Bert's Alerts—Nov. 22, 2019
President's Message
As part of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) 3-Year Mid-Cycle Report and Evaluation, the Commission sent two evaluators to CWI and conducted on-site visits on Mon., Sept. 30, and Tue., Oct. 1. The visit was in preparation for CWI’s 7-Year Mission Fulfillment Report and Evaluation, which will take place in Fall 2023. THANK YOU and congratulations to the entire CWI organization for helping to position the institution for a successful evaluation and on-site visit, and a successful visit it was! A tremendous amount of work has been accomplished throughout all levels of the College since the last NWCCU accreditation visit in the fall of 2016.
Below is a recap of the visit. Keep in mind, the Commission meets in January. At that time, they will take action on the evaluation report in the way of formative feedback.
The Mid-Cycle visit included NWCCU Evaluators meeting with various constituents across CWI, including but not limited to, the President’s Cabinet, Executive Operations Team, Instructional Deans, Curriculum Committee, Faculty, and Enrollment and Student Services staff. The NWCCU Evaluators examined CWI’s 3-Year Mid-Cycle Report and progress made on the 6 NWCCU recommendations CWI received when going through the accreditation process in fall 2016.
According to Dr. Tod Treat, the Lead NWCCU Evaluator for CWI’s NWCCU Mid-cycle Evaluation, “CWI has a comprehensive, systematic, and integrated Strategic Planning and Assessment Process that links and aligns with the CWI Mission and facilitates Mission Fulfillment and Sustainability. In other words, you’re doing it, so well done.”
CWI was also found to be in compliance with or made significant progress on all 6 of the NWCCU recommendations received in fall 2016. While there is still important work to be done in preparation for the NWCCU 7-Year Mission Fulfillment Report and Evaluation, CWI is positioned well for the future.
I am happy to share, President’s Cabinet has approved a campus-wide celebration to acknowledge this tremendous effort! In order to streamline the planning and create convenience for all to attend, multiple celebrations will be held. Please see the celebration schedule below which indicates the locations, times, and designated leads.
You Are Invited!
Wednesday, Dec. 11
NCAB – Kae Jensen & Justin Vance
- 10 – 11 a.m.
- 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
- NCAB 301
NADM, NCMP, NASP – Jeff Flynn & Audrey Eldridge
- 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
- NASP 127
NMEC – Patrick Tanner & Pat Neal
- 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
- NMEC 1801
CYNC – Susan Fujinaga & Heather Haslam
- 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- CYNC 207 A/B
APIN – Cathleen Currie
- 2 – 4 p.m.
- APIN Common Area
AMAL – Christi Rood
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Room # TBD
I look forward to celebrating this accomplishment with all of you. Again, terrific job!
News Highlights
International Club Hosts First Event
On Nov. 14, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) International Club hosted its first event, the Cultural Meet and Greet. Club members made posters with information about their home countries and food was purchased locally to give students, faculty, and staff a taste of their native cuisine. Posters represented Taiwan, Somalia, Turkey, and Iran. Boise State University's Multilingual Student Alliance also hosted a table at the event to help create connections for students planning to transfer after their time at CWI.
Learn more about the International Club and get involved by emailing cwiinternationalclub@gmail.com.
Franklin Road Closure
The City of Nampa is closing Franklin Road between Idaho Center Boulevard and Star Road from Friday, Nov. 22 to Friday, Dec. 6, for utility-related improvements to the Amazon fulfillment center.
College of Western Idaho's Nampa Campus Micron Education Center, on Franklin Road, will have access via N. Idaho Center Boulevard (see attached map).
If you have questions please call Tiffany McCree, with the City of Nampa at (208) 465-2221 or email projects@cityofnampa.us.
Planned Power Outages
Scheduled electrical outages will take place at a few of College of Western Idaho's buildings beginning Saturday, Nov. 23. The locations impacted will be closed during the outages. Access to these buildings will not be permitted until completion of these outages as indicated below.
Ada County Campus Lynx Building
Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m. to Sunday, Nov. 24, at 2:30 a.m.
Nampa Campus Aspen Classroom Building
Friday, Nov. 29
8 a.m. – Noon
Nampa Campus Administration Building
Friday, Nov. 29
8 a.m. – Noon
Nampa Campus Academic Building
Sunday, Dec. 1
8 – 10 a.m.
Contact Facilities Planning and Management at 208.562.3545 with questions.
CWI Launches Local Needs Assessment
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) has launched work on a comprehensive local needs assessment in compliance with the 2018 Perkins V federal legislation, and the College is looking for community input. Once completed, the assessment will provide a clear view of labor needs in our ten-county service region. The assessment will additionally offer insight into opportunities to provide needed training to the local labor market and emerging industries. Results from the needs assessment will inform annual Perkins V applications and CWI institutional strategies to address the current and future needs of the local communities and businesses that make up Region 3 and the State of Idaho.
The College has retained MGT Consulting Group, a national higher education consulting and research firm, to assist with the process — you may be contacted by either MGT or CWI. Please engage and respond to their invitations to provide input and feedback which will be critical in remapping the direction of CWI's Career and Technical Education programs.
Two forums will be held in December for the community to provide input:
Thursday, Dec. 5
1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Nampa Campus Micron Education Center
Room 1701 A/B
Friday, Dec. 6
8 to 11 a.m.
Nampa Campus Aspen Classroom Building
Room 104
You can also participate by completing a web-based survey.
School Supply Drive
Help families in need by donating unused school supplies. The Education department at College of Western Idaho, in partnership with the University of Idaho is collecting backpacks, markers, notebooks, calculators, pencils, and other necessary school supplies to help the City Light Home for Women and Children in Boise. In addition, a portion of the school supplies will be donated to middle school classrooms.
Donation boxes are located at two locations:
- Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building Library
- Ada County Campus Pintail Center, Room 1102 – the Adjunct Offices
The school supply drive will run through Tuesday, Dec. 3. For those who would like to participate, please contact Scott Straub at scottstraub@cwi.edu.
CWI Snow Information and Tips
With winter weather upon us, College of Western Idaho (CWI) crews are working to keep campus locations safe and clear of ice and snow. Please keep in mind, winter conditions can be dangerous and require everyone's attention to prevent slipping and falling. We are all responsible for exercising good judgment when walking on icy or slippery conditions. No matter how well snow and ice is removed from parking lots and sidewalks, it is important to be prepared and continually aware of slippery surfaces. Parking space may be limited in some areas due to snow piles from plowing.
Keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice. Neoprene and non-slip rubber are best. Avoid shoes with smooth soles and heels.
- Walk S-L-O-W-L-Y. Plan extra time so you are not rushing.
- Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, be careful since shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
- Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
- Walk like a penguin. Point your feet out slightly and shuffle. Spreading your feet out slightly improves your stability. Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over your feet as much as possible. Keep your hands out of your pockets and extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
- Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk cautiously. Look to see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards.
- Look up. Be careful about what you walk under. Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
- Use your eyes and ears. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
- When you arrive at your indoor destination, remove as much snow and water from your feet as you can to prevent water buildup on the floors.
- Enter a building carefully. When you get to your destination such as school, work, shopping center, etc., be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice.
- When using stairs, always use handrails.
- Anticipate ice. Be wary of thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement (black ice). Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
To report icy conditions on campus or if you have questions, please call Facilities Planning and Management at 208.562.3545 or facilities@cwi.edu.
