Bert's Alerts - August 11, 2017
In the Spotlight
On Saturday, Aug. 5, College of Western Idaho (CWI) participated in the annual Kuna Days Parade. As the CWI Outreach team launched t-shirts, lanyards, and popsicles to spectators along the parade route, individuals young and old burst with excitement as the CWI semi-truck, driven by Professional Truck Driving Instructor, Marty McDannel, passed by honking its horn!
News Highlights
2017 College Address
Please plan on attending College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) 2017 State of the College Address, Aug. 16, at the Nampa Civic Center. CWI President Bert Glandon will share college highlights and accomplishments from the previous year and introduce the opportunities ahead for CWI as well as challenges. It is exciting times in higher education and CWI is positioned to make a significant and positive impact. In-service week and the annual Fall Address serves as a great time to gather together, recharge and fire up for a new academic year! Following the President’s Address, all employees are encouraged to stay as faculty and staff will be recognized and honored for their service and dedication.
Fall Address Schedule:
7:30 a.m. – Breakfast Reception and CWI Information Tables are open
8:30 a.m. – Move to Auditorium for President’s State of the College Address
9:45 a.m. – Employee Awards and Recognition
10:15 a.m. – Break; staff return to work, faculty transition to ballroom
10:30 a.m. – Faculty Senate meeting
2017 Wishing Well Applications
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation began accepting Wishing Well applications Wednesday, Aug. 16! The Wishing Well was created to encourage the development, enhancement, and improvement of the educational environment and learning opportunities provided at the College. Wishing Well funds are intended for small items, resources, or activities not typically funded through department and program budgets.
Thanks to the generosity of CWI employees and the support of community partners, nine 2016 Wishing Well applicants were awarded a total of over $6,000. Awards were utilized to produce student posters for the 2017 Connections Project, purchase signs for the Native Plant Garden at the Nampa Campus Academic Building, support CWI’s Visiting Artist Series and more!
"We have been able to give our students unique and dynamic experiences," said Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair, Brenda Fisher, "by bringing in professional artists to present lectures, exhibitions, and performances."
Do not miss out on this exciting opportunity! Applications for this year’s Wishing Well funds will be accepted through Friday, Sept. 8. Visit the Wishing Well Grants page on myCWI to learn more and to find the 2017 Wishing Well application. For questions, please contact the CWI Foundation at foundation@cwi.edu or 208.562.3100.
Apprenticeship Opportunities Expanding
Apprenticeship opportunities have created quite the buzz nationally during recent months. Apprenticeships are neither a new concept nor one that has traditionally aligned well with higher education. While many individuals may only consider apprenticeship opportunities in traditional trades like electrical, HVAC, and plumbing, there are over 1,000 apprentice-able occupations, and this platform has been in existence since 1937.
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is working to change how and where apprenticeships are made available by expanding resources to connect students to better jobs and additional training, upon completion of a degree or certificate program. In November of 2016, the Idaho Department of Labor secured a $1.4 million grant from the federal government to expand the apprenticeship infrastructure across Idaho. As part of that grant, CWI now has a part-time Apprenticeship Coordinator who works with businesses to identify their training, recruitment, and retention pain points and customize registered apprenticeship opportunities as solutions. This new business-facing position allows connection with many new industry spaces and will continue to create opportunities for the College to be more responsive to the needs of businesses within the community.
To learn more about the apprenticeship resources available at CWI, please contact Andrew Mentzer at andrewmentzer@cwi.edu.
Students Present at Statewide Research Conference
A group of students and faculty from College of Western Idaho (CWI) recently attended the 2017 Idaho INBRE* Statewide Research Conference, held July 31 – Aug. 2, in Moscow, Idaho. CWI student researchers, who spent the summer in laboratories at CWI, Boise State University, and the Idaho Veterans Research and Education Foundation (Boise VA Medical Center), had the opportunity to present their findings at the conference. Students, Julie Wagner, Brenda Hansen, and Jason Ward, participated in three-minute, “fast pitch”, oral presentations. Hansen and Ward won awards for their presentations on the synthesis of potential new cancer drugs. During the conference, Dr. Suzanne Oppenheimer, Assistant Professor of Biology, served on the "Beyond Baccalaureate” panel, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Brian McClain, served as chair for "fast pitch" sessions.
The opportunity to participate in undergraduate summer research was a great learning experience for the students. Not only did it provide students a means to share new knowledge with the scientific community, but gave participants a chance to network with other scientists!
Conference participants included:
Summer Scholars
Bree Hartman
Kimmer Jackson
Paola Palencia
Cole Shaffer
Hannah Theriault
Julie Wagner
Gabrielle Westcott
Fellows
Brenda Hansen
Jason Ward
Cody Andrus
Brianna Grantham
To learn more about the Idaho INBRE, visit https://inbre.uidaho.edu/.
For information on how you might participate in biomedical summer research in the future, contact Dr. Brian McClain at brianmcclain@cwi.edu or Dr. Suzanne Oppenheimer at suzanneoppenheimer@cwi.edu.
Funding for this project was made by the Department of Health & Human Services and the Idaho INBRE Network.
*INBRE= IDeA (Institutional Development Award) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence
A Bridge to College
Two hours into her shift at a salsa factory in Mexico, Sarahi Cardoza sat watching the empty glass jars rattle their way to her filling station — when the machine malfunctioned and exploded.
“They (co-workers) thought I died since all of the salsa just hit me and it looked like blood to them,” Cardoza said recalling her story, with a steady voice, in a College of Western Idaho (CWI) conference room.
Cardoza’s introduction to CWI began with the CLEP test, a College-Level Examination Program which grants credit-by-examination. By demonstrating mastery of introductory college-level material, college credit can be earned. Cardoza passed the CLEP test and later received her GED from CWI, both major stepping-stones in her academic career.
Cardoza, who is now 22, was born in Ontario, Oregon, but she moved to Mexico with her family at 13, after her father was deported. When she was 17, she moved to Idaho without her family.
Cardoza was a student at Vallivue Academy in Caldwell. Her counselor, Eric Graves, suggested taking the CLEP exam for Spanish. If she passed, Cardoza could receive up to 16 college credits. The exam, paid for by the Idaho State Department of Education Fast Forward program, is a great launching pad for students. At the time, she was unsure about taking the test, but after passing she was inspired to consider college.
“I thought I wasn’t going to be able to go to college, my parents never said we have to go to college,” she said.
The road to CWI has been challenging, but she is thankful for the opportunity. Currently working on general study classes, she hopes to start the Law Enforcement program in January. Cardoza’s long-term goal is to become a detective and she is excited about pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“It’s changed my life completely,” she said while sharing her experiences about CWI.
Cardoza’s story highlights outreach work the CWI Dual Credit department has been doing. The program helps connect high school students with advanced opportunities available through the Idaho State Department of Education.
“There’s a sense of accomplishment when you see that light bulb go on when you see one student develop a recognition for academic success and personal success,” said Director of Dual Credit, Stephen Crumrine.
The Dual Credit program at the College has been riding a wave of success recently as it received accreditation from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) on May 1. The program served more than 9,000 enrollments and facilitated a total of 45,000 credits earned. The CWI team works with students in more than 80 high schools across Idaho. As part of a young institution, it was the first time the dual credit program was qualified to apply for NACEP accreditation. Programs must be active for at least four years before applying and 60 percent of first-time applicants do not receive initial accreditation. To accomplish this upon first application is quite impressive and a testament to the quality and high standards CWI’s Dual Credit program strives for.
The CLEP initiative has been a major driving force within CWI’s Dual Credit program, which is one of the largest in the region. The program serves as a bridge to college for many students. Recent CLEP *survey data demonstrates that more than 76 percent of participants have credited the CLEP experience as a foundation for their interest in college.
Recent Vallivue High School graduate Edgar Rosales, 17, can’t wait for the fall when he will drive north along the Payette River to college. He plans on using the 16 credits he earned from the CLEP exam towards a degree at the University of Idaho. His goal is to become a Spanish teacher and return to the Treasure Valley.
Rosales knows about hard work. When he was not at school, Rosales worked as a butcher at his family’s business, Pantera Market, in Caldwell. His parents, immigrants from Mexico, have been incredibly supportive. His father, Emilio, is hopeful for his son’s future.
“I try to help him to keep growing, so his sisters can learn from him and I hope they follow in his footsteps,” he said.
His father said Edgar has always been dedicated, he would ride his bike to and from school. There were times he got a flat tire and walked three miles, carrying his bike, to get home. When the family came to Idaho seven years ago, the family did not even have enough money to buy a gallon of milk.
“I don’t want him to have to work in the store anymore. It’s very hard. He’s Hispanic and I want him to be able to accomplish more — this is so important, sometimes it makes me cry.”
Rosales first learned about the test through TRIO, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that focuses on low-income and first-generation college students.
In addition to his CLEP credits, he has been taking dual credit math classes. “The classes challenged me a little more and helped me prepare for college,” Edgar said.
The combination of students hungry to learn and programs like CLEP and Dual Credit, prepare young people with not only the tools but the confidence to know they can go to college and excel.
*A CWI survey of CLEP participants taken in 2016
Share Your Community College Experience!
Did you attend and/or graduate from a community college? If so, please consider sharing your community college experience by taking a short survey.
Contact Courtney Santillan at 208.562.3153 or courtneysantillan@cwi.edu for more information.
Nampa Campus Parking Lot Closure
Please be advised that areas of the Nampa Campus Micron Center for Professional Technical Education (NMPT) parking lot will be closed for sealcoating and restriping Aug. 13 and 18-20. Thank you, in advance, for your patience!
Contact Facilities Planning & Management at 208.562.3545 or facilities@cwi.edu with questions, concerns, or for more information.
Staff of the Month Nominations
Have you witnessed someone exercising one or more of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) core values—excellence, innovation, integrity, caring, or respect? If so, consider nominating that person for Staff of the Month! Nominations can be submitted here.
