below are some discussion questions you may use to encourage your students’ engagement with Convocation, and be part of the event with them.

• What is a comment or point that resonated with you about the Convocation message?
• One prominent theme of Convocation is that of Diversity and Inclusion. What does it mean to you when you hear, “Our differences make us stronger”?
• Student speakers talk about seeking support when things got tough. What resources do you feel like would help you during your first semester and why? What might you do if you get stuck?
• Many of the speakers describe the challenge of navigating college living, learning, and engagement during the time of Covid, what tools do you have to help to help you approach college adaptively and navigate uncertainty?

You can also join in on the conversation during the event in the YouTube chat or by connecting to our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts @kstatefirst. We look forward to having you be a part of this momentous event to kick-off your students’ college experiences!

Guest submission from Mariya Vaughan, K-State First Assistant Director