College of Western Idaho (CWI) is advancing into a new phase of growth. As part of this growth, campus consolidation and development is underway. This is the result of a campus visioning and planning process which has provided CWI with the long-term vision to best serve our students and community. Four key projects, described below, are in progress and are critical in making that vision a reality.
Nampa Campus
Health and Science Building
Located on the Nampa Campus, this building will consolidate our growing Health and Science programs, giving students and industry partners state-of-the-art facilities to learn and collaborate. As the second large building on the Nampa Campus, it will be a key component of a future quad to enhance CWI's student experience. The projected opening date for this building is Fall 2025.
Student Learning Hub
This 35,000-square-foot facility will be located near the Health and Science Building, and positions CWI as a destination for employers and community to engage students in a central location. A future home to several resources to support student success, the Student Learning Hub is set to open for the Fall 2026 semester.
Horticulture and Agricultural Science Building
Just north of the Nampa Campus sits 40 acres owned by the College where the expansion for horticulture and agricultural sciences will live. This building and development of a working farm will support vacating leased facilities and allow us to co-locate on the Nampa Campus and expand into a highly modern facility. In addition, our students will have access to a fully-functional farm as well as proximity to the agricultural community they are a part of. The projected opening date for this building is Fall 2025.
Boise Center
As the new Ada County location, the Boise Center will utilize 10 acres on the Boise River at the corner of Main Street and Whitewater Boulevard, purchased by CWI in 2015. This move will allow CWI to transition out of leased facilities and consolidate key programs such as Business and Cybersecurity in this new center located close to a vibrant, downtown environment. This CWI-owned site will also feature private development through a public-private partnership, which will help CWI generate revenue for the Boise Center. The projected opening date for this building is Fall 2026.
The College is pleased to announce the selection of Ball Ventures Ahlquist to develop a mixed-use campus in Boise, enhancing the opportunity to deliver high-quality, affordable education to the more than 30,000 students CWI serves.
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Visioning and Planning Process
The College initiated a Campus Visioning and Planning process to inform, guide, and prioritize campus improvements to better serve students and communities. A CWI Planning Team, comprised of a comprehensive representation of internal stakeholders, worked to bring forward a recommendation. Throughout the process, internal and external feedback was gathered to help provide input on immediate development and future growth needs of the College.
The Planning Team’s objective was to provide recommendations to the CWI Board of Trustees and receive approval of strategic direction and priorities for campus development and capital projects. The process included programming priorities, space requirements, campus focus areas, funding sources, and timelines. The visioning timeframe spanned multiple months and included three phases: assessment, exploration, and application.
CWI Board Approves Campus Visioning Plan
Campus Visioning and Planning Recommendation
April 14, 2022 BOT Final Presentation
Board of Trustees Work Sessions
Dec. 9, 2021 BOT Work Session
Feb. 10, 2022 BOT Work Session
Campus Visioning Survey
Nearly 1,300 individuals, including internal and external stakeholders, provided input on immediate development and future growth of the College in a Fall 2021 Campus Visioning Survey.
Information collected from the survey assisted the CWI Planning Team, along with Cushing Terrell, a local planning, architecture, and engineering firm, in providing a recommendation to the CWI Board of Trustees regarding programming priorities, space requirements, campus focus areas, funding sources, and timelines.
Resources
CWI conducted an environmental analysis which included engaging thought leaders and consultants. A key consideration of this work related to the impacts of the COVID pandemic and future direction of higher education. Local and regional needs assessments were also conducted to identify market conditions and potential areas of program focus. This work helped to inform the College about key considerations and areas of focus related to planning and the survey (Fall 2021).
Below you will find full reports that were included in the research and environment scan phase as well as condensed summary documents.
- CWI 2018-2022 Strategic Plan
- Educause Horizon Report (2021)
- Entangled Solutions Opportunity Analysis (2020)
- Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment, Career and Technical Education
Summary