CWI Compass Connect - May 14, 2014
In the Spotlight
On Saturday, May 17, the College of Western Idaho (CWI) will honor its 2014 graduating class in a comprehensive commencement ceremony hosted at Taco Bell Arena in Boise. The ceremony, which is scheduled for 7 p.m., will recognize degree and certificate graduates, as well as GED completers. CWI is celebrating two milestones this year with a record number of degree and certificate candidates as well as the most graduates with honors ever.
News Highlights
Join the Commencement Celebration #cwigraduation
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will host its 2014 Commencement Ceremony on May 17 to honor this year’s graduates and, for the second consecutive year, CWI is launching a social media celebration. Everyone is invited to participate in sharing in the celebration by utilizing the graduation hashtag and following the festivities online. In addition, CWI will be sharing photos and celebratory messages on arena screens prior to the ceremony. To join the conversation, simply include #cwigraduation on:
College of Western Idaho BPA Students Capture 13 National Awards
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is celebrating a remarkable showing at the Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference, April 30-May 4, as eight CWI students combined to earn 13 awards. CWI collected top-10 finishes across 11 different events. The conference, which was held in Indianapolis, Ind., hosted over 5,000 competitors and advisors.
CWI enjoyed a strong showing in Fundamentals of Web Design, as John Otto placed first while Chris Pendleton finished second. Otto and Pendleton also partnered with Eileen Chavez to take second overall in Web Site Design Team. Rounding out CWI’s top-three finishes was Jaci Seever who earned bronze in Integrated Office Applications.
Along with the competition, the national conference also provided a great learning opportunity for the students. All participants were given the opportunity to take Microsoft industry certifications and a number of the CWI students now boast Microsoft Office Specialist and Microsoft Technology Associate certifications. The students also attended seminars on topics such as Networking Skills for Job Seekers, Moral Issues in Business, and Fair Trade for All.
CWI Students Present at Research Conference
Four College of Western Idaho (CWI) students participated in the ninth annual College of Idaho Student Research Conference, April 26, hosted at the College of Idaho Langroise Hall. Each CWI student presented the results of their year-long research project. This marks the fourth year CWI students have participated in the conference. In addition, approximately 20 fellow students and family members were in attendance to show their support.
The students that presented at the conference, including the title of their research, were:
- Fissiha Antalew – A Review of Biomphalaria Glabrata in North America with Implications for Disease Transmission in Human Populations
- Tony Berlin – A Review of Biomphalaria Havanensis in Idaho with Implications for Wildlife Management
- Taycia Grasmick – Advancing our Understanding of Idaho’s Freshwater Mollusks, The Idaho Freshwater Mollusk Project 2014
- Ty Styhl – Entrainment of Freshwater Mollusks in the Phyllis Canal, a Bioenergetic Sink for Primary Consumers
Dental Assisting Joins Elementary School Fair
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Dental Assisting Program visited Koelsch Elementary in Boise, April 23, in support of the school’s annual Health/Career Fair. The goal of the event was to help promote awareness of healthcare career opportunities and positive attitudes toward work.
CWI Dental Assisting students provided a brief presentation with volunteers from each of the elementary classes that explained what a visit to the dental office entails. They were also given a description of the roles of the Dentist and Dental Assistant. Students were divided into smaller groups where they were educated about sugar content in common foods. The information sessions concluded with one-on-one, hands-on instruction on brushing and flossing.
Saint Alphonsus provided the supplies for 288 students this year to promote oral health. Each of the elementary students was given a pack that contained a toothbrush, floss, tongue scraper, toothbrush timer, and toothpaste.
Third Annual LibART Winners Picked
The third annual "LibART: Art Inspired by Libraries" contest and exhibition, sponsored by the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Library and Art Department, concluded this week and was a big success. This year's LibART show was the biggest and most attended to date with over 20 incredible submissions.
Three winning art pieces were chosen and purchased to be displayed in the CWI Library.
Popular Vote Winner
“Lost My Head in a Book”
Samantha Haskell
Art Department Choice Winner
“‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page’ -Saint Augustine”
Brittany Bishop
Library Staff Choice Winner
“Quintessence”
Manuel Garcia
Honorable Mentions
“Reading Window”
Amy Harbin
“Mind’s Eye”
Lila Rae
The three winning pieces can be seen on display at the CWI Library located in room 105 in the Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building.
Leeder to Serve on National Library Association Board
The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) announced this week that College of Western Idaho (CWI) Library Director, Kim Leeder, has been elected to serve on the national organization’s Board of Directors starting July 1. Leeder was nominated for the position and elected by her peers to serve a four-year term. She will be one of eight Directors-at-Large on the 14 member Board.
“ACRL is a force of innovation, inspiration, and energy to me in my role as CWI’s library director,” says Leeder. “I look to ACRL – and the network of colleagues I have developed through my participation – for best practices, guidance, and advice in my daily work. I’m honored to have been elected as a director-at-large and am looking forward to becoming involved at a higher level, both for my own ongoing professional development and to give back to the association.”
The Board is the governing body of ACRL and is responsible for overseeing activities, policy, financial affairs, and more. Leeder says she will play a major role in ensuring that ACRL achieves its goals and continues to serve as a vibrant professional association that supports and advances the field of academic librarianship.
ACRL is the premier national association for academic librarians, with over 12,000 members nationally. CWI has three professional librarians, who are all ACRL members. For more on ACRL visit www.ala.org/acrl.
Upgraded CWI Program Pages Launched
The CWI Marketing and Advancement Department is excited to announce the launch of upgraded Program pages on cwi.edu. Marketing has been collaborating with instruction for several months to create more robust features that will provide a better user experience for prospective and current students. The new online features provide options to search across all CWI programs and create the consistency needed to compare program options side-by-side.
Some of the new features include:
- The All Programs and Classes page features text search and filtering
- Filters include – transferable credits, program length, locations, and more
- Text search – by careers, skills and other description information
- Dynamically connected to program information
- Unique search URL’s – send a prefilled search to prospective students. Example: Transferable Programs
- Program pages include updated look with expanded features
- Consistent page layouts – better experiences during program research and comparison
- Connections to program related clubs, instructors, news, and locations
- Dynamic PDF’s with always up-to-date program information directly on the site, available from download from every program
- Updates are managed by Department Chairs, allowing for easier maintenance of content
All of the new program features have been enabled and are available to the public. Feedback about the new Program features can be provided using the website’s feedback button located near the right hand scrollbar. Please contact CWI Marketing and Advancement at communications@cwi.edu with any questions.
Beal Earns May Faculty of Distinction
Alex Beal has been selected as College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for May.
Beal is an assistant professor in the CWI Heavy-Duty Truck Technician Program. He was nominated for the award for his overall performance and service to the College and its community. Beal is always willing to step up to help other faculty members.
In addition to his course load, Beal is currently serving as advisor to CWI SkillsUSA, chair of the Faculty Promotion Committee, and as a member of the ad-hoc committee working on rank revisions. Over the last two years he has served as a member of the Faculty Promotion Committee and taught at least one session at each in-service. He is currently serving his fourth year as the SkillsUSA State Conference coordinator.
In addition to his service to the College and the community, he was nominated for and completed a 27 month Professional Technical Education (PTE) Leadership Institute program last fall – which qualifies him to be a PTE administrator. He has also worked each summer in industry internships and taught courses through the Idaho Department of Education.
Congratulations Alex and thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to CWI, its students, and your colleagues.
May Staff of the Month Goes to King
Kurtis King has been named College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Staff of the Month for May.
King will celebrate five years at CWI in July. He joined the Boise State University Selland College staff in April 2009 and transitioned to CWI with the Professional Technical Education programs. Starting as a One Stop Student Services Specialist, King's ability to work well with students proved to be valuable and he is now an Advisor for Student Enrichment. His willingness to go above and beyond in assisting his students has led to compliments being given to other advisors on his knowledge and enthusiasm for student success. He even helped a student turn her low grades to "B"s by the end of the semester through assistance and encouragement.
King graduated from the University of Idaho in May 2006 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design and Printmaking. He and his wife Christine have three pets including a dog, Deimo, and two cats, Akasha and Belia. King is currently learning how to brew beer and he says so far the brews have turned out enjoyable but do have some room for refinement.
Thank you Kurtis for sharing your great personality with the CWI community and showing such strong commitment to helping students succeed.
