Bert's Alerts—Nov. 9, 2018
President's Message
I want to thank all of you who took time to participate in the midterm election. Whether you voted early, through absentee ballot, or in-person, I congratulate you on exercising your right. Numerous races and decisions were extremely close and came right down to the wire and within hundredths of a percentage point, reiterating “every vote counts”. As you know, College of Western Idaho (CWI) was on the ballot for the Health Science Building Plant Facilities Levy, as well as two Board of Trustee races. The unofficial reported results look to be as follows:
- CWI Plant Facilities Levy – 54.9379% (A 55 percent rate of approval is needed to pass.)
CWI Board of Trustees will meet Monday, Nov. 12, during a special Board meeting to review levy results and consider authorizing a request for recount. If the difference in the results is less than or equal to 0.1 percent, Idaho law allows for a free recount.
I look forward to welcoming Molly Lenty and Annie Pelletier Hightower to our CWI Board of Trustees; they will be sworn in at our next Board meeting on Nov. 27, 2018. We will also acknowledge and thank Stan Bastian and Emily Walton for their service on the Board as their terms end.
Thank you for everything you do to support students and the mission of CWI. Our mission to serve students and advance student success will continue.
Please stay tuned for additional updates.
CWI in the News
Idaho Press: Local 12-year-old boy enrolls in college, scores top grades in course
Idaho Statesman: College of Western Idaho trustee seats: Election Results
KBOI 2: No CWI: No decision yet whether it will request recount after $47 million levy fails
Idaho Press: CWI looks into recount of levy results
KTVB: What’s next for College of Western Idaho after $39M levy narrowly failed
News Highlights
Veterans Day 2018
College of Western Idaho Field of Honor
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will have a number of events leading up to the observance of Veterans Day. On Friday, Nov. 2, Veteran Services will begin placing flags on the west lawn of the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)for the College's annual Field of Honor display. The flags will be on display through Nov. 15.
Join us Monday, Nov. 12, for the following events celebrating and honoring our veterans:
Run to Remember
7 a.m.—NCAB, outside west entrance
Remembrance circle followed by a one-mile run/walk
Veterans Day Ceremony
1 p.m.—NCAB, west lawn
Ceremony will feature guest speakers, a student speaker, and refreshments.
Veterans Panel Discussion
6 p.m.—NCAB, room 102E
Panel will feature veterans discussing their service and the transitions they made starting school following their service.
“It’s important to CWI to support veterans, said Matt Collard, Work Study for Veteran Services on campus. "This college is a good start for their education, and we help vets go forward academically by showing support and making them feel welcome.”
Thank you to those who have served and to those who show their support!
Student Receives Physical Therapist Assistant Award
Congratulations to Lindsay Whipple, a 2018 graduate from College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. Whipple received a PTA Student of the Year award from the Idaho Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, in September, at Idaho State University in Meridian.
“Lindsay was a stellar student from day one—she exceeded all expectations, not only from our academic side, but also from her clinical instructors,” said Leah Wilsey, Director of Clinical Education. “Lindsay was definitely attentive, and she volunteered for many CWI activities."
A PTA works together with a physical therapist to implement a plan of care to aid patients and clients. Students at CWI are instructed in principles and procedures of the PTA which include therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and neurological interventions. According to the Idaho Department of Labor, the average hourly wage for a PTA is $21.12.
“A physical therapist assistant someone who has good communications skills and has empathy and an ability to work with patients during their process of healing,” added Wilsey.
Boise Police K-9 Visits Campus
On Wednesday, Nov. 7, students in College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Law Enforcement program welcomed Boise Police Department (BPD) K-9 Officer, Marshall Plaisted, and his dog, Geno, to campus for a K-9 demonstration.
“It’s absolutely imperative that we bring in community partners into the classroom to help teach the students. How fortunate are we to have stakeholders vested in our program,” said Law Enforcement Program Director, Brett Reid. “Agencies from the Treasure Valley, across the state, and even out-of-state come and visit our classes. This kind of investment is what makes this class worth it.”
Geno is originally from Holland, and has been part of Plaisted’s family since he was 14 months old; he is now four. All of Geno’s training is done in-house at BPD.
“Geno has a “type A” personality,” said Plaisted. “He gets the tasks done and works well around human beings. Geno loves his job. He is very highly trained, very highly skilled, and very highly lazy on his days off during which he enjoys sun tanning on the trampoline. When dad puts on the uniform, Geno knows it’s time for business.”
This visit was the first demonstration of its kind for CWI’s Law Enforcement program. Thank you to BPD, Officer Plaisted, and Geno for providing our students the opportunity to see first-hand how beneficial K-9s are to the law enforcement field.
Fall 2019 Registration
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is excited to announce registration dates for the Fall 2019 semester.
Priority registration at College of Western Idaho for the Fall 2019 semester begins April 8. Priority registration allows continuing students a chance to enroll in classes ahead of others in order to stay on track to graduate.
- Students can register online anytime on or after their assigned registration time.
- Continuing students, who enrolled and attended classes any semester since fall 2016, are eligible.
- Assigned registration times are based on cumulative credits earned.
- Students can check myCWI and CWI email for their assigned time.
- Dual Credit students are not eligible for priority registration.
Open Registration for all students, including new and continuing, begins April 15 at 8 a.m.
Visit us online to learn more about applying to CWI, orientation, registering for classes, and for One Stop Student Services hours and locations.
2019 Connections Project Logo Contest
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Connections Project celebrates culture, collaboration, education, innovation, and achievement. We are calling upon current CWI students to showcase their talent in design to incorporate this mission statement into the new 2019 Connections Project logo! The winning logo will be used for all of the marketing surrounding the event and the designer will receive a $100 cash prize!
Deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16.
Connections Project Logo Contest
Native Beading Expert to Visit Campus
The Inclusive Excellence Committee is hosting Native beading expert, Liz Mummy, Nov. 13 at College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Ada County Campus Pintail Center common area from 4 – 6 p.m. Mummy will be sharing her artistry and tradition in honor of Native American Heritage Month which takes place throughout the month of November.
In addition to discussing the history and significance of beadwork among Native peoples, she will be providing all the materials necessary for participants to make dream catchers. The beading workshop is free, open to the public, and will include participation by both the CWI and Boise State University Anthropology Clubs.
Contact Nikki Gorrell at 208.562.3403 or nikkigorrell@cwi.edu with questions or for more information.
CWI Alerts Test—Nov. 14
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will be conducting a test of its alert notification system, CWI Alerts, to help ensure the CWI community is notified of any potential emergency situations. The test will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 14. CWI uses Rave Mobile Safety to inform students, employees, and the extended College community of critical situations.
Employees and students are automatically enrolled to receive alerts to their CWI email and any phone numbers provided when joining the College. To ensure the safety of the CWI community and provide timely emergency messages it is important that current contact information is provided. Contact information can be updated by visiting cwi.edu/alerts. The service is free, but text messaging fees may be charged from cellular providers. Sign up to receive alerts by visiting cwi.edu/alerts.
CWI Alerts are only used for critical circumstances including severe weather, snow closures, utility failure, hazardous material spills, violent incidents, and other situations with the potential to affect the health or safety of people on campus. Please email communications@cwi.edu with questions.
Glow Turkey Toss—Nov. 14
Join the College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Office of Student Engagement and Foundation College Ministry Club Wednesday, Nov. 14, for Glow Turkey Toss. This inaugural, frisbee golf tournament will be held at the Nampa Campus Academic Building disc field at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The first 15 CWI students who arrive will receive a long-sleeved t-shirt, and the winning team will be presented with this AMAZING Turkey Toss trophy.
Sign up by emailing studentengagement@cwi.edu.
Visiting Artist Series Welcomes Opal Theatre Company
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Visiting Artist Series is proud to welcome the Opal Theatre Company to campus Wednesday, Nov. 14. Josh Rippy, Adjunct Faculty of Theatre Arts at the College, will be bringing his theatre company to the Nampa Campus Academic Building for a dramatic reading of “The Minotaur” from 6 – 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
The Minotaur is a modern update of the classic Greek myth. Ariadne is an unhappy teenager who lives in a deeply dysfunctional home. Her father, Minos, is the despot ruler of Crete who loathes his wife for falling in love with a bull (a divine punishment by Poseidon for the failure of Minos to sacrifice the bull to honor him) and giving birth to a monster. Her mother despises anything else that came from her womb, meaning Ariadne. As a result, Ariadne is so lonely that she frequently visits the prison maze beneath the castle to talk and play Connect Four with her half-brother, a man with the head of a bull.
Playwright Ziegler dances with several interesting intellectual questions: Is love the key to happiness, or is happiness overrated? Are men much different from beasts? Most importantly, are our lives preordained by fate or do we have free will that allows us to choose our futures?
CWI’s Visiting Artist Series is made possible thanks to a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, which is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
2018 Employee Halloween Costume Contest Results
Congratulations to the winners of our annual CWI Employee Halloween Costume Contest!
Best Group Costume: Students Affairs – “Mario Kart"
Best Individual Costume Overall: Yolonda Barnes
Best Costumes by Building:
APIN – Diana Rhinehart
ALYN – Kim Bettencourt
AMAL – Linda Kopelowitz
AQUL – Anelise Krause
CYNC – Lazaro Martinez
NADM – Mary Jo Hayes
NCAB – Rebecca Flock
NCMP – Kimberly Stephens
NMEC – Laura Bagley
Thank you to all who participated! Prizes will be distributed to winners the week of Nov. 12. To see more photos of this year’s costumes, visit the Culture and Employee Engagement page on myCWI.
Putting on the Ritz
You and a guest are invited to join us at the annual CWI Employee Holiday Party, Putting on the Ritz, Thursday, Nov. 29, from 6-9 p.m. at the Center on the Park. Plan to attend for 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.
You won’t want to miss this event! Let us know you’ll be there, and RSVP by Nov. 16!
Contact the Culture and Employee Engagement Committee at ceec@cwi.edu with questions.
Cybersecurity Awareness: Using Work Email for Personal Use
Employees who use their work email address for personal use put organizations at risk. Many organizations have likely had their email credentials compromised without realizing it. The majority of these come from breaches of social media, gaming, and dating sites. These findings point to the fact many employees use their company email addresses to register for personal online accounts.
When email credentials are compromised, individuals and organizations may fall victim to:
- Account hijacking: When hackers have both the email address and password for an email account, they are able to change the password and take over the account. They can then use the hijacked account to carry out malicious activities, such as sending spam and distributing malware.
- Spear phishing attacks: Cybercriminals often use compromised email credentials in spear phishing attacks. For example, in June 2016, hackers sent spear phishing emails to corporate executives in Germany. To create these emails, the cybercriminals used email credentials and other information (e.g., person's first and last name) obtained from the 2012 LinkedIn data breach, according to Germany's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-Bund).
- Credential stuffing attacks: Since people tend to reuse passwords, hackers sometimes launch credential-stuffing attacks, especially if they obtain a large number of credentials from a breach. In this type of attack, distributed botnets try using the credentials on high-value websites. This automated testing is done slowly using many different IP addresses to avoid setting off alerts (e.g., three unsuccessful login attempts) that could expose the attack.
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.
