Bert's Alerts—Oct. 12, 2018
President's Message
Coming this November, Ada and Canyon County voters will decide on a $39 million plant facilities levy for a new CWI Health Science Building. With this initiative comes a statutory requirement to communicate to the public how much we are asking for, what the funds will be used for, and why we are asking. The College has created a number of resources to help employees stay informed and educate those interested in learning more about the need for a new CWI Health Science Building.
Following are a few resources I encourage you to access for information and tools to help with this campaign:
- Visit CWIdifference.com to learn more about the CWI Health Science Building and the plant facilities levy. Find FAQ’s, campaign television spots, building information on benefits, scope, and funding as well as virtual video tour and photo renderings of facility.
- Download, print, and share the campaign brochure: TRAINING IS THE TREATMENT. Watch for distribution of these brochures to each campus location.
- Update your employee e-mail signature by completing the steps listed in the email sent Wednesday, October 10. If you need assistance, feel free to contact Communications and Marketing at extension 22222.
Thank you for taking time to stay informed and help educate the community on our CWI Health Science Building initiative.
CWI in the News
News Highlights
Nursing Student Fulfills Lifelong Dream
Kellie Barnes greets visitors and patients with a warm smile as she walks through the hospital hallways in her red, Saint Alphonsus scrubs. Her passion for healthcare shines through – she even sports EKG heartbeat earrings!
Barnes graduated from College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Nursing program in May and has been working at Saint Alphonsus Health System in Boise for the past three months. She works on the eighth floor, in the Central Tower, which handles a variety of trauma cases including gunshot wounds, motorcycle crashes, and other patients. “It’s such a diverse floor, it’s just perfect for the first year,” Barnes said.
She liked CWI’s program because of the quality of instruction she received and how she was still able to work and take care of her family while finishing school. The Nursing program at CWI builds on the scientific foundations of nursing knowledge, while incorporating knowledge of biological and social sciences, and the humanities through classes and hands-on training during labs.
“The simulation labs were amazing — we had a six-week lab with Instructor Jen Navarro, I was so nervous, but the learning environment was great!”
According to Idaho Department of Labor, from 2016 to 2026, the demand for registered nurses in the state has a projected growth rate of 29.3 percent which equates to 1,147 annual openings with an average hourly wage of $29.90.
Ironically for Barnes, her clinicals in the Nursing program were at the same hospital.
“My first clinical day was on this floor, one of my mentors that I thought was amazing is now one of my co-workers. I was so supported and it felt great. All of the mentors were wonderful,” added Barnes.
During her classes at CWI, Barnes excelled in her classes.
“Kellie was a class leader. She was positive and motivated others to step up,” said Allison Baker, Department Chair for Nursing.
CWI’s two-year Nursing program is approved by the Idaho State Board of Nursing, and is a great way to launch a career in health care — with 95 percent of the College’s students passing the national test to become a registered nurse.
“Every time I leave for work I can’t believe this is where I’m going, I’ve always wanted to this,” said Barnes.
Celebrate Veterans for National Day on Writing
The 10th anniversary of the National Day on Writing is Oct. 20, 2018. National Day on Writing was created to celebrate and highlight the importance of writing to a literate society.
Want to join the fun? College of Western Idaho Persuasive Writing student, Jody Crowson, will be setting up a table at the Nampa Campus Academic Building on the first-floor lobby. Monday, Oct. 15, through Monday, Oct. 22, in honor of this day. Veterans are invited to write reasons why they chose to serve in the military. All are invited to share their appreciation through writing for the service of our veterans.
“I believe by giving veterans a chance to express their reasons for serving and by giving the CWI community a chance to express their gratitude to our veterans in a tangible way, through the use of written communication, will lead to a more unified community,” said Crowson.
Student Nurses Association Sponsors Meet and Mingle
On Aug. 25, 2018, College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Student Nurses Association (SNA) sponsored a Meet and Mingle at Gordon Harris Park in Meridian. First and second-year CWI Nursing students got together to start the school year off with friendly and positive vibes. Current SNA members gave new Nursing students information about the club and the support and benefits accompanying membership. It was a beautiful Idaho day which allowed students to get acquainted with each other and reconnect with fellow second-year students following the summer break. Students are looking forward to many more gatherings and volunteering opportunities with the SNA.
2019 President’s Writing Award Submissions
College of Western Idaho's (CWI) President's Writing Awards is now open for submissions. This annual writing contest recognizes and honors excellence in student writing at the College. Writing is a foundational, academic skill, and celebrating writing across disciplines underscores its importance and encourages students to approach it from a variety of perspectives.
Enrolled students at CWI are invited to submit their writing. Contest categories are open to manuscripts produced for coursework at CWI. Previously published writing is not eligible for submission. Students may submit to multiple categories, but are limited to one submission per category. Submissions may not be submitted to multiple categories.
Submission categories include:
- Creative Nonfiction
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Critical Analysis
- Original Research
- Literature Based Research
- First-Year Writing
- Technical Writing
The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m., March 1, 2019. The top three submissions in each category will be awarded prizes and recognized at the 2019 Connections Project awards ceremony in April.
Visit the President’s Writing Awards webpage for submission link and guidelines.
Staff of the Month—June 2018
Jayden Cordier has been recognized as College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Staff of the Month for June 2018. Cordier has been working at CWI since Jan. 2, 2018, and is absolutely loving it! As a Senior Accounts Receivable Specialist, she gets to work with awesome people every day. Her attention to detail and drive to provide excellent customer service to students and internal departments coincides with CWI's mission of excellence, care, and respect.
Cordier obtained her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho in Healthcare Administration and worked there as a Collections Account Coordinator. She is married to the best husband in the world, Dustin, and they have been married for two and a half years. The couple has two fur babies, a sweet puppy Bella, and a kitten named Cleo. Cordier loves playing volleyball and rugby and hopes to be able to coach these sports one day and help others develop their talents and the love of the game.
Please join us in congratulating Jayden on her accomplishment!
Made Here 2018 MFG Day Event
Students are invited to the annual event celebrating modern manufacturing. Made Here 2018 MFG Day, Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Ford Idaho Center, is a national celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufactures.
College of Western Idaho (CWI), along with 75 exhibitors, will be in attendance. Exhibits include Micron STEM Bus, a manufacturing- focused job fair, and manufacturer demonstrations including robotics, drones, and industrial equipment. CWI students, interested in attending this event, are encouraged to visit from 3 to 6 p.m.
Statistically, students exposed to manufacturing are twice as likely to pursue a career in the field. Join us for a day of networking with the manufacturing community and learning what opportunities are available.
Visiting Artist Series Welcomes Shimi Tree Performance Group
College of Western Idaho Visiting Artist Series welcomes the Shimi Tree Performance Group to campus Oct. 18 and 19, for a performance and workshop.
The group loves both traditional Spanish art form Flamenco as well as the style of Flamenco called Rumba. Their goal is to share their passion of Flamenco’s forms with the audience by encouraging fans to dance, sing, and clap along to the rumbas.
They will be performing at the Nampa Campus Academic Building, second-floor atrium, on Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Get Your Costumes Ready!
It's time for College of Western Idaho’s annual Halloween Costume Contest! Employees are encouraged to participate by wearing costumes to work on Tuesday, Oct. 31. Participate as an individual or with a team and compete for best overall individual, best overall group, and best overall by building.
Photo entries must be submitted to ceec@cwi.edu by the end of business day on Thursday, Nov. 1. All employees will have until Tuesday, Nov. 6 to vote for the best costume and group costumes. Be sure to check your email and Bert’s Alerts to vote for your favorite. Winners will be announced Nov. 9.
Good luck to all!
HR Updates
Employment Opportunities
The following positions at the College have been posted recently. Employees can access internal job postings by visiting cwinternal.silkroad.com or view all external listings on cwijobs.silkroad.com. Upon application submittal, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive an email, check your "Junk/Spam" folder, then email recruiter@cwi.edu to verify receipt of your application.
- Industry Teacher—Plumbing
New Hires
Welcome to the following individuals who are new to the College. We are happy to have you here and look forward to working with you!
- Karena Emslie–Clinical Adjunct, Nursing (CTE)
- Jaya Smith – Adjunct Support Faculty, Biology
- Logan Symons – Industry Teacher (EMT), Health and Emergency Services
- Eric Horvath – Industry Teacher (EMT), Health and Emergency Services
- Jonathan Miller – Industry Teacher (EMT), Health and Emergency Services
- Casey Walker – Industry Teacher (EMT), Health and Emergency Services
- Miranda Striluk – Adjunct Support Faculty, Biology
- Nicolas Craven – Adjunct Support Faculty, Biology
- Andrea Sprengel – Manager II, Accounting
- Kristopher Johnson – Industry Teacher, Welding and Metals Fabrication
- John Parsons – Teacher, Law Enforcement
Note: This is the official communication newsletter for the College. Content is driven by contributions gathered from all areas of CWI. If you have news you would like to submit for this, please use a Marketing Help Desk ticket.