MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,
I’m sure many of you will agree that we were very busy at the college last week! It was a week of celebration and renewal as we honored students at several recognition events and hosted two evaluators as part of the AQIP Quality Checkup visit.

AQIP News
The AQIP visit went extremely well, and it is difficult for me to convey just how proud I am of MATC and our faculty and staff. I wish you all could have been there on Friday to hear the examiners telling us how wonderful we are and how much we have improved since our portfolio was submitted a few years ago. I’ll share just a few of their comments here:

• MATC is on track and making phenomenal strides in the right direction;
• not one challenge was noted that did not already have a group working on it;
• diversity, both traditional and non-traditional, is being looked at in the broadest sense;
• MATC is appreciated by its community;
• student support is excellent-MATC illustrates that a focus on students can be done; and
• resources are being put in the right places to create a better place for students.

I want to thank all of the staff who helped prepare the college for this important visit, especially Scott Beard, Becky Baumbach, Kelly Schulte and other members of the AQIP Steering Committee (Maria Banuelos, Ed Clarke, Keith Cornille, Debbie Derr, Nancy Johnson, Joe Lowndes, Denise McKay, Nancy McMahon, Janice Mettauer, Annie Neuberger, Roger Price, Denise Reimer, Todd Stebbins, Terrie Thorstad, Gwen Torkelson, Mary Vlisides, Diane Walleser and Terry Webb). You led us through the accreditation process flawlessly!

In celebration of the AQIP Quality Checkup visit, my office is covering the cost of lunch tickets for faculty and staff at this week’s spring picnics at Truax and the Downtown Education Center. No ticket is needed, simply get in line and indicate you’re faculty/staff. Please join the students in celebrating the end of another productive year!

Student honors
At Thursday evening’s athletic banquet we celebrated a huge accomplishment at MATC-this is the first time in our 43-year history that our athletic teams swept ALL conference and state championships! This includes baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, golf, soccer, softball and women’s volleyball. Congratulations to all of the athletics staff and coaches led by Athletic Director Steve Hauser. Way to go, WolfPack! Also, congratulations to the student athletes who were recognized for their academic achievements by receiving WTCC All-Conference (45 recipients), WJCAA All-State (9 recipients), and/or NJCAA All-American (2 recipients) academic honors, thanks to the academic support and help of Scott Ritter and Geraldo VilaCruz.

I also want to thank the many staff who helped organize last week’s Spring Awards Banquet and Foundation Scholarship Breakfast. I hope you had an opportunity to attend at least one of these events. It is truly uplifting to recognize our donors and celebrate our student’s accomplishments and hear their stories.

Speaking of students…
Friday morning a student came to see me just to tell me how wonderful the staff and faculty have been to her and other students at both Fort Atkinson and Truax campuses. The student related how she was at the end of possible resources when staff members contributed from their own pockets to help her. Though she said there were numerous support staff and faculty who have helped her, she particularly mentioned Pam Chrostowski-Wright, Susanna Valtierra and Kay Wagner.

Jill Mason shared a conversation she recently had with a student. Jill met a student in the hallway to whom she recalled giving the COMPASS test a few years back, and asked how he was doing. The student informed Jill that he would soon be traveling to Denver as part of the Recreation Services program. He praised the “incredible DRS services” he received here, and as he headed into a classroom to take a test, he said, “MATC creates miracles!” Hats off to Sandy Hall and the staff in Disability Resource Services, who demonstrate that we really do make a positive difference in the lives of our students.

Student celebrations continue this week, and I hope you will have an opportunity to stop in at the Spring Portfolio Show at Monona Terrace on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. If you’ve never attended this event, I highly recommend it. Students from Architectural Technician, Graphic Design and Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, Animation-Concept Development and Visual Communications–Media Design display their talents for area businesses who are looking to hire our graduates.

The work of our talented and creative students also is featured in the student-written and produced literary journal, Yahara Journal. Join students, faculty and staff this Friday, May 2, for the Yahara Journal Book Release Celebration at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Lounge at Truax. Stop by and pick up a free copy of this year’s edition.

MATC Marvels
Here are this week’s “favorite teachers and staffâ€? as mentioned to me by students:
Patrick Barlow, employee development (CETL)
Lisa Seidman, biotechnology
David Heinzen, automotive
Darcie Olson, occupational therapy
Mark Kern, physics

Other MATC Marvels
Congratulations to accounting instructor Jerry Lehman, who was recognized as this year’s Distinguished Teacher Award recipient at the Scholarship Awards Luncheon last Wednesday. Jerry received high praise from his student nominators. One student stated, “What’s really unique about Jerry is that you can come to him and ask questions about other classes or basically anything you need to talk about. I pick role models in life who possess certain skills such as friendliness, generosity, humility and willingness. Jerry has every one of these virtues, and I strive to be just like him.” Another stated, “He is the very best teacher I have had at MATC because of his teaching methods. His explanations are comprehensive, deliberate, and understandable, making them clear as a bell.” Thank you, Jerry, for all you do for our students.

English instructor Matthew Guenette’s new book of poetry, Sudden Anthem (winner of the 2007 American Poetry Journal Book Prize), is now out. You can find it on Amazon, or you can get it through Matthew (for less). Congratulations, Matthew!

Highlights of my week

• attended the Leadership Brown Bag;
• held a President’s Advisory Team meeting;
• met with community leaders at an event hosted by Kathleen Woit of the Madison Community Foundation;
• participated in the United Way Board and Strategic Planning meeting;
• hosted a president’s table with guests Paul Gabriel, executive director of the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association; Bill Herman and Andy Fabian from Dental Associates of Madison; Michael Gehrmann and Tim Moser of EMD Chemicals; and Scott Ducke and Todd Shauff of Park Bank;
• attended College Council;
• visited with student leaders at the annual Spring Awards Celebration;
• attended several of the AQIP sessions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday;
• dropped in at the Administrative Professionals Week celebration;
• visited with students and scholarship donors and gave a presentation at the annual Foundation Scholarship Awards Celebration;
• hosted a meeting with MATC District Board chair Jan Bultema and UW Hospitals and Clinics President and CEO Donna Katen-Bahensky;
• congratulated our student athletes at the annual Athletics Banquet;
• attended the annual Wisconsin Campus Compact Presidents and Chancellors Meeting;
• stopped in at the Celebrate Madison event, which was held at DTEC on Saturday afternoon (Marty Crabbs did a great job of organizing our hosting of this event); and
• cheered our baseball team as they defeated Sauk Valley Community College on Sunday.

Let me end with just one of the wonderful comments made to us by the AQIP examiners last week:
“I would be proud to have a child go through your system and graduate from this school…I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it.”

Bettsey