MATC Matters

The following information is intended to help you better understand the Facilities Master Plan. It also includes useful information about MATC.

Bragging Points

•A 2006 study by the Wisconsin Taxpayer’s Alliance showed that MATC and its 15 sister technical colleges throughout the state have an annual impact of about $6.9 billion on the state’s economy. This represents a return to taxpayers of $3.62 for every $1 invested in the system.

•The study also estimated that 2005-06 graduates, the last year studied, will earn $2.1 billion more than they would with just a high school diploma. This translates as a return to taxpayers of $6 for every $1 invested.

•For two-year associate degrees and certificate programs, more than 93 percent of MATC students get jobs after graduation, and 98 percent of employers say they are satisfied or very satisfied with the graduates’ technical knowledge.

•97 percent of MATC graduates work in Wisconsin; 81.5 percent in the MATC District.

•More than 600 students transferred to University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007-2008 and more than 600 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates enroll each year at MATC for career-related programs.

•MATC maintains its legacy of thrifty use of tax dollars by using a mill rate lower than the statutory limit.  Currently, MATC has the sixth lowest mill rate among the 16 technical colleges.

•As we approach our 100 year anniversary (2012) we are not only celebrating our accomplishments of the past century, but we are planning for the next century. (The Truax campus opened in 1986.)

Why Need for New and Appropriate Space

•Health care boom: Dane County expects the number of residents over the age of 65 to double by 2030, increasing the need for health care services.  Many of these programs at our college have waiting lists.
 
•New fields: New education and training programs in emerging fields, such as biotechnology, information technology and medical equipment. 

•Demographic imperatives: The college, along with the rest of the state, will need to retool its services for a dramatic increase in non-traditional students. MATC must respond with innovative programs and virtual classrooms using new technologies, such as online and distance learning.

•During the past several years, MATC students have expressed concerns regarding specific space needs.  Specifically our students have identified:

- Overcrowding in Truax Library, Writing Center and Learning Center.
- Increased need for access to computer, quiet study space, and group study space.
- Lack of appropriate facilities for student organizations and clubs.
- Space needed for Transfer and Career Center.
- Space needed for Health Education Center.
- Increased need for workshop and seminar rooms.
- Need for appropriately designed entertainment venues.

•MATC has become a resource for nontraditional students who need additional training for the job market or a more student-centric environment for the first two years of a four-year college degree.

•MATC enrolls more than 44,000 students each year from 12 counties located in south central Wisconsin.

•MATC students pursue more than 140 careers, including culinary arts, nursing, manufacturing technology, graphic arts and electron microscopy.

•Several programs, including nursing, graphic design, welding, auto technician, medical transcription and culinary arts have at least a year-long waiting list.

•Even as we move to a year round schedule, our facilities are at capacity. All sites are full during the prime daytime enrollment hours. All Madison sites are at capacity during the evening hours, and most regional facilities are also at capacity in the evening.

•Assuming existing program distribution and growth we face a 70 percent deficit in classrooms and teaching labs Downtown and a 50 percent deficit in classrooms and teaching labs at the Truax Campus.

•All five regional campuses have current, but varying, space deficits so will eventually see building expansion and site improvements. The plan assumes the existing distribution of programs among campuses.

•Full time equivalent enrollments have increased from 8,287 in 2000 to 9,428 in 2008. Growth of students in spring semester 2009 is 6+ percent over last year. 

•The type of spaces required for educating today’s workers has changed significantly since the Truax design of the 1970’s, when colleges were set up to serve large groups of people. There is now a greater need for small group and one-on-one gatherings. More students are coming underprepared and there is a greater demand for more accessible services.

•This plan is based on anticipated and calculated space needs for the next 10-15 years.

•At the same time that this process was taking shape, the College created an Academic Plan (October 2007) to project demographic and economic trends as well as trends in higher education over a five to ten-year horizon. From that point on, the plan has been targeted toward supporting the functionality of the Academic Plan.

•The plan is based on an average 2 percent growth in FTE students annually for 10 years (20 percent increase). The Academic Plan forecasts 3 percent growth, but 1 percent is expected to require only virtual facilities.

•The plan includes an in-depth analysis of current MATC facilities, an evaluation of transportation and parking issues, and an analysis of future land uses including outlying properties.

•The current campus facilities do not have appropriate space to integrate student services with support strategies. The College needs to invest in student oriented space that enhances the students experience and contributes directly to the academic and career success of its students.

•Historically the southwest portion of the MATC district has been underserved by facilities in Madison. A new campus in the southwest will serve the area of our District that contains the greatest number of adults.

•MATC needs to be responsive to changing economic conditions. Operating at capacity makes it difficult to find flexible space necessary to respond to immediate needs. Flexible space enables the College to offer flexible programming to better meet the needs of dislocated workers in a timely fashion. It also allows the College to offer accelerated programming to adult students at times and places convenient to them.

•The College embraces its role as a college that welcomes those who need its assistance to build a better quality of life; however, it must do so at a level of rigor equivalent to other higher education institutions. A modern college campus facility communicates that the college is a place of higher expectations, higher academic achievement levels, and a sound first choice for a technical career or an academic starting point.
 
Frequently Asked Questions

•What are the goals of the Plan? To aggregate and provide a framework for all plans for facilities in the next 10-15 years. The Plan has four major goals:

- to guide the college in developing annual financial budgets;
- to work with the State of Wisconsin and the State Technical College Board;
- to pursue public and private opportunities for capital dollars; and
- to leverage the financial capabilities of the college.

•Does the Plan commit MATC to anything specific? The current plan does not specifically delineate the scope of any future undertaking, does not approve the construction of building or other improvements and does not predestine a referendum amount or a timeline.

•What is the estimated cost of the Plan? At this early point in the planning process, the high-priority projects are estimated to cost $329 million. The estimated costs are there to guide the District Board. There are no plans to immediately do $329 million worth of work.

•Are we eliminating the Mitby Theater? No, we are transforming it to modern venues that are of appropriate size and space for our needs. JJR is recommending that the Mitby be transformed into a student services center and a redesigned new entryway at the college’s Truax Campus. This is by far the most cost efficient way to provide performing arts space while meeting the broad needs of students and the community.

•Are we eliminating the downtown campus? No, we are striving to integrate the academic programs provided downtown into the surroundings. We hope to do this with creative business partnerships.

•Are we eliminating the Commercial Avenue campus? At this point in the planning process, JJR is recommending we move all programs from the Commercial Avenue campus to new and renovated buildings at the Truax campus.

•Who is on the Facilities Master Plan Steering Committee? President, all three Vice Presidents, Associate VP for Learner Success, Associate VP for Diversity and Community Relations, Dean for Learner Development (representing student services), Director of Facilities, Full-Time Faculty Union President, Faculty.

•Why would you think about this type of project during these bad economic times? We started this project in 2005 and are simply continuing on course because we need to be ready for what comes next. We are here and provide education and job training in both good times and bad.

•What is MATC’s current situation? The unemployment rate in Wisconsin and in Dane County continues to rise.  Our enrollment is up 6.5 percent. People need retraining because they have lost their jobs or they fear losing their jobs. Recent high-school graduates are turning to community colleges because they are affordable. The current situation is that MATC’s programs are critical for serving our communities, now more than ever.