CWI News – Sept. 9, 2022
Bold Appreciation
It's time for another employee ticket giveaway!
Enter for your chance to win two tickets to either the Boise State vs. Tennessee Martin or Boise State vs. San Diego State football games by entering a number between 1 and 500 via the link below. Two employees closest to two numbers, chosen at random, will each receive two reserved seat tickets for the football games.
Football Games:
SATURDAY, Sept. 17 — Boise State vs Tennessee Martin at 2 p.m.
FRIDAY, Sept. 30 — Boise State vs San Diego State at 6 p.m.
Entries must be received by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Winners will be announced the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Members of 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
CWI and Boise Pride Festival 2022
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is an inclusive community of more than 30,000 students where we prioritize affordable, quality education that leads to employment and empowerment for all. After numerous inquiries, CWI would like to clarify the College’s involvement in Boise Pride Festival 2022.
The CWI Queers and Allies club, a student club whose logo is used on the Boise Pride website, is attending the upcoming Boise Pride event to highlight opportunities at CWI. This club consists of current CWI students and is one of over 20 active student clubs representing a variety of interests. The club sponsorship of the event was funded through a private donation, and no taxpayer funds will be used for this event, including employee time and compensation.
For any further inquiries, please email us at communications@cwi.edu.
Leading Idaho Initiative Awards CWI Career Technical Education More than $750K in Grants
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Mechatronics and Welding programs have been awarded more than $750,000 in grants from Idaho Division of Career Technical Education (IDCTE). The funding for the grants were made possible by Idaho Governor Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative, where $10,000,000 was set aside specifically for investments in career technical education (CTE) in Idaho.
Dean of CWI School of Industry Engineering and Trades, Pat Neal, brought forward a request to the College’s Provost Office to apply for the Leading Idaho grant. Neal wanted to ensure CWI CTE programs can offer students the ability to utilize the most current technology available.
After a review of the criteria for the grant, the Provost Office and the College’s deans agreed that Welding and Metal Fabrication and Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology would be great programs to request funding for based on the evaluation criteria of the grant.
CWI’s CTE programs’ requests were awarded in full.
CWI Programs Awarded
- Welding and Metal Fabrication — $500,003.80
- Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology — $253,592.24
“CWI is very thankful to Idaho Career and Technical Education Division for funding the request,” said CWI Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Denise Aberle-Cannata.
Requests for the grants must have been focused only on equipment and related facility upgrades necessary to modernize or expand an institution’s CTE program. In addition, the programs considered must be in the top 250 occupations, have 100 job openings, or have a projected rate increase of 25% or more in the state.
“Having the ability to provide these modernization and expansion grants to Idaho’s career technical education programs ensures we continue to accomplish our mission of preparing Idaho’s youth and adults for high-skill, in-demand careers,” said State Administrator for the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education, Clay Long.
Department Chair of Manufacturing and Welding, Mike Wheeler, said with the grants they will purchase new technology, such as three robotic welding machines and 20 more welding machines, which he believes will allow for the ability to increase enrollment. He added the new technologies are “true do it all machines” and will allow students to accomplish more with less because of how high-tech the equipment is.
CWI Engineering Department Chair, Robert Novak, believes similarly the grants will continue to advance CWI’s CTE programs with how state-of-the-art the new equipment is, such as the new learning systems, portable pneumatic training systems, and digital oscilloscopes. These new systems will ensure students are training on the latest in technology. He said the equipment will set them apart from other similar programs around the area.
“The Leading Idaho Grant will help the Mechatronic and Welding programs train more students to meet the high demand of these fields,” Neal said.
CWI Law Enforcement Program Filling Gaps around State and Country
With more than 42 years of public service including 31 years as a law enforcement officer, College of Western Idaho (CWI) Law Enforcement Program Director and retired Nampa Chief of Police LeRoy Forsman has plenty of connections around the Gem State. Through those connections he often hears about vacancies and openings in law enforcement departments, specifically in smaller, rural areas.
“A lot of these agencies that have six- to eight-person departments have one or two openings,” said Forsman. “You’re talking about them being down about 15%, and somebody has to cover those shifts.”
As law enforcement agencies across the state of Idaho grapple with staffing shortages, Forsman looks to provide relief by training potential recruits and getting them prepared for action through the College’s Law Enforcement program.
“My expectation of the program is to provide the best training possible and prepare students to go out and be successful in whatever they do,” Forsman said.
The program was built in the fall of 2015. Forsman said the intention behind its creation was to give the Treasure Valley and agencies from surrounding areas another option for potential recruits to apply and have a leg up. Typically, agencies must send new hires through the Idaho basic patrol or detention academies at the state training facility in Meridian within one year of hire. Additionally, four of the largest agencies in Idaho provide their own in-house academies.
CWI’s program offers two areas of studies — patrol and detention officer. The program has been approved by the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council and eliminates the graduate's need to attend the basic police academy before taking the certification exam.
“We do the training upfront rather than the agencies having to hire student and then pay to send them away for several months to get trained,” Forsman said. “The students get education, in both patrol and detention, then they can go to work for agencies right away.”
Students in the program must also go through a polygraph test, background check, and other vetting processes they would if they were hired on at a department.
“We hope to pass on experience,” Forsman said.
From having students go through physical training to bringing in officers to share personal stories of what can go on in the field, Forsman said this program offers a good idea of what this career is like and if it is for them in the long run.
“I teach a class specifically on career survival, the importance of relationships, and how it can affect you and your family. To be very honest, over the years I’ve had students who meet with me after class and said, ‘I don’t think this is what I want to do,’” Forsman said. “We’re fine with that. I’d much rather they find out sooner, rather than in two years, this isn’t what they want to do. We don’t hold back, we don’t hide anything, and we want them to know exactly what they’re going into.”
Forsman said the program does see good success in terms of students being employed upon graduation. All the students from the program’s Fall 2020 graduating class were hired at local agencies, such as Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Department of Corrections, and others, within a month after completing the program.
Current CWI Law Enforcement program student, Holland Ahern, is hopeful to see that same success his way too.
“I feel like I have finally found the career of my life, I am excited to start work once I graduate,” said Ahern. “I am ready to go.”
Ahern comes to CWI at 31 years old. He previously spent six years in the Marine Corps, which he says has helped shape him and prepare him for this program through disciple, physical fitness, and creating a tactical mindset.
“When you are out on the job, you’re able to think things through in a tactical manner so you can be effective both for your own safety and the safety of the public,” Ahern said.
For Ahern, the decision to now pursue a career in law enforcement is an easy one. For one, he can’t see himself doing a desk job — he said he needs to be out and about. Two, and one his biggest reasons, he has a passion to help his community.
“I have a deep desire to help people, and I have always wanted to be someone people can rely on,” Ahern said. “There is no better way to help the community and to help others in need than be a first responder because you are the first thing people think of during the worst moments of their lives.”
His decision to come to CWI and apply for the Law Enforcement program was also an easy one. From his own experience, he knows how long the hiring application process can be for an agency, with the interview process, polygraph tests, physical examinations, and more. He also said there could be other candidates who may have some experience already he may have to compete with.
Ahern knew he needed to stand out.
“While you aren’t guaranteed to be hired on by a department, CWI gives you the training and certification to apply and pretty much start work right away if you are hired,” Ahern said. “Departments, a lot of the time, prefer that because when you get hired on by a department, not only do they have to pay for the academy training, but they must pay you while you're going through the academy. So, agencies hiring recruits from this program get to save money, they get an officer who's trained, and they can pretty much put you right into your probationary field officer training (FTO) phase.”
There are some agencies who still require recruits to go through its own police academy training, but Forsman said students coming from CWI are able to “fly through it.” He added it is more of refresher course for CWI graduates.
CWI has partnered with every law enforcement agency in Idaho for the past three years to allow officers to gain college credit for the academy training. The Boise Police Department (BPD) recently made the decision to work with the College and take advantage of this program for their officers. Detention officers who have completed a state academy can apply for 12 credits while patrol officers can apply for 18 credits. These credits can help an officer move to a higher state certification level, promote sooner, or achieve a higher pay grade within their agency.
While applications for the Law Enforcement program do not open until January, Forsman said people interested can still get in touch about recruitment now. Because of how much paperwork and background processes there are, Forsman encourages those interested to get in touch as soon as possible.
CTE Students and Alumni Help Light Up the Sky During Spirit of Boise Drone Light Show
Lighting up the sky for thousands, students and alumni from College of Western Idaho’s Unmanned Aerial Systems program used their skills and knowledge to help produce a drone light show at the 31st Annual Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic’s Night Glow Spectacular Friday, Sept. 2.
A newly-added feature at this year’s event, the drone light show involved 200 drones flying in a pre-programmed formation of notable Boise staples and icons, such as the Boise Train Depot, Idaho State Capitol, the City of Boise skyline, Boise State quarterback, Kellen Moore, and more.
Unmanned Aerial Systems instructor, Tim Schuh, said the opportunity was presented to his current and former students through CWI President Gordon Jones.
Spirit of Boise sponsor, CapEd Credit Union, worked with the drone company, Sky Elements Drone Shows, to hire recruits to help put on the show. Around that same time, CapEd leadership met with President Jones and sent him a request for assistance from the College.
Schuh was able to enlist help from CWI students, Doug Beatty, Kendall Gunter, BC Robbins, and Dustin Tatum, and CWI graduates, Corey Bingham, Steve Porterfield (also a Teaching Assistant with the College), and Mitch Triska.
“This was a fantastic opportunity for our students and graduates to see how the knowledge and skills they acquire at CWI can be put to use in the real world. Being able to help put on an amazing show for a local audience made it that much better,” Schuh said.
Updated Writing Style Guidelines Now Available
A refreshed version of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Writing Style Guidelines is now available!
Updates include:
- the addition of 30+ new terms and definitions
- up-to-date guidance included in The Associated Press Stylebook
- writing examples relevant to CWI
- a new, interactive, online version with the option to view or print a PDF
Employees across the College are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Writing Style Guidelines to ensure consistency of content on our website and various internal and external communications, including documents created in Marq. Read up to make sure you are formatting dates and times correctly, using proper titles and location names, using a single space after a period at the end of a sentence, and more — it is guaranteed to be the most exciting thing you will read this week!
