CWI News – Aug. 26, 2022
In the Spotlight
Andrea Schumaker and her Fermentation 120: Introduction to Fermented Foods class showing off their 'My Why for CWI' signs! To get know her students a bit better, she printed out dozens of 'My Why for CWI' posters and had each student fill out their own 'Why' and what they hope to accomplish at the College.
Contact communications@cwi.edu for access to the 'My Why for CWI' templates.
News Highlights
CWI Library Ready to Serve Students for Fall 2022 Semester
The beginning of each semester is always a busy time at the College of Western Idaho (CWI) Library — from students checking out laptops to librarians helping find resources and textbooks for students’ courses. However, User Experience Librarian, Kimberly Stephen, said even throughout the busyness it is still an “exciting” time.
“I love helping students. You get the fun parts of customer service without having to handle money,” laughed Stephen.
CWI has two library locations:
- Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building (NCMP), Room 105/103
- Ada County Campus Pintail Building (APIN), Room 1301
Library staff have the goal to help all students by providing them with the tools and guidance they need to succeed.
- At both locations, students and faculty can borrow books, videos, and other materials for free as long as they present a CWI ID. If the Library doesn’t have a book, article, or other needed item, Library staff will purchase it or get a copy through their interlibrary loan network at no cost. All students need to do is ask!
- Free tools such as, computers, Wi-Fi, and black and white printing and photocopying for CWI students and employees.
- The Nampa location has four group study rooms students can reserve online.
- The Library has access to more than fifty research databases, which have full-text research articles and streaming audio and video. Often, databases require money or subscription to use, the Library is proud to offer the resources to students and faculty for free.
- Students can work one-on-one with a librarian with a scheduled appointment.
Stephen said she and other library staff work on assignments to help find sources with students during appointments.
“We provide many resources and help students with research skills,” Stephen said. “With our many databases on the library website, students have access to helpful information and scholarly articles for free.”
Stephen encourages students to get familiar with the library and its services sooner rather than later.
“What we try to get across to students is they can ask us for help,” Stephen said. “When something comes up, they should feel comfortable reaching out. We would love for people to come into the Library to use the space to study and see what we have to offer. Then when they’re working on an assignment it won’t be scary to use the resources we have or ask for help.” CWI Library also offers items that not everyone thinks a library has to offer, like laptops to checkout for the semester, video cameras, headphones, and even a bag of toys, games, and items for young children.
“If a parent or family member comes in with their child while they’re trying to study, we say, ‘Hey, do you want to use this backpack to help keep your kid occupied?’” Stephen said. “We offer more than just books!”
For those with questions about the library or would like to get in touch with a librarian, visit CWI Library’s help page.
CWI Tutoring Services and Writing Center: Serving All Students
As College of Western Idaho (CWI) Fall 2022 semester gets underway, in a blink of an eye we will be six weeks into the academic semester with exams and assignments creeping up on us. Luckily, CWI Tutoring Services and Writing Center are around to aid and empower our #mightyCWI students in their journey at the College.
Whether it is in a group setting or one-on-one, Tutoring Services at CWI offer free, in-person, embedded, and online tutoring to currently enrolled CWI students. This includes dual enrollment students, like those attending high school and CWI or Boise State University and CWI simultaneously.
How to schedule an appointment:
Students can schedule an appointment with a CWI tutor by logging into Blackboard and choosing Connect with a CWI Tutor (In-Person or Online) from the Tools menu.
Why Utilize CWI Tutoring Services and Writing Center?
“I really value working in a setting where we can change people's lives for the better,” Supervisor of English Learning Tutors, Liz Fleshman said. “We are a community college, and we have a huge variety of students, which means we have students who have barriers, too. Tutoring Services is able to meet students where they are and help them overcome their academic barriers.”
This is Fleshman’s second year with Tutoring Services. She hopes to “debunk the myth” that Tutoring Services are for students that may be struggling in their course. She believes the center is for students who are resourceful.
“Self-advocacy is incredibly important,” Fleshman said. “We don’t know what students need until they ask. If students come in before they start to struggle, then there is no reason to struggle.”
Supervisor of Writing Center, Gigi Smith, also encourages students to get familiar with the resources available as early as possible.
“I want CWI's students to reframe tutoring and see it as a companion piece to the whole learning experience,” Smith said. “A student doesn't have to limit their learning engagement to whatever's crammed into a classroom packed with one teacher, a pile of students, and not enough time. Instead, digging into critical inquiry and exploring content in ways that make content make so much more sense, that's where tutors come in.”
CWI Writing Center works with students across all departments and classes and can help with any stage of the writing process, including brainstorming, drafting, revising, and polishing. Whether a student is writing a research paper, speech script, the writing on a slide deck, or even a personal statement for a scholarship application, Writing Center tutors can help with the ‘how’ behind what is being written.
“We're the touchpoint between classroom content and turning it into comprehension,” Smith said. “We offer individualized attention to students who deserve to be heard, and in the process, we work alongside students in building a sense of self-advocacy and intellectual capital.”
Tutoring Services subjects and resources:
- English Language
- support for English Language Learners in any subject
- Writing Center
- support for writing assignments for any subject
- STEM Classes
- Math, Biology, Chemistry, etc.
- Business
- Business and Economics classes
- Career and Technical Classes
- Computer Literacy
- support for using CWI technology, such as, Blackboard, myCWI, and Office 365 for any subject
- Embedded Tutors
- Tutors who work closely with instructors to provide more personalized support to students in specific sections of a course.
- Workshops
- The center offers various, free workshops for students to attend where they will learn new study skills, exam preparation and test taking strategies, note taking strategies and much more.
Tutoring Services hours:
- Ada County Campus Pintail Building (APIN)
- Monday – Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Friday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)
- Monday – Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Friday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC)*
- Monday: – Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
- Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Canyon County Center (CYNC)*
- Monday - Thursday: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
*unstaffed, open computer labs
Become a Tutor
Tutoring Services and the Writing Center are always hiring offering CWI students a chance to get ahead in their future career.
“If you've got an interest in any kind of job where you're working with people, this is a great resume builder,” Fleshman said.
Anyone with questions and looking for more information on Tutoring Services or the Writing Center can call 208.562.2233, or email tutoring@cwi.edu or writing@cwi.edu.
Student Success Advisors: First Source for Academic Success
Whether you’re a first-year student or you’ve been at College of Western Idaho (CWI) for a while, finding your way through your academic journey can be stressful at times. Student Advising and Success is here to help answer questions, provide guidance and, above all, make sure students aren’t going through this journey alone.
Student Success Advisors are considered CWI students’ first source for academic help and success assisting with registration, graduation requirements, academic plans, career or major exploration, and more.
Advisors also work with students looking to transfer to a four-year college or university and prepare students who plan to enter the workforce after attending or graduating from CWI.
How to make an appointment
- Each advisor has a calendar where students can schedule appointments.
- Students can meet with their advisor in-person or virtually by phone or via Zoom.
Why it is important to utilize Student Success Advisors?
All-degree seeking CWI students are assigned an advisor based on their intended major, such as Biology, Automotive Technology, or Business. Degree-seeking students are required to meet with their advisor within their first semester to create an academic plan. The goal is for students to understand degree requirements and academic expectations.
Student Success Advisors say meeting early and often reduces the risk of students taking more classes than are needed for their degree, which could potentially save them time and money.
“We are happy to meet with students all semester, but meeting with an advisor now can be important in supporting a student in accessing resources, navigating their college experience, and starting to develop or make adjustments to their academic plan,” said Student Advising and Success Assistant Director, Josee Ward.
Non-degree seeking students can request to be assigned to an advisor based on their academic and career goals.
Every student has a different set of circumstances, whether it may be working multiple jobs, their own family responsibilities, or just someone’s own personal skills and abilities. Advisors can help a student figure out a course load where they can be successful or find resources to help a student accomplish their goals while handling their individual circumstances.
Ward said being able to interact with students closely and help navigate them through their CWI journey is one of the best parts of being a Student Success Advisor and know other advisors feel the same.
“I have been at CWI for 13 years, with 11 of them being in advising, and I can say I get the opportunity to work with amazing individuals each day. Our team embraces the ‘one student at a time’ approach in providing service to students. We are also willing to jump in to help peers with projects and deadlines, all while taking the time to laugh and celebrate with one another. I couldn’t be more proud to be the Assistant Director of the Student Advising and Success team.”
For more information on how to get in contact with a Student Success Advisor, email academicadvising@cwi.edu.
‘My Why for CWI’: Connor McComas
Each morning, Student Success Advisor, Connor McComas drives his half-hour commute from Boise to College of Western Idaho (CWI) in Nampa. That drive gives him a chance to reflect and think about why he is in the position he is in today.
“Service is something I really believe in, and people have always been a passion of mine,” said McComas. “I look back at what I have been given and feel very lucky. I believe I have a duty to pay that forward to other people, and I would hope they would pay that forward to others.”
McComas has worked in higher education for the last eight and a half years. He began his advising career at CWI as a Career Technical Education (CTE) Advisor at the Ada County Campus Pintail Building (APIN), left the College to join an advising team at another institution, and rejoined CWI in January 2022 as an Advisor for Biology and Health Science.
“It really felt like a home coming.”
Growing up in Twin Falls, McComas had College of Southern Idaho (CSI) in his backyard. He knows how impactful community colleges can have on students and the community around them with quality, low-cost services.
“I think the thing that keeps me coming back to CWI is working with students,” McComas said. “What I mean is we have a lot of students who are first-generation students, so they haven’t gone to college, or they are the first one in their family to go.”
As the Student Success Advisor over Biology and Health Science programs, McComas is in contact with hundreds of students each semester. He has about 30 hours a week he can meet with someone in person or virtually to discuss their academic journey at CWI – those hours do not even factor in the various emails and phone calls he makes following up with his students.
“Like a lot of advisors, there are students I keep in mind to check in on frequently to say, ‘Hey. How are things?’ Students hearing from their advisor after a long break, especially if their academic career has been challenging, can make all the difference in the world.”
To continue making a difference in his students’ lives, McComas tries to create a comfortable space for his students to be themselves when they enter his office at the Nampa Campus Aspen Classroom Building (NASP).
Around his office hang stickers of mental health awareness, pride flags, and messages of inclusion on his walls. He hopes if students were to enter for a one-on-one appointment, any feelings of nerves or uneasiness may begin to fade away.
He said his office is a safe space for people to share whatever they feel.
“You are welcome, whoever you are, as you are.”
Being an anxious, new student at a college at one point himself, McComas knows what fears or concerns someone can feel. Whether it’s someone making a transition from high school to college, or maybe it is a non-traditional student who has decided to head back to school after spending 15-year break – McComas said there is stress in it all.
When McComas was that new student, he said a counselor at his college was able to take him in, make him feel like he was not alone, and that he had an ally.
“It literally felt like letting the air out of the balloon. Like letting go of all that anxiety and know I didn't have to carry it alone.”
To now be able to be that source of comfort or outlet to talk to for someone else is one of McComas’ favorite parts of his job.
“When someone comes to me and tells me really personal stories or difficulties they have, I feel very honored because I am in a position where they trust me and can potentially help.”
McComas doesn’t see what he does as lifting others up – in fact, he doesn’t like using that term at all to describe his role on campus.
“I don't use that because I think it robs people of their agency. I'm not here to be a rescuer, and I'm not here to be like, ‘I did this for you.’”
He describes his commitment to the College’s services as “helping others lift themselves up.”
“I want to play a part in your growing and educating," McComas said. "Let me help you build those skills. That is gratifying for me.”
As he continues to meet and work with new students, he knows there will be those who will need help and require assistance in and out of the classroom. Just being present for those students’ moments of growth and watching them achieve success is what he looks forward to.
“My Why for CWI is being able to see these great stories that are so impactful," McComas said. "It really is the moments when students are struggling so hard and need someone to help them. They’re fighting it out tooth and nail, fighting to be here to pass. In that moment, I hope can help make it easier for them, and I want them to realize they are not alone in this.”
It is the message he tries to share with all his students and hopes others attending CWI can hear.
“There is support for you, and you are wanted here. I want you here.”
Off the top of his head, McComas can list a dozen stories of students’ he met for advising in the last week whose stories inspired him, such as a first-generation student who broke down crying out of happiness after registering for their first classes at CWI or becoming a mentor to a Neurodivergent student who thrived through encouragement and was able to overcome their struggles to continue pursuing their education.
Those stories are his My Why for CWI.
Bank of Idaho Golf Tournament Benefits CWI
Reaffirming their commitment to community and education, Bank of Idaho has announced that it will bring its annual Swing for the Green Charity Golf Tournament Series to Boise. The event will take place Sept. 15 and 16 at Banbury Golf Club in Eagle, and proceeds from the tournament will benefit College of Western Idaho (CWI).
“We’re really excited to bring our golf tournament series to the Boise area,” said Bank of Idaho President and CEO, Jeff Newgard. “This event is a natural extension of what we’ve done on the east side of the state where we’ve been able to have a lot of fun make some substantial contributions to higher education.”
Bank of Idaho established the Swing for the Green tournament series in 2018, and over the first four years has contributed nearly $100,000 to the College of Eastern Idaho and Idaho State University.
The Boise event is the third in the series, following tournaments in Idaho Falls in June and Pocatello in August. Along with the 25-team tournament, the event will feature Ladies Professional Golf Association athletes, a derby auction with Korn Ferry Tour professionals, a shopping experience and custom player kits. A pre-tournament party featuring a four-course dinner, a wine tasting, signature cocktails, and live musical entertainment will take place the evening of Thursday, Sept. 15.
“We’re excited that Bank of Idaho has chosen to partner with us,” said CWI Foundation, Director Mike Jensen. “For a number of our students, this funding could mean the difference between getting a higher education and entering the job market without potential student loan debt.”
For 37 years, Bank of Idaho has been a financial fixture in the eastern Idaho community and has expanded to include 19 locations across southern Idaho and eastern Washington.
To buy tickets or join the tournament, visit Bank of Idaho's website.
Auction Items Needed for Annual Benefit Event
Do you own a business, have a service or hobby you can share, or know someone who does? We would love to connect with you!
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Foundation is currently looking for auction items for this year’s Opening Doors Benefit Event, an annual event to raise money for student scholarships.
Past auction items have included gift baskets, vacation stays, gift certificates, art, sculptures, sporting event packages, adventure experiences, etc. Items created or donated by students, faculty, and staff are always a highlight and are a great way to show off the amazing talent and skills we have at the College.
Please spread the word about this exciting opportunity – we would love to see the entire CWI community involved! Donate today by contacting the CWI Foundation at foundation@cwi.edu or 208.562.3100. All donations must be received by Aug. 31, 2022.
Download CWI Mobile App
College of Western Idaho (CWI) wants to remind students, staff, faculty and community members about our customized mobile app to help in navigating campus locations, important dates, upcoming events, and much more.
Put CWI in your pocket — use the app to view your schedule, receive important notifications from the College, and stay up to date about news and events on campus. A highlight of the app is its ability to better serve students and faculty with improved functionality with Blackboard, creating a better mobile experience.
What’s the difference between the the CWI mobile app and our website? The mobile app features have been curated from months of student interviews and research, ensuring you have easy and direct access to the things you care about most.
The FREE app can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play. Please visit your operating system's app store to view the most up-to-date versions.
