Bert's Alerts - May 5, 2017
In the Spotlight
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) community, along with friends and family, joined together to celebrate and honor Cheryl Wright. Wright, CWI’s founding Vice President of Finance and Administration, has been with the college since the beginning and is part of the founding executive team. Numerous speakers were present to commend Cheryl for her passion and dedication to students and the institution. Thank you, Cheryl, for all you have done for CWI! Enjoy retirement!
News Highlights
2017 CWI Commencement
Mark your calendars to celebrate College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) class of 2017 during the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13, at 7 p.m. The event, hosted at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, will recognize degree and certificate graduates, as well as GED completers.
Community members are encouraged to share messages with graduates using #cwigraduation on Twitter and Instagram. Messages will be streamed on screens for graduates to see while preparing for the ceremony.
This year's ceremony will stream through Facebook Live on the CWI Facebook page.
Visit graduation to learn more!
CWI Board of Trustees will hold eight Listening Sessions
During its regularly scheduled meeting in April, the CWI Board of Trustees agreed to hold a series of meetings designed to facilitate public input and discussion relative to the future plans for the college. Chairman, Mark Dunham, will lead the meetings which will take place between May 16 and June 1 from 6:30 to 8:00p.m. The dates and locations are as follows:
- Tuesday, May 16 - Riverside Hotel, Boise
- Wednesday, May 17 - CWI Nampa Campus Academic Building, 102E, Nampa
- Thursday, May 18 - Parma High School Commons, Parma
- Tuesday, May 23 - Middleton High School Auditorium, Middleton
- Wednesday, May 24 - Caldwell High School Auditorium, Caldwell
- Thursday, May 25 - Eagle High School Auditorium, Eagle
- Wednesday, May 31 - Meridian City Hall Council Chambers, Meridian
- Thursday, June 1 - Kuna High School Auditorium, Kuna
CWI staff and faculty are encouraged to attend. Those interested may also join the conversation online. For more information, visit CWIdifference.com.
Retention Alerts will become Concern Reports
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is replacing the current Retention Alert system with Concern Report by Maxient on May 15.
The new Concern Report system streamlines the reporting process to ensure timely responses from appropriate staff members and caches all relevant information in a historical repository so records are not lost. Concern Report also makes reporting concerns or violations easier, as all reporting options will be in one location.
This new system will provide:
- More user-friendly interface
- Increased ability to communicate with reporters and close the loop
- More accurate funneling of cases to the appropriate parties
- Increased ability to track cases for repeated and escalating issues
- Proactive response to concerns
Additionally, Maxient tracks various data sets, such as Clery Act requirements and helps the college better understand emerging trends for academic and conduct-related issues. The analytics component of Concern Report ensures that CWI remains in compliance with federal and state regulations.
Student Affairs, Academic Advising, Human Resources, and Academic Affairs will use the new system to support the following:
- Behavioral Intervention: The purpose of the CARE (Communicate. Act. Refer. Engage.) team is to prevent the escalation of behaviors and to retain and assist students in successfully completing their goals at CWI. The CARE Report will be a tool in supporting coordination, communication, and monitoring student behavior and concerns.
- Academic Integrity: any violations of CWI’s academic misconduct policies
- Conduct: all violations of the Student Code of Conduct
- Title IX: sexual harassment, sexual assault or sexual discrimination violations
- General Student Complaints: complaints filed by students
An internal Concern Report Team, chaired by Amy Sharp, Manager, Student Life, is currently finalizing back-end components of the program to ensure an easy and smooth rollout. This team is also creating tailored training materials for each department and are targeting May 15 for distribution of training guides. Staff users of the Concern Report will have ample time to complete practice cases before the system goes live on May 15. Training for faculty will be offered during Fall 2017 in-service.
For questions regarding Maxient’s Concern Report or the new CARE Team, please contact Amy Sharp at 562.3452 or amysharp@cwi.edu.
Criminal Justice Club Partnered with Nampa Police
During the week of May 1, the Criminal Justice Club partnered with the Nampa Police Department (NPD) to put on a mock interview panel. Two students bravely volunteered to be interviewed and then the individuals on the panel debriefed the interviews with the group. This is a great opportunity for our students to get an insight into the interview process for criminal justice careers. Thanks NPD!
Members of Psi Beta Present at Conference
During the weekend of April 29-30, Maribel Carrillo, Robyn Richardson, and Justin Spiwak, members of Psi Beta, the honor society for students interested in psychology, had the opportunity to present their research at the Idaho Psychological Conference in McCall, Idaho. The students won first place in the poster session for their work entitled “A Gritty Exploration: Factors Influencing Student Success.” Not only did these students represent Psi Beta well, they were the only students from a community college at the conference.
Outstanding Business Students of the Year
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is proud to announce the annual winners of the Pearson Outstanding Business student of the year: Kory Knight, Debora Golling, Clarke Burton, and Jasmine Coonrod. The students are being recognized for their academic achievements and activities in and out of the classroom.
STUDENT BIOS
Kory Knight
Knight is a General Business major at CWI and currently holds a 3.91 GPA. He grew up in rural Meridian before moving to Boise where he graduated from Capital High School. Knight has held various leadership roles in small group settings where he says he enjoys stepping up and providing direction. The ability to take on responsibility when needed proved to be a tremendous asset in his role as a Teaching Assistant in the Business Department. Knight proctored exams, stood in for instructors during VITA sessions, and patiently worked with fellow students to pass along his knowledge.
Debora Golling
Golling has dedicated her career to the field of accounting for the past 30 years working in various fields within the industry. Her skills in accounting have provided opportunities for her to work for a nursing home, as an office manager for a screen printing and embroidery company, as a customer service representative for AT&T, and, most recently, for Powderhaus Brewing as an Administrative Bookkeeper. Golling came to CWI in her 50s after deciding to go back to school and earn a degree to back up her knowledge and experience. Following graduation, she plans to transfer to Northwest Nazarene University to obtain a double bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business.
Clarke Burton
Burton grew up calling Idaho his home. Idaho cultivated his love for outdoor adventure in its mountainous playground. Burton plans to attend Northwest Nazarene University to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Administration. He hopes to be a CPA and create a stable foundation for future business and entrepreneurial endeavors. He currently serves as the Worship and Creative Director for his church, enjoys escaping to the mountains, and loves doing school work.
Jasmine Coonrod
Coonrod decided at 28 she wanted to earn a college degree. As a mother she felt she had a huge responsibility to ensure her son had an opportunity to succeed in life. Throughout her childhood, Coonrod had to reestablish herself every few years in a new school and with new friends. Moving taught her determination to accomplish tasks, to have a genuine interest in those around her, and to not get too attached to places and things. She credits these skills to her academic success during the past two years at CWI as they have helped her learn to work with different companies in Boise. She loves how Boise companies band together to provide community outreach programs for kids and hopes to continue working with these companies for the betterment of the community.
Students were nominated for the award by Business faculty and internship advisors. Applications were reviewed by a faculty committee and winners were selected based on eligibility requirements, grade point average, and other honors, contributions, and achievements. Those selected receive a scholarship, a personalized certificate and medal, and have their name added to an annual plaque.
For more information regarding the CWI Business Student of the Year award, contact Joe Welker at joewelker@cwi.edu.
Faculty Appreciation Week Concludes
In honor of Faculty Appreciation Week, College of Western Idaho (CWI) has been recognizing our amazing faculty each day this week and sharing out customized memes through CWI’s Facebook and Instagram channels. The engagement has been awesome and students have also been participating in the recognition during appreciation week. Check out the fun photos and student testimonials about our faculty @collegeofwesternidaho.
Business of Art Symposium Success
College of Western Idaho (CWI) welcomed a collection of visual and performing arts professionals to campus on Friday, April 14, for an afternoon of expert insight into the world of art and business. The event, presented by the CWI Business and Art departments featured keynote speaker, Drew Lorona, Co-Director of the Treefort Music Festival. Twenty-two local artists, entrepreneurs, and arts educators came together to present a variety of panel discussions on “Organizing and Exhibiting Art”, “Marketing Yourself”, “The World of Non-Profit Arts Organizations”, and “The Business of Art”. Over 200 people attended, as students were given an opportunity to learn more about the challenges and rewards of being a practicing artist and gained some invaluable advice about how to get started in an art career.
We are hoping this is the first of many collaborations between the arts and business departments and look forward to our next event.
Education Instructors Present at Conference
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Education Department instructors Carol Billing, Scott Straub, and Molly Wolk presented at the Federal Programs Conference in Boise, Idaho, on April 6 and 7. In addition, CWI education students volunteered to assist with the conference.
The Federal Programs Conference, formerly known as the Title I Conference, partners with the Special Education Department in Idaho to provide a well-rounded training opportunity for all aspects of federal programs in schools and districts.
In attendance were superintendents, principals, teachers, and other educators from Idaho and around the country. Keynote speakers included: Charlotte Danielson, MK Asante, Luis Cruz, and Diane Staehr Fenner.
Billing, Straub, and Wolk presented two workshops called "20 Ways To Connect With Students and Parents." Nearly 100 educators attended the two sessions.
"The response from the workshop participants was much greater than anticipated. Many principals and superintendents were very excited to take what they learned from these workshops back to their own districts to assist with teacher training and development. Teachers were also thrilled with the ideas that we shared. Carol, Molly, and myself are currently discussing additional training workshops that we can provide to local Idaho schools.”
Scott Straub, Assistant Professor
Treasure Valley Adjunct Conference
College of Western Idaho, Boise State University and Northwest Nazarene University are partnering to present the Treasure Valley Adjunct Conference (TVAC), took place on the campus of Boise State University on May 15, 2017. TVAC was developed to build a sense of community among adjunct faculty, recognize the scholarship and innovative teaching practices that this unique group of individuals bring to our students as well as engage in conversations around how to best support adjunct faculty. The conference, which runs from 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. will feature breakout sessions from faculty throughout the valley including three distinguished CWI adjunct faculty. Math faculty, Lance Curtis, will present on “Flipping Boring into Fun: How the Flipped Classroom Model Can Engage Students in Statistics”; Business faculty, Stephanie Barham, on “Smartphones in the Classroom”; and Life Science faculty, Gary Heller, on “Using a Course as a Bridge to Mentoring Students”. Michal Yadlin will present the “Plenary Session on Adjunct Life: A Delicate Juggling Act”. Additionally, the conference leaders will offer a session for university leaders and stakeholders.
For more information and to register please visit: https://tvac2017.eventbrite.com.
May Faculty of Distinction – Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson is the College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for May. Michael earned a B.S. in history from South Dakota State University, and an M.A. in Philosophy from University of North Texas. He has taught philosophy since 1990 and has worked as an international consultant for Houghton Mifflin Publishing.
Michael was nominated by a colleague for his service in mentoring faculty teaching Ethics designated courses, his ability to present both sides of a controversial issue without bias, work serving on committees at CWI and as a judge at the National Speech and Debate Tournament, and his consistent positive rapport with students.
In his spare time, Michael likes to hike, rock climb, and golf. His goals include hiking all over New Zealand and developing and building the A.A. Philosophy degree program at CWI. Please congratulate Michael on being selected as May’s Faculty of Distinction!
Spring 2017 Fire Drill Results are Available
College of Western Idaho (CWI) spring semester fire drills are complete. These fire drills/evacuations are to prepare students, faculty, and staff in case of a fire or other emergency requiring evacuation.
Each campus evacuated quickly and efficiently utilizing the evacuation routes specific to their area. The building administrators and floor captains did an outstanding job of clearing their assigned areas and reporting to the centralized location in a calm and professional manner. Thank you all for your cooperation and participation.
Business Office Staff Changes
The Business Office would like to announce a few recent staffing changes!
Tracy Ode has accepted the position of Accounting Manager effective April 16. Tracey is now leading the Accounting Team including oversight of Financial Reporting, Accounting, and Payroll functions.
Courtney Smith has accepted the Senior Accountant, CTE position effective May 1. Courtney is responsible for oversight of CTE Accounting and reporting related to funding received to support our CTE programs.
Amanda Miller will be joining the CWI team in the role of Senior Accountant, Grants & Foundation on May 8. Amanda will be responsible for grant accounting and compliance as well as oversight of accounting and financial reporting for CWI Foundation.
Robin DeBuhr will be transitioning to an Accountant II position on May 16. Robin will be responsible for oversight of Workforce Development (WD) Accounting and reporting as well as supporting accounting functions for clubs and student life.
Congratulations to these individuals! Please join in welcoming these team members in their new roles!
Grants Team Now Part of Business Office
The Grant Manager position, held by Rena McKean, has transitioned to the Business Office. As part of this transition, a Grant Team has been formed including representation by Grant Advocates, Grant Manager, Budget, Contracts, and Accounting. This has aligned grant management responsibilities within one department in an effort to streamline all aspects of the grant process and grant life cycle.
Individuals interested in applying for a grant or have questions about the process are encouraged to contact the Grant Team at grants@cwi.edu or Rena McKean at 562.3182.
Additional information can also be found on myCWI. Although the site is currently under construction, it will include information regarding the grant life cycle process, roles and responsibilities, and forms required to initiate and navigate the grant process.
Idaho Center / Cherry Lane Construction Extended
Press release from the office of Mayor Henry
City of Nampa extends closure of intersection of Idaho Center Boulevard and Cherry Lane to avoid second closure in a few weeks
The city of Nampa is extending the closure of the Idaho Center Boulevard and Cherry Lane intersection to avoid closing the intersection for a second time later into the project. The intersection was originally closed this week for four days, but the contractor must bore under the Purdam Gulch Drain and needs two more weeks.
“We understand the closure is inconvenient, but by extending it, rather than closing it a second time later this month, we can reduce the overall impact of the project to the traveling public,” said Assistant City Engineer Jeff Barnes.
Motorists will continue to be detoured to Ustick Road to the north of the intersection or Birch Lane to the south of the intersection.
The closure and detour is part of a project to rehabilitate Idaho Center Boulevard between Birch Lane and Cherry Lane. The much-needed rehabilitation project will result in a smoother ride for motorists between the entrance to the College of Western Idaho (Achievement Drive) and Cherry Lane.
Motorists should plan to use alternate routes for the next two months while crews work to improve the roadway. Local residents will continue to have access to their property.
The $700,000 project will rebuild the roadway and increase pedestrian safety by adding wider, paved shoulders. The project also includes the installation of water and pressure irrigation and relocation of power poles in the area. The project is anticipated to be complete by late June. The contractor is Sunroc, Corp.
For more information on the project and schedule, visit the city’s project webpage at http://www.cityofnampa.us/1139/Idaho-Center-Boulevard-Reconstruction. If you have questions, please call 465-2221 or email projects@cityofnampa.us.
