Bert's Alerts - December 22, 2016
In the Spotlight
As 2016 draws to a close, it gives us a chance to pause, reflect, and give thanks for another tremendous year here at CWI. Together, we have made a difference in the lives of countless students. As we look forward to a new year I am encouraged by all of the wonderful opportunities, both rewarding and challenging, that we will encounter.
I wish you a joyous season, and hope you get an opportunity to spend time with family, friends and loved ones during the break. Happy Holidays!
Bert Glandon
CWI President
News Highlights
CWI Closing for Upcoming Holidays
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will be changing its hours of operation surrounding the upcoming holidays.
Here are some important dates:
Dec. 23-26 – closed
Jan. 2 – closed
For more information on CWI’s hours of operation please visit cwi.edu/info/hours-operation.
CWI Removes Application Fee
Effective Jan. 1, 2017, College of Western Idaho will no longer charge an application fee for credit-seeking students. The decision supports CWI’s ongoing efforts to make college more accessible. CWI’s no fee application policy will impact prospective students applying to CWI’s Academic Transfer and Career and Technical Education programs moving forward.
Anyone who applied to CWI prior to January 1, 2017 that has questions about the application fee can contact One Stop Student Services at 208.562.3000.
Partnership Expands Opportunities for Hispanic Students
The effort to expand educational opportunities for a group of students who will never receive federal financial aid is getting a boost. On Friday, Dec. 9, College of Western Idaho (CWI) was invited to participate in a check presentation at the Consulate of Mexico in Boise. During the event, the Consul of Mexico, Celso Humberto Delgado Ramirez, presented CWI with a $10,000 contribution that will help support scholarships for Hispanic students.
CWI is one of four institutions chosen to receive funding from the Institute for Mexicans Abroad Scholarship fund. This marks the fifth year the College has received the funding. Last year, seven students attending CWI were awarded scholarships through the program.
“It is an honor for us to be able to help students like this,” Consul Ramirez said. “We know there are many in need. Just know we appreciate what you are doing here for education.”
Libna Luevanos, a Biology-Healthcare Program student at CWI, is one of this past year’s scholarship recipients. She is studying to become a doctor, and works two jobs to help her pay for school.
“It feels so great when people say, ‘Hey, I’ve got your back. I believe in your dreams,’” she said.
CWI has been actively working to increase its Hispanic community outreach initiatives for the past few years. Hispanic students currently make up 22 percent of CWI’s student population. More than half are credit/degree-seeking students. The remaining students are enrolled in the College’s Basic Skills Education program; learning English as a Second Language and other college prep and life skills.
Luis Caloca, CWI’s Director of Enrollment Management, says the College is consistently working on new and creative ways to reach the Hispanic community. So far, the efforts are working, but Caloca says more can always be done.
Caloca attended the presentation with David Shellberg, CWI’s Vice President for Instruction and Student Services.
Helping Students get a Jump Start on College
A large-scale effort to help high school students get a jump start on earning college credits continues to show great success. College of Western Idaho (CWI) recently helped 34 students from Caldwell High School collectively earn 464 credits through College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing at Boise State University.
CWI’s Dual Credit team has spent the past year helping Spanish-speaking high school students earn college credit through native language skills testing. Students who successfully pass CLEP testing can earn between 8 and 16 credits. The credits they earn are kept in a national database for up to 20 years, and can be transferred to a student’s institution of choice when they are ready to go to college.
“This is the second time I have brought students (to Boise State) for testing,” Claudia Beltran, the Spanish teacher at Caldwell High School, said. “This time, we have really concentrated our efforts on bringing students here who can really use the credits.”
Prior to this round of testing, CWI received a grant to facilitate the roughly $150 per-student cost associated with CLEP testing. The State of Idaho now financially backs the effort through Fast Forward funding; which is part of the effort to increase the state’s 60 percent ‘go on’ rate. CWI coordinates the testing and covers the transcription fees for students. Boise State provides students with lunch and campus tours while Caldwell School District covers transportation costs. There are no out-of-pocket costs for students.
For high school seniors like Kassandra Peralta and Darwin Lozano, who each earned the maximum 16 credits on this day, the opportunity can be life changing.
“I am the first person in my family who will graduate from high school and attend college,” Lozano, who is interested in being a congressman or possibly even a president someday, said. “I took a dual credit history class through CWI last year so this has been an interesting experience for me.”
“This will definitely make it easier for me to go through college without as many financial challenges,” Peralta, who has yet to choose between psychology and computer science, said.
To date, CWI’s Dual Credit team has helped Treasure Valley high school students earn 3,049 college credits through CLEP testing.
Buckets and a Budget: Creatively Teaching Music
CWI Impact - Buckets and a Budget
A plastic, five-gallon bucket and a simple drum head. Some of the most basic things can make a world of difference—especially when it comes to making music. A College of Western Idaho (CWI) instructor recently received these items as a gift, and he has the CWI Foundation to thank. As one of this year’s Wishing Well Fund awardees, Jeff Davis is using the budget-friendly items to creatively teach music at CWI.
On this day, Davis is using the brand-new drums to teach his students about Native American music. As he demonstrates the beat count in front of his class, students repeat the sounds he makes on their own drums. After teaching them the measures, counts, and beats, he moves around the room; giving each drum group the opportunity to showcase the freshly-learned skills. Within minutes, the sounds one would hear at a Native American powwow fill the room.
Davis’ request for the drums is one of the nine applications that were approved for funding by the Foundation’s Scholarships and Grants Committee. He was awarded $470 to purchase a dozen drums for student and community use during music-making events. The money used to support projects like this comes from community partners and CWI employees who financially contribute to program support.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the CWI Foundation and to all the generous employees of CWI who made it possible for me to receive a grant through the Wishing Well program,” Davis said. “Knowing that there is that level of support in the hearts of so many people is both humbling and motivating.”
Davis says the drums, which will last for several years, will be used for educational and community purposes. Along with being used in a variety of music classes, they will also be used on campus during drop-in drum circles.
Holiday Coloring Contest Winners Announced
The results are in for College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) 2016 holiday coloring contest. The Culture and Employee Engagement Committee (CEEC) would like to thank all of the participants that made the contest a success.
Employees voted and the winners are:
First Place: Maia Kelley
Second Place: Stacy Hardy
Third Place - Tie: Ellen Spencer and Lori Yellen
Please visit the Culture and Employee Engagement Committee site on myCWI. The CEEC would like to encourage employees to watch for more chances to enter upcoming contests.
Help Recognize Outstanding Faculty
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Faculty Recognition Committee would like to remind employees that it is continuously accepting nominations for the monthly Faculty of Distinction award. Faculty, staff, students, and administrators are encouraged to nominate a faculty member that they feel is doing an outstanding job of meeting one or more of CWI’s Core Values:
- Acting With Integrity
- Serving All in an Atmosphere of Caring
- Sustaining our Quality of Life for Future Generations
- Respecting the Dignity of Opinions
- Innovating for the 21st Century
- Leaving a Legacy of Learning
Please submit nominations through the You Rock form. Please note, every field in the You Rock form does not need to be completed as nominees aren’t expected to necessarily meet every Core Value. Meeting one Core Value very well is sufficient.
