Not able to attend one the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Campus Forums this fall? Interested in what was discussed at the five sessions hosted by President’s Cabinet?
Here is a summary of key topics that were discussed at the Forums, which were attended by 118 employees.
CWI Locations/Space
- CWI is in the process of attaining additional classroom space at our Ada County Center on Maple Grove Rd. and Overland Rd. This will help the College meet the need for more classroom and office space in general, and will facilitate the move of the Dental Assisting and Surgical Technology programs off the Boise State University campus, as well as Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language and Nursing Assistant and phlebotomy courses out of CWI Oak Park. Additional bus routes and parking are being sought. CWI Eagle River will also experience a move to another location in the spring as that lease expires in June of 2014 and will not be renewed. PC is excited to have programs located a bit more centrally to increase leverage and communication, and to have more space for students and employees.
- The addition of the apartment buildings near the Nampa Campus Administration Building is causing worry; CWI is talking with them re: signage and other ideas to clarify behavior. There is optimism that things will work out, but please keep PC informed so the College can address any issues.
- Thanks to the Canyon County Center for the positive feedback on parking being much better there – we are happy to see that the change in scheduling had an impact.
- There was feedback that the building acronyms are confusing; these will be reviewed.
Training/Coaching/Counseling
- There was one inquiry regarding:
* Counseling resources for students – there will be additional services.
* Active shooter training – there have been building evaluations by law enforcement, and are plans to review their recommendations, and to offer workplace violence training – including active shooter – to staff and faculty within the next six months.
* MS certification – more of a recognition for the positive impact this offering has in both Professional Technical Education and Academic Affairs.
Policies/Practices/Procedures
- What is our smoking policy? The new “tobacco free policy” has been approved and will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2015. Until then, CWI’s current policy is in effect. From now until the new policy will be enforced, there will be signs, training, and other communication.
- How can I safely give feedback on my manager? Will CWI implement a “360” feedback process? In the spirit of open communications and a supportive work environment, the hope is that employees could go directly to their manager with feedback, questions, and communications of all types. It is realized, though, that sometimes this is tough, or may not have worked. In this case, options for employees are the next level manager, a manager in another area that they feel would be helpful, and Human Resources. In no case, though, should the employee feel that they cannot bring concerns forward; and in no case will retaliation by managers be tolerated. Employees may not get the exact answer they want, but they should be listened to, and know that their input in necessary, important, and will be considered seriously. PC does plan to implement a process across CWI in which feedback is sought from employees on their managers.
Thanks again to all who participated in Forums; hopefully this summary helps those who weren’t able to join as it captures most of what we discussed. See you all at our spring Forums.