CWI News – Dec. 16, 2022
Spotlight
The College of Western Idaho Business Office got into the holiday spirit with an ugly sweater contest earlier this week! Winner of the contest was Contracts & Procurement Compliance Analyst, Daniel Reines.
At their holiday party they were able to catch up on the last quarter, and review goals for the next!
President's Message
Greetings CWI Community,
As we wrap up final’s week — I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to ensure our students finished the semester strong!
We had another fantastic week at the College with several exciting events, including our first CWI Night at the Steelheads of the season. Over 100 group sales tickets were sold for the CWI section, and the admissions team talked with a number future and current students. Congratulations to CWI student, Lillian Black, who won the raffle for a $500 SCORE Big Scholarship. The next CWI night will take place Feb. 8, followed by two more nights on Feb. 22 and March 15 — so mark your calendars, this a fun way to support CWI.
Additionally, I want to congratulate all the students who graduated from the Fire Service Technology, and Practical Nursing programs this week during ceremonies.
I want to thank you, again, for everything you have done this semester to empower students with the skills and education they need to thrive in life. I hope you all have a chance to spend time with family and friends during Winter Break, and I wish you the best.
Happy Holidays!
CWI in the News
Idaho Business Review: NSF awards $5M to support computer science and engineering education at Idaho colleges
News Highlights
A Score Big Night with CWI and Idaho Steelheads
Idaho Steelheads celebrated a huge win over the Rapid City Rush on Wednesday, Dec. 14, while College of Western Idaho (CWI) scored big too! CWI student, Lillian Black, received a $500 scholarship during a CWI Night — the first of four CWI feature nights at the Idaho Steelheads!
More than 100 group sales tickets were sold for the CWI section where the College’s Enrollment team spoke with a number of future and current students as they signed up for a chance at the SCORE Big scholarship or a new CWI hockey jersey. President Gordon Jones kicked off the game with the puck drop with Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology graduates and Micron Technical Advisory Committee members joining him on the ice.
The night continued with Blue sporting a CWI backpack and pennant, Zamboni rides, and an on-ice check presentation. With the CWI logo visible throughout the arena — the spirit of CWI was everywhere!
Lillian Black, a first-year Criminal Justice student, was over the top excited about winning the scholarship. She shared, "Every bit of assistance is so appreciated. My mom is looking at needing back surgery, and when I called her, she could not believe it! My grandparents were especially excited for me! I can't wait to send them photos from the night".
The CWI hockey jersey giveaway was a popular attraction, too. The CWI Bookstore is fully stocked with jerseys, offering a great selection of sizes and a special discount of 25% off.
The next CWI night will take place Feb. 8, followed by two more nights Feb. 22 and March 15. Visit CWI Nights to purchase group tickets and for more information. Keep in mind, $5 from every group ticket goes to support student scholarships!
Fall 2022 Practical Nurse Pinning Ceremony
Family, friends, and loved ones gathered at Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB) Thursday, Dec. 15, to recognize and honor College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Practical Nursing (PN) program’s fourth cohort. The seven PN students celebrated the end and graduation of their program’s coursework with a traditional nurse pinning ceremony.
Pinning ceremonies are a custom steeped in history dating back to the Crusades when medals were given to those who tended to the sick and injured.
The ceremony began with a welcome from CWI Nursing Department Chair, Allison Baker, followed by opening remarks from Instructor, Joan Weddington. She shared with guests how close the seven graduates became with one another over the last year and how proud she is of them going through this program — despite how tough the last few years have been.
“In spite of a pandemic and sometimes negative attention healthcare gets, these graduates accepted the challenge and said, ‘I can make a difference,’” shared Weddington. “
PN graduate, Alicia Dorris, was nominated and chosen as class speaker. She reflected on the last 12 months, sharing about the struggles she and her classmates faced going through coursework and exams, but how they were able to persevere through the help of one another.
“Not only did we complete this program, we developed friendships and knowledge that hopefully will continue into the future,” Dorris said.
The students were then pinned by family, friends, and instructors — marking the completion of the program. Graduates are now eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN).
Fall 2022 Fire Service Technology Graduation Ceremony
Seventeen Fire Service Technology graduates walked across the Nampa Civic Center stage and took the Firefighter Code of Ethics oath to celebrate the completion of the program on Dec. 14.
The graduation ceremony honored 16 graduates from Class 4 and one graduate from Class 3, as well as three Fire Service Technology program students who earned their Associate of Arts (AA) degree.
The ceremony kicked off with Director of Fire Service Technology, Darrin Raskopf, welcoming the graduates’ family, friends, and special guests. Graduates and Fire Service Technology instructors marched into the ceremony holding flags and reciting the pledge of allegiance.
Raskopf then showed his appreciation to CWI faculty and staff members who have had an impact on this program throughout it’s time at the College, including Dean of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, Courtney Santillan, who will be departing CWI at the end of the Fall 2022 semester.
Raskopf also highlighted the success the class saw over the last four months and shared that three of the 17 graduates have jobs already lined up. Two recruits will be joining the Nampa Fire Department, and another is set to work with Caldwell Fire Department.
“I always look forward to the graduation ceremony each year as it is the culmination of all the hard work of the students and is a time to celebrate their accomplishments,” said Raskopf. “The bond that is formed between our instructors and the students extends far beyond the classroom, and it’s great to see some of the friendships and mentoring continue on after they leave. This group of students is a great class, and it was a pleasure to have them in this program. “
Valedictorian and Fall 2022 Top Academic Award recipient, Matthew Jones, also spoke during the ceremony, thanking friends, family, instructors, and the many active and retired members of the Treasure Valley fire community who helped train the class. He shared how proud he is of his graduating class and how close they became throughout the semester.
“We became a team over the last 16 weeks,” Jones said. “Whether it was 105 degrees outside, and we were sweating bullets, or if it was 30 degrees — we encouraged each other at every step of the way. That is what it meant to be a crew. These were the moments that built us.”
The ceremony also highlighted more student honors, including CWI Fire Service Technology graduate, Brandon Trask, receiving the Most Physically Improved Award.
Keynote speaker, Chief Richard Frawley of Caldwell Fire Department, shared with graduating recruits what lies ahead in this career — long days, time away from family, but also the lifelong friends and “second family” they will make along the way. He also told graduates to continue to learn and grow at every point in their career.
“These are my words of advice; remain humble, listen and learn, ask questions, always come to work knowing why you serve and why you’re needed, don’t be afraid to ask for help, have a servant’s heart, the team is greater together than individually, always be in pathway for learning, and never stop being a student of the craft,” said Frawley.
Multimedia Storytelling Class Creatively Showcases College’s Cybersecurity Program
College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Multimedia Storytelling class (COMM 261) teamed up with the College's Cybersecurity program for a semesters-long project to shine a light on one another's work.
Each semester, Marketing and Communications Instructor, Dan Garrity, has his Multimedia Storytelling class examine the fundamentals of different types of storytelling skills, such as news stories, feature stories, public service announcements, and social media. Students get to write copy, shoot video, shoot photographs, and edit content for broadcast, print, and social media platforms.
The class then uses those skills and tools to amplify messages and awareness of a particular topic, such as suicide prevention, coping with COVID-19, race relations, and public speaking.
"My sincere hope and main goal are for students to develop not just digital storytelling skills, but also critical thinking skills," Garrity said. "They're presented with a creative challenge to which there are incomplete instructions. They're proving to be capable of so much more than 'painting by numbers'. They create independent productions that, absent their own creativity, would not exist."
For the Fall 2022 semester, Garrity decided to have his students focus on cybersecurity and work on sharing important tips and information related to the CWI community.
The idea came to Garrity after having a conversation with CWI Dean of Computer Science and Information Technology, Dr. Miguel Olivares, who shared the great work Cybersecurity students and faculty have been up to for the last year. Garrity thought it would be the perfect way to utilize some of the College's pool of resources and shine a light on the program.
Students created social media accounts, podcasts, public service announcements, and more that shared cybersecurity awareness advice. As part of the student's final project, they had to create a live broadcast show based around the semester's theme. The students chose to take the route of producing a gameshow — which Garrity called a creative success!
"I was really excited for them but also a bit anxious when they chose the 'gameshow' format because gameshows are hard," Garrity said. "They have a lot of moving parts that take time to prepare, and then they all have to come together at the exact same moment perfectly. They set the bar high for their first-ever show, and I think they did an amazing job. It was truly their creation, I think it did what they meant for it to do, and it was kind of fun!"
Horticulture Technology Working to Make CWI a Greener Campus
In an effort to become one of the nation's "greenest" institutions, College of Western Idaho (CWI) held a tree-planting event Monday, Dec. 5. The event was part of CWI's process to earn the designation of a Tree Campus for Higher Education by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Thanks to efforts led by Assistant Professor of Agricultural Sciences, Dan Schults, and CWI Horticulture Technology students, faculty, and staff, community members in attendance at the planting event were able to learn about tree health and the benefits trees provide to people. Attendees were then assisted by CWI's Early Childhood Education Preschool class to plant a honey locust tree near the roundabout off E Terra Linda Way near the Nampa Campus Academic Building.
Special guests included an appearance from Dr. Suess' the Lorax, Tree City USA's Gerry Bates, City of Nampa Forester and Licensed Arborist, Adam Mancini, students, staff, and faculty from the Horticulture Technology program, and various staff and faculty from CWI's School of Math and Science.
The tree planting event puts the College one step closer to achieving the status of becoming a nationally recognized Tree Campus for Higher Education. This status includes a tree advisory committee, campus tree care plans, Arbor Day events, and service-learning projects.
Fire Service Technology Earns High Marks by International Fire Service Accreditation Congress
College of Western Idaho's (CWI) Fire Service Technology program is one step closer to receiving a seal of accreditation by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). If the program is approved for accreditation, CWI will become just one of 30 institutions in the United States to have earned the seal.
In November, the College was visited by a site team with IFSAC who evaluated the program's Associate of Arts (AA) degree and certificate programs. The site team spent the month before the visit going through submitted records and program documentation to begin the process.
The three-day site visit consisted of the team speaking with present and past students, along with various representatives from different departments and campuses across the College. Overall, the evaluation was to take a look at CWI as a whole, along with the Fire Service Technology program. The site team evaluated how faculty and staff support the campus community, as well as the quality of the education students receive.
Based on the visit, the site team determined the College and program met all the required elements needed as an institution and recommended the approval of accreditation.
The recommendation now goes onto the IFSAC Board of Directors and the Degree Assembly Spring 2023 for ratification.
IFSAC is a not-for-profit, peer-driven, self-governing system of both fire service certifying entities and higher education, fire-related degree programs. IFSAC's mission is to plan and administer a high-quality, uniformly-delivered accreditation system with an international scope.
For those with questions or in need of more information about CWI’s Fire Service Technology program, contact Darrin Raskopf at darrinraskopf@cwi.edu.
Geographic Information Systems Certificate Program Exploring the World Around Us
Do you have an interest in geography or a curiosity to learn more about the science behind our world? Are you curious how applications like Apple Maps or Google Earth work? College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) academic certificate program may be the path for you!
GIS is a framework to organize, communicate, and understand the behavior of the world around us. Rooted in the science of geography, GIS integrates and analyzes data and organizes it into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes. GIS reveals deeper insights into data, such as patterns, relationships, and situations — helping users make smarter decisions.
Through CWI’s GIS program, students will learn in-demand skills such as producing and designing web maps, creating GIS online applications, gathering and analyzing data, and writing web application scripts. The certificate is a complement to any existing major or expanding your career opportunities.
“CWI’s GIS program emphasizes core geospatial concepts, engagement with real-world applications, and the latest technologies,” said CWI Assistant Professor of Geography and GIS, Bryan Krouse. “The certificate is tailored to those looking to enter a career in GIS or those looking to advance in their career. It is focused on developing critical thinking and applied problem-solving skills including developing conceptual knowledge, technical skills, spatial thinking, and geospatial analysis.”
Some of the career paths those with GIS academic certificates can head into are in urban and regional planning, local government, environmental scientist, forestry, law enforcement, and public health.
CWI students can enroll in GIS academic certificate program for the Spring 2023 semester now through Friday, Jan. 13. For those with questions or in need of more information about CWI’s GIS program, contact Bryan Krouse at bryankrouse@cwi.edu.
2022-2023 Winter Break Hours
College of Western Idaho (CWI) campus buildings and One Stop Student Services locations will be operating under special hours during the holidays and winter break, starting Dec. 17 through Jan. 16.
Campus buildings and One Stop Student Services locations will be closed on Dec. 23 – 26, Jan. 2, and Jan. 16.
One Stop Student Services Winter Break schedule:
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Closed
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Closed
9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
9 a.m. – noon
9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Closed
Winter Break Building Hours
7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
7 a.m. – 6 a.m.
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Closed
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Closed
7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed
7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed
7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed
7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed
Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Visit the Locations & Maps page for more CWI building information.
Flock Named Faculty of Distinction for November 2022
Congratulations to Associate Professor of Chemistry, Rebecca Flock, for being named College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for November 2022.
Flock has been with the College for 12 years, where she has been part of the Physical Sciences department and has taught Chemistry, specifically the general, organic, and biochemistry sequence. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Master of Science in Environmental Chemistry.
Much of Flock’s interest and research includes examining harmful algal blooms and the impact of climate change on water resources.
Flock’s path to teaching and what ultimately brought her to CWI was her desire to be a member of a society composed of well-educated individuals. She believes being a teacher, or even a student, is a form of civic engagement contributing toward that goal.
“Community college is a good place for students to explore their interests in a low-risk environment,” Flock said. “This form of public education can provide anyone with the desire to begin studying virtually any topic. Students can gain access to expertise and specialized equipment with unprecedented ease.”
Throughout her years in the teaching profession, it has always been a highlight and joy for Flock to mentor undergraduate research students conducting environmental research at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge. One standout moment was being able to spend the summer wading into a wetland habitat at the edge of Lake Lowell to study water quality.
“It was great to feel a connection to nature when we turned our attention to our local resources,” Flock said.
Other faculty members, such as Department of Physical Sciences Chair, Paul Stahmann, have noticed extra time, and care Flock spends with her students, so they are able to be successful — especially when it comes to “difficult chemistry content.”
“Rebecca is very kind and helpful to her students,” said Stahmann. “She is respected by her colleagues because she does her part with a smile and wants the best for everyone involved. I have heard many students say that she is preparing them for their future as she teaches not only chemistry, but life and workforce skills.”
Outside of the classroom Flock enjoys listening to audiobooks. The latest book she is reading is Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. Flock also serves on the board for Friends of Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge.
QR Code Business Cards Available from Staples
College of Western Idaho (CWI) faculty and staff are now able to order branded business cards with QR codes.
There are five QR codes that lead to a designated CWI web page available to choose from:
- Apply
- Campus Development
- Careers
- cwi.edu (home page)
- Give
Staples is the College’s only vendor to order branded stationery items. Orders can be placed through our purchasing system, E-Procurement (ESM).
If you have any questions about using the ESM system, contact purchasing@cwi.edu.
Changes to CWI Wireless Connection for Personal Devices
Access to the CWI-WIFI network using a personal device will no longer be permitted as College of Western Idaho (CWI) Security Committee implements a new process to increase the College’s network security.
The change will restrict all or personal devices to the CWI-PUBLIC network for their Wi-Fi connection. This restriction will help increase security, as it will remove unmanaged devices that could potentially pose a threat to the College’s network.
For those who have not already, the Security Committee advises to begin connecting to CWI-PUBLIC for a Wi-Fi connection to help during this transition.
The change will take place on Monday, Dec. 19. Those who encounter issues during this change are asked to contact IT Helpdesk or call 208.562.3444.
