Bert's Alerts—Sept. 11, 2020
In the Spotlight
CWI’s Presidential Ambassador students are ready and excited to represent the student body this semester! This select group of student leaders are a great resource and look forward to sharing their CWI experiences and knowledge by being involved however they can. Keep them in mind as you are planning events and activities!
News Highlights
CWI Campus Community – Thank you!
Wow! What a start to the 2020-2021 Academic Year! We are three weeks into fall semester, not just any semester, but the Fall term of 2020 – the pandemic year. The year of masks, sanitizing stations, and plexi panels. The year of new terminology like hyflex, synchronous learning, essential, and humanity shields, just to name a few. All part of our new normal!
Amidst these changes and challenges, our CWI campus community has navigated these new procedures and new responsibilities in mighty fashion. Congratulations to each and every one of you for supporting and playing your part in the Be Safe, Be Mighty campaign to keep everyone healthy and keep our campus open.
Remaining flexible in implementing our new normal, recent updates include the following:
Food on campus
- Allowed in common area and open spaces with seating where physical distancing of at least six feet can be accomplished.
- Eating is not allowed in areas outside of common spaces, for instance, classrooms, labs, testing, library, etc.
- In the event physical distancing in common areas and open spaces cannot occur, individuals will need to plan to eat outside or in a vehicle.
Contact Tracing
- In partnership with Rapid Trace, a new, self-reporting phone line has been established to allow those who need to report a positive case or exposure the ability to call in confidentially at 813.699.3551.
- All employees and students are asked to submit a contact tracing release form prior to reporting a positive case or exposure. This proactive action will enable:
- consent to be contacted and communication of possible exposure
- ability to report on-campus locations with possible exposures
Return to Campus Video
- Watch our Return to Campus video outlining procedures for employees, students, and visitors!
Questions
- Any questions regarding CWI and COVID-19 can be emailed to COVID19_Questions@cwi.edu.
Thank you all for your diligence and commitment to this community-wide effort to keep everyone safe and continue our ability to be on campus.
Be Safe, Be Mighty! #mightyCWI
Bookstore Adapts to Serve Students During Pandemic
With scorching heat in the 90s, Gabby Minor swiftly crosses the blacktop with a mask and an arm full of books to a student using the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Bookstore's curbside pick-up. This was one of many trips Minor, a work-study majoring in Business at CWI, made during her 10-hour shift on a recent Thursday at the Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC).
“I can’t express my gratitude enough for the work ethic of our team and dedication to their fellow students,” said Jason Stokes, CWI Bookstore Manager. “Retail on a regular day can be unforgiving. When extreme conditions are added to the mix, it takes something extra to keep going. They were real troopers.”
With COVID-19, the Bookstore had to develop a new strategy this fall to distribute books while keeping students and staff safe during the busy weeks leading up to the start of class, known as “rush.” Stokes split Bookstore employees into two crews of 10 and had them work on separate days to isolate the teams if there was a positive case of coronavirus. The two teams worked 10-12 hour shifts, and staffing levels were a third of past years.
The Bookstore’s curbside pick-up is on the west side NMEC, and to help during the hot summer days, frequently reaching 100 degrees, the team used two large umbrellas to block the sun and had cases of water on hand to help staff like, Minor, battle the heat.
“It’s been tough getting used to the new system, but my co-workers are great and I enjoy helping students,” said Minor while quickly logging information into a Bookstore computer.
Stokes underscored how proud and thankful he is to staff members for meeting the challenge while working with 20 fewer employees each day.
He added, “It was nearly impossible for the 10 employees working to keep up with the more than 10,000 students we are serving regarding communication. The phones and emails were relentless – I really can’t thank our students enough for their patience and understanding.”
Stokes never imagined they would have a harder start to a semester than when they first opened the store in 2009, completing the entire process in two weeks. “I never thought it would be more difficult than that, but I was wrong, this semester surpassed it,” he said.
Foundation Receives Large Donation for Scholarships
It is not every day the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation receives a donation of nearly half a million dollars. This was the case this past April when the Foundation received news of a large sum of money which had been left in an estate earmarked for CWI student scholarships.
The estate was that of Eugene Anderson, a Meridian resident, who passed away in April 2018. Anderson spent most of his life in San Francisco, California, where he was a member of the San Francisco Fire Department. According to his obituary, he left his estate to create scholarships for students wishing to study industrial and mechanical art, skills that had served him well throughout his life. Tresco of Idaho additionally shared Anderson’s wish that the funds be used help students in Fire Service programs offered at the College.
The ability to Impact our community exists in each and everyone one of us,” said Ivan Castillo, CWI Foundation President. “A testament of this is the legacy left behind by Eugene Anderson. This gift will help shape the life of many through our programs. The CWI community is forever grateful.”
A check was presented to the CWI Foundation on Aug. 27, 2020, by Tresco in the amount $487,700. Nearly $40,000 of the money has already been awarded to students through scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. The remaining funds will be used for an endowment in Anderson’s name.
On-Campus Filming for Next Steps Idaho
Next Steps Idaho, an initiative of the State Board of Education and partnership with Idaho’s employers, helps individuals understand and pursue education and career opportunities. As part of this, Next Steps Idaho is leading an effort to film virtual tours of all public, higher education institutions in the state, including College of Western Idaho (CWI), to benefit prospective students wishing to check out our campus and the services we offer.
Film crews will be on the CWI campus September 14 and 15. Filming will include both photography and 360° video recording. Active filming areas will be clearly marked and announced to those nearby for easy identification. Individuals, including students, who remain in these areas during filming grant the College permission to release, publish, or reproduce any of the photos and footage acquired. Those wishing not to be photographed or filmed are asked to notify the filming crew or temporarily transition to a different area until filming concludes.
Virtual tour videos will be available on the Next Steps Idaho website beginning in October. Please contact Luis Caloca at luiscaloca@cwi.edu or 208.562.3396 for any questions or concerns.
2020 Farm to Fork Dinner
Get a taste of the Treasure Valley and College of Western Idaho (CWI) during this year's Farm to Fork event hosted by the College's agriculture faculty and students.
Experience a true farm to fork meal from the comfort of your own home featuring produce grown in CWI's Campus Garden paired with specialties from local partners. Each boxed dinner will include ingredients and step-by-step video instructions to prepare a four-course meal including an appetizer, soup, main course, and dessert.
Dinner pickup will take place at the Campus Garden located at the Nampa Campus Academic Building on Friday, Sept. 25, between 4:00 and 7:30 p.m. Boxed dinners for two or four people are available to order with an optional wine pairing. A tour of the garden and an appetizer at pickup can be added for $10 a person. Get your order in early as a limited number of dinners will be prepared.
This year’s Farm to Fork event is made possible through the CWI Campus Garden and generous contributions from local partners including The Tower Grill, Gutierrez Family Farms, Stella’s Ice Cream, ACME Bakeshop, Fujishin Family Cellars, Eden Creamery, and the CWI Foundation. Proceeds from the event will go to support the Campus Garden which provides students access to fresh produce and supports their agriculture coursework.
