MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Last Thursday, Governor Jim Doyle and First Lady Jessica Doyle made MATC a stop on their campaign to spread the word about the Wisconsin Covenant, a pledge eighth graders take to prepare for college and be a good citizen. According to the governor, those who meet the pledge requirements can expect to attend college in Wisconsin.

As part of the event, MATC hosted about 200 local eighth graders who experienced a “slice of college life” with campus tours, a student panel, interactive displays and a pep rally with the Governor and First Lady. More than 50 staff and faculty members helped plan, prepare and present the event. Mac Robertson and Wolfie opened the day with an inspirational song (and dance) for the students. Some of the faculty and staff who presented displays include George Alexander, Rachel Baker, Scott Baxter, Geoff Bradshaw, Diana Brandner, Jacob Eapen, John Fahey, Jim Grenzow, Richard Heller, Lisa Hubacher, Betty Hurd, Ronald Koci, Michael Kostrna, Kenneth McCullough, Nina Milbauer, Jeanette Mowery, Cynthia Peckenpaugh, Martin Redmann, Gashwin Saleno, Maria Tuduri, Gail Walker and Jeffrey Wenzel. I know many others also helped with the event, and I want to let everyone know how much your hard work was appreciated.

The end of the spring semester always brings excitement and new beginnings for our students. It also marks new directions for our retiring faculty and staff. Last week, we honored more than 40 retirees at the annual retirement reception. I’d like to take this opportunity to again thank each of them for their years of dedication to our students and for sharing their enthusiasm for learning with us. I hope many will chose to join our retiree group and stay connected in the years to come.

Speaking of new beginnings, I’d like to welcome Roger Price, the new Vice President of Infrastructure. Roger will provide leadership to the MATC District in operational services areas that include policy formulation and oversight; district financial services; facilities master planning, management and maintenance; public safety; information technology; and district budget development and management. He comes to us from the Madison Metropolitan School District where he serves as Assistant Superintendent/Business Services and brings with him 30 years of experience in public education business management. Welcome, Roger!

MATC Marvels
Though I have talked to a number of students this week, I keep the conversation very short at the end of the semester as they are preoccupied with final projects and exams. At this time I would like to honor all faculty by mentioning that one of the most common comments I hear from students is that, “all of my teachers are awesomeâ€? or “wonderfulâ€? or “great examples.â€? I can’t tell you how many students say to me, “they are all my favorites.â€? So, I say to you faculty as you end another school year, thanks for all you do for our students.

Other MATC Marvels
MATC has been awarded a Title VI International Education Grant from the Department of Education. The grant will provide two years of funding (roughly $85,000 per year) to establish a partnership with UW for new strategic language instruction (Arabic and Chinese), expand international curriculum and student learning opportunities with new courses and a Global Studies Certificate, and increase opportunities for faculty and staff professional development. Special thanks goes to grant writers Geoff Bradshaw, Ed Clarke and Dana Maya.

Congratulations go to science instructor Holly Walter Kerby whose play was selected for inclusion in the recently published The Art of the One Act: An Anthology by New Issues Press. It’s a volume of 26 new plays and useful notes about play dynamics and construction. In a review of the book, Larry Schwartz of Library Journal, said “The plays themselves range from the sweet and tender to the adamantly bizarre, and there is not a clunker among them. Of particular note are Holly Walter Kerby’s descriptions of a modern affliction in ‘Attention’…”

Thanks to the support of MATC Reedsburg ESL instructor Ann Deitrich, a student in her class has become a published author. Encouraged by Ann, Reedsburg ESL student Elizabeth Grynevich submitted her writing to a contest sponsored by The Key, a newspaper, published by Milwaukee Area Technical College, that Ann uses in her classes as a discussion point for current issues. Elizabeth’s submission was selected for publication in the 2007 anthology, Journeys and Destinations. Thank you, Ann, for your support and encouragement of our students’ endeavors!

We are silver and bronze winners for our dental hygiene learning object, “Radiographical and Anatomical Landmarks.” The silver was won in the Education/Training category and the bronze in the College and University category. This award is “big” in the sense that participants and award winners are typically business and industry. We are one of the few colleges that have received this award. Congratulations to our dental hygiene faculty, Tammy Downing and Heidi Petersen, and Digital Media Specialist Joan Millard.

We can thank Bill Lorenz, industrial maintenance instructor, and his students next time we stop by the Truax Snack Bar for a cold treat on a hot day. Bill’s students received a real-world experience when they repaired the icemaker and small freezer housed in the Snack Bar.

Highlights of my week

• Attended “AQIP Vital Focus: The Next Stepâ€? listening sessions at Fort Atkinson, Watertown, Downtown and Truax.
• Visited the Verona School Board with MATC District Board member Jim Cavanaugh to talk about enhancing our services and partnerships with the district. This is one of a series of board-to-board outreach visits that we are making to every one of our 40 school districts.
• Met with Fort Atkinson community leaders.
• Attended TEMPO featuring Dr. Constance Steinkuehler from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who talked about Cognition, Learning, and Literacy in Virtual Worlds.
• Visited with interior design instructors Tiffany Esser, Jessica Mahne and Lisa Nienhaus and their students.
• Attended Downtown Rotary and learned about a fellow member’s scuba diving expedition to the Rivillagigedo group of islands, some 300 miles off the southern tip of Mexico in the Sea of Cortez.
• Attended the MATC District Board meeting.
• Hosted the President’s Cultural Diversity Council spring meeting.
• Dropped in at Michalangelo’s Coffeehouse to see Greg Schulte’s Studio Art Class Independent Projects exhibition.
• Welcomed nearly 200 eighth graders and the Governor and Mrs. Doyle to the signing of the Wisconsin Covenant.
• Participated in the monthly WTCS Presidents meeting.
• Met with Meriter Hospital President and CEO James Woodward and Community Relations Director Mary Carr Lee.
• Met with representatives from The Clements Group.

In closing, as we near the end of the semester and graduation day, here is a quote by Colin L. Powell:

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.�

This will be my last message until the summer session begins June 11. Thanks, again, for all you do for our students!

Bettsey