MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,

What an amazing week at MATC! Last week, there were many exciting and heartwarming activities that took place from the student awards banquet, scholarship breakfast and athletics banquet, to the Pow Wow.  Everywhere I went, staff, faculty and students of MATC shined! Congrats and thanks to everyone. Don’t forget, the MATC Cookout is today at DTEC and Thursday at Truax. Volunteers are still needed.

Board Appointment Results
The MATC District Board Appointment Committee recently appointed three people to continue their service on the MATC District Board for additional three-year terms expiring June 30, 2012. They are DeForest School Superintendent Dr. Jon Bales, Vice President of Human Resources at UW Hospital and Clinics Janice Bultema and South Central Federation of Labor President James Cavanaugh. In addition, the committee appointed Dr. Noel Radomski to complete the remainder of Carousel Bayrd’s term which expires June 30, 2010. Dr. Radomski is the Director and Associate Researcher at UW-Madison Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education (WISCAPE). He will join the MATC District Board on July 1, 2009. These appointments must still be approved by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board at its meeting on May 19, 2009.

President Obama on Higher Education
I urge you to read President Obama’s recent remarks about education. He talks about the importance of making college available to everyone. It’s another indication, this time from our nation’s leader, that what we do here at MATC is so important.

President’s Listening Sessions on the Facilities Master Plan
I would like to invite you to one of these listening sessions regarding the Facilities Master Plan:

Monday, May 4
9 to 10 a.m.
Truax (Mitby Theater)
Portage (Room 107) (via web broadcast)
Reedsburg (Conference Room 130 via web broadcast)

Monday, May 4
11 a.m. to Noon
DTEC (Room 240)

Thursday, May 7
10 to 11 a.m.
Cisco Teleconference
Fort Atkinson (Room 109)
Watertown (Room 138)

MATC Pow Wow
Saturday’s Pow Wow in the Redsten gym drew a big crowd! More than 1500 people enjoyed the beautiful tradition and pageantry of the Native American Pow Wow. Thanks to the Pow Wow planning committee: Tina Ahedo, Maria Banuelos, Scott Beard, Kim Bethea, Rachel Byington, Juanita Comeau, Veronica Delcourt, Brian Jackson, Tammy Manthe, Rebecca Parish, Alejandro Riano, Marty Richards, Nicole Soulier, Tim Fish, D’Ann Zickert, Sandra Blumer, and the meeting and events and duplicating staff. Also, thanks to the many faculty and staff who helped at the Pow Wow.

SkillsUSA State Conference
MATC once again did well at the SkillsUSA State Conference, which held several events here on campus. Congratulations to instructors Tony Stute, welding, and JR Colvin and Lonnie Lingard, machine tool, Rod Kohlhepp and Tim Hoege, auto collision repair and auto refinishing technology. All the diesel staff, especially Paul  Morschauser, helped at the Alliant Energy Center either delivering equipment, setting up of contests, running contests, operating forklifts, loading equipment, as well as setting-up and tearing down.

Portfolio Show
Don’t miss Thursday’s (April 30) Portfolio Show—“MATC Marvels of Creativity.â€? It runs from 4 to 8 p.m. at Monona Terrace. MATC students in the Animation, Architectural Design, Graphic Design and Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, and Visual Communications programs will be showcasing their talents. Admission is free.

Retirement Reception
Mark your calendar for this year’s retirement reception on Thursday, May 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Truax Student Lounge. We hope you can stop by and say a warm thank you to our retirees.

Redsten Golf Outing
Fore! The Foundation’s Doug Redsten Golf Classic is right around the corner. The event brings together MATC’s family and friends to honor the memory of Doug Redsten, celebrate MATC alumni, and raise funds for student success. Please join us on Monday, May 18 at The Bridges Golf Club in Madison for an 18 hole best ball scramble. The registration fee is $125 per person for a day of fun, food, and fellowship. Please complete your registration form by Friday, May 1.

MATC Marvels
Here are some names of college instructors and staff recently mentioned to me by students:
Sarah Mingione, fitness, health and recreation
Anne Schacherl, business law
Frances Moritz, learner success project leader
Gary “Big Dog� Breneman, food service, and baseball and men’s basketball manager
David Sarocka, mathematic
John Henderickson, science
Debra Olsen, counselor

More MATC Marvels
At a recent statewide Firefighters Conference, our Auto/Fire Hybrid Vehicle Safety Program was highlighted. Here is a photo of our collaborative partnership with Jon Lancaster of the new vehicle for the program. Kudos to auto faculty Jeff Minter, David Heinzen, Paul Flogel, Joe Padrutt, John Palacio, Greg Weier and Steve Wilcox—and fire faculty and staff Lisa Becher, George Burke, Rob Kunze, Scott Larson and Dawn Way.   

Schauna Rasmussen, Project Manager, spoke at the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee at their information hearing. The agenda was on how the WTCS uses its program development process to anticipate Wisconsin’s future and meet the needs of the 21st Century economy and the aspect of program development to build career pathways and address emerging industries needs. Schauna’s topic was “Maximizing the Return on Investment—using foundational lab courses to build multiple program paths.â€?

The MATC VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Center wrapped up its free tax return services earlier this month and the numbers were impressive! From January 27 to April 7 the Center processed 964 free tax returns for the community. Total refunds were close to $716,000. Special thanks to Bill Padley and our accounting students, Dawn Anderson and the Center for Business and Applied Arts team, Maria Banuelos and Tina Ahedo, the facilities team, and the Foundation. 

The Medical Assisting Education Review Board has approved the appointment of Connie Matheson as the Medical Assisting Program Director at MATC.

MATC has been awarded $14,222 from the Unidata Program Center, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research for the Meteorological Interactive Processing Project. The funds will be used to purchase equipment that will enable students across MATC’s campuses to create weather forecasts from real time global data. Congratulations to the development team: Matthew Lazzara,  Brian Goodman and Scott Lindstrom, physical sciences, Todd Stebbins, arts and sciences, Amy Brown, financial resources, and Ed Clarke, Dana Maya and Anne Scott, grants department.

Highlights of my week:
• participated in the United Way of Dane County Strategic Planning Retreat;
• hosted president’s tables with guests Londa Dewey and Janet Johnson, QTI Group, Laurel Brownhouse, Brownhouse Design LLC, Donna Gray, Total Rewards and Promotions, and Al Fish, UW-Madison;
• visited with student leaders at the Spring Awards Banquet;
• stopped in to hear motivational speaker LeDerick Horne;
• dropped in at the Administrative Professionals Week celebration;
• spoke at the annual MATC Foundation Scholarship Awards Celebration;
• congratulated our student athletes at the annual Athletic Banquet; and
• attended the fall meeting of the WTCS District Boards Association in Appleton.

In closing, here is a quote from a student email I recently received:

“I have a solid educational foundation due to MATC and the Paralegal Program. I do not think that I would be as prepared to continue on for my BA had I chosen another college. So, thank you for the opportunity to be a student and learn from some of the best!! I honestly will miss attending MATC.�

Thank you for all you do for our students.

Bettsey