Bert's Alerts—Dec. 7, 2018
In the Spotlight
Robert Herold, right, President of the Associated Students of College of Western Idaho (ASCWI), greets students during a CWI Finals Blackout event, Coffee and Coloring, on Monday, Dec. 3. This was one of many events hosted by Student Affairs, Library Services, and Tutoring Services to help students de-stress as they prepare for finals.
News Highlights
Emerging Professionals Nominated for Commitment, Talent, and Potential
The Career Technical Education Emerging Professionals program exists to recognize outstanding students for commitment to learning, demonstration of talent in their program, and potential to excel in their chosen industry. Students are nominated by their instructors, and selection is based on academic integrity, innovation, and professionalism both in and outside the classroom.
Christian Medina, a student in the Heavy Duty Truck Technician program at the College, was nominated as one of this year’s Emerging Professionals.
“I nominated Christian for the Emerging Professionals scholarship because he is a student who shows a lot of passion and dedication,” said Alex Beal, Department Chair for Diesel Technology. “Christian is a leader. He’s not a loud kind of leader, but a leader who people want to follow because of who he is and his personality. He is going to have a lot of great success in his career and in his future.”
“I am a first-generation college student in my family, and I am pretty proud to set an example for my two younger brothers. This scholarship is going to help me pay for next semester which really motivates me,” said Medina. “Because of CWI, I’m going to get an opportunity to work in the career field that I want and that I chose, and it’s going to help me open my own shop up in the future.”
Congratulations to Christian and the following students nominated as Emerging Professionals for the 2018/19 academic year:
Ann Hymas, Bookkeeping and Accounting – nominated by Jenny Miller and Teri Harbacheck
Christian Medina, Heavy Duty Truck Technician – nominated by Alex Beal
Jeremy Perkins, Western States CAT – nominated by Scott Russell
Tristan Maloney, Welding and Metal Fabrications – nominated by Mike Wheeler
Maureen Hartnett, Marketing Communications – nominated by Michelle Bennett
CWI Partners to Help Boise School District Students
College of Western Idaho is proud to partner with Sovrn Creative and the Community Schools program to kick-off the inaugural Neighbors in Need Drive to help Boise School District students.
"Many of CWI's students have children in the district served by Community Schools, and some are involved in the College’s Basic Skills Education (BSE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs," said Alexis Bennett, CWI ESL Instructor and Sovrn Project Manager.
The CWI Community is invited to donate household essentials as part of the Neighbors in Need Drive through Dec. 20 at the College’s Ada County Campus Pintail Center.
"It seemed natural, given all that CWI already does to create affordable and convenient educational opportunities, to participate as a public donation site,” said Bennett. “In the ESL department in particular, we are always looking to make resources beyond the classroom more available to reduce barriers to success. Good hygiene and clean clothes are often among those barriers."
“The goal is to start small and build, so we appreciate partnering with well-known local brands like CWI,” said Nicole Keisel, Sovrn Art Director and Neighbors in Need campaign designer.
Nearly half of students within the Boise School District receive free or reduced lunch and close to 800 are homeless or unaccompanied. Many of these students’ families make difficult trade-offs every day in order to get by. Community Schools helps provide everyday essentials to students allowing them to be successful and show up for school ready to learn.
Learn more about the drive, Sovrn Creative, or the Community Schools program by contacting Alexis Bennett at alexisbennett@cwi.edu
Employees Put on the Ritz
Employees, dressed in their 1920s best, put on the ritz during College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) annual employee holiday party Nov. 29. The event, hosted by the Culture and Employee Engagement Committee (CEEC), did not disappoint! Employees enjoyed a night of food, fun, and entertainment including music, casino games, bingo, a photo booth, hors d’oeuvres, and a CWI-themed Mocktail Bar provided by Soda Stop.
“It is so important we take time to recognize each other and have fun celebrating our CWI community,” commented President Glandon. “Jane and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening and kickoff to the holiday season. Thank you to the CEEC for planning and hosting a wonderful holiday party to celebrate employees.”
Congratulations to the winners of the raffle:
Wooden Game Set – Brian Cuttlers
Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Humidity and Temperature Monitor – Kim Bettencourt
Cuisinart Electric Knife – Jessica Concie
Inflatable Chair – Courtney Santillan
Inflatable Chair – Jessa Walker
Tournament Bag Toss – Briana Roberts
Projector – Cathy Carson
Visit the CEEC page on myCWI (using Internet Explorer) to view additional photos from the event.
Thank you to all who attended!
Vance Named to National Geographic Idaho Advisory Council
Department Chair of History, Culture, and Politics, Dr. Justin Vance, has been named to the National Geographic Idaho Advisory Council. National Geographic’s goal is to teach students about the world and how it works in order to empower them to make a difference. These skills are essential for student achievement and college and career readiness, but also in order to prepare students to become engaged citizens and responsible stewards of our planet. The Idaho Council aims to collaboratively develop an action plan for Idaho that enhances geography education in ways that align with Idaho’s needs and priorities.
To learn more about National Geographic’s education initiatives and resources visit their website.
Staff of the Month—October 2018
Jodi Hickenlooper has been recognized as College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Staff of the Month for October 2018. Hickenlooper has been with the College for two and a half years working as the Counseling Services Manager. She loves supporting the mental health and well-being of students and ensuring they are cared for and have access to resources.
Hickenlooper came to CWI with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Boise State University along with a Master’s degree in Counseling from Idaho State University. She has been instrumental in the implementation of the Student Health 101 newsletter, securing a graduate student intern position, and creating publications highlighting Counseling Services growth.
When not going the extra mile at work — Hickenlooper enjoys spending time with her two dogs, attending performances, reading, and being outside.
Please join us in congratulating Jodi on her accomplishment!
Harbaugh Named PNWPSA President-Elect
Associate Professor of Political Science, Robert Harbaugh, was named President-Elect of the Pacific Northwest Political Science Association (PNWPSA) during the Association’s annual meeting in November 2018 in Bend, Oregon. Harbaugh will serve as President of the Association from 2020 until 2022.
The PNWPSA was founded in 1947 and brings together scholars from around the country for the exploration and advancement of political science. PNWPSA’s 2019 annual conference will take place in Boise, Idaho. Visit the PNWPSA website to learn more.
Perceptive Content Upgrade
Perceptive Content (PCON) is scheduled to be upgraded beginning the evening of Friday, Dec. 7. This upgrade will require an update to the client software that IT will automatically deploy to employee’s computers. Technical Support Specialists will be working with staff on Monday, Dec. 10 to ensure their systems are up and running with the new PCON.
In order to prepare the campus community for the PCON Upgrade 7.2.3, IT has prepared a list of frequently asked questions. Please contact the Help Desk with any questions about this upgrade or if you would like additional information.
Cybersecurity Awareness: Data Breaches
The State of Idaho website, Idaho.gov, recently shared the following checklist to help individuals be proactive in avoiding a personal data breach.
- Reset your password now. Change your password for any compromised accounts. Go ahead and do it now, we’ll wait here for you. Now that that’s out of the way, you should consider enabling multi-factor authentication. With multi-factor authentication in place, even if cybercriminals steal your login credentials, they still won’t be able to access your account without at least one other authentication mechanism, like your phone for example.
- Monitor your credit accounts. Look for any suspicious activity. Remember you get a free credit report, one from each of the three major credit bureaus, every year at annualcreditreport.com. This is the only U.S. Federal Trade Commission-authorized site for obtaining free credit reports.
- Consider freezing your credit. A credit freeze makes it harder to open up a line of credit under your name by restricting access to your credit report. You can lift or stop the freeze at any time. The only hassle is that you must contact each credit bureau individually to enact or remove a freeze.
- Watch your inbox carefully. Opportunistic cybercriminals know that millions of victims of any given data breach are expecting some kind of communication regarding hacked accounts. These scammers will take the opportunity to send out phishing emails spoofed to look like they’re coming from those hacked accounts in an attempt to get you to give up personal information.
Learn more about data breaches
Contact Mike Wilson at michaelwilson1@cwi.edu or 208.562.3193 with questions or for more information, and stay tuned for more tips and information on cybersecurity awareness in future issues of Bert’s Alerts.
CWI Snow Information and Tips
With winter weather upon us, College of Western Idaho (CWI) crews are working to keep campus locations safe and clear of ice and snow. Please keep in mind, winter conditions can be dangerous and require everyone's attention to prevent slipping and falling. We are all responsible for exercising good judgment when walking on icy or slippery conditions. No matter how well snow and ice is removed from parking lots and sidewalks, it is important to be prepared and continually aware of slippery surfaces. Parking space may be limited in some areas due to snow piles from plowing.
Keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice. Neoprene and non-slip rubber are best. Avoid shoes with smooth soles and heels.
- Walk S-L-O-W-L-Y. Plan extra time so you are not rushing.
- Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, be careful since shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
- Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
- Walk like a penguin. Point your feet out slightly and shuffle. Spreading your feet out slightly improves your stability. Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over your feet as much as possible. Keep your hands out of your pockets and extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
- Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk cautiously. Look to see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards.
- Look up. Be careful about what you walk under. Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
- Use your eyes and ears. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
- When you arrive at your indoor destination, remove as much snow and water from your feet as you can to prevent water buildup on the floors.
- Enter a building carefully. When you get to your destination such as school, work, shopping center, etc., be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice.
- When using stairs, always use handrails.
- Anticipate ice. Be wary of thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement (black ice). Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
To report icy conditions on campus or if you have questions, please call Facilities Planning and Management at 208.562.3545 or facilities@cwi.edu.
