MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Last Friday was the first meeting of the President’s Advisory Team (PAT) for this school year.  Members of the team include Michele Anderson-Portage, Lynn Baldwin-Culinary/Leisure/Business Tech, Marty Crabbs-Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP), Jeff Dodge-Regional Campus East, Zong Her-Institutional Research/Effectiveness, Katie Korovets-Reedsburg, Reggie Mosher-Technology Services, Steve Noll-Marketing, and Ana Zambie-College Preparedness/Academic Advancement.  Concerns that members brought up included questions about movements of any staff, particularly Terry Webb , about the physical changes that are being made to the Bursar’s Office , to the need for new organizational charts on the website, and an incentive to encourage more people to read MATC Matters, all of which we plan to be addressing within the next month.  The next PAT meeting will be Thursday, October 23, 8:15-9:15am, Truax Cafeteria lower level 129C.  We are trying a new method this year whereby faculty, staff and students are welcome and invited to observe the meeting.

At 10:30 on Tuesday morning Roberta Gassman, State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary, will be on campus to hold a news conference announcing Wisconsin’s new online job center.  The new online job center is expected to help simplify the job hunting process, and soon-to-be MATC graduates will be testing out the new site.  This event will be held in the Truax Library and all are welcome.

The new Mentoring Minority Males Scholars Program or 3MSP was launched with a special dinner which was attended by student scholars (we have 23 students enrolled in this year’s pilot program), their mentors, and family members. A collaboration between the Office of Diversity and Community Relations, the Student Development Center and the Financial Aid Office, the program provides support for minority male students at MATC. Mentors include staff and faculty and men from the Madison area, and is funded in part by an MATC Foundation Innovations Grant. This program’s goal is to provide an encouraging and accepting environment for young minority males who can benefit from participation in this learning community.

Thanks to the mentors and all involved with this project including Maria Banuelos, Tina Ahedo and Nicole Soulier, diversity and community relations; Carlotta Calmese, retention and student development; Eddie “Charles� Cunningham, student development; Tim Jacobson, financial aid; and Abdulcadir Sido, Learner Success.

Campus Fun Day
Last week Student Life held its first Campus Fun Day event and a lot of FUN was had by all. The next Fun Day event happens this Thursday (9/25) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at DTEC and will feature interactive games, opportunities to tie-dye shirts, music and more. As fall is officially here, this is a great opportunity for students (as well as faculty and staff) to say “good-bye� to a great summer season.

Healthy Options at MATC
MATC is offering opportunities to stay fit and healthy this fall. The new Well Credits program is designed to encourage employees to take ownership of their well‑being by taking steps toward a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. MATC will support you by offering a range of wellness opportunities. Each time you participate in one of these wellness opportunities, you can earn between one and five wellness credits.

In addition, you can sign-up for the October Start! Challenge sponsored by the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA began the Start! program as a way to fight heart disease and stroke. An individual or team can register and choose an activity. You track progress made over the month of October, giving you an opportunity to win prizes as well as kick-start your fitness routine.

MATC Marvels
Here are “favorite teachers� who were mentioned to me by students:
Martha Olsen, reading
John “Jack� Hart, hospitality/tourism
Marsha Tweedy, dental assisting
Kevin Mirus, mathematics

Other MATC Marvels
Turina Bakken, Carol Beechler, Jennifer Bentley, Carlotta Calmese, Keith Cornille, Jennifer Hoege, Bradley Kahn, Norma Kropp, Fran Moritz, Tina Rettler, Anne Schacherl, Geraldo VilaCruz, Jane Wachira, Diane Walleser, Rochelle Wanner and Terry Webb all played key roles with last week’s American Bar Association’s on-site visit about Paralegal Program accreditation.

As was mentioned in my letter last week, Administrative Assistant Online Program students were asked to critique Inside MATC as part of an assignment for a Professional Profile course. I would like to recognize staff who support our online programs: Jayme Kerr, Annette Koenig, Peri Mills, Kathy Allen, Pat Roe, Steve Hineline, Jim Patton and Mitch Millan.

News that came over the summer bears repeating. We learned that all 53 of our May Veterinary Technician program graduates did exceptionally well on the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE), scoring significantly higher than the national average for this very challenging exam. Congratulations to our graduates and to the Veterinary Technician faculty and support staff!

Some of you may have read about the discussion on tuition at a recent meeting. That discussion has continued in an editorial by UW School of Business Dean Michael Knetter on the relative cost of tuition at UW-Madison and UW System schools. As we know, technical colleges remain a great value for all students and may help ease the financial drain on those planning to continue at either UW-Madison or a UW System college.

Highlights of my week
• met with representatives from the American Bar Association as part of an on-site visit related to the accreditation of our Paralegal Program;
• attended a special Overture Center presentation honoring Chancellor John and Georgia Wiley;
• met with the executive board of our Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP) union;
• met with the MATC Foundation Campaign Management Committee;
• attended the annual Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce event with four district board trustees and had the opportunity to speak with John and Tashia Morgridge after the program;
• met with Bob Dinndorf and Pend Armistead of The Clements Group to receive an update on the Foundation fundraising campaign;
• greeted attendees at a dinner meeting of our Native American Community Councils of Color;
• attended a 25 year celebration at the Executive Residence for the Wisconsin Women’s Council;
• visited with students at the Campus Fun Day;
• met with a candidate for the position of Health and Safety Dean;
• met with Joe Lowndes, full-time faculty union president;
• welcomed participants at a kick-off meeting for the Mentoring Minority Males Scholars Program (3MSP);
• held the first President’s Advisory Team (PAT) meeting for the new school year (PAT is comprised of district-wide representation from full- and part-time faculty, paraprofessional and school related personnel, students and administrators); you are welcome to come and observe at any of the meetings (8:15-9:15am, Truax Cafeteria on Thursday October 23, and the following Fridays-November 21, January 16, February 13, March 6 and April 10)
• was interviewed by a student working on his dissertation;
• attended an opening reception at the Artisan Gallery in Belleville for a new exhibit by commercial art instructors Chris Gargan and John Ribble;
• spent the day on Saturday with a major foundation donor; and
• attended a reception on Saturday hosted by Jill Mason, student learning center, to welcome a delegation of education and community leaders from the North Urals region of Russia who will be visiting Madison (and MATC) through September 26.  The visitors are interested in learning about creative partnership programs that provide solutions to local community social issues.  They are especially interested in models for community and economic development to create new jobs, redesign university and technical education systems, and engage the community.  This visit was made possible by the National Peace Foundation and the Library of Congress Open World Leadership Program.  Thank you to Jill Mason for hosting this reception and to Terry Wermuth, foundation accounting, Marty Richards, English instructor, and David Peterson, accounting instructor, for hosting the visitors.  Thanks, also, to Geoff Bradshaw for coordinating the visit.

In closing, here is a quote by John W. Gardner:

“There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure—all your life.”

Have a great week!

Bettsey