CWI News – Dec. 9, 2022
Spotlight
Shout out to our incredible Advising Services team who helped more than 100 students get ready for Spring 2023 at this week's registration events!
CWI Student Affairs were also around handing out prizes, such as College branded coffee mugs, tote bags, and even pairs of tickets to upcoming Idaho Steelheads games! Steelheads mascot, Blue, also came out to Wednesday's event at NCAB to greet students as they registered for next semester.
News Highlights
Cybersecurity Student Awarded National Cyber Competition Scholarship
Congratulations to College of Western Idaho (CWI) Cybersecurity student and IT Help Desk Technician, Stanley Ward, who has been selected as one of ten students nationally for a $5,000 scholarship through ISACA, also known as Information Systems Audit and Control Association.
Ward was awarded the scholarship through his participation with the fall National Cyber League (NCL) competition and its partnership with ISACA's Foundation, One in Tech. The goal of the partnership is to offer scholarships that support and promote diversity within the cybersecurity industry.
In addition to the scholarship, Ward will receive ISACA resources, networking access, and mentorship opportunities.
The fall NCL Competition brought together nearly 6,675 individual competitors from around the nation to compete. The competition focuses on much needed industry-level skills in cybersecurity and allows students to participate in both an individual competition and a team competition. Ward was a participant in both.
“Joining the NCL competition was a great learning experience allowing me to have a glimpse of the types of issues that could be combated in the future,” said Ward. “It also gave me the opportunity to apply for the ISACA scholarship. It has been a great opening to obtain additional resources in Cybersecurity as well as networking with professionals already in the field.”
“It has been amazing to see the participation of our students in cybersecurity competitions this year, as their enthusiasm for these competitions has been astounding,” said CWI Cyber Defense Center Director, Sara Hoyt. “Having a CWI student, such as Stanley, chosen for this scholarship, out of thousands of applicants nationwide, is so exciting! It speaks volumes for CWI's efforts to bring cybersecurity opportunities to students through our Cyber Defense Center.”
CWI's Cyber Defense Center will be hosting many more opportunities like this, along with cybersecurity related community events throughout the upcoming semesters.
For those with questions or in need of more information on these and future events, contact Sara Hoyt at 208.562.2553 or sarahoyt@cwi.edu.
Upcoming Program Ceremonies to Celebrate Fall 2022 Graduates
As the Fall 2022 semester comes to an end, many students will wrap up their time with College of Western Idaho (CWI) and begin a new chapter in life. Before the students embark on their new careers, CWI will honor graduates from the College’s Fire Service Technology and Practical Nursing (PN) programs with ceremonies planned for next week.
CWI’s Fire Service Technology program will see 17 graduates walk across the stage at the Nampa Civic Center Wednesday, Dec. 14. Three students have already begun working or have job offers with local Treasure Valley fire departments and agencies.
The ceremony will also have Caldwell Fire Department Chief, Richard Frawley, as the keynote speaker.
Fall 2022 Fire Service Technology Program Graduation Ceremony
6:30 p.m.
Nampa Civic Center
Watch the Fall 2022 Fire Service Technology Ceremony
For those with questions or in need of more information about the Fire Service Technology ceremony, contact Fire Service Technology Director, Darrin Raskopf, at darrinraskopf@cwi.edu.
CWI’s PN program will recognize seven students as its 2022 graduating class during a pinning ceremony at the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB) Thursday, Dec. 15. PN student, Cristian DeLeon, was voted to represent his graduating class as class speaker and share a few words.
Graduates of the College’s PN program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).
Fall 2022 Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony
For those with questions or in need of more information about the PN Pinning Ceremony, contact Joan Weddington at joanweddington@cwi.edu.
Dual Credit CTE Represents College at National Conference
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Dual Credit Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinators, Jessica Concie and Oster Hernandez, presented at the National Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) CareerTech Vision 2022 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this month. The duo presented in front of hundreds of educators and school leaders from around the world.
The conference is geared towards secondary and postsecondary career and technical educators, business leaders, and industry professional. Attendees were able to attend various networking events, educational sessions, and speaker series, such as Concie and Hernandez’s presentation on their Pop-the-Trunk Project.
CWI Dual Credit’s Pop-the-Trunk Project involves teaching trunks that include lesson plans, program-specific materials and equipment, software, tools, and other information to help alternative high school students explore and learn about CTE.
Concie and Hernandez were able to explain more about their work connecting high school students to CTE programs and the resources students have post-high school. They were also able to connect with other educators and school leaders from around the country to learn new tools and resources to bring back to CWI.
“It was great to share what we are doing at CWI and in Idaho,” Hernandez said. “Schools around the country saw a value in what we presented. CTE and alternatives do not always get the recognition — especially in other states. What we're doing with the trunks is taking CTE to local schools and students, creating lesson plans, and exposing them to CTE.”
Concie and Hernandez are invited to present at upcoming Idaho Division of Career Technical Education’s CONNECT conferences.
For those with questions or in need of more information of CWI’s CTE Dual Credit programs, contact osterhernandez@cwi.edu or jessicaconcie@cwi.edu.
Food Pantry Drive Sees Sweet Success Thanks to Generous Community
The generous College of Western Idaho (CWI) community came together in the last week to help support the College's food and hygiene pantries. The equivalent of more than 40 bags of groceries were donated to pantries in last week's successful food drive.
Staff from CWI Counseling and Wellness Services and the One Stop Student Experience team, along with a number of other faculty and staff across campus, distributed the food and hygiene items to the College's five food pantries as they came in. Many of the donations have already been gobbled up by hungry students as they get ready to take on finals week.
Additionally, staff members leading the food drive are incredibly grateful to the College's Workforce Development department for their generous donation of $2,000! These funds will be used to have the pantries fully stocked when Spring 2023 semester starts.
“It fills my heart that our CWI campus community chooses to support students in this important way,” said CWI Counselor and Basic Needs Coordinator, Christy Babcock. “I am grateful to work at an institution with so many caring people.
While the food drive may be over, people are still able to donate items to help feed CWI students throughout the year. Those interested in donating to the CWI food pantry program can stock appropriate items directly into one of the pantries.
Needed food items:
- instant soups (ramen, mac-n-cheese, or other instant meals)
- pull-top cans or pouches of tuna, chicken, other meats
- pull-top canned soups, chili, ravioli
- individual-sized applesauce or fruit cups and pouches
- granola bars and similar snack items
- small jars of peanut butter
- individual size bags of jerky, crackers, trail mix, nuts, and dried fruit
- instant oatmeal
- individual-sized juices and milk boxes that do not require refrigeration
Grab-and-go lunch items and snacks are the most utilized items. Canned vegetables, pastas, sauces, and other items a person might take home to make a meal do not move as quickly through our pantries.
Miscellaneous items:
- plastic silverware (no knives please)
- paper bowls (no Styrofoam)
- napkins
Hygiene items:
- toothpaste and toothbrushes
- shampoo and conditioner
- soap and body wash
- deodorant
- razors and shaving cream
- feminine hygiene products
- hairbrushes and combs
The food pantry cannot accept perishable, expired, or opened items.
Food Pantry locations
- Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB), near Room 122
- Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC), near Room 116
- Canyon County Center (CYNC), near Room 106
- Ada County Mallard Building (AMAL), near Room 1122
- Ada County Pintail Building (APIN), near Room 1117
For those with questions or in need of more information, contact Christy Babcock at christybabcock@cwi.edu.
CWI To Conduct Emergency Alert Test on Dec. 15
College of Western Idaho (CWI) will conduct a test of its alert notification system, CWI Alerts, to help ensure the CWI community is notified of any potential emergency situations. The test will take place on Thursday, Dec. 15, at approximately 3 p.m.
CWI uses Rave Mobile Safety to inform students, employees, and the extended College community of critical situations.
Employees and students are automatically enrolled to receive alerts to their CWI email and any phone numbers provided when joining the College. To ensure the safety of the CWI community and provide timely emergency messages, it is important that current contact information is provided. Students and employees can update their contact information by visiting the CWI Alerts page.
CWI partners and friends may also sign up to receive CWI Alerts. The service is free, but text messaging fees may be charged from cellular providers.
CWI Alerts are only used for critical circumstances including severe weather, snow closures, utility failure, hazardous material spills, violent incidents, and other situations with the potential to affect the health or safety of people on campus.
For those with questions or in need of more information, please email communications@cwi.edu.
CWI Icy Conditions Safety Tips and Information
With winter weather upon us, College of Western Idaho (CWI) crews are working to keep campus locations safe and clear of ice and snow.
Please keep in mind, winter conditions can be dangerous and require everyone's attention to prevent slipping and falling.
We are all responsible for exercising good judgment when walking on icy or slippery conditions. No matter how well snow and ice is removed from parking lots and sidewalks, it is important to be prepared and continually aware of slippery surfaces.
Parking space may be limited in some areas due to snow piles from plowing.
Keep the following safety tips in mind:
- Wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice. Neoprene and non-slip rubber are best. Avoid shoes with smooth soles and heels.
- Walk SLOWLY. Plan extra time so you are not rushing.
- Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, be careful since shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
- Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
- Walk like a penguin. Point your feet out slightly and shuffle. Spreading your feet out slightly improves your stability. Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over your feet as much as possible. Keep your hands out of your pockets and extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
- Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk cautiously. Look to see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards.
- Look up. Be careful about what you walk under. Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
- Use your eyes and ears. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
- When you arrive at your indoor destination, remove as much snow and water from your feet as you can to prevent water buildup on the floors.
- Enter a building carefully. When you get to your destination such as school, work, shopping center, etc., be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice.
- When using stairs, always use handrails.
- Anticipate ice. Be wary of thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement (black ice). Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
To report icy conditions on campus or if you have questions, please call Facilities Planning and Management at 208.562.3545 or facilities@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.