About CWI

The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is located in the vibrant and active Treasure Valley area. It is the state’s largest community college. CWI is a comprehensive community college fostering student development academically as well as occupationally.

CWI offers a full range of academic and career-technical courses leading to Associate of Arts, Science, or Applied Science degrees, with some degrees offered fully online, and specialty skill certificates. The College also offers basic education classes to help prepare for a GED, dual credit for high school students, and fast-track career training for working professionals. Students can choose from classes offered at a variety of campus locations throughout western Idaho or online, which are available to fit day, evening, and weekend schedules.

The College was created by a supermajority of voters in Ada and Canyon Counties on May 22, 2007, and is the only public community college dedicated to serving western Idaho. CWI is laser-focused on improving the community’s economic well-being by responding with highly-educated and productive graduates.

Mission

College of Western Idaho is committed to empowering students to succeed by providing affordable and accessible education to advance the local and global workforce.

Vision

The College of Western Idaho will be a best-in-class community college that provides quality, affordable, and accessible education by delivering innovative and cost-effective programming that empowers students, leads to economic and social mobility, and meets evolving community needs.

Core Themes

  • Student Success
  • Instructional Excellence
  • Community Connections
  • Organizational Stewardship
  • Inclusive Excellence

Core Values

  • Excellence
  • Innovation
  • Integrity
  • Caring
  • Respect

Our Open-Door Policy

College of Western Idaho (CWI) has an open-door admissions policy. We welcome anyone seeking to benefit from our educational programs and services regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, and/or disability. Our open-door policy results in a diverse student population with varied experiences, backgrounds, abilities, interests, needs, and educational goals. CWI is committed to providing all eligible students access to appropriate educational offerings. CWI administers a test in order to place students in appropriate courses. Some programs and courses have special requirements for admission/registration.

Our Accreditation

The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The NWCCU is a regional postsecondary accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Credits, certificates, and degrees earned at CWI are transferable to four-year institutions, subject to the specific policies of those institutions. Due to our previous accreditation partnership with the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), credits, certificates, and degrees earned from January 2009 through August 2014 appear on both CSI and CWI transcripts. Credits, certificates, and degrees earned from August 2014 to present appear on CWI transcripts.

Effective September 1, 2016, the NWCCU granted initial accreditation to CWI at the associate degree level. CWI is now in a seven-year accreditation cycle, which includes periodic evaluations and site visits from the NWCCU.

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052-3981
www.nwccu.org

Several of our programs are also accredited by the appropriate accrediting agencies, and graduates are eligible to take the qualifying examinations of the respective state and national licensing or registration bodies and join professional organizations.

Our Structure

CWI is a comprehensive community college with several locations throughout Idaho’s Treasure Valley. Funding for the College comes from tuition and fees, the state of Idaho, and the community college taxing district, made up of Ada and Canyon Counties.

The College is governed by a volunteer five-member Board of Trustees, who are elected at large from within Ada and Canyon Counties for staggered, four-year terms.

CWI was established in 2007 and began offering courses in January 2009.