CWI News – Jan. 27, 2023
Spotlight
You still have a few more days to donate to the One Stop Staff Morale Team's CWI Winter Coat Drive! Now through Jan. 31, our CWI community is invited to donate gently used coats, hats, and gloves for all ages.
There are donation boxes at Ada County Campus Lynx Building (ALYN), Canyon County Center (CYNC), and Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC).
President's Message
Greetings CWI Faculty and Staff,
This past week was “Education Week” at the Idaho State Legislature. This is the week that the Idaho Legislature focuses on the policy and funding for all eight of Idaho’s public colleges and universities. As I have shared during our strategic planning meetings, public funding accounts for just over 50% of our annual CWI budget for the year which is significant. Given that, I had the opportunity to share the story of CWI with many legislators during various meetings and make the case for our “Why for CWI.” Specifically, I represented CWI at the House and Senate Education Committee and JFAC meetings (Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee).
While we won’t know the impact of our meetings for several weeks to months, I had many legislators share with me their positive feedback and encouraging words regarding the value CWI brings to the community and state. In fact, one senator took time to share with me personal stories of his family and friends who have benefited from their time spent at College of Western Idaho. Those interactions always make me proud to be part of a college that remains laser-focused on delivering the education and skills people need to be empowered for life.
As we head into the spring semester, I wanted to alert you to a CWI Town Hall that I am excited to host next Friday, Feb. 3, at 10:00 am. In addition to my emails, I like to find moments to engage collectively with each other on topics related to the college. My intention is to share with Faculty and Staff general updates on our goals and strategies while touching upon current happenings in my role. After my presentation, I welcome the chance to engage with those in attendance in a Q & A portion of the event. As an aside, I am also planning a Town Hall with CWI’s Student Government in the coming weeks.
Additionally, I want to welcome our new Vice President of Finance, Ken Kline, to the College. Ken, who worked at Boise State for six years, is returning to Idaho after working in New York this past year at another institution. I also want to thank Interim Vice President of Finance, Bill Reuter, for his excellent work and service to CWI. We wish him all the best in his next endeavors.
In closing, I want to express my appreciation for each and every one of you and acknowledge through your hard work and dedication, you are making a difference. Together we uphold the promise of CWI to provide high-quality, affordable education for all, in order to access a better future.
Respectfully,
Bold Appreciation
It's time for another employee ticket giveaway!
Enter for your chance to win four reserved seats and food vouchers to the upcoming Wednesday, Feb. 8 Idaho Steelheads game! To enter the giveaway, choose a number between 1 and 500 via the link below. The employee closest to the number, chosen at random, will receive four tickets to the Idaho Steelheads game.
Entries must be received by noon on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The winner will be announced the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 1. Tickets must be picked up by noon on Friday, Feb. 3 or they will be given to the next eligible winner who is closest to the chosen number.
Members of the President’s Cabinet, the Executive Operations Team, and Work-Study students are not eligible. Limit one entry per CWI employee.
Email hr@cwi.edu with questions.
News Highlights
Kline to Lead CWI’s Finance and Administration Department
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is excited to announce Kenneth J. Kline as its new Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (VP-CFO). Kline, who began his duties earlier this week, will serve as the primary financial strategist to the College’s President, Administration, and the Board of Trustees.
"I am excited to join the CWI community and look forward to working with my new colleagues to provide a high-quality, affordable education that meets the needs of our students, our community, and our employers,” said Kline. “While CWI currently has a large impact on the Treasure Valley changing students' lives and providing talent to our community and our employers, I am motivated by the opportunity to continue to grow the College and serve more of the unmet needs in our community. I am honored to serve in this role.”
As the VP-CFO, Kline is also responsible for directing and managing CWI’s financial affairs and ensuring that the organization makes sound decisions on the application of its financial resources. He will report directly to President Gordon Jones and play a pivotal role within the executive management and senior leadership teams.
Kline joins the College with a wealth of knowledge of the financial environment for higher education institutions.
Kline comes from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where he served as the Chief Financial Officer for the last year. Prior to that, he spent six years at Boise State University as the Associate Vice President of Budget and Planning. Before joining Boise State, Kline spent eight years as the Senior Director and Chief Budget Officer at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and three years as the Business Systems and Financial Planning Manager at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
“I look forward to Kenneth bringing his level of expertise and financial acumen to CWI,” said Jones. “Kenneth has a proven track record of leading teams of diverse individuals within innovative, high-performing organizations.”
Kline holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and two master's degrees; a Master of Arts from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University.
Kline and his wife, Deanna, an interior design consultant, have three children and are excited to remain in Idaho as they enjoy skiing, hiking, and spending time with friends.
Please join the College in welcoming Kline and his family into the CWI community.
Bill Reuter, current Interim Vice President, will stay on for a period to assist with the transition.
New Dozer Helping Heavy Equipment Students Succeed
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Heavy Equipment Technician students are staying up to date in their industry thanks to a newly purchased crawler dozer.
Diesel Technology leadership was able to purchase a Komatsu D65PX-17 from Modern Machinery, the regional Komatsu dealership. This type of bulldozer is one of the more common pieces of equipment technicians encounter at construction sites, which faculty will expand on track and undercarriage curriculum, as well as hydraulics and electrical training.
“This piece of equipment will emulate what students are going to be exposed to in the field,” said Diesel Technology and Power Sports Department Chair, George Turner.
Modern Machinery is one of CWI’s Heavy Equipment Technician industry partners. Its parent company, The Washington Companies, has been funding $10,000 grants to purchase new tooling and fund scholarships for the last three years through their foundation, Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.
Turner said through their relationship, the College was able to purchase the dozer at a discounted price.
“This support is invaluable,” said Turner. “Over the last 20 years, there have been huge technological changes in the industry. In 2014 and 2015, there was quite a substantial shift in technologies utilized on equipment, particularly for emissions controls. Modern emissions controls are something that we need to focus on more, which this new dozer is going to help our students understand a bit better.”
For more information on CWI’s Heavy Equipment Technician program, visit the program page or contact George Turner at georgeturner@cwi.edu.
College of Western Idaho to Host Statewide Graduate Student Competition
Graduate students from across Idaho will compete in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) 2023 Statewide Graduate Student Competition held on College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) campus in February.
Students from Boise State University, Idaho State University, and University of Idaho will compete and present their research in just three minutes or less using only one slide. A panel of judges will decide and award first, second, and third place.
CWI students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend and watch the competition in person. Audience members will get the chance to vote on the People's Choice Award. Those unable to attend in person can also watch the presentations via Zoom.
3MT is an academic research and communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia.
Nampa Campus Academic Building Room 102E
Student Resource Fair and Club Fest Helping Students Get Involved and Stay Connected
In preparation for the Spring 2023 semester, you may be ready to check out what College of Western Idaho (CWI) has to offer outside of the classroom! Student Affairs has put together opportunities for all CWI students to explore the different resources available on- and off-campus, while also enjoying fun activities and tasty food at CWI’s Spring 2023 Student Resource Fair and Club Fest.
Students will be able to learn about and chat with various clubs, organizations, offices, and departments on campus. The two events will give new and returning students an opportunity to learn about the CWI community and gain important information regarding campus life to have a successful, enjoyable academic journey.
Should you attend the Student Resource Fair and Club Fest? Yes! Here are five reasons why:
- Learn about different resources available on campus including Tutoring Services, Academic Advising, Counseling Services, and more.
- Get involved in extracurricular activities at CWI, like clubs and academic programs, and become part of the community on campus.
- Learn how participating in extracurricular activities and utilizing resources on campus can help you develop leadership skills, time management skills, and more.
- Make connections, meet other students with similar interests, and make friends outside of the classroom.
- Learn more about the culture of the College.
The Student Resource Fair will also bring together about a dozen off-campus community partners. These organizations are excellent resources to help students with basic needs, such as Valley Regional Transit, childcare and family support, financial support resources, low cost medical care options, and domestic violence resources.
Ada County Campus Pintail Building (APIN)
Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB)
There will also be free burritos (chicken, asada, and vegetarian) from Nampa’s La Pantera Market #2 for CWI students by visiting a designated number of tables at the fair and fill out their Resource Fair Passport.
That's not the only reason students will want to visit the fair’s booths and tables! Three lucky students who fill out the passport will be entered in a raffle for a chance to receive an Amazon gift card. Names will be chosen and contacted by Student Affairs following the events.
Can’t make it in person? Visit the Resource Fair virtually all semester long in myCommons on Blackboard!
For those with questions or in need of more information about the two events, contact Erin Ortiz at erinortiz@cwi.edu.
