CWI Compass Connect - June 23, 2023
Spotlight
A photo and video production crew featured a variety of faculty, staff, and students on campus earlier this month to highlight some of the more than 100 programs offered at CWI. To check out our first round of program videos and learn more about registering for fall semester, visit Let's Get Started.
News Highlights
Horticulture Club Gets a Taste of the Farming Business
When it comes to running an agriculture business, a lot goes into making one successful, and there are many paths to pursue, like running a vineyard, a livestock farm, a flower farm, and more! College of Western Idaho (CWI) Horticulture Club students took a day-long tour of the many different farms in Canyon County to learn the best practices and tools to run a successful agriculture business.
CWI Agricultural Science students and faculty kicked off the day bright and early at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, over at Lovely Hollow Fresh Cut Farms in Caldwell, where they heard from the owners about how to start a flower farm, learned about the work that goes into the business, and how agritourism helps grow successful businesses. During the visit, students were able to enjoy complimentary muffins and juice from the farm.
Students and faculty then drove to Huston Vineyards in Caldwell to learn about growing wine grapes in the Snake River Valley, why the area's soil is great for growing, and how to harvest and turn wine grapes into a tasty wine. To finish the site visit, students learned more about fermentation and took part in a tasting experience.
Horticulture Club then moved over to Peaceful Belly Farms in Caldwell where they enjoyed a lunch prepared on the farm while learning about their business as it relates to community-supported agriculture, cider, worm composting, pollinator education, and small-scale livestock production.
After a tasty lunch, students and faculty shifted over to Cherry Hill Orchards in Caldwell to visit their fruit trees and small storefront for customers. Students learned about the farm's business practices and techniques to get people to visit them, like putting on a corn maze and pumpkin patch in the fall.
The tour's last stop was McIntyre Pastures in Caldwell where the Club was introduced to the farm's rotational grazing practices, methods of covering crops, raising chickens, cattle, and hogs. Students then had the chance to help collect eggs, which then were sold in McIntyre Pastures' farm store.
"We had 18 students attend for the day and they left feeling like they had a vast appreciation for what farmers and horticulturists are doing in Canyon County," said CWI Agriculture Science Department Chair, Andrea Schumaker.
For those interested in joining or in need of more information about CWI Horticulture Club, please contact Dan Schults at danschults@cwi.edu.
Trustee Steps Down from CWI Board
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Annie Hightower as trustee for Zone 4 during the board’s monthly meeting on Thursday, June 8.
“Serving students while on the Board of Trustees has been a wonderful opportunity,” said Hightower. “However, for the well-being of my family, I have decided to step down from my role at CWI to spend more time with my children and husband.”
CWI is governed by a volunteer, five-member board of trustees. Trustees are elected at large from within Ada and Canyon Counties for staggered, four-year terms.
“Trustee Hightower has been an instrumental member of the Board for more than four years,” said Board Chair Molly Lenty. “Her leadership and commitment to the evolution of the college was key in updating policies and in supporting the campus visioning process as CWI grows to meet the needs of our thriving community. We will work hard over the following weeks to identify a qualified and dedicated leader to join the board on behalf of Zone 4.”
Persons interested in the open seat and who meet the trustee zone requirements should contact the board at trustees@cwi.edu or visit online for more information — applications with letters of interest and qualifications will be accepted until the vacancy is filled.
Scholarships Open for 2023-2024 Academic Year
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation scholarship application period for the 2023-2024 academic year is now open. Nearly 1,200 scholarships were awarded to students in both academic and career-technical programs at the College for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Scholarships are a great opportunity provided to students at CWI to help pay for their education.
- Scholarships are available for students based on a variety of criteria including, but limited to: fields of study, members of underrepresented groups, residency in certain areas, and demonstrated financial need.
- Typically offered through the College, CWI Foundation, State of Idaho, and other outside sources, scholarships do not have to be repaid.
CWI's scholarship application provides students with automatically-generated scholarship matches, including over 10,000 external scholarship opportunities, allowing students to self-select scholarships of interest.
When applying for a scholarship at CWI, students must answer a short list of questions. Students are then matched to scholarships for which they are eligible. Some scholarships require additional documentation such as an essay or letter of recommendation, while most are automatically matched to eligible students.
2023-2024 Scholarship Application Periods
Scholarships without an essay requirement:
- Open through Nov. 30
Scholarships with an essay requirement:
- June 1 – July 31
- Nov. 1 – Nov. 30
Students interested in applying for scholarships must have the CWI admission application completed, be accepted, and have myCWI login information. Visit the CWI Scholarships page to learn more!
Registration for Fall 2023
For those starting out or starting something big — register for classes this fall at College of Western Idaho (CWI)! With a variety of resources, flexible course options, and caring instructors, CWI is here to help you on your pathway to success every step of the way.
Let’s get started!
Important Fall 2023 Dates
- Priority Registration Opens – Monday, April 10
- Open Registration Opens – Monday, April 17
- Admission Deadline for 16-Week Class Session – Saturday, Aug. 12
- Registration Deadline for 16-Week Class Session – Friday, Aug. 18
- First Day of Classes for 16-Week Class Session – Monday, Aug. 21
Continuing Students
Priority registration at CWI for the Fall 2023 semester for 16-week class session begins Monday, April 10. Priority registration allows continuing students a chance to enroll in classes ahead of open registration, helping students stay on track for graduation.
Following are a few tips for current students:
- Be sure to meet with your Advisor prior to registering. Students can register any time on or after their assigned registration time.
- Registration times are assigned based on cumulative credits earned. Check myCWI and your student email for your assigned time.
- Continuing students are considered those who enrolled and attended classes any semester since Fall 2020.
- Dual credit students will register during open registration.
New Students
Open registration for all students, including new and returning, begins Monday, April 17.
New to CWI? The Fall 2023 admission deadline for 16-week class session is Saturday, Aug. 12. All, new, degree, and non-degree seeking students must apply to CWI prior to registering for classes. Visit Applying to CWI for a complete list of steps to get started.
Non-Degree Seeking
- Upon completion of the application process and once accepted to CWI, new, non-degree seeking students may immediately register for classes.
Degree Seeking
- Upon completion of the application process and once accepted to CWI, new, degree-seeking students must participate in New Student Orientation prior to registering for classes.
Course offerings can be viewed in Student Planning for all continuing and returning students.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact Financial Aid at financialaid@cwi.edu to learn more about options available for students in need of financial assistance.
The scholarship application period for the 2023-2024 academic year is now open. Apply for a variety of scholarships through a single application. Students interested in applying for scholarships must have the CWI admission application completed, be accepted, and have student account login information.
Students are encouraged to watch for emails and texts with important next steps for the completion of the registration process. Contact One Stop Student Services or your Advisor with any questions or concerns.
Fall registration for the 16-week class session will be open through Friday, Aug. 18, and classes will begin Monday, Aug. 21.
Register for Fall 2023 Classes
For those interested in learning about other dates and deadlines for Fall 2023 semester, including 8-week class session, please visit CWI's academic calendar.
Visiting Artist Series Welcomes WEND
Join College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Visiting Artist Series in welcoming band, WEND, to Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB) on Friday, June 23, for a musical performance.
What started as the compositional musings of multi-instrumentalist Riley Johnson, WEND has grown into a collaborative ensemble whose songs emerge from playful improvisation and experimentation. With classical instrumentation nestled into a traditional rock ensemble, WEND uses soaring harmonies, polyrhythms, and meandering melodic motifs to create pieces that seem almost lost in time, being as much a nod to old-world folk as to contemporary psychedelic pop and progressive rock.
Please join us as WEND performs a number of songs, using vocals, harp, bass guitar, drums, synth, violin, viola, and cello, for our CWI community. Following the performance, WEND will open a question and answer session for audience members.
Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB), room 206
CWI’s Visiting Artist Series is made possible through a grant from the Idaho Commission of Arts, which is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Visual Artist Series events are free and open to the public.
For those with questions or in need of more information, please contact Goran Fazil at goranfazil@cwi.edu.
Learn and Have Fun with STEM at Micron Chip Camp!
College of Western Idaho (CWI) and Micron Technology are partnering to present an awesome and unique three-day camp opportunity — filled with hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities — right here in Nampa. Incoming eighth and ninth graders are invited to take part in Chip Camp at the Nampa Campus Micron Education Center!
CHIP Camp is a three-day camp, June 27 – 29, filled with hands-on STEM activities related to semiconductor manufacturing, scientific, and engineering jobs. Chip Camp invites students to see and experience what engineers and scientists do every day in a semiconductor company.
Students who attend Chip Camp at CWI will get to:
- Learn how memory chips are made.
- Discover the science involved in building circuits, launching rockets, and programming robots.
- Explore engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer science topics.
- Work with Micron team members and faculty from CWI, such as the Department Chair of Manufacturing and Welding, Mike Wheeler; Department Chair of Transportation Technology, JohnD Thompson; Department Chair of Engineering, Robert Novak; and more.
Nampa Campus Micron Education Center
The Micron Foundation offers Chip Camp at no cost to all students. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Chip Camp will provide transportation at the following pick-up locations on the days of camp. Please refer to the registration confirmation email or contact K-12programs@micron.com for pick-up times at each location.
- Jefferson Middle (Caldwell)
- Lone Star Middle (Nampa)
- East Jr. High (Boise)
- North Jr. High (Boise)
- Lowell Scott Middle (Boise)
- Wilder High School
- Middleton Middle School
Registration for Chip Camp at CWI is now closed.
For those with questions or in need of more information, please contact K-12programs@micron.com with ‘Chip Camp Registration’ in the subject line.
Building Her Confidence Through Education
College of Western Idaho (CWI) student, Maganne Akins, is riding a high after walking in the 2023 Commencement Ceremony! The 17-year-old passed the General Education Development (GED) exam to earn her GED credential — a year earlier than most of her former high school classmates.
Akins is thrilled to be returning to college in the fall, this time as a Psychology student. However, her journey to reach this point in her educational career was not always a smooth one.
Prior to CWI, Akins was an honor student and a competitive soccer player in high school. However, a severe chronic illness at the beginning of her sophomore year prevented her from attending classes, participating in extracurricular activities, and even taking on schoolwork for 18 months. Because of her continued absences, Akins was eventually told she would no longer be able to remain enrolled at her high school.
“I was angry, and I felt cheated,” Akins said. “I was an honor student and had planned my high school years since I was 6. I was expecting to attend advanced placement and honors classes to receive Dual Credit, an opportunity I lost. I was heartbroken. I felt completely blindsided by their decision to withdraw me. I was entirely alienated from my class.”
However, Akins knew she could not stay down for too long. She still had plans to one day attend college, so she knew she had to resume her education to one day make that dream become a reality. After doing some research, she learned more about earning a GED and how it is the equivalent of earning a high school diploma. Thus, her CWI journey began!
Akins enrolled in the College’s Adult Education program and started taking GED preparation courses. She was still in a recovery period when she began, so she wanted to start this new venture gently. Luckily with a supportive staff system and an independent study option, she was able to begin on the right foot and on her own terms.
“Independent study allowed me to work when I felt well and rest when I was tired. The Adult Education employees helped me with finding GED study books and online resources, and always reassured me. Without them, I would have had no idea how to go about earning a GED.”
“Maganne is bright, driven, and resilient,” said Adult Education Supervisor, Trevi Hardy. “Adult Education provided her a new, accessible pathway toward her goal of attaining a secondary credential while reminding those of us of who work in Adult Education how critical this program is. We provide the framework and tools for students to continue their educational pathway, but students do the work. I’m inspired every day by their efforts and successes. I’m very excited to see what comes next for Maganne!”
Now with a GED completion certificate in hand, Akins said it is a surreal experience to have finished high school education early. For a long time, she felt the only option she may have would be to graduate a year later than her class.
“I already felt so alone and the idea of having all my classmates move on without me was devastating.”
But thanks to CWI, Akins is now the one taking college courses as her former class finishes their senior year. She chose to continue her education at CWI so she can stay in the Treasure Valley for at least a year as her friends complete high school.
Akins’ CWI journey has helped her regain confidence in her academic ability, move on past a hard time in life, and begin to focus on the next step in her education.
“CWI gave me the power to control my own education.”
For those with questions or interested in learning more about CWI’s Adult Education and GED Preparation course, visit the Adult Education program page or contact Trevi Hardy at trevihardy@cwi.edu.
One Stop Student Services – Your Central Connection
One Stop Student Services is a central connection to assistance and support for students. An important element to this support is connecting students with the appropriate representative for assistance with admissions, cost and aid, registration and records, and billing and payments.
In an effort to streamline our services, in-person assistance at the Canyon County Center (CYNC) location will no longer be available beginning Monday, June 12. The One Stop Student Services team looks forward to assisting you by email, phone, or in-person at the Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC) or Ada County Center Lynx Building (ALYN).
One Stop Student Services
208.562.3000
onestop@cwi.edu
View Locations & Hours
2023 Summer Hours
College of Western Idaho (CWI) campus buildings and One Stop Student Services locations will be operating under special hours during the summer between Monday, May 15, and Friday, Aug. 18.
One Stop Student Services Summer Hours:
Monday – Thursday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Summer 2023 Building Hours:
Ada County Center Pintail Building
Monday – Thursday
7:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Ada County Center Mallard Building
Monday – Thursday
7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Ada County Center Quail Building
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Ada County Center Lynx Building
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Monday – Thursday
7:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Nampa Campus Academic Building
Monday
7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday – Thursday
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Friday
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Nampa Campus Administration Building
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Nampa Campus Aspen Classroom Building
Monday (through June 12)
8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Nampa Campus Micron Education Center
Monday – Thursday
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Friday
7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday
7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building
Monday – Friday
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday
Closed
Visit Locations & Maps for up-to-date One Stop Student Services and campus building hours.
