CWI Compass Connect - July 21, 2015
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) spent an evening at the ballpark, July 9, connecting with the community at the third-annual CWI Night at the Boise Hawks. This year the baseball game served as a fundraiser with $2 of every ticket sold--with a special offer code--donated to support CWI student scholarships. The night was complete with CWI President Bert Glandon throwing out the first pitch, an appearance by the CWI Street Team, and a booth promoting the College.
News Highlights
Ada County Campus – Due Diligence on Boise Property Update
The College of Western Idaho has received the completed appraisal on the property at Main and Whitewater Park Boulevard in Boise, which the College has entered an agreement to purchase. The CWI Board of Trustees reviewed the appraisal that valued the property at $8.975 Million which supports the Purchase and Sale Agreement amount of $8.8 Million.
“The appraised value of the land reaffirms our confidence that this site is the best location for CWI to develop a campus to better serve the community college district based on its location, size, access, and cost” said CWI Board Chair Mary Niland. “We are still in the midst of our 180-day feasibility period, and cost is one of the factors we are assessing prior to a final decision. We respect and appreciate the interest of the community in our campus development plans, and value the conversations this process has inspired and that we continue to have. The Trustees and the College pledge to involve the community and keep you informed as we move forward through the feasibility period and with planning the future development of CWI’s Nampa, Boise, and online campuses to better meet the needs of our students and the community.”
In addition to the appraisal review, the Board of Trustees reviewed the Request for Qualifications results for a conceptual plan on the property. The Board provided approval for the College to enter into contract with CTA Architects for preliminary work for the proposed Ada County Campus in Boise to allow time to involve governing agencies and the public in the process. The College is in the process of conducting additional due diligence including environmental tests, land surveys, audits, and conversations with various city officials and agencies.
CWI has launched a new section on the College’s website to help consolidate updates related to Campus Development. Campus Development news, conceptual plans, information on tours, and more can be found by visiting /info/campus-development. The webpage is a great reference point for development information and will be updated as CWI moves through various initiatives.
Red Hot Summer Deals at CWI Bookstore
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Bookstore is running some great deals right now at both Nampa locations. Stop in at the Micron Center for Professional Technical Education and check out the cool CWI merchandise at rock bottom prices. All clearance merchandise (already marked down 25-50 percent) is an additional 30 percent off; everything from t-shirts (several styles from $3-$6) to fleece zip-ups, yoga pants, and more.
Visit the Academic Building store and get 75 percent off everything (except software, technology, and food/convenience). It’s a great time to stock up on your CWI gear before the back to school rush.
CWI Calculates New Approach to Remedial Math Instruction
College of Western Idaho (CWI) has introduced a redesigned approach to college-preparatory math. Starting this fall, CWI will offer a new structure for remedial math instruction, which was created, in part, to address one of the key strategies from the State Board of Education’s Complete College Idaho plan. The new model replaces three courses from the previous delivery method with one course delivered in an emporium-style model.
Rather than utilizing traditional classroom delivery and same-pace instruction, the emporium model allows students to receive an individualized study plan that focuses on the mathematical concepts the student needs to master before entering college-level math courses. They will be required to attend two sessions each week in one of CWI’s new Math Solutions Centers (MSC), located in Nampa and Boise. The MSC will be staffed by faculty teams that provide one-on-one instruction and assistance during all hours of operation.
Over the past two semesters CWI served approximately 4,800 total students in college preparatory math. While the previous model saw 83 percent of college prep math students pass their courses in the 2013-14 academic year, 37 percent of students needed more than one semester to complete remedial coursework. The new model is designed to help students move through remedial math more quickly by focusing their efforts on concepts they have not yet mastered.
“The new model is designed to eliminate overlap between multiple courses,” says Susan Knights, director of CWI’s Math Solutions Center. “It will also position our students to complete the math remediation learning they need to be successful in college much more efficiently, saving them time and money.”
CWI’s new college prep math delivery is modeled after similar programs around the country that have reported high success rates.
