Bert's Alerts—Feb. 23, 2018
News Highlights
CWI College Application Week March 5-9
College of Western Idaho (CWI) wants to help you start college this fall during College Application Week, March 5 - 9.
This is a great time for future students to apply and be ready for open registration in April. Students who apply early have greater options for classes, and can complete other important steps like applying for financial aid and scholarships.
Additionally, the College is hosting a financial aid event March 7 from 4-6 p.m. at the Ada County Campus Pintail Center where students can get assistance completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and receive tips on paying for college. Eighty-one percent of CWI students receive some form of financial aid to assist them in their pursuit of an education.
Anyone interested in applying to CWI can fill out the online application at cwi.edu/apply. For more information on becoming a student at CWI, as well as learning about financial aid options, visit cwi.edu/go.
Media Arts Student Makes the Front Page
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Media Arts student, Ky Tucker, is covering local news and sports as an intern with Idaho Press Tribune. His photos have appeared in the paper several times, with his most recent coverage of the Idaho State 5A Girls Basketball Championship making the front page of the sports section.
“I am so excited to have this opportunity to get out in the community and develop my skills as a journalist. My internship with Idaho Press Tribune has been phenomenal, and I am thankful to have such talented mentors to guide me,” said Tucker, who graduates in May.
His internship through CWI is part of the capstone course for Media Arts majors, where the focus is connecting students to the workforce and community.
Tucker plans on attending Boise State University and majoring in Media Production.
Psychology Club Welcomes David Dunn
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Psychology Club is proud to welcome alumnus, David Dunn, to campus Tuesday, March 13, 2018, to discuss his educational journey and progress toward professional goals.
Dunn began his education at CWI in the spring of 2009. After this initial semester, David left CWI and later returned for the Spring 2015 semester to complete an associate degree in Liberal Arts. Dunn took full advantage of the CWI experience and was an INBRE scholar. Fall of 2016, David transferred to Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where his studies now focus on neuroscience.
Dunn’s presentation, held at the College’s Nampa Campus Academic Building in room 104 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., will include insights on the process of education, choosing a major, establishing educational and professional goals, and Dunn’s current research efforts.
For more information, contact Martha Timberlake at marthatimberlake@cwi.edu.
Biology 2: Experiential Learning in McCall
Biology 2 is a great opportunity for students to learn about science in an experiential classroom environment, while enjoying the beauty of Payette Lake, in McCall, this summer.
The class, held at University of Idaho’s McCall Field Campus, presents a chance for students to complete the same course objectives as in a brick-and-mortar classroom. Further, students will complete the four-unit course in just four weeks, allowing them the flexibility to enroll in additional summer courses.
Students stay on campus and their meals are provided. The campus has a large dining hall, classroom spaces overlooking spectacular Payette Lake, and bunkhouses where students sleep, study, and socialize.
Biology 2 in McCall is a unique educational experience for students and distinguishes CWI’s Natural Resource program from other, similar programs in the state of Idaho.
For more information, visit cwi.edu/program/biology.
Speech and Debate: On the Road to Victory
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) mighty Speech and Debate team has proven themselves time and time again in the hard-fought battle of verbal camouflage – coming in hot off a tremendous victory at the Northwest Forensics Conference Division III regional competition at Pacific University’s Scheller Invitational in January.
The team swept their competition bringing home multiple victories including first place overall for Division III schools. The CWI championship Speech and Debate team is marching into history, dominating the competition at every turn. Their next conquest is fast approaching in less than three weeks and counting. They will compete at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, March 14-17, to defend their five-time national title!
Let’s show our support for this amazingly talented group! CWI’s Speech and Debate team is not here for casual conversation, they are ready for gladiatorial combat of the intellect! Go #mightyCWI!
Scott Keene
Keene, a student in CWI's Communication program, is following the Speech and Debate team's road to nationals as part of an internship for his Communication Capstone class.
Faculty Preparing Students for 2018 Connections Project
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Connections Project is an extraordinary opportunity to bring together students, faculty, staff, and the community for an evening of connection, education, and inspiration! In years past, the most successful form of outreach for student involvement has been from faculty. There are several ways you can contribute to the Connections Project by incorporating projects into your classrooms. Two popular ways include student posters and mini-talks. Below are a few poster and talk ideas from faculty members who are actively encouraging their students to participate in this year’s event on April 26.
Jana McCurdy, from Integrated Studies, has given her Liberal Arts Capstone students this semester a choice to either create a poster or a five- to eight-minute talk. Either way, students will summarize what they have learned and explain something that made an impact on them during their time at CWI. Topics will range from specific classes, skills they have developed, the tutoring center, the library, and student clubs. Describing presenting at the Connections Project as “a very safe environment”, McCurdy explained, “Everyone there is family – friends, students, faculty, and staff. We love to see examples of student work! It’s very positive, and it’s a good opportunity to go one step further then a classroom presentation.”
Karen Brown, from Visual and Performing Arts, will be incorporating a poster project opportunity in her ARTS 104 class, a global perspectives course focusing on the visual arts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the islands of the Pacific, and Pre-Columbian America. Throughout the semester, her students will be learning about these areas, their historical connections with the west, and the impact the west has had on these regions. Their studies will lead to a final poster project that will explore one aspect of how these cultures and the west have impacted each other. In the past, Brown’s student’s presented on topics such as the influence of Polynesian tattooing traditions on the popularity of tattooing in the west, depictions of hair in traditional African art and the symbolic role of hair in African American communities, and the connections between a Mesoamerican ball game to contemporary ball games. Last year, her students who were able to attend the event expressed the questions they were asked really helped them to think more about their project. Brown commented, “My students walked away with more professional skills. “They learned and gained experience into research, and made connections to other parts of the world”.
Cathy Carson, from Mathematics, has created an opportunity for her Math for Elementary Teachers class to present posters at this year’s Connections Project. Her students will choose an objective of Idaho’s Common Core curriculum in math and present two creative lesson plans that provide different opportunities for conceptual understanding. In Carson’s words, students who participate gain the opportunity to “bring their career choice to life”.
Catherine Kyle, from English, is also incorporating an opportunity for her PSYC 221 Gender class to participate in the poster presentation. Their projects will focus on a gender-related United States cultural import/export looking at how gender norms, gender roles, and gender ideas cross cultural boundaries. Her student’s posters will showcase everything from fashion and music to human rights. According to Kyle, Connections Project, “makes the work we do in school come to life in a new way. Being able to showcase that work, and help other people think about is a valuable thing”.
Do you have student work you would like to showcase at Connections Project? Faculty can submit work on behalf of their students, or students may submit work on their own. All submissions are due by Friday, March 23. For details regarding the submission process visit /current-students/connections-project-submissions. Please email connections@cwi.edu with any questions or if you want to talk through ideas.
Join us for this year’s Connections Project held at the Nampa Campus Academic Building on April 26 from 3-8 p.m.!
Biomedical Research Opportunity
The Southwest Idaho Bridges to Baccalaureate (B2B) program is accepting applications until March 31, for the 2019 cohort of Bridges Finalists and Fellows. The National Institutes of Health has awarded College of Western Idaho and Boise State University a five-year, $1.5 million grant to support undergraduate student research in the biomedical field.
Bridges Fellows will be compensated 40 hours per week for ten weeks during their first (and possibly second) summer AND 10 hours per week during their junior year at Boise State. B2B is designed to increase participation by underrepresented students in biomedical research career paths.
Underrepresented students for the purposes of this NIH award are defined as:
- Blacks or African Americans
- Hispanic or Latinos
- American Indians
- Alaska Natives
- Native Hawaiian
- other Pacific Islanders
- Individuals with disabilities
- Veterans
- Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
- low-income (defined as Pell-eligible)
- born and raised in rural Idaho (defined by zip code)
- first-generation to attend college (self-disclosed)
For more information about the application process, or to see if you qualify, please write to Dr. Steve Lysne: stevelysne@cwi.edu.
Canyon County Historic Preservation Plan Survey
College of Western Idaho faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Canyon County Historic Preservation Plan survey. As Chair of the Canyon County Preservation Committee, Nikki Gorrell and her team have been working to determine specific sites the public finds critical to protect as part of our cultural heritage. Survey participants do not need to be a resident of Canyon County. Anyone working at any of CWI’s Canyon County locations can contribute.
Take the survey here. The survey closes Feb. 28.
For more information, please contact Nikki Gorrell at nikkigorrell@cwi.edu.
Faculty Present at the Western Business Education Association Conference
The Western Business Education Association (WBEA) held their annual conference in Boise over the President’s Day weekend. Local members hosted the event at the Grove Hotel in downtown Boise. The conference featured presentations and workshops relating to business education along with tours of local points of interest. Tours included Bardenay, Scentsy, JUMP, the Capitol Building, Basque Museum, and the Boise Art Museum.
College of Western Idaho faculty, Steve Ackerman, Yolanda Barnes, Dave Berggren, Teri Harbacheck, Jenny Miller, Scott Straub, and Lindsey Wallgren presented at the conference giving insight to the community college view of business education. The conference brought almost 220 educators from all over the west (including British Columbia and Alberta) to the City of Trees. The WBEA is composed of secondary and post-secondary business educators and CWI faculty members helped provide the attendees with community college perspective of issues from dual credit to student retention.
Faculty of Distinction—January 2018
Sabina Omair has been selected as College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for January 2018. Omair has been with the College since 2014 and is currently the Department Chair of Health Professions. She has loved every minute of working here and is passionate about teaching. Omair loves to see students succeed and is proud she sees students in the workforce representing CWI.
Previous to working at CWI, Omair worked as a Medical Director in OB/GYN and spent time teaching medical and nursing programs in Pakistan. She came to the United States in 1998 and has three children. She loves camping, river-rafting, and jet-skiing.
Diaper Donation Drive
Staff Senate’s Staff Connection Committee is hosting a diaper and pull-up drive for the Women and Children’s Aliiance (WCA) March 5-9.
Donation bins will be placed at the following campus locations:
- Nampa Campus Administration Building (NADM), first-floor breakroom
- Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC), first-floor lobby
- Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB), first-floor lobby
- Canyon County Center (CYNC), first-floor lobby
- Ada County Campus Pintail Building (APIN), common area
For more information on WCA and how to help, visit www.wcaboise.org or email Staff Senate at staffsenate@cwi.edu.
2017 Employee Giving Donations
For employees who have not been able to find their employee donation for 2017 tax purposes, the information is located on your pay advice dated Dec. 22, 2017. If you have issues or need specific details regarding this, please contact Kathy Ohnsman at kathyohnsman@cwi.edu or foundation@cwi.edu.