Bert's Alerts - November 21, 2014
In the Spotlight
On Nov. 8, College of Western Idaho (CWI) hosted the STEM Out! Into PTE event sponsored by CWI and the Idaho Career Pioneer Network. Over 100 participants attended the event hosted at CWI’s Micron Center for Professional Technical Education. The goal of the program is to introduce sixth through ninth grade girls to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations in Professional Technical Education (PTE). Throughout the day each attendee participated in six hands-on workshops—presented by CWI faculty and students—showcasing nearly all of the College’s PTE programs. The event was a huge success thanks to the creativity and participation of the faculty. Incredibly, the number of girls expressing interest in a STEM or non-traditional career rose from 27 percent at the beginning of the event to 65 percent at the end of the day.
News Highlights
CWI Closed Nov. 27-28 for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means College of Western Idaho (CWI) will be providing time off for students and employees to observe the holiday. CWI’s campus locations will be closed on Nov. 27-28. There will also be no classes for credit programs and Basic Skills Education, Nov. 24-29. As a result of the Thanksgiving closure, Bert’s Alerts will not be sent on Nov. 28. The weekly employee newsletter will resume its regular schedule on Dec. 5.
Speech and Debate Finishes Fall Slate with Win
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Speech and Debate continued a successful start to the 2014-15 season with a first-place Division III victory at the 84th-annual Mahaffey Memorial hosted by Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. The competition, held Nov. 14-16, included 34 schools from the Northwest Forensics Conference. This marks the second consecutive year CWI has captured top Division III honors at the event.
“I cannot overstate how honored I am to be a part of this team” says Assistant Director of Forensics Jim Gatfield. “Of the 22 competitors, 19 are in their first year of college forensics, making this a truly impressive victory.”
CWI Speech and Debate will now focus on preparing for the spring semester of competitions.
CWI’s Micron Center Receives National Recognition
The renovation of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Micron Center for Professional Technical Education has received national attention, as CWI and Hummel Architects have been recognized in Outstanding Designs by American Schools and Universities Magazine. The publication recently released its 2014 Educations Interiors Showcase, which features the Micron Center in its Vocational/Industrial arts category.
CWI Welcomes Boise School of Rock
A group of Boise School of Rock instructors will visit College of Western Idaho (CWI) on Dec. 5 as part of CWI’s Visiting Artist Series. Devin McComas, David Gluck, and JD Stephan will be providing a guest lecture and demonstration from 4-6 p.m. in room 106 of the Nampa Campus Academic Building. All three are music teachers and active performing musicians in the Treasure Valley. They will be performing along with sharing their personal stories about how music has shaped their lives. Employees are invited to join students for the presentation.
For more information please contact Jeff Davis at jeffreydavis@cwi.edu .
Tech Talk: Celebrating Technology Updates and Employee Success
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Information Technology (IT) Department is presenting a new series of Bert’s Alerts articles intended to share updates at CWI as well as relevant technology topics.
GoPrint Update
The GoPrint printing client has successfully been installed in classrooms and computer labs at the Nampa Campus Academic Building, Micron Center for Professional Technical Education, and Canyon County Center. Next week IT will be installing the software on machines in the Ada County Campus Pintail, Quail, Mallard, and Lynx buildings on Monday (Nov. 24), which will complete the installation of the printing client for all locations.
Computer Hardware Updates
This year IT has been installing solid state hard drives (SSDs) in machines located in classrooms across many CWI locations. Students may have noticed faster boot up times for these machines as well as improved performance. IT will continue to install these devices in machines through the year during breaks.
William Alworth completes certification
William Alworth successfully completed the certification exam to obtain the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) credential from Cisco. This is a highly difficult certification to achieve; the majority of individuals who attempt the exam do not pass. Please join IT in congratulating William on this significant achievement.
CWI to be Tobacco-Free Starting Jan. 1
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) new Tobacco-Free Campus Policy will take effect Jan. 1, 2015. Employees and students are being asked to become familiar with the change in preparation. CWI Policy 4350, which was adopted in 2013, states that as of Jan. 1, 2015, tobacco use of any kind, including vapor and e-cigarettes will not be allowed at any CWI campus and/or building.
More information on CWI’s Tobacco-Free Campus Policy, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found by visiting cwi.edu/info/cwi-tobacco-free-campus.
Bettencourt Recognized with Staff of the Month Honor
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is pleased to announce CWI’s November Staff of the Month honor has been awarded to Kim Bettencourt.
Bettencourt joined CWI in May 2008 and is currently a Manager at the One Stop Student Services location at Ada County Campus. In her time at CWI, Bettencourt has served as One Stop Coordinator, One Stop Advisor, One Stop Manager at Canyon County Center, and Manager of Recruitment.
“Acting with integrity” is a Core Value that Bettencourt applies every day in her work with fellow employees and with students. This includes recognizing that she is a model for those whom she leads and that honesty and fairness in all relations with others is very important.
Bettencourt has a bachelor’s degree in Childcare Administration from the State University of New York. She has lived in Idaho since 1993. Bettencourt says she, her husband, and three children love spending their free time fishing, camping, hiking, and skiing. Most recently, they have enjoyed introducing her two grandchildren to all the beauty and adventure Idaho has to offer. In December she will welcome another grandson to her family. Bettencourt says she also enjoys photography and sitting down with a good book in her free time.
Please join in congratulating Kim. Thank you for your commitment and continued dedication to CWI and its faculty, staff, and students.
Nominations for Staff of the Month
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Staff Recognition Committee is accepting nominations for the Core Values/Staff of the Month program. All staff, faculty, students, and administrators are encouraged to nominate a staff member they feel is doing an outstanding job. Please submit nominations by emailing yourock@cwi.edu. Be sure to include the staff member's first and last name, department in which they work, and the reason for the nomination. Details and further instructions can be found on the MyCWI Staff Senate page or here.
