Bert's Alerts - March 14, 2014
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) welcomed two inspirational events to campus, March 12-13, as the Associated Students of the College of Western Idaho (ASCWI) presented the fourth-annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser at CWI. Events were held at Nampa Campus Academic Building and Ada County Center where volunteers shaved their heads to help raise money for childhood cancer research. ASCWI has helped collect over $2,900 for the cause already this year and still has one more event remaining. Stop by the Micron Center for Professional Technical Education on Wednesday, March 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to join the effort. More information on the St. Baldrick’s activities can be found a cwi.edu/studentlife.
2014 CWI St. Baldrick's Fundraiser
News Highlights
CWI Speech and Debate Eyes Fourth Consecutive National Title
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Speech and Debate will look to continue its incredible run of success, next week, with a trip to Indianapolis, Ind. to vie for the College’s fourth-consecutive national championship. CWI is set to compete in the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament, March 21-23, which will feature 80 colleges and universities from around the country.
CWI is sending 12 students to represent the College with hopes of adding to its unbelievable run of first-place finishes in the Community College Division in 2011, 2012, and 2013. CWI is following up another top showing at nationals in 2013, which included a fourth-place overall finish out of 89 colleges and universities. The title was powered by 17 gold and silver finishes in individual competitions.
“Our students are very excited to see if all their hard work will translate into another national championship,” says Director of Speech and Debate, Johnny Rowing. “The competition continues to get better, so we know it won’t be easy. But we do believe our 12 competitors are among the best in the nation. If we keep our focus on us, being the best we can be, the awards will come as a result.”
CWI Tops Tournament of the Great West
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Speech and Debate secured another sweepstakes victory at the Pi Kappa Delta Tournament of the Great West, March 8-9, finishing first among community colleges at the event. The regional competition was hosted by College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. CWI competitors received recognition in both speech and debate events, resulting in a Gold Award for overall team sweepstakes.
Opportunities for Input on Nampa Campus Master Plan
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is seeking input on its Nampa Campus Master Plan update and will be holding a series of public workshops with CTA Architects and SRG Partnerships beginning this month. CWI is currently undertaking a comprehensive master planning effort to help prepare for future growth of Nampa Campus. 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. Employees, students, and the community are welcome to attend these sessions, see what the architects are working on, and share thoughts and ideas.
CTA Architects and SRG Partnerships, who were selected to complete Phase II of the CWI Nampa Campus Master Plan, will be hosting workshops for CWI students and employees, as well as community members:
Wednesday, March 19
CWI Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administration
9-11 a.m.
Nampa Campus Aspen Classroom Building, Lobby
CWI Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administration
Noon-2 p.m.
Nampa Campus Academic Building, Second Floor Common Area
Thursday, March 20
Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administration
9-11 a.m.
Nampa Campus Academic Building, Second Floor Common Area
Community Members
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Micron Center for Professional Technical Education, RM1701 A/B
Throughout the planning process CTA Architects and SRG Partnerships will also be meeting with business partners, education partners, and CWI’s Steering Committee. Meetings will continue throughout April and May and a presentation of the updated master plan is currently scheduled to take place in June.
Idaho Division of Public Works is coordinating and administering all aspects of the project. Last fall, the State Permanent Building fund approved CWI’s request for funds to further work on the current master plan to address new priorities and reflect the growth and changes surrounding Nampa Campus.
Save the Date for Commencement
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is proud to honor the graduating class of 2014 during the fifth-annual CWI Commencement Ceremony, Saturday (May 17), at 7 p.m. Plan to join in celebrating the achievements of this year’s class at Taco Bell Arena in Boise.
As with previous years, employee volunteers will be needed so please watch Bert’s Alerts for information related to helping out at commencement. Any questions about commencement may be directed to commencement@cwi.edu. Also visit cwi.edu/commencement for more information.
Join the #cwigraduation Conversation
CWI will be celebrating commencement through social media so be sure to join the conversation. Whether you are attending the ceremony or just want to support the students, this is a fun opportunity to be part of the CWI graduation experience. Simply include #cwigraduation on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Grad Fest Returns April 9
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will be kicking-off the 2014 graduation celebration, April 9, with the second-annual CWI Grad Fest. Grad Fest will run from 5-7 p.m. at the Micron Center for Professional Technical Education. The event is intended to bring graduates together to celebrate their accomplishments, learn more about transfer options, engage with the CWI Alumni Connection, and record video shout-outs. They will also receive a free graduation gift. CWI faculty and staff are also encouraged to stop by and record a video shout-out, which will air in the arena prior to the commencement ceremony.
CWI Night at the Steelheads
College of Western Idaho (CWI) invites employees, students, alumni, friends, and family to support student scholarships by taking in CWI Night at the Steelheads, Friday (April 4), at CenturyLink Arena. CWI has partnered with the Idaho Steelheads hockey team to offer discounted $15 tickets, of which $5 will be donated to the CWI Foundation for student scholarships. The puck drops at 7:10 p.m. and the game is sure to provide a fun night in downtown Boise. To purchase tickets, visit:
www.igrouptix.com/idahosteelheads
Username: CWI
Password: TICKETS
New Licensed Counselor Joins CWI
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Student Enrichment Department is pleased to announce the addition of a valuable new student resource, as Nate Bonovitz has joined the staff as the College’s first Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Bonovitz is tasked with developing a crisis counseling program at CWI and will also be providing resources to students and staff involved in student success. Students experiencing serious life concerns or mental health problems are encouraged to contact Nate at natebonovitz@cwi.edu or 208.562.2547.
Scholarship Review Volunteers Needed
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Advancement Office, in conjunction with the CWI Foundation, is seeking faculty and staff interested in volunteering time to help review scholarship applications for the 2014-15 academic year. Approximately 3,000 applications are received each year and each application needs to be reviewed and scored by two people.
The review process involves a short video orientation, reading applications (some include essays), and scoring based on a pre-determined scoring rubric. Scoring will take place between March 21-April 14, 2014 and applications can be accessed online.
Employees interested in helping with this effort can contact Anita Tuttle at anitatuttle@cwi.edu or 208.562.3507 by March 19. Please keep in mind that more volunteers means scholarships can be awarded to deserving students faster.
Collins Named March Staff of the Month
Please join in congratulating Georgiana Collins, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) March Staff of the Month.
Since joining CWI Tutoring as a writing consultant in August of 2012, Collins has been an incredible asset to CWI’s students. The students give overwhelming amounts of positive feedback about her expertise and her willingness to help. Her dedication to student success is incredible, but she also shows dedication to her department. She volunteers for as much as she can take on while still finding time to help mentor the new writing consultants.
Collins currently holds an Associate of Arts in Political Science from CWI, and is a junior at Boise State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Economics. She is fluent in both Romanian and English, having been born in Romania before moving to the United States in 1990. Collins says that being part of the Writing Center has been an incredible opportunity that has expanded her academic possibilities in ways that she never could have anticipated and she feels truly blessed to work with such an amazing team.
Thank you Georgiana for your hard work and continued dedication in supporting student success.
Staff Senate to Help Share Feedback
It’s almost time once again for the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Campus Forums and the CWI Staff Senate wants to help share employee suggestions and concerns. Staff senate recognizes that asking questions or making comments in front of peers and supervisors isn’t always comfortable. Also, employees are often unable to attend a forum but want to ask a question. That’s where Staff Senate comes in. Email staffsenate@cwi.edu or leave an anonymous question or concern in the suggestion boxes at any of the following six locations:
- Ada County Center
- Canyon County Center
- CWI Eagle River
- Nampa Campus Academic Building
- Nampa Campus Administration Building
- Nampa Campus Micron Center for Professional Technical Education
Staff Senate will compile the list of questions and a senator will ask all of them at the forums.
Race for the Cure Volunteers Needed
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Fun and Culture Committee (FCC) is seeking volunteers for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Boise on May 10 (Saturday). For the second year in a row, the FCC Community Team is coordinating a group of CWI volunteers for the event. Each year Race for the Cure requires over 600 volunteers to help make the event a success. (B8) Volunteer registration is currently open. Anyone interested in helping, please contact Lindsay Reynolds at lindsayreynolds@cwi.edu for the registration link and more information.
CWIrish Day Returns
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is turning green on March 17 as the CWI Fun and Culture Committee presents the second-annual CWIrish Day. Employees are encouraged to join in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by dressing up and showing off their CWIrish spirit. Prizes will be awarded to the most spirited participants. To enter, employees simply need to email a picture of their CWIrish spirit, including their name and location, to fcc@cwi.edu by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 17. Winners will be announced in Bert’s Alerts on March 21.
CWI Family Fun Night at Wahooz
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Fun and Culture Committee is excited to present CWI Family Fun Night at Wahooz, April 10, from 6-10 p.m. Invitations have been sent via email and employees are welcome to bring immediate family members (current household) or a guest. The FCC is thrilled by the overwhelming response and positive feedback already and would like to remind everyone planning to attend that RSVP is required. Please also keep in mind that while the event is free to attend, it is not free for the College to sponsor, so RSVP appropriately. If you have any questions or need to modify your RSVP, please email fcc@cwi.edu . The FCC looks forward to seeing everyone there!
