C of I honored as top accounting bachelor’s program in Idaho

 

The College of Idaho can add another accolade to its list of top honors with an endorsement from AccountingEdu.org listing the College’s Accounting-150 Hours program as the top accounting bachelor’s program in the state for the 2018-2019 school year.

AccountingEdu.org, a resource for aspiring CPAs and other accounting professionals to explore options for education and career options, rated bachelor accounting programs based on data from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), ranking schools primarily on graduating students’ first-time pass rate of the CPA exam.

“At its core, accounting is about the concrete…the quantifiable,” stated AccountingEdu’s lead-in to the list of top schools. “But all too often even accounting students give too much attention to subjective noise when trying to get a feel for the quality of one degree program versus another. We all know better than to give weight to anything that can’t be represented in numbers.”

The C of I’s CPA exam first-time pass rate stands at 63.6 percent, the highest rate of success within Idaho. 2016 data provided by NASBA revealed only 54 percent of candidates nationally pass all four sections of the exam on their first attempt, placing C of I’s students far above the national average.

Although AccountingEdu chiefly used this statistic in its endorsement of the C of I, the website also praised the College’s accounting program for its unique, five-year program providing all the necessary credits for students to qualify for CPA designation, as well as the amount of opportunity for internship and experiential learning, including individually arranged capstone projects.

“There are plenty of reasons why The College of Idaho stands out for its Accounting 150 Hours Major program,” stated AccountingEdu. “It provides students with opportunities to work on projects that connect them with the community, build strong connections with accomplished alumni and local leaders, and partner with professional mentors.”

Dr. Marilyn Melchiorre, C of I’s chair of the business and accounting department, credited fellow faculty members John Danielson, Kris Erne and Rick Goodwin for their work over the last five years to continue pushing C of I’s accounting curriculum to higher levels of rigor, helping to better prepare students for post-graduation success.

“This is exciting news for our department,” Melchiorre said. “What sets the C of I accounting degree apart from others is the unique curriculum of fundamental and advanced accounting courses containing hands-on learning with faculty mentors who have extensive work experience in both public and private accounting sectors.”

For more information about C of I’s accounting program, visit https://www.collegeofidaho.edu/academics/departments/business-accounting.

For AccountingEdu’s full list of top accounting schools, click here.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Colson Whitehead Speaks Feb. 12 at U of I

Colson Whitehead, winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for his novel “The Underground Railroad,” will give the keynote address Monday, Feb. 12, as part of the University of Idaho’s Black History Month observance.

Whitehead’s talk, “Revisiting the Underground Railroad,” will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 in the International Ballroom of the Bruce M. Pitman Center, 709 Deakin Ave., Moscow. A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow. The event is free.

“We are thrilled that Mr. Whitehead will illuminate themes of his remarkable book for our students, faculty and community members,” said Kenton Bird, a faculty member in the U of I School of Journalism and Mass Media who is helping to organize the author’s visit. The talk is supported by the Idaho Humanities Council and several university offices and academic departments.

“The Underground Railroad” chronicles the adventures of Cora, a teenage slave, as she seeks freedom in the South in the years before the Civil War. Historically, the Underground Railroad was a network of safehouses used to help slaves escape to freedom in the northern states and Canada. In Whitehead’s novel, engineers and conductors operate a secret system of underground tracks and tunnels for this purpose.

A panel of U of I faculty members will put the book into context during a discussion on “The Underground Railroad in Law, History, Literature and American Society,” at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, in the College of Law courtroom, 711 S. Rayburn St. The panel consists of Kristin Haltinner, assistant professor of sociology and director of U of I’s minor in Africana studies; Dale Graden, professor of history; Jan Johnson, clinical assistant professor of English, and Aman McLeod, assistant professor of political science and affiliate faculty in the College of Law.

In addition to “The Underground Railroad,” Whitehead is the author of “The Noble Hustle,” “Zone One,” “Sag Harbor,” “The Intuitionist,” “Apex Hides the Hurt” and “John Henry Days,” which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. A resident of New York City, Whitehead has received a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He has taught at the University of Houston, Columbia University, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, New York University, Princeton University, Wesleyan University, and been a writer-in-residence at Vassar College, the University of Richmond and the University of Wyoming.

Whitehead’s lecture is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, the Runstad Lecture Series, the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the School of Journalism and Mass Media, the departments of English, History and Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, and the Latah County Human Rights Task Force. His lecture is made possible by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional events during Black History Month at U of I are listed athttps://www.uidaho.edu/diversity/dhr/oma/events/black-history.

Young People’s Pavilion: Drones, robots and slime … oh my!

Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on January 23, 2018

Things got pretty wild at the Statehouse on Tuesday when kids took over the Rotunda with flying drones, robots and Play-Doh.

Students from elementary to high school showed off their technology and engineering skills to lawmakers in celebration of STEM Matters! — a campaign to raise awareness about science, technology, engineering and math in Idaho.

The Idaho STEM Action Center hosted more than 300 Treasure Valley students who showcased their classroom STEM projects and tools. Students showed off their critical and creative thinking skills they are using at school.

“This is inspiring and makes you dream bigger when you’re outside the classroom,” said Joseph Murphy, a junior at Centennial High School.

Joseph Murphy, a junior at Centennial High School, explains circuits to elementary kids using potatoes and a laptop.

The STEM Matters! event is part of Education Week at the Statehouse as lawmakers begin to piece together the budgets that will drive public schools and higher education campuses in the year ahead.

The 2015 Legislature created the STEM Action Center to build a workforce to match the employment opportunities in STEM. The center’s strategy is to strengthen Idaho’s STEM career pipeline with education and professional development for teachers. The STEM Matters! event features how taxpayer money is spent in the classroom.

“We know that it is critically important to show outcomes and impacts to ensure that taxpayer and industry funds are spent wisely,” said Angela Hemingway, the executive director of the STEM Action Center. “We use data to make informed spending, program and policy decisions.”

Hemingway asked legislators to fund the Idaho STEM Action Center at $4.7 million during her budget presentation to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 17.

According to the Department of Labor, Idaho’s unfilled STEM jobs doubled in 2017 to nearly 7,000, which represents approximately $450 million in lost personal wages and $24 million in lost state tax receipts. The Idaho Department of Labor predicts as many as 36,000 STEM jobs could be unfilled by 2024 if the trend continues and would represent more than $120 million in lost state tax revenue annually.

The STEM Action Center is housed under Gov. Butch Otter’s office.

***

Recommended Reading: Guinness World Records: Remarkable Robots (I Can Read Level 2)

A brand-new Guinness World Records book for kids!

From a robot babysitter to the largest walking and fire-breathing robot, this book is filled with record-breaking androids of all shapes, sizes, and occupations! Simple text and full-color photos will make learning about this exciting topic fun for beginning readers.

Guinness World Records: Remarkable Robots is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.

Read more children’s book choices at youngpeoplespavilion.com

What Is Personalized Performance Learning®?

The Approach that Allows Every Student to Flourish

At Connections Academy, education is personalized to each student’s individual abilities. This personal touch is what sets this program apart from the rest. When students receive the one-on-one individualized attention they deserve, there’s no telling how far they’ll go. The Personalized Performance Learning approach gives every student the best chance to flourish.

Adapting to Students’ Changing Needs

Personalizing a student’s learning program isn’t a one-time process; it’s ongoing. Students, Learning Coaches/parents, and teachers check in throughout the year to review progress, modify the student’s program, and adjust goals as needed. Here’s a little more about how we go about personalizing a student’s education plan:

• Reviewing Student Background and Learning Styles: Teachers, Learning Coaches, and students discuss student strengths, skills, and previous school performance to help inform and guide the best teaching and personalized online learning approach.
• Testing Performance: Students are tested in math, reading, and English/language arts at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year. A student’s test results help us identify areas of strength and weakness, measure progress, and establish learning goals. The assessment used may vary by school due to state or board requirements.
• Finding the Right Courses and Placement: Testing and assessments are used to identify and evaluate a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and talents. We uncover skills that may need improvement and look for ways to enhance the student’s learning potential. All of this information is then used to help select courses based on the student’s individual needs.
• Setting Goals: Teachers and Learning Coaches work together to set goals for the student and determine a time line for accomplishing these individualized learning goals during the school year.
• Communicating Regularly: When school starts, Learning Coaches and teachers establish a regular communication schedule for the personalized learning plan, depending on the needs of the student.
• Scheduling Modifications and Electives (K–8): Throughout the year, teachers personalize the learning schedule. They inquire about the student’s daily routines and make adjustments to the student’s online learning schedule as needed. They also may decide to add an elective course.

SOURCE: https://www.connectionsacademy.com/online-school/students/personalized-learning

Take a Class In Hip-Hop Innovation and Communication at Boise State University

Support Boise High: Silent, premier, dessert & live auction with AuctionFrogs Mobile Bidding technology

“At this Gala event we will be hosting a silent, premier, dessert, and live auction using Auction Frogs Mobile Bidding technology,” says CEO Kristi Sutton Saucerman.

“Along with our many auctions, we will also be hosting a Paddle Up opportunity in which attendees can donate funds directly to the school. This year we are raising funds for a new school gymnasium sound system and Chromebooks for the classroom.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE GALA EVENT AUCTION
https://boisebraveboosters.afrogs.org/#/index

Interested in Mobile Bidding with Auction Frogs? Now’s your chance to see it first hand at Boise High Gala on Saturday night! NO MORE BID SHEETS!

Can’t make the event Saturday night? No problem! Bid from your phones Saturday night against people in the room for those silent auction items!

TOMORROW ONLY FRIDAY March 10th, we will offer a limited number of “Away Game Supporter” tickets for $25 each, the company says. This will enter you as an attendee to the event, which will trigger the mobile bidding ability. So, you can bid from that soccer tournament, from the backyard of your in-laws (you didn’t know you were going to visit), or from the road while in the midst of a college search.

Take a peek at this video to see how easy (and fun) this will be.
Auction Frogs Mobile Bidding Demo

GO to Just log into https://boisebraveboosters.afrogs.org/#/index and check things out or get more information here: https://boisebraveboosters.afrogs.org/ – /index

Beginning March 12th, we will have an online auction through March 21st for hundreds of additional items to bid on!

Pre-order your copy of Tension today

Go to Kickstarter to Pre-order your copy of Tension

Select  your purchase option on Kickstarter

We have launched our Kickstarter campaign so that you can pre-order your copy of Tension today by clicking on this link.  You will also see other purchase options for various editions of the book as well as webinars, workshops and speeches. So check out the Kickstarter site and pre-purchase Tension.

I also wanted to share with you what others who have already read the book are saying about Tension.

“The Innovation Institute is a healthcare incubator that fosters innovation by incubating ideas through the various stages of evaluation, development, refinement, and commercialization.  We have found many of the concepts discussed in Tension to be evident as we have developed our Innovation Lab and we have developed supporting structures and practices accordingly.  Chris Wasden is a leader in healthcare innovation and this book is a must read for anyone looking to advance innovation and harness tension to fuel their creative genius.  There are many gems throughout the book from succeeding through failure, to the innovation life cycle, and minding your P’s and Q’s.”

Joe Randolph, President and CEO, The Innovation Institute

“Tensions is a masterpiece. As a venture capitalist focused on financial services innovation I see my portfolio companies finding great opportunities by transforming the maladaptive tensions created by the large incumbent banks into creative tensions that delivers more powerful value propositions that are disrupting the industry. Tension provides an approach that can be used by organizations both big and small to increase their innovative capabilities and capacities.”

Matteo Rizzi ,General Partner, SBT Venture Capital

“The accelerating pace of change in healthcare challenges us to continue to build our managerial and leadership toolkits—to be more agile, to use more gears of mindfulness so that we can lead successfully, and to tap innovationthroughout our organizations. Tension provides a succinct, highly readable and engaging ride through the innovation cycle with lessons for all!”

Vivian Lee, CEO University of Utah Healthcare, Dean of the School of Medicine

“Tension provides the road map of how to release the genius in you that isinnovative. 

Chris and Mitch Wasden are at the forefront of the innovationrevolution.  “Tension” will help you discover and release the best ideas you have and give you a way to monetize those ideas to build a better business.

If you have never been able to understand or harness the power of innovation, you need to read and study this book. It will flat out make your business better!”

Chester Elton New York Times Best Selling author of The Carrot Principle, All In & What Motivates Me

“Healthcare today benefits from two opposing dynamics; creative innovationand near perfection in consistency. But how to lead these potentially opposing paradigms in one organisations challenges leaders.  Tension provides well thought through and clear mental models and frameworks to harness the available energy in my organisation to bring more value to customers.”

Christopher McGowan, Chief Executive Officer, Silver Chain Group

“Tension will put you on the journey from mindless day-to-day process to mindful innovation and how to unleash your personal creativity from your cubicle. It reveals when to ride the innovation cycle vs. operations bike: the prescription offered by two brilliant entrepreneurs. It offers a path to tap the individual creativity inside you and transform your company along the way.”

Francis Gouillart, Co-author of The Power of Co-Creation

“Tension resonated from the first page. Today’s CEOs face the paradox of encouraging creative solutions to advance their companies while continuing to invest in strategies that discourage innovative power. In Tension Chris and Mitch Wasden describe this paradox in terms that will resonate with business leaders and OD practitioners alike. Their research clarifies how today’s business challenges are of our own making and releasing our creative genius is as easy as riding a bike!”

Alida Moose, SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Penn Mutual

“Chris Wasden and I established OrthoAccel based on many of the principles found in Tension.  These important concepts were relevant then, at the founding stage, and can still be applied today, during a period of significant growth.  The chapter featuring, “A Dozen Mindless Myths,” is particularly practical as it challenges the manager to defy conventional wisdom and think on an entirely different level to inspire innovation.  This book should be required reading for the growing number of venture incubators and accelerators that will continue to be a key source of innovation for generations to come.”

Mike Lowe, CEO, OrthoAccel

“Tension shows how companies can unleash their creative genius by applying the Innovation Life Cycle. This is a must read for any organization struggling to innovate.”

Dr. Michael Marquardt, Professor and Director of Executive Leadership Program, George Washington University

President, World Institute for Action Learning, Author of 25 books including global best-seller, Leading with Questions 

“In Tension, the Wasden’s and their Innovation Lifecycle have achieved a “Tour de Force” at the intersection of individual and collective innovativeactions. Both executives and managers will benefit from reading this conceptually sound and practically based book; for that matter, so would anyone contemplating organizational change through innovation.”

Dr. David Schwandt, Professor and Director of Executive Leadership Program, George Washington University

Join the movement to fuel your creative genius www.tensioninnovation.com

Join #idleg candidate Travis Manning @ManningforIdaho and gubernatorial candidate @AJforIdaho Balukoff this Monday #Caldwell

 

Join Travis Manning and Idaho gubernatorial candidate A.J. Balukoff this Monday, 4 to 5 pm in Caldwell.

All political parties are invited.

Feel free to bring questions for us. Free Mexican food!

Travis Manning:

For over 20 years, Travis Manning’s honesty and hard work have helped thousands of kids and made his communities, and Idaho, a better place.

Travis, 43, and wife Ann moved to Idaho 9 years ago because they thought it was the best place to raise a family.  Travis and Ann have 3 children, the twin boys, Cael and Whitaker age 4, and their adopted daughter from China, Eliza, 3, adopted during his first run for the Idaho House in 2012.  He is an Eagle Scout and former high school wrestling standout from Tacoma, Washington who has deep Idaho roots, and graduated from now BYU-Idaho in 1993.

As a teacher and community builder, Travis is active in his teacher organization serving on numerous committees.  He has been a Scout leader for much of his adult life.  And he has helped watchdog our democracy as Executive Director of The Common Sense Democracy Foundation of Idaho, enabling parents, teachers and community members to learn and speak out about our public schools and how we can better protect them.  He has been a voice for those who were afraid to speak out.

Travis has worked to shape the character of Idaho’s greatest natural resource: our kids.  He has been a public voice of reason with the op-eds he has written in newspapers statewide.  He has worked with legislators from both parties to make sure the voices of Idaho citizens are heard at the statehouse.

Travis Manning applies the same basic values to everything he does:  Act responsibly.  Speak truth to power.  Put other people first.  Support fair treatment and respect for all Idahoans.  As a principled leader, it is why he has been able to make such a difference in the lives of thousands of kids he has worked with over the years and it is why he will be able to make such a difference for Caldwell, and why he will be able to do even more as the next Representative in Caldwell’s District 10 seat A.

SOURCE: http://votetravismanning.com/

 

A.J. Balukoff:

AJ writes: More than 30 years ago, my wife Susie and I moved to Idaho because we believed it was the best place in the country to raise our children. Over the years, our family has enjoyed Idaho’s natural beauty and its culture, and I’ve had the good fortune to build a successful business and serve on the boards of several organizations. We have proudly watched our family grow to eight children and 30 grandchildren.

But now I see how our state government has neglected our public schools for far too many years and the toll that has taken on our great state, and I worry about the future facing my grandchildren and all of Idaho’s children.  And state economic policies are making it harder than ever for families to make ends meet.

That is why I’m running for governor.

While traveling around Idaho, I have heard from many Idahoans who are deeply worried about critical issues like our education system and economy. I’ve heard people talk about the urgent need for transparency, balance, and accountability in state government.

Unfortunately, Gov. Otter and other state leaders continue to focus on issues that polarize and divide people rather than bring us together. Many of these issues have no impact on most Idahoans. But they take time, energy, and resources away from the important issues: education and economy.

Idaho ranks 50th in the nation in the amount we invest in each student. We rank 47th in the rate of high school graduates who go on to college. State cuts in education spending have forced 40 districts to hold school only four days a week.

Education and our economy go hand in hand. We are  50th in the nation in per-capita income, and second in minimum-wage jobs. Idahoans are commuting out of state or working two jobs to make ends meet. The lack of good-paying jobs is undermining ourwonderful quality of living.

This is unacceptable.

As a certified public accountant for many years, and a businessman, and as a member of the board of several organizations, including St. Luke’s Treasure Valley, the Boise Philharmonic, and Boy Scouts of America, I have always recommended actions and policies that are fiscally sound.

As governor, I will use those same values and priorities to set policies that make sense for Idaho—not just fiscally and economically, but also for the people of Idaho. I will focus on the concerns of hardworking Idahoans, and listen to the public and key stakeholders rather than signing laws that ignore important voices. I am running for governor to restore balance, transparency, and accountability to our statehouse.

My father had only an eighth-grade education, but he insisted that each of us kids get a good education. I was the first of my grandfather’s descendants to obtain a college degree. I want to ensure that every Idaho child has an equal opportunity for a quality education.

With your support and our shared vision, we will restore the greatness of the beautiful state of Idaho.

SOURCE:  http://www.ajforidaho.com/about-aj

Court rules Paramus Catholic teachers can be tried for alleged overseas sex with students

Artur Sopel (left) and Michael Sumulikoski (right)

Excerpt from an article by  Dan Ivers/NJ.com

Two Paramus Catholic High School employees can stand trial for having sexual contact with students, despite the fact that the acts allegedly occurred during a trip overseas, an appeals court ruled this morning. Artur Sopel of River Edge, and Michael Sumulikoski of Elmwood Park, had contended that Bergen County authorities did not have jurisdiction to prosecute them.

The appeals court affirmed a July 2012 ruling by Bergen County Superior Court James Guida, who said that the accusations against Sopel and Sumulikoski would have constituted violations of their agreement to chaperone the students during their trip to Germany in February 2011.

Because the agreement originated in New Jersey, Guida ruled that moving the case forward would not violate international law. Read the full article.

Children With Autism ‘Fall Off the Cliff’ After Graduation

For four years, Janet Mino has worked with her young men, preparing them to graduate from JFK High School, a place that caters to those with special needs in the heart of one of the poorest cities in America, Newark, N.J.

All six of them have the severest form of autism, struggling to communicate, but Mino’s high-energy style evokes a smile, a hug and real progress.

Much of the work that she does may ultimately unravel because after these young men earn their diplomas, their future options are bleak — lingering at home, being placed in an institution or living on the streets.

READ THE FULL STORY