Bert's Alerts—Nov. 10, 2017
News Highlights
Nominate an Emerging Scholar
Nominations for Emerging Scholars are due March 23, 2018.
Emerging Scholars recognizes outstanding students for their commitment to learning, excelling in their discipline or program, creative approaches to assignments, and other qualities. Selection is based on perseverance, innovative thinking, and professionalism both in and outside the classroom—not primarily on academic status. Students are nominated by faculty.
During fall and spring semesters faculty identify and nominate students in their courses who exemplify these four main criteria: academic commitment, innovation, professional practice, and the demonstration of exceptional promise. Nominations are then reviewed and finalists selected by the Emerging Scholars Committee. Two Emerging Scholars are awarded in each of the schools of instruction with one Emerging Scholar being chosen at-large.
Thirteen students will receive one $600 scholarship to be applied towards their tuition at College of Western Idaho for the 2018-2019 academic year. Awards will be presented during the annual CWI Connections Project event held on campus in April.
Students receive their awards from the faculty who nominated them at a special awards ceremony in the spring, and apply the award to the following academic year including fall and spring semesters.
Nominations are open now and will be accepted through March 23, 2018. Recipients will be announced by April 16, 2018.
Nominate an Emerging Scholar today!
2017-2018 Emerging Scholars:
Ana Karen Arizmendi – nominated by Joy Palmer, Assistant Professor and English Department Chair
Aaron Connolly – nominated by Molly Wolk, Education Instructor
Cat Frazier – nominated by Liza Long, English Instructor
Francoises Garcia – nominated by Kim Johanek, Sociology and CWID Instructor
Taycia Grasmick – nominated by Suzanne Oppenheimer, Assistant Professor of Biology and Rick Coonrod, Supervisor of Tutoring Services
Dakota Keiser – nominated by Michelle Mahoney, Assistant Professor of Communication
Tony Trammel – nominated by Cathy Carson, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Azalia Perez – nominated by Michelle Fellows, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Niki Swanson – nominated by Christian Purvis-Aldrich, Associate Professor of English
Kadalyn Smith – nominated by Carol Billing, Assistant Professor of Education
Christina Hoefler – nominated by Liza Long, English instructor
Boise State Professor to Lecture on Presidential Greatness
Dr. Justin Vaughn, Associate Professor of Political Science at Boise State University and Director of the Center for Idaho History and Politics, will speak on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB).
Dr. Vaughn is an internationally recognized scholar on the subject of the American Presidency and has published numerous books and articles on the topic. This lecture focuses on the idea of presidential greatness, with an emphasis on the factors that explain why some presidents rate highly among academics and the public while others are ignored in the middle or stuck ignominiously at the bottom.
Date: Thursday, Nov. 16
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Location: NCAB, 2nd Floor Atrium
Contact Professor Rob Harbaugh for more information at 208.562.3406 or robharbaugh@cwi.edu.
Employee Halloween Costume Contest Results
Best Costume by Building:
Ada Lynx – Elizabeth Ortiz Dominguez
Ada Pintail – Yolanda Barnes
Ada Quail – Pam Hodges
Canyon County Center – Quincy Lochard
Nampa Admin – Kathy Robertson
Nampa Aspen Classroom – Reggie Jayne
Nampa Academic – Rebecca Flock
Nampa Multipurpose – Dave Berggren
Nampa Micron – Mary Melkonian
Best Overall: Rebecca Flock
Best Group: Nampa Campus Administration Building, Suite 102, Communications & Marketing and Foundation
Congratulations to all of our winners! Photos of the contest winners are posted on the Culture and Employee Engagement (CEEC) page on myCWi. Trophies will be presented to the winners next week by members of the CEEC.
Wishing Well Funds Awarded for 2017-2018
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation, along with the Scholarship and Grants Committee, recently approved seven Wishing Well Fund applications for 2017-2018. Thanks to the generosity of employees and the support of community partners, nearly $7,000 in funding was awarded to directly benefit programs or departments at the College.
The Wishing Well Fund, established in 2015, was created to support small items and student learning opportunities not typically funded through department budgets. The funding is intended for resources and activities that enhance student development and learning experiences, but are not deemed necessary.
“It’s exciting that these grant opportunities exist for our students at CWI,” said Andrea Schumaker, Department Chair for Physical and Agricultural Sciences at the College and one of this year’s Wishing Well Fund recipients. “I am excited to have the funds to move forward with something that will provide agricultural educational experiences while helping to feed our CWI community!”
2017-2018 Wishing Well Awards:
Law Enforcement
• $313 to purchase a camcorder and tripod to record classes and training exercises
• $610 to purchase challenge coins for program graduates
Biological Sciences
• $1,500 to purchase protein modeling materials and kits
• $1,190 to purchase a bird bath, habitat certification sign, and monarch interpretive sign for the Native Plant
Garden located at the Nampa Campus Academic Building
• $1,161 to purchase You Plus the World kits to use in Making Sense of the Micro-Biotic-Me (MMBS 106) course
Physical and Agricultural Sciences
• $1,466 to build a campus garden and hold an outreach event
Visual and Performing Arts
• $730 to purchase materials and safety equipment to build and run a portable foundry
CWI Students and Staff Help Rake Up Nampa
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Physical Therapy students and family members joined the Culture and Employee Engagement Committee (CEEC) at the Rake Up Nampa 2017 event on Saturday, Nov. 4. Crews made from the 800 volunteers, helped more than 100 senior citizens and disabled people clean their yards this year. CEEC sponsored the event and the group alternates between participating in Rake Up Nampa and Rake Up Boise events. CWI volunteers (left to right) were Judy Gibson, Britany Cunningham, Jason McKee, Kyla Hutchison, Jennifer Snow, and Juanita Manzo.
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.
