Jim Gatfield has been selected for College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for the month of August.
During his two-year tenure with CWI, Gatfield has proven an advocate for faculty and students and has provided exceptional work across the college. Gatfield consistently maintains a high level of attention to each aspect of his role at CWI and is an outstanding co-worker.
Gatfield’s contributions to CWI include developing a course for the College’s new CWID 101 courses designed around using comic books as a tool for exploring diversity in a collegiate setting. He also contributes regularly to the retention committee, has served on hiring committees, presented at in-service and has worked diligently on building GEN ED curriculum and professional development. Along with Johnny Rowing, he brought another Speech and Debate national championship to the College.
He designed and coordinated the first Social Science and Public Affairs (SSPA) Showcase. His goal was to place the faculty in front of any student who was interested in learning more about the discipline and to showcase the work of faculty. Gatfield coordinated all participants, reserved facilities, and worked with Student Services and Marketing to spread to the word to students and help make the event a success.
Gatfield was a very good teacher when he joined the CWI team; however, over the past two years his deliberate pursuit of excellence has been impossible not to notice. He consistently works with peers to enhance his courses, employs new pedagogy, and seeks professional development direct toward teaching the process.
Gatfield was involved in coordinating judging opportunities for students at high schools, local optimist groups, and the SkillsUSA competition. He also served as a judge for SkillsUSA, which allowed Speech and Debate students to connect with the community, representing the team and CWI, while potentially making professional connections.
Congratulations Jim and thank you for all your incredible work.
