MATC Chosen as Site to Announce U.S. Policy Initiative
The Obama administration chose the Downtown Milwaukee Campus as the venue for a major worker training announcement. At the June 4 event, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that the federal government is launching a $7 million grant competition for displaced worker training. Joining Secretary Duncan on stage were Governor Jim Doyle, Manpower Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Joerres and Interim President Dr. Vicki J. Martin.

"MATC and community colleges across the nation represent an opportunity to reinvent our workforce," Duncan said. Through the initiative, the federal government will award 28 grants this fall focusing on academic and career counseling, tutoring and help with related college costs such as transportation, child care and textbooks. Hundreds of community leaders and MATC faculty, staff and students attended the hour-long announcement and program. MATC students shared stories about how the college has given them opportunities to reach for rewarding careers.

"What I really love about technical colleges is that anyone who wants to work hard can walk in these doors and get an education and improve their lives," Governor Doyle said.

Joerres praised technical education, saying MATC graduates are career-ready for jobs that cannot be outsourced, such as construction trades, health care and protective services.

Photos: U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan makes a major policy announcement at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus.

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Trend for Fall Enrollment Surge Started in Spring
At mid-summer, fall semester applications were up more than 30% from the same time one year ago. Registered applicants increased 13% overall. This dramatic rise is a trend that began in spring and indicates that our final fall semester enrollments will be among our largest in a decade. All campuses and virtually all programs are experiencing a surge in student enrollment. To best accommodate new and returning students, early registration is key. The fall semester application deadline is August 7. MATC is proving that in times of economic uncertainty, we are an invaluable community asset.

Photo: Student applications for the fall semester experienced big increases through summer.

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A Matter of Degrees and Diplomas
Almost 2,000 students graduated at two spring commencement ceremonies. About 1,500 degree, diploma, apprentice and Adult High School students attended the May 21 event at the Bradley Center. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett gave the commencement address, noting the vital role MATC alumni play in the regional economy. "I couldn't be prouder that MATC is in our community," he said.

On June 2, more than 300 students received their GED and HSED diplomas in ceremonies at the Milwaukee Theater. These graduates earned their diplomas from the Pre-College Education Division and through our partner Community Based Organizations. Many advance into MATC degree and diploma programs.

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MPTV Digital Era Begins
Milwaukee Public Television achieved another significant milestone in its storied 52-year history. The analog signals of Channels 10 and 36 were permanently shut down on June 12, giving rise to MPTV-HD. Nine digital MPTV channels now offer viewers 24/7 options. On June 11 and 12, MPTV staff members provided a phone bank to assist viewers with the conversion.

In other station news, MPTV originated the broadcast of Milwaukee's July 12 Great Circus Parade. More than half of all public television stations nationwide in 29 states picked up the broadcast. Congratulations to MPTV staff members Lois Maurer (producer) and Raul Galvan (director) for their efforts in capturing the event so well for millions of viewers across the country.

Photo: Going digital was a cause for celebration (preceded by many extra hours of work) for MPTV.

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Graduate Success Report Now Available
Even in a difficult economy, an MATC education holds its value. That's one of the conclusions from the recently published 2008 Graduate Report, a snapshot of the college's class of associate degree and technical diploma graduates six months after graduation. Among the highlights:

• 1,387 of 2,312 December 2007 and May 2008 graduates responded to the comprehensive survey
• 88% are employed or were furthering their education within six months of graduation
• 75% are in a job related to their MATC training
• 96% are satisfied or very satisfied with their MATC education
• The average starting salary of associate degree graduates is $35,600; and for technical diploma graduates, $28,900.

View the complete report at http://matc.edu/documents/grad_report08.pdf. Print copies are also available from Printing Services through an internal requisition.

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Giving Campaign Sets 2009 Goals
Every year, faculty and staff show enthusiastic support of the MATC Employee Giving Campaign. Lucia Francis, dean of the Business Division, and Steven Holloway, counseling, are this year's co-chairs. They are working with a committee of employees who will help us reach our goal of more than 600 employee donors and $180,000. The campaign runs September 8 through October 23.

The Employee Giving Campaign is a wonderful opportunity to make a tax-deductible charitable contribution to hundreds of organizations served through our agency partners: Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation, Inc.; MPTV Friends; Community Health Charities of Wisconsin; Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee; Hunger Relief Fund of Wisconsin; United Performing Arts Fund and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. Any donation is appreciated and needed, especially as many area residents struggle through the difficult economy.

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Working Knowledge: Partnership Reduces Injuries
Our collaborative and innovative work with insurance provider United Heartland was a featured story in the Workforce Forum, the company's newsletter to clients and employees. The story, "Wellness to Work," highlighted our successful efforts to reduce work-related injuries and help recovering employees return to work more quickly. Lynn Fugina, Director of Compensation and Benefits, was quoted throughout the article, available here: http://www.unitedheartland.biz/news/2009/2009_workforce_forum_qtr_1.pdf

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Agreement Links MATC with UW-Parkside
MATC students with a goal of a bachelor's degree or beyond have another seamless four-year college transfer option -- UW-Parkside. The "Ranger Track" agreement guarantees admission to Parkside's School of Business and Technology for those who complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences associate degree with a specified level of academic achievement. The agreement was recently signed at UW-Parkside's Kenosha campus. Fred Ebeid, Parkside's dean of the School of Business and Technology, said the agreement benefits students and local businesses. Among MATC staff who provided special efforts to help secure the agreement: Lucia Francis, dean of Business; Barbara Cannell, interim associate provost; and Dr. Mohammad Dakwar, associate dean, Business. MATC students have more than 400 four-year college transfer options, covering most regional public and private colleges and a growing number nationally.

Photo: Interim Provost Dr. Evonne Carter (seated) and UW-Parkside Chancellor Dr. Lane Evans sign the "Ranger Track" agreement. Also attending from MATC: Lucia Francis, dean of Business (far left) and Interim Associate Provost Barbara Cannell (third from left).

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Fall Semester Just Weeks Away
The unofficial opening of the fall semester is Monday, August 24, with the annual faculty Coordination Day. Starting at 8:30 a.m. in Cooley Auditorium at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, the gathering provides important information sharing and helps us communicate the major initiatives and challenges for the 2009-10 academic year. Day and online classes begin August 26, evening classes start August 31 and Weekend College begins September 11. These dates are another reminder of how quickly summer passes and how exciting it is to anticipate the beginning of another college year.

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Cuisine, Culinary Alumni Are Served Honors
Cuisine, the Downtown Milwaukee Campus restaurant staffed by Culinary Arts students, has earned a "2009 Diners' Choice Award" from OpenTable.com. The prestigious distinction is the result of customer feedback and ratings. The OpenTable website features 16 customer reviews/ratings praising the food, service and overall experience of the student-run facility.

Two Culinary Arts graduates also stand in the spotlight for their career achievements. Paul Bartolotta, who graduated from MATC in the early '80s, won the 2009 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest Award. He was recognized for his work as executive chef at the Wynn Hotel's Bartolotta Restorante di Mare in Las Vegas. He also won the Midwest Beard award in 1994. Suzanne Schlicht, a 2005 apprentice graduate, is a contestant on the sixth season of FOX network's "Hell's Kitchen," which started July 21. Hosted by Chef Gordon Ramsey, the reality program determines who (according to a FOX press release) can "handle the pressure of a fast-paced kitchen where only the skilled survive." The competition's winner earns a head chef position at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

Photo: Watch Culinary Arts graduate Suzanne Schlicht apply her kitchen skills on FOX network's "Hell's Kitchen."

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Staff Notes
We recently welcomed new members of the college's leadership team.

Dr. Susan Hornshaw is the dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She most recently served as dean of Social Sciences and Business at Truckee Meadows Community College and before that at St. Louis Community College.

Kelly Dries is an associate dean in Health Occupations. A registered nurse, Kelly had numerous leadership responsibilities at Lakeshore Technical College.

Rebecca Alsup-Kingery is an associate dean in Technology and Applied Sciences at the Oak Creek Campus. Becky previously worked in MATC's Office of Corporate Learning (formerly Workforce Development).

Dr. Juana Harrison is an associate dean in Business, moving from the Liberal Arts and Sciences Division. In addition to specific program responsibilities, Dr. Harrison will work with a variety of programs to implement bilingual education where appropriate and to globalize curriculum.

Congratulations to:

Dr. Tom Pilarzyk, Director of Institutional Research, was recently awarded the Anita Jannson Inspiration Award for his volunteer work at CORE/El Centro, a South Side agency providing integrative therapies to the Latino community. Executive Director Jayne Ader presented the award at the agency's special community event entitled "CORE Momentum 2009: Creating Access, Building Community, Inspiring Wellness." Ader noted Tom's "consistent long-term service to CORE/El Centro" and "his many gifts...that are invaluable to our mission."

Dr. Juana Harrison, Pat Kappel and Christine Zollicoffer successfully completed the Wisconsin Leadership Development Institute's 12-month skills-based program. The program is offered through the Academy of Leadership and Development.

Gloria Ramos, counselor, has been appointed to the Wisconsin Technical College System State Certification Committee. She will represent AFT-Wisconsin for three years. The State Certification Committee promotes excellence in education for students through the certification of education personnel.

Photo: Dr. Susan Hornshaw (top) and Kelly Dries.

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Wellness Update
Anne Sheridan, Wellness Coordinator

Avoid H1N1 With a Common-Sense Approach
Thousands of students will soon fill classrooms and labs for the fall semester. A few common-sense precautions will go a long way to help MATC students and employees avoid the H1N1 flu virus and other respiratory illnesses:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Viruses enter this way most commonly.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact your health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed.
• If you catch the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

For more details, go to http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Summer Safety: Stings, Bites, Food and Sun
It really wouldn't be summer without pesky insects. Preventing their stings and bites should be part of your outdoor activity plans. Most insect bites cause minor pain, redness, swelling and itching. However, an allergic reaction can occur even if there was no problem with a past bite or sting. An allergic reaction can occur in less than a minute. Symptoms of allergic reaction include hives; wheezing; sneezing; breathing difficulty; chest tightness; itching or welling of the eyes, lips or other areas of the face; nausea and vomiting.

Some people experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) which affects breathing and requires immediate medical attention. If this occurs, call 911.

If you are stung by a bee, the best way to remove the stinger is to use a side-to-side motion with a credit card or other straight-edged object. Using a tweezers to remove it may push additional venom into the skin. As with all insect and spider bites, wash the affected area with soap and water. Apply ice or a cold compress to reduce swelling and irritation.

Ticks usually bite without notice. The deer tick, which spreads Lyme disease, is about the size of a pinhead. It is important to remove a tick as soon as possible. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with a tweezers and pull it straight out. After the tick is removed, wash the area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Lyme disease can cause fever, headaches, fatigue, and a skin rash that looks like a circular red patch, or "bull's-eye." Contact your health care professional if symptoms develop.

Food Safety
Bacteria multiply rapidly in the summer heat. Keeping foods at their appropriate temperature is critical in preventing bacterial growth and subsequent food-borne illnesses. Cold food should be kept at 40 degrees or below. Hot food should be kept at or above 140 degrees. Once perishable food is served, it should not sit out for longer than two hours, one hour if the outdoor temperature is above 90 degrees. Discard food that has been sitting out any longer than these time parameters.

Prevent cross-contamination. Don't reuse plates or utensils that have come into contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry. These items must be washed with hot soapy water prior to reusing them.

Sun Safety
Fun in the sun doesn't have to hurt. Protecting your skin from the ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) rays will help prevent cancer and pigmentation problems. It is important to use a sunscreen with the protection level best-suited for your activities. Not all sunscreens are alike. The sun protection factor (SPF) in a product deflects a certain percentage of the UV rays.

• SPF 15 - deflects 93% of UV rays
• SPF 30 - deflects 97% of UV rays
• SPF 50 - deflects 99% of UV rays

Take time to plan ahead and enjoy the outdoors. Have fun, but stay safe!

Resources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, MedlinePlus and WebMD.

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Anne Sheridan