More students are choosing College of Western Idaho (CWI), staying enrolled, and reaching graduation. As CWI continues to grow, the College is investing in the resources and support students need along the way.
That commitment took center stage Thursday, Aug. 20, as CWI celebrated the grand opening of the Nampa Campus CapEd Student Success Center (NCSC), a 35,000-square-foot facility designed to make academic resources and student services easier to find and access.
Bringing many of those services together under one roof, NCSC provides wraparound support for students across all programs — whether they are just beginning at CWI, working through a challenging semester, preparing to transfer, or getting ready to enter the workforce.
“The CapEd Student Success Center represents our commitment to ensuring every student has access to the resources, guidance, and support they need to achieve their educational goals,” said CWI President Gordon Jones. “By bringing essential services together under one roof, we are creating a more connected, welcoming, and student-centered experience from enrollment through graduation.”
Bringing Support Together
Inside NCSC, students can find support for a range of academic and everyday college needs, all within one central location.
One Stop Student Services provides a single place for students to get help with admissions, registration, financial aid, and other College processes they navigate throughout their time at CWI.
The Learning Commons brings the Library, Tutoring Services, and Writing and AI Literacy Center together on one floor. For a student working through a research assignment, that could mean getting help finding sources, connecting with writing support, meeting with a tutor, and finding a space to finish the work, all without traveling to another building.
NCSC is also now home to Student Affairs, including Student Engagement, Counseling Services, Veterans and Military Family Services, and more. Students will also have access to the Bookstore, and flexible study, meeting, and collaboration spaces within the center. With 22 group study, focus, and meeting rooms, students have a variety of options to work independently, collaborate with classmates, and connect with others.
Before NCSC opened, many of these services and resources were located in different buildings across the Nampa Campus. Bringing them together gives students a central place to find support while creating more opportunities to connect with classmates, faculty, and staff.
Growing Alongside Our Students
The center opens at a time of continued growth for CWI. The College has recorded 12 consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, with total student headcount increasing 17% since 2023 to more than 36,000 students annually.
CWI is also focused on helping students persist and complete their education. Student retention rate has increased 7 percentage points since 2023, reaching 64%, while the College's graduation rate increased 9 percent. CWI's most recent graduating class was also the largest in College history, with 1,826 graduates earning 2,300 degrees and certificates.
As CWI serves more students, the CapEd Student Success Center expands the wraparound services and resources available to support them throughout their educational journey.
Investing in Student Success
Named in recognition of CapEd Credit Union's investment in student success, the center reflects a shared commitment to expanding educational opportunities and supporting students as they work toward graduation, transfer, or a career.
“CapEd is honored to partner with CWI and support the great work they do in our community,” said Ray Lindley, CEO and President of CapEd Credit Union. “CapEd has a long-standing commitment of supporting quality education, those that serve our educational institutions and the service they provide to our communities. We look forward to working with CWI and their students to continue to make our communities a great place to work and live.”
The project was also made possible through early support from the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, whose investment helped advance the vision for a centralized space dedicated to student success. Additional funding was made possible from the State of Idaho, with support from Gov. Brad Little, the Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council (PBFAC), and the Idaho Legislature.
NCSC complements CWI's recent investments in new instructional facilities on the Nampa Campus. While those spaces expand opportunities for students to learn and train in classrooms, labs, and hands-on environments, the Student Success Center strengthens the support available outside the classroom.
Together, those investments address both sides of the student experience by creating places to learn and train while making it easier for students to access the support they need along the way.
To learn more about the CapEd Student Success Center and CWI's continued development of the Nampa Campus, visit Nampa Campus Development.
