Loss Unites Educators The recent tragedy at Virginia Tech touched everyone at MATC. We join in mourning the senseless loss of precious life, and we keep the victims and their families and friends in our thoughts and prayers. I hope healing can take root on many levels. As educators, we especially relate when disaster strikes students, faculty and staff - near or far. All of us share an enduring bond. The safety of our students, employees and visitors is an everyday priority for this college. Please remember that safety is a shared responsibility. You can help Public Safety by alerting them to any suspicious and/or unusual activity. Along with colleges nationwide, we are updating our plans for crisis communications and response. We propose, in the process, to add sworn police officers to our security force for the first time. They would be fully empowered first responders, able to make arrests. To give them such authority would require an act of the Legislature. Independent of that, they could be certified to carry firearms. I am asking the MATC District Board for budget authority to add five of these  "public safety specialists" as quickly as possible. They would be based at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus. Long-term, in keeping with a district-wide focus, we hope to have a safety specialist presence at all campuses. This plan is modeled after those currently in place at UW campuses, including UW-Milwaukee. Public Safety's Campus Crime Alerts will continue to broadcast information about safety issues and criminal activities. Please understand, though, that the need to inform must be balanced sometimes against the need to assist investigations. Some details of some incidents must be withheld in order for police to effectively question suspects and obtain verifiable confessions. Even before Virginia Tech, the administration was taking a new look at campus safety. Here and across the country, that now has gained utmost urgency. This is our last Communique for the 2006-07 school year. I want to wish everyone a safe, happy and successful summer. Darnell E. Cole President

April 2007 McGowan Receives 'Partners' Award Congratulations to Sean McGowan, president and CEO of Tramont Corporation, for receiving the 2007 Partners in Excellence award from the MATC Foundation. E = (MATC)2 Expanding on our commitment to energy sustainability, large solar arrays soon will be installed on rooftops at the Mequon and Oak Creek campuses. Green Vehicles on Campus Judging by the extensive media coverage, this year's annual Green Vehicles Workshop showed that energy sustainability is a growing public priority. Job Fair Connects Employers to Students and Community Student Employment Services assisted hundreds of people with employment contacts and job information at the Oak Creek Campus Job Fair on April 3. Summer and Fall Semester Registration Push As always at this time of year, please encourage students to register for their next classes before the current semester ends. ECAM on Track for Fall Opening I am pleased to report that the center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing (ECAM) at the Oak Creek Campus is rapidly taking shape. Events Showcase College, Employees and Students Our faculty and staff have been part of many recent events showcasing the college and our services. Please Attend Spring Commencement I urge all faculty and staff to celebrate with our candidates and their families at spring commencement on Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. at the Bradley Center. Annual Report Highlights Our Many Achievements Look for our 2006 annual report, Redefine Smart, in early May. Click here for top of Communique Click here for Printer-friendly version