Bert's Alerts - February 26, 2016
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Speech and Debate made one final stop on their path to the 2016 Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament with two victories at Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) Feb. 13-14. CWI and NNU teamed up to co-host a pair of tournaments over the weekend, bringing in 10 schools from the northwest. On Feb. 13, CWI celebrated a victory as the top school at the Pi Kappa Delta Regional Tournament of the Great West. The feat was repeated the next day, as CWI captured the top spot at the CWI/NNU Valentine’s Swing Tournament. Read the full article for complete results.
News Highlights
JPMorgan Chase Foundation Supports CWI’s Future Vision
The effort to help College of Western Idaho (CWI) prepare for its future has received a $25,000 financial boost from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. The College, with help from the CWI Foundation, is the recipient of the grant which will be used to help create a five year comprehensive strategic plan for the College.
CWI hired Eva Klein & Associates; a consulting organization that specializes in supporting academic institutions in their quests to design strategic visions. CWI launched the comprehensive strategic planning efforts last October with an anticipated completion later this May.
“Our original comprehensive strategic plan was created in 2009 when the College was initially created,” notes CWI President Bert Glandon. “A lot has changed both at CWI and in our community since then. The most significant being the unprecedented growth of the College and how we will continue to meet the educational needs of western Idaho.”
The JPMorgan Chase Foundation is funding the completion of an Economic Development and Labor Market Analysis as part of the overall plan. This section will ensure that the College’s future growth falls in line with what the community needs.
“We are excited to support CWI’s partnership with employers to create career pathways and increase economic opportunity,” Cat Martin, the region’s Vice President, Global Philanthropy Relationship Manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co., said. “With (this) funding, CWI is collecting data on labor market conditions for middle skills jobs, and in response, will provide data-driven solutions to address the mismatch between employer needs and the skills of job seekers.”
Areas that CWI has noted as opportunities for reducing workforce skills gaps include:
- Healthcare
- Business Technology
- Advanced Manufacturing
“We know that helping people gain the skills they need to compete in the labor market is a powerful strategy for expanding access to opportunity and promoting economic mobility,” Martin said. “At the same time, many employers are struggling to fill vacancies, especially for technical and skilled positions that require more education and training than a high school diploma, but not a four-year college degree.”
For more information on supporting CWI programs and students, please visit the CWI website.
CWI Dual Credit to Host Meet the College Event
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Dual Credit office will host its second annual Meet the College Night on March 17 from 5-8 p.m. The event will be hosted at CWI’s Micron Center for Professional Technical Education and is open to both prospective dual credit students as well as current dual credit students and their families. The CWI Dual Credit team will be on hand to answer questions and meet with students. A light meal will be provided.
At the event, prospective dual credit students and their families will learn about the program, meet faculty from various departments, learn about campus resources such as Student Life and the library, and visit with clubs and organizations to see how they can become involved on campus.
Current dual credit students can complete their FAFSA, apply to CWI, and meet with college representatives from around the state to get their admission questions answered.
Planting the Seeds to Student Success
A group of local gardeners is working to plant the seeds of academic success for students at College of Western Idaho (CWI). The CWI Foundation has received a $2,000 donation from the Idaho Gardener’s Association. The money, which was raised from a plant sale last fall, will be used to fund four $500 scholarships for Horticulture Technology program students.
The Idaho Gardener’s Association was created by a group of Master Gardeners through the University of Idaho in 2009. The association’s primary goal is to develop, implement, support, and/or promote community-wide horticulture projects.
“We strongly believe in community education,” Diana Oerkhe, the association’s treasurer, said. “We thought CWI was the perfect choice for us to support locally to help us educate our community.”
Some of the group’s members recently had the opportunity to see the potential fruits of their labor firsthand. During a tour of the greenhouses located near the Idaho Botanical Garden grounds in Boise, they met Leslie Garcia; an alumni of the Horticulture Technology program who now works for CWI.
“This program helps lay the foundation for either moving on to a four-year school or going to work in the industry,” Garcia said. “It’s such a great program. I love being able to show people what we are doing here.”
The Idaho Gardener’s Association scholarship will be available to full and three-quarter time students (with a 3.0 or higher GPA) who demonstrate financial need.
“We hope our contribution will help someone reach a life’s goal through CWI’s Horticulture program,” Suzanne Craig, the association’s president, said. “We want to support people who love horticulture as much as we do—not only as a profession, but as a passion.”
The application period for all CWI scholarships is currently open. The deadline for all applications is March 31.
From an Aircraft Carrier to College: Launching an In-Demand Career
When Jason Billig graduated from high school, college wasn’t even a thought. He says he did poorly when it came to math and he barely made it through school. For him, the best choice at the time was to enlist in the United States Navy. Little did Jason know that the three years he spent launching jets from an aircraft carrier would eventually lead him to the Electronics Technology program at College of Western Idaho (CWI).
“After I got out of the Navy, I went to work in the construction industry,” Jason said. “I did that for about 10 years. When 2008 hit, I lost my job. It became most economical for our family to have me be a stay-at-home dad.”
When the government announced in 2012 it would provide federal funding to educate and/or train unemployed military veterans, Jason was finally ready to make the best of his time and fulfill his life-long desire to work with his hands. When the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) launched its application period at midnight on May 15, Jason says he became the very first Idaho veteran to apply.
“I had to choose a high-demand career, and everything was paid for,” he said. “It worked out perfectly because I could attend classes while my daughter was at school during the day.”
Jason chose CWI based on cost and reputation. Always mechanically inclined, he chose the electronics program because the two go hand-in-hand. He says he worked very hard to overcome his deficit in math by starting near the bottom. It took him an extra semester and a summer term to work his way up from Math 25. Proudly, a little more than two years after starting his studies, Jason graduated in December 2014 with a 3.87 grade point average.
A few months later, he was working in Boise at Diversified Fluid Solutions; an up-and-coming company that designs, builds, and maintains chemical distribution systems. As a control technician, Jason spends his days working with hands—building and wiring control panels.
“This is a great place to work,” he said. “I truly enjoy what I do. The courses I took at CWI truly prepared me for my job. I use almost everything I learned every single day.”
Changing With the Times
Electronics Technology is part of CWI’s Professional Technical Education (PTE) programs. CWI partners with local employers to ensure students complete these programs with the exact skills they are looking for. The program’s goal is to successfully have students placed when they graduate. Overall, the College has a 91 percent positive placement of PTE program completers.
As with most things, technology changes everything. The Electronics Technology program is currently evolving into what will soon be called Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology. The world of automation is here and the knowledge of controlling it electronically is extremely important.
“Industry and manufacturing are where we are, but we change our options and focuses as industry changes,” Mikel Douglas, CWI’s Advanced Mechatronics Technology Program Chair, said.
Keeping the education and training at a level that industry needs is key. The program has to maintain the ability to be flexible and evolve as the needs of the workforce change. The program educates students on a comprehensive skill set, and these skills combine to program, maintain, and operate electronic and mechanical systems. The holistic approach allows for the students to gain an overall understanding of both focus areas while also providing opportunity to hone in on a specific system.
“We are working with heavy hitters to continually strengthen our programs, and to ensure that our students are prepared for those high-demand jobs,” Douglas said.
Electronics Technology continues to be a high-demand career, and with the addition of the Mechatronics title and enhancement of the curriculum, this program will be prepared to educate students for the future.
Facilities Management Increases Sanitizing During Winter Months
During cold and flu season, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Building Specialists increase cleaning and sanitizing on a weekly basis. This is done on all touch areas, which include; door hardware; table tops in lobbies, breakrooms, and classrooms; stairwell handrails; and elevator buttons. A non-acidic disinfectant product, which is a cleaner/disinfectant/mildew stat/deodorizer/fungicide, is used. This product has quicker kill rates for different viruses and bacteria than other cleaning products.
CWI Picks Price for Staff Honor
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is happy to recognize Katie Price as CWI’s Staff of the Month recipient for February.
Price is an Outreach Advisor and has been with CWI since August 2014. She attended the College of Southern Idaho from 2008-10 and graduated with an associate degree in Secondary Education-Spanish. She then transferred to Boise State University and studied abroad in Puntarenas, Costa Rica in the spring 2011 semester. She graduated from Boise State with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education-Spanish in 2013. She currently attends Colorado State University online and is pursuing a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education.
She exhibits the core value, Serving all in an Atmosphere of Caring. Her nomination notes, “Katie is a great first impression for CWI! She represents the core values of CWI perfectly and reflects our motto in her every action. Katie is kind and patient. Not only with students, but with fellow employees as well. She is quick to greet everyone and say good morning with a smile. She is willing to help out in any situation and is quick to pitch in and help out where needed. Her work ethic is just what CWI prides itself on. She shows up early, works late, and stays until it’s done. She is a great person inside and out and an important part to CWI.”
Price lives in Boise with her husband, Stephen, who attends Pharmacy School at Idaho State University-Meridian. The couple has a pet Beta fish named Christmas. She grew up in Mountain Home and most of her family still lives there. She enjoys traveling there to spend time with her new nephew, Elijah, and to eat Taco Johns. She likes to watch Netflix, read, hang out with friends and family, and go hiking when she is not doing schoolwork. She is also an avid listener of podcasts and loves trivia nights.
Please join in congratulating Katie.
Honorable mention
Pam Hodges
