MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Keeping in mind the adage that all politics is local, please recognize the importance of voting in your local primary election today, Tuesday, February 20, for judicial and municipal officials, as well as school board members. If you don’t vote, you’ll have no grounds for grousing April 3 if you don’t like the choices on the ballot. Please plan your day to ensure you make it to the polls!

2007-09 Wisconsin State Budget Bill
Last Tuesday, all of Wisconsin’s Technical Colleges received relatively good news when Governor Jim Doyle proposed his 2007-09 biennium budget bill. The WTCS Board’s request for expanded Workforce Advancement Training grants is fully funded in the proposal (to grow by $6 million), and new funding is proposed for expanded veterans’ tuition remissions signed into law last year. As you may be aware, since Fall 2005, we have been giving 50% tuition remissions to Wisconsin veterans and their eligible dependents and spouses. However, the WTCS request for a significant general state aid increase was not funded and has not been increased since 2001.

Stay tuned as the budget bill progresses through the Legislature - many changes still can happen as the budget nears its target date for passage by both houses by July 1. In some budget years, the timeline for passage can extend several months into the biennium, though we hope that will not be the case this year.

News from the Hill
I attended the Association for Community College Trustee’s National Legislative Summit last week in Washington D.C. and found the hottest topics to be focused on funding, as usual. There is significant concern about proposed cuts to Carl D. Perkins funding, as well as the elimination of federal funding of Tech-Prep in 2008 and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG). In addition, there is a need for additional federal funds to cover any increases in the Pell grant maximum.

Learn About Renewable Energy
If your interest is sparked by renewable energy technologies, I urge you to talk with your dean or manager about attending the WTCS Renewable Energy Summit (PDF: 964KB) March 8-9, 2007. It is being held at Milwaukee Area Tech College. I’ll be joining the Presidents’ Panel and look forward to learning more about this growing and important field.

President’s Advisory Team
Next Monday is the monthly meeting of the President’s Advisory Team (PAT). Be sure to contact your representative if you have any issues to be brought before the group. Members of PAT and the groups they represent are:

Leadership Council
Corey Helser (Learner Success, Campus Life & Enrichment)

Full-time Faculty
Beverly Klein (business technology instructor)

Part-time Faculty
Sandra Docter (part-time teachers union)

Full-time Regional Faculty
Cindy Spankowski (supervisory management instructor, FortAtkinson)
Teresa Valencia (plastics instructor, Portage)

Part-time Regional Faculty
Michelle Anderson (algebra instructor, Portage)

PSRP
Annie Neuberger (Business administrative coordinator)
Jean Karls (Technical & Industrial administrative assistant)

Intercultural Council
Rocio Martinez (counselor)
Bernard Hoes (English instructor)

Students
Chris Listle (Student Senate president)

DTEC, Comm Ave, Fire Service Center, South Madison, T.E.C. Corridor
Ryan Liebert (controller, DTEC)

Fort Atkinson, Portage, Reedsburg, Watertown
John Alt (Economic and Workforce Development, Reedsburg)

MATC Marvels
Here are “favorite teachers” and some comments, as mentioned to me by students this week:

David Shaw, chemistry
Martin Redmann, police science
Victoria Hundhausen, English as a Second Language (ESL)
Kathy Moninger, surgical tech
Janet Romich, biology/chemistry
Mary Bartholomew, algebra
Charles Brown, adult basic education

Students also commented:
“…fantastic instructor…�
“… such a great instructor I would take the class all over again…�
“What we need is more comfy places to hang out, like a coffee shop, to study in but not so big and busy like the library.�

Other MATC Marvels
Tim Jacobson, financial aid administrator, organized Madison’s College Goal Sunday, which was held at the MATC Downtown Education Center. Governor Doyle proclaimed Sunday, February 11, as Wisconsin’s College Goal Sunday. Tim was interviewed by Channel 27 and appeared on the news Sunday evening and Monday morning. Great job, Tim! What a crowd compared to last year - 10 in 2006, 300 in 2007!

Craig Newman and Mike Masino of our Information Technology faculty recently passed certification exams to earn the title of GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst (GCFA). GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) is an internationally recognized IT security organization. As a result of their high scores on the certification exam, both Craig and Mike were invited to join the GIAC/SANS Advisory Board, which provides input on issues relating to GIAC certification exams and security training provided by the SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Networking, and Security) Institute.

Susan Valtierra, student activities specialist, for working with our students on the Educational Programming Board to coordinate our Black History month celebration, including a performance by our local American Idol contestant, Denise Jackson.

Please congratulate these employees for their hard work in developing a grant to the National Science Foundation, Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program to fund scholarships for low income students: Jeanette Mowery, Lori Kelley, Rocio Martinez, Gerard Xavier, Gashwin Saleno, Dzigbodi Akyea, John Stransky, David Shonkwiler, Edward Clarke, Anne Scott, Amy Brown, Denise McKay, Jan Van Keuren and Dana Maya.

Cindy Peckenpaugh and our Barber/Cosmetology students for providing free paraffin hand therapy treatments at the 2007 Business Women’s Expo. The treatments were so popular, women waited in line patiently throughout the day. By sharing information about the MATC Salon at the event, our students got a great feel for how to market a business and network with business professionals.

Our Dietetic Technician Program, led by Program Director Michael Braun, for earning continued accreditation.

Turina Bakken, marketing instructor, and Ed Clarke, grants and special projects coordinator, each for being featured as the guest on the local radio program On Air with In Business, broadcast weekday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m. on 1670 AM. You can tune in tonight to hear Turina discuss marketing, or visit the show’s website to listen to the podcast. Ed will be talking about economic development on an upcoming show.

Highlights of my week

• Attended the Association for Community College Trustees National Legislative Summit in Washington D.C. with three of our board trustees.
• Gave a presentation last Wednesday at the Downtown Madison Rotary Club, “MATC + Real World = Economic Development,” and shared some of our college culture with the audience by using iClickers during a group quiz and handing out chocolates for Valentine’s Day made by our Baking and Pastry Arts students.
• Met with UW-Madison Chief of Police Susan Riseling.
• Met with Joan Eisenstodt, one of the meeting and planning industry’s top leaders.
• Attended the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board meeting.
• Had my photo taken by MATC grad Pete Olsen, for an Isthmus article on higher education due out soon.
• Met with Heather LaRoi, the Wisconsin State Journal higher education reporter.
• Attended the Educational Programming Board’s celebration of Black History Month held in the Truax Cafeteria.
• Attended the Business Women’s Expo.
• Visited the Fort Atkinson School Board with MATC District Board Chair Jerry McGowan to talk about enhancing our services and partnerships with the district.
• Held a Protective Services Facilities Summit.
• Attended College Council’s CQI training.

In closing, I would like to share a quote of John Engler, former governor of Michigan and current executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers, that underscores how important it is for us to train skilled workers in the United States. He gave this quote last week at the National Legislative Summit for community college trustees:

“If we snooze we lose.”

Have a great week!

Bettsey