September 18, 2019
Volume 146, Issue 5
Washburn appoints Kuwitzky as VPAT
Abbie Barth
Washburn Review
Chris Kuwitzky has been selected as Washburn’s new vice president of administration and treasurer. The university VPAT is in charge of all financial operations and overseeing the following areas of Washburn: information technology services, the physical plant, human resources, auxiliary enterprises and supervision of the university police force. Kuwitzky has been working for Washburn as the controller and director of accounting since October, 2018. According to the official Washburn University press release, Kuwitzky will be replacing current Vice President Jim Martin, who will return to a full-time teaching position with the school of business. The search narrowed to two candidates in August, with Kuwitzky being the only Washburn candidate. Kuwitzky came from the University of Oklahoma, where he spent 30 years of his career. His final position at OU was the Associate Vice President of administration and finance. President Jerry Farley made the following statement on Kuwitzky’s hiring in the university press release. “Chris brought some great experience to Washburn from his long career in both public accounting and in higher education at OU,” said Farley. “Since joining our staff in October of last year, he has proven to be a strong asset and a great fit for Washburn. This is a challenging position and we are fortunate to have such a talented and experienced professional on our team.” In his current position, Kuwitzky is responsible for the team that produces the university’s financial statements and assists with investment and debt strategies. Aug. 16, Kuwitzky gave a presentation on his work experience and goals for Washburn followed by a question and answer forum. During the forum, Kuwitzky was asked about areas that he would like to see improvement in. In his response, Kuwitzky emphasized the long financial approval process for minor payments. Kuwitzky noticed that he would sometimes have to approve certain payments in the financial office when Martin wasn’t available. He realized that he had no idea what the payment was for, but at least five other people had already approved it. He emphasized how long the approval process took, and, in this case, for a small payment of $36. He used this example as context for his goal of improving the financial process by tightening its security, refreshing the current policies and creating a workflow system. During his presentation,
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Soccer wins big
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Ready for success: Chris Kuwitzky has been appointed as the new Vice President of Administration and Treasurer. Kuwitzky is a certified public accountant and earned a bachelor’s of business administration in accounting.
Kuwitzky also shared his reasons for wanting to work in higher education. “I fell in love with the idea of helping students be successful,” said Kuwitzky. “At the end of the day, that’s why I stayed in education. We’re changing lives and legacies along the way.” Kuwitzky will officially take the role of VPAT Oct. 1. “I am equally humbled and excited to be selected to serve as Washburn’s next Vice President for Administration and Treasurer,” said Kuwitzky. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students to help ensure that Washburn prospers in the years to come.”
photo by Bailey Longstaff
Kicking fury: Lauren Dietrick takes the ball up the field. The Ichabod soccer team won their game against Colorado State University-Pueblo 2-0.
WUPO strives for campus safety and security Joelle Conway Washburn Review
A huge conversation has taken place across our nation’s college campuses: How do we stay safe on campus? Amid the violence happening in our country, Washburn University has made a commitment to its students, faculty and staff to cultivate a safe campus environment. The Washburn University Police Department takes that commitment very seriously, as they are the campus’ primary resource for safety and security. Captain Matt Simpson and Sergeant Anthony Escalante are WUPO officers. Both officers are graduates of Washburn University. Simpson has been an officer at Washburn for four years, and Escalante has been an officer at Washburn for two years. “Safety on the campus is a joint responsibility. You know, we encourage students to empower themselves: know where the lights are on campus, where the help phones are and get to know their surroundings. We are here to do everything possible to make your experience pleasant, and to keep you safe,” said Simpson. WUPO encourages students to call or text 911 for emergencies. When somebody calls 911, a myriad of public service departments are aware of the situation and can give appropriate help. For an imminent situation that doesn’t require emergency services, you may call or text WUPO at 785670-1153. A communications dispatcher is available 24/7. If a crime occurs on campus, contact WUPO immediately. All of the officers are trained on assisting students in making a police report. You will be asked to make a statement and answer clarifying questions in
Career Fair opens door of opportunity, video
photo by by Joelle Conway
Keeping WU safe: Washburn police officers help keep campus safe and secure. Many of the officers have said that they wish to meet more students and build connections and trust within the Washburn community.
order to best help the officers solve the case. WUPO encourages students to know the available resources on campus. “I think the biggest thing that I would encourage people to do is to let people know where you’re going,” said Simpson. Students who have night classes or walk campus alone at night should tell a friend or roommate where they are going. Washburn Police Department is authorized to have 20 officers. Washburn Tech, the KBI Building and Washburn University share these officers. WUPO officers all wear body cameras and radios among other tools like a Taser, handcuffs, baton and pepper spray. WUPO has annual trainings on use of force, de-escalating situations and training on diversity and inclusion. Washburn is also a campus that allows students to conceal carry as long as students are in compliance with the universitie’s policies on the matter. A full explanation of the conceal carry policy can be found on the Washburn website under the student involvment tab. Michaela Webb, Washburn alumni and 1L student at Washburn Law, explained what it
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means to her to attend a university she feels safe at. “Having a safe campus means having a sense of security whenever I step foot on campus that I am protected. Beyond that, it means the feeling of belonging to a community in which we watch out for one another,” said Webb. “I believe that safety on campus is an absolute component of making ones college experience memorable and positive.” Washburn’s police officers are here to protect and establish trust with the Washburn community. Many of the officers wish to meet all the students and build relationships with them. Having a police department that deeply cares about the population it serves is another aspect of why Washburn is so special to many. “Regardless of what’s in the national media about the tensions between communities and police, that doesn’t have to be us. We control of how we treat each other. We are truly here and we are student-centered,” said Escalante. Washburn police department is striving to create a campus climate where students, faculty and staff feel safe and secure.
Washburn receives UN Millennium Fellowship