Bert's Alerts - April 11, 2014
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) students, faculty, and staff had graduation on their minds, Wednesday (April 9), as the second-annual Grad Fest came to the Micron Center for Professional Technical Education. The event provided graduates a chance to celebrate accomplishments, learn more about transfer options, engage with the CWI Alumni Connection, and record video shout-outs. CWI’s 2014 Commencement will be held, May 17, at 7 p.m. at Taco Bell Arena. Employees are encouraged to congratulate graduates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #cwigraduation. Posts including the hashtag will be appear on the arena screens prior to the ceremony.
News Highlights
College of Western Idaho Names New Foundation Executive Director
Mitch Minnette has been named Executive Director for the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation, effective May 5. In his role, Minnette will work directly with the Foundation Board Members and CWI’s leadership team to oversee the Foundation’s fundraising efforts to support the continued growth of the College.
“We are thrilled to have Mr. Minnette join CWI as the College continues to evolve to better serve the western Idaho community,” states CWI President Bert Glandon. “His energy and passion to make a positive impact on our community will complement our leadership team and support CWI’s mission to provide open access to higher education.”
Minnette has spent the last 24 years with the Boys and Girls Club, most recently as the Executive Director for the Nampa Boys and Girls Club. He brings a strong track record for success in raising funds to support the development of youth.
“As the only charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting CWI, the Foundation is pleased to welcome Mr. Minnette,” comments Gregory Braun, CWI Foundation Board President. “He has already established himself as a leader in the Treasure Valley with a successful track record in garnering support to expand programs that support the community.”
Minnette is a graduate of Lewis-Clark State College with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Business. He currently resides in Nampa, Idaho with his wife and two daughters.
College of Western Idaho to Explore Social Issues in a Digital Age
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is excited to announce a dynamic event intended to engage the Treasure Valley in a thought provoking examination of some of today’s biggest social issues. On April 18 (Friday), the CWI Social and Human Relations Department will host a free public symposium, Social Relations in a Digital Age, to dive deep into the everyday impact of technology on relationships, education, crime, and more.
The symposium, scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the CWI Nampa Campus Academic Building, will focus on three themes: Social Relations in a Digital Age; Education in a Digital Age; and Technology and Society. Some of the event highlights include:
- Panel discussion with local high school students on Teen Relationships in a Digital Age
- Presentation by Dr. Eric Kellerer from Northwest Nazarene University on Education in a Digital Age
- Presentation by Nampa Police Detectives on Law Enforcement in a Digital Age
- Keynote by Idaho Deputy Attorney General Casey Hemmer on Internet Crimes Against Children
Various organizations will also be providing social technology demonstrations, resources to help the community stay informed, and updates on the social impact of technology. See the attached schedule for more details.
KIDO to Broadcast from Nampa Campus
Local radio personality Kevin Miller will be broadcasting his daily morning show from College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Nampa Campus on Thursday, April 17, as part of a Promote Our Schools Secure Our Future series. Miller's show airs from 5-9 a.m. on 580 KIDO. The CWI show, which will include interviews with students, faculty, and administration, will be hosted in the Academic Building first floor common area. (O75) For more information on Promote Our Schools Secure Our Future visit www.580kido.com/schools/.
Workshops for Nampa Campus Master Plan Announced for April
In April, the College of Western Idaho (CWI) will host another day of workshops to give CWI students, faculty, staff, and administration an opportunity to provide feedback on the College’s Nampa Campus Master Plan update. The workshops are intended to help gather input on ways to enhance the campus experience, better serve needs, strengthen connections, and align the College’s future.
CTA Architects and SRG Partnerships, which was selected to complete Phase II of the CWI Nampa Campus Master Plan, will be hosting workshops:
Tuesday, April 15
9-11 a.m. and Noon-2 p.m.
Nampa Campus Academic Building, Second Floor Common Area
CTA Architects and SRG Partnerships hosted the first series of workshops in March and have created Visioning and Assessment Reports that are available to view on myCWI under College Resources>Facilities Management. The reports include feedback from students, staff, education partners, and infrastructure partners and are intended to provide visibility to updates from the March workshops.
Meetings will continue throughout May and a presentation of the updated master plan is currently scheduled to take place in June. Please contact Nikki Houston at 208.562.3545 or nikkihouston@cwi.edu with questions.
Updates Announced for Building Administrator and Floor Captain List
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Facilities Department has posted an updated copy of the CWI Building Administrators and Floor Captains list to myCWI. The list identifies employees that will serve as point people during a campus emergency. (G59) All employees are encouraged to take a minute to review the updated document.
This important document can be found in two locations on myCWI.
- Faculty Staff Resources>Risk Management>Documents
- College Resources>Environment Health and Safety>Safety Reference
Please contact Nikki Houston at 208.562.3545 or nikkihouston@cwi.edu with any questions or to submit updates to the list.
Staff Senate Officer Nominees Introduced
This week, College of Western Idaho (CWI) Staff Senate would like to introduce its 2014-15 Officer position nominees. Staff members will be electing a Secretary/Treasurer and Vice President, who will transition to President for 2015-16. A biography of both nominees can be found on the Staff Senate page on myCWI, under 2014 Election.
The nominees for the two positions are:
Vice President:
- Matthew Barber - Senior Specialist, One Stop
- Erica Compton - Advisor, Student Enrichment
Secretary/Treasurer:
- Grace Barnes - Administrative Assistant III, BPWD
- Andrea Schumaker - Manager, One Stop
Benefit eligible staff members will vote for Staff Senators and Officers April 15-30 on myCWI. Please email staffsenate@cwi.edu with questions about elections or with trouble viewing the Staff Senate page.
Slater Selected Staff of the Month
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is proud to announce the Staff of the Month selection for April is Bryan Slater.
As a member of the Information Technology team, Slater is truly an asset to the College. He has been a Technical Support Specialist II for two and a half years. In that time he has managed to impress those around him with his willingness to help out at the drop of a dime and his professional demeanor. He is great at trouble shooting issues and helping meet the needs of faculty in a timely manner. The Nampa Campus Academic Building staff appreciates his ability to work through any issue quickly and he does so with a smile on his face.
Bryan has worked in the IT field for the past 17 years. He is a self-described technology nut at and away from work. He says after work he typically goes home and plays with more computer stuff. Bryan is married with two children.
Please join in congratulating Bryan for this great recognition. Thank you for all you contribute to the CWI team! (I30)
CWI Family Fun Night at Wahooz
The CWI Fun and Culture Committee would like to thank all of the CWI employees and their families who came out to the Family Fun Night at Wahooz last night! We hope you and your family enjoyed it! If you want to help plan fun events, such as this, and are interested in joining the FCC, please email fcc@cwi.edu for more information.
CWI 2014-2015 Catalog
The new CWI 2014-2015 Catalog is now available in an electronic format for download from the CWI website. The catalog provides information about the college for prospective and current students, faculty and staff, and interested educational institutions or agencies. Visit cwi.edu/current-students/catalog to download a PDF copy today.
2014 CWI Candidate Forum Night
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) School of Social Science and Public Affairs is sponsoring a series of political candidate forums between now and the election in November 2014. These forums will give candidates, students, faculty, and the community a chance to present and discuss the critical issues in this year's election cycle. Plan now to attend and meet the candidates for state and federal offices.
The first forum is April 15, featuring Jim Chmelik, candidate for Lt. Governor, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and Chris Troup, AG candidate.
Tuesday – April 15
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Micron Center for Professional Technical Education, Rm 1701
