Wichita State University

Wichita State's 330-acres campus has it all - stunning architecture, an Olympic-sized indoor pool, towering trees, sweeping gardens, and one of the nation's largest collegiate outdoor sculpture collections. Attend or participate in opera, musical theatre or ensembles, or take courses in painting, scultpure, photography, graphic design, dance or theatre. Relax or climb a rock wall at the Heskett Center, a full-service recreation complex. Go to top-notch sporting events for free. And make yourself at home in a newly outfitted residence hall where you can choose a suite-style room with high speed Internet and all of the essential comforts.

With an enrollment of more than 15,000, Wichita State prides itself on specialized attention to each student. Although the University's students come from almost every state in America and 110 foreign countries, 87 percent are from Kansas, representing nearly all counties in the state.

The 330-acre campus is modern and accessible and at the same time retains the flavor of the University's 107-year heritage. More than 60 pieces of sculpture by internationally known artists adorn the campus. Personnages Oiseaux, a colorful mural created by the great Spanish artist Joan Miró, is displayed on the wall of the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art.

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During the past 20 years, Wichita State has more than doubled its instructional space, adding major buildings for art, engineering, health sciences, biological sciences, physical education, music, dance, and liberal arts and sciences.

Approximately 120 social and special interest clubs provide opportunities for students to meet and work with others who share their interests. Nine national sororities and 11 national fraternities are active on campus.

Wichita State University (WSU) is a Division I institution and fields teams in tennis, cross-country, basketball, track, golf, crew, bowling, men's baseball and women's volleyball and softball. The men’s and women’s bowling teams have won numerous national championships, including the men’s 2003 title and women’s 2005 title. The university’s mascot name, the Shockers, reflects the university’s heritage: Early students earned money by shocking, or harvesting, wheat in nearby fields, hence the earlier mascot name of Wheatshockers, which has been shortened to Shockers.

Wichita State has 479 full-time faculty and 41 part-time faculty. Of the total, 73 percent have earned the highest degree in their field. Of all undergraduate credit hours, 62 percent are taught by full-time faculty. The average age of our faculty is 50; 61 percent are males and 39 percent are females.

Ulrich Museum of Art

The Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, named for the founding director of the Ulrich Museum of Art, is installed across the 330-acre campus of Wichita State University. The collection, which was begun in 1972 and now consists of more than 70 pieces, offers a cross-section of modern and postmodern sculpture, including several site-specific works. Internationally acclaimed artists such as Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, George Rickey, Claes Oldenburg and Scott Burton are represented on the WSU campus. The most visible and widely known public work remains Joan Miró's Personnages Oiseaux, a mosaic commissioned by the university in 1979. Composed of approximately one million pieces of Venetian glass and marble, the mosaic depicts Miró's characteristic surrealist imagery and serves as a signature work for the museum. Additionally, WSU possesses three site-specific works by Jesús Moroles: Granite Landscape, Fountain Wall, and Granite Weaving. Click here for the sculpture tour.

Ablah Library

Morrison Library served the campus well, but it could not handle the expansion of new programs and students that followed World War II. Plans for a new building became reality with a real estate gift from the Frank and Harvey Ablah families, and Ablah Library was opened in 1962. The basement was finished in 1972, and major additions on the east and west were completed in 1988. The first Morrison Library was the center of the campus and today Ablah Library, fronted by Gardner Plaza, still occupies that position. Glen Gardner served both Wichita University and Wichita State University as business manager.

The initial unit was designed by John Hickman, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's co-workers. The library was to reflect a prairie style building, both outside and in terms of the interior wood details. That design has been extensively covered by the addition on the east which houses the Media Resources Center, including TV 13, and the west addition which contains the new two-story library entrance and a light well to provide windows for the basement level. When viewed from most directions, Ablah Library projects a post-modern design concept. The 1988 additions, plus major remodeling of the original unit, were designed by the Wichita firm of Schaefer, Johnson, Cox, and Frey with Kenton Cox as the project designer. Most recently, a 24-hour study room with PC access to the library catalogue was added and named for Kathlien Edmiston, alumnus, member of the WU Board of Regents and the WSU Board of Trustees, and life long friend of the University. Click here for the campus tour.

Eck Stadium

When Athletic Director Ted Bredehoft revived baseball in 1978, WSU had no facilities forpractices or games. After considerable evaluation of possible sites, the golf course driving and practice range was selected, a decision not popular with golfers. El Dorado Lake Resevoir was under construction at the time, and the earth moving contractor agreed to grade the new field on Saturdays as a donation, but he declined to haul the dirt from the site. University architect Bill Harrison turned the problem into a happy solution when he suggested using the dirt to form what has become famous as the outfield hill.

A flatbed trailer holding a few bleachers was parked behind a newly erected backstop, the infield was covered with Astroturf, and Shocker Field was ready for play. In the next few years, E.W. Johnson Construction Co., a firm that has erected many campus buildings, converted a couple of concrete box-culvert units into dugouts. More bleacher seats were added and the largest college scoreboard was erected. In 1984-85, lights, 3,000 grandstand seats, a press box, offices, a concessions stand, and public restrooms were constructed. The stadium was named for longtime baseball supporter, Rusty Eck.

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