Milwaukee Area Technical College

CCAMPIS Grant Supports Child Care Access
We recently were awarded a $149,000 federal grant that will pay on-campus child care expenses for 50 low-income and first-generation college students. The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program provided the funding. The grant also will be used to teach parenting and life skills to our target population.

In pursuing these funds, we showed tremendous persistence. Thanks and congratulations to Dr. Russ Prust and the College Advancement Grants and Development office, the Child Care Department and our Enterprise Services Division. Special thanks to Congresswoman Gwen Moore for her advocacy on our behalf.

Moore said the grant will enable students to "continue their education and increase their chances to attain a successful, family-supporting career." Students can apply for the grant, which runs through September 30, 2007, at any campus financial aid office.

In related news, to help students gain greater knowledge of scholarship and grant opportunities, all four of our campuses were involved in Scholarship Awareness Days, held at the end of September. Oct. 15 is the deadline to apply for spring semester scholarships through the MATC Foundation.

Discovery World Gala
Along with Board Chairperson Bobbie Webber, Vice Chairperson Jeannette Bell and senior administrators, I represented MATC at the grand opening gala for the new Discovery World on Sept. 8. More than 800 people attended the black-tie gathering. Milwaukee Public Television, which has a high-definition studio at the new lakefront complex, broadcast a portion of the event live. For Michael Cudahy - businessman, philanthropist and Discovery World co-chair - this night celebrated a dream come true.

It also was a great night for MATC, with our participation in the project displayed prominently. Guests were fascinated by a prototype version of a HIVE pod, designed and built with the help of MATC students. HIVE stands for Human Interactive Virtual Education, and the pods under development will provide visitors with an interactive, surround-sound, surround-sight virtual reality experience.

Top right: Guests at the Sept. 8 gala got a glimpse of a prototype HIVE virtual reality pod. Bottom: MATC was well represented at the gala dinner and dedication ceremony.

Back to Top

Counselors' In-Service
Also at Discovery World on Sept. 27, I helped welcome 104 counselors from area high schools who attended the annual in-service orientation held by our Recruitment Department. It was an unusually big crowd, not just because of the venue, but because we had a lot of exciting news to convey. Our Badger Track agreement with UW-Madison highlighted the presentations on new student opportunities at MATC. Guests also heard about our new cluster of Creative Careers, to be taught mainly at Discovery World.

One of our star students, Graphic Design major and award-winning designer Chantell Singleton, told her personal story. She is a great example of a student who earned a bachelor's degree, but it led her down a path that she found less than satisfying, so she came to MATC for a career that would be more challenging and creative. Congratulations to Recruitment Director Brunnetta Soward and her team on a terrific event. We achieved our goal of changing hearts and minds.

At right: The new Discovery World amazes counselors on a tour Sept. 27.

Back to Top

West Allis Plans to Grow with 'Green Roof'
Four general classrooms, a computer lab and a science lab will be built as part of a planned 5,400 square-foot addition to the West Allis Campus, pending approval from the City Plan Commission and Common Council. We hope for a decision from them later this month.

The smallest MATC campus in terms of square footage, West Allis annually serves about 10,000 students. Classrooms and labs are overburdened. While we want this project badly, we also want to do it right. Thus the design includes a "green roof" (plant covered) to conserve energy - yet another facet of our commitment to energy conservation. The Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing is under construction at the Oak Creek Campus, and we are about to erect the largest college-owned wind turbine in the state at the Mequon Campus (details below).

The West Allis Campus addition would be located between the old main building (B Building) and the 1997 addition to its immediate north. Use of this courtyard space will not expand the building's primary boundaries or significantly alter its aesthetics. Our regards to Dr. Rick Kettner, campus vice president, as he guides us through the always-interesting process of political approval. For complete coverage, see MATC NOW.

At right: 'Old Main,' West Allis Campus.

Back to Top

Wind Turbine Gets Green Light
A 160-foot-tall wind turbine soon will grace the Mequon Campus as part of our Renewable Energy Technology Education Center. RETEC's purpose is to educate students and the public about sustainable-energy solutions. The Mequon Planning Commission unanimously approved the project, championed by Dr. George Stone, energy expert and physical sciences instructor, Interim Campus Vice President John Stilp, and Al Evinrude and Mark Arndt of Construction Services. One of our valued retirees, Dr. Nina Jo Look, also has been a tireless proponent.

RETEC will become a teaching facility for five degree, diploma and apprenticeship programs at the Mequon Campus and will eventually involve 13 training programs across the college. The turbine is expected to provide about 8 percent of the campus's electricity needs, generating significant taxpayer savings. It will not feed electricity to We Energies, but instead will supply power directly to the campus. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall at the south edge of the property. The college expects to recoup its investment within eight years or less at current energy prices.

At right: The wind turbine at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wis. The MATC turbine will have a similar design.

Back to Top

New Front Door to matc.edu
Starting Oct. 13, you'll see some refinements to our website. Interior pages will not change, but visitors will encounter a new front door, if you will. It was designed to be a wider door, based on a survey of best practices on other college websites as well as commercial sites. This has been a year-long project led by Theresa Barry, vice president of Student Services, in cooperation with the Public Relations group.

She and I are pleased with the result. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive in testing supervised by Dr. Tom Pilarzyk, director of College Advancement Research. Please give your input to Jim Gribble, Public Relations director. Keep in mind that we now can make rapid adjustments on the fly. Matc.edu will continually evolve. Admissions personnel already are using the new site with excellent results.

It improves access for prospective students, current students, alumni and donors, employers and other visitors. Across the top, entry buttons service each major stakeholder group. At left, under My MATC, users will find shortcut access to eight important sites: Blackboard, Check My E-mail, Class Schedule, College Bookstore, INFOnline, Library, MATC Calendar and TecHELP. Financial Aid can be accessed by clicking on either Prospective Students or Current Students.

Clicks generally are listed in alphabetical order. Each interior landing page features a left-hand message box containing timely information, to be updated frequently. Finding what you need will be easy, and returning to a page after you've been there once will be even easier. For a preview, click here.

Back to Top

Major WisPASS Grant
Congratulations to Dale Dulberger and Grants and Development for winning continued funding - $446,000 - for the Wisconsin Performance and Assessment of Skill Standards project. WisPASS aims to recruit and train new skilled workers and upgrade the skills of incumbent production workers. The ultimate goal is better productivity for Wisconsin manufacturers, allowing them to remain competitive in global markets. The grant from the U.S. Department of Labor will fund implementation of the system in actual Wisconsin factories. MATC is lead agency. Eventually, we believe WisPASS will spread to factories all across the country. Our thanks to U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl for helping secure the grant. For complete coverage, see MATC NOW.

At right: Harley Davidson CEO Jim McCaslin gives a presentation about Project WisPASS to the Wisconsin Council on Economic Development.

Report Highlights 2005 Graduate Success
Our 2005 associate degree graduates average more than $34,000 in annual earnings six months after graduation. That is among the key findings of our newly released Graduate Report, available from the bindery or online at matc.edu/documents/grad_report05.pdf Filled with self-reported data from our 2005 graduates, the report features employment and salary information for associate degree and technical diploma program graduates. Other highlights:

98 percent of graduates work in Wisconsin
97 percent are satisfied or very satisfied with their MATC education
90 percent are employed or furthering their education within six months of moving on from MATC.

Oak Creek Campus Again Hosts 'Empty Bowls'
We have proudly hosted the hugely popular Empty Bowls Milwaukee fund raiser since it began in 1999. The Oak Creek Campus will host the eighth annual event on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Empty Bowls is a wonderful way to support Milwaukee-area hunger programs. For a $20 donation, participants select from more than 2,000 handcrafted ceramic bowls and sample soups and breads from local chefs. Live music, raffle drawings and other prizes are part of the festivities. For more information, visit www.milwaukeeemptybowls.org.

Back to Top

Still Time to Give
A reminder: Only a few days remain before the Oct. 13 official end of the 2006 Giving Campaign. Thanks to all faculty, staff and retirees who already contributed to the worthy effort that supports student scholarships through the MATC Foundation, and supports Milwaukee Public Television through the MPTV Friends. Other Giving Campaign agencies include Community Health Charities, Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee, United Performing Arts Fund and United Way of Greater Milwaukee.

Back to Top

Community Conference Highlights Partnerships
MATC was a featured participant at the Community Brainstorming Conference Breakfast Forum held on Sept. 23. Vice President and General Counsel Christy Brown joined William Andrekopoulos, MPS superintendent; Dr. Carlos Santiago, UW - Milwaukee chancellor; and Madeline Wake, Marquette University provost, for a discussion about successful educational partnerships. Christy gave a well-received presentation focusing on our academic partnerships and mentioning some of our new workforce development partnerships. We hope to soon announce a guaranteed-admission agreement with UWM, similar to our new Badger Track agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

At right: Vice President and General Counsel Christy Brown.

Back to Top

Renewable Energy Workshops
MATC is a leading advocate for renewable energy initiatives, thanks to our community partnerships and the efforts of Dr. George Stone. This fall we again welcome experts from We Energies, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and Focus on Energy for workshops designed for homeowners and small-business owners. Remaining dates are Oct. 13 (Oak Creek Campus), Dec. 1 (Mequon Campus) and Dec. 8 (West Allis Campus). The cost per workshop is $15 (free to We Energies Energy for Tomorrow customers and a guest). For more information, contact stoneg@matc.edu.

Back to Top

Business Executives Invited to Work With Us
Recently I had the privilege to meet with about 100 members of the Council of Small Business Executives. Affiliated with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, COSBE marks its 20th anniversary this year. I talked mainly about how partnerships are important to the college, our students and the community. I also used the occasion to invite COSBE members to engage with us by offering internships, serving on advisory committees and mentoring students.

Back to Top

Spotlight on Faculty and Staff
Congratulations to the following faculty and staff for their outstanding achievements: William Koepsel, newly retired Liberal Arts and Sciences instructor, was honored at the Excellence in Education awards dinner hosted by AFT Local 212 Civil and Human Rights Committee. Dr. Koepsel was recognized along with Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler and Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton.

Mark Porubsky, Technology and Applied Sciences, wrote an article about how well MATC prepares students for rewarding careers in Electronic Communications Technology for the Society of Broadcast Engineers Connector fall publication.

George Stone, Liberal Arts and Sciences, will present the workshop "Challenge of the Century: Energy Policy and Global Warming" at the Geological Society of America national convention.

Julie Wichman, Public Relations, was elected to the Milwaukee Press Club board of directors.

At right: Excellence in Education honoree William Koepsel with Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton.

Back to Top

Student Design a National Award Winner
Our students graduate with the career skills to succeed. One example is Graphic Design major Chantell Singleton. Chantell's class project for instructor Craig Smallish was selected as the cover design for the college's 2006 Phoenix literary magazine. That design won a national competition through Graphic Design USA, an industry-leading publication for creative professionals. In addition, Chantell was the featured student speaker at our Sept. 27 high school counselor event at Discovery World.

At right: Chantell Singleton.

Back to Top

Mequon Campus Continues Successful First Fridays Forum
A forum featuring all five candidates for the 23rd District State Assembly seat kicked off the fourth annual First Fridays Forum series at the Mequon Campus Sept. 1. The forum was held just days before the primary election and included eventual primary winners Jim Ott and Stan Teplin.

The Oct. 6 forum, focusing on regional economic development, also was highly successful. Speakers included Julia Taylor, president, Greater Milwaukee Committee; Roger Kirgues, president, Ozaukee County Economic Development Corporation; and Mary Stanek Wehrheim, president, Stanek Tool Corporation.

Next in the series on Nov. 3 is a panel discussion on the topic of "Ozaukee County K-12 Schools: What Challenges Lay Ahead?" The Ozaukee County Board and the University of Wisconsin Extension co-sponsors First Fridays. Thanks to John Stilp, interim campus vice president, and his entire team for continuing to provide vigorous programming.

At right: GMC President Julia Taylor with Michael Weber, superintendent of schools, Port Washington-Saukville District. Background: Roger Kirgues, president of the Ozaukee County Economic Development Commission, and Mary Stanek Wehrheim, president of Stanek Tool Corporation.

Back to Top

New Advisors to The Times
Congratulations and best wishes to the new co-advisers of the MATC Times student newspaper: faculty members June Roque and Bob Hanson. They each bring valuable expertise, Roque as an English instructor and advisor to the Phoenix literary magazine and Hanson with many years of experience in printing and production. They replace Tom Gould, who retired in June after 33 years as advisor to the award-winning newspaper. These changes are made as The Times continues its impressive run as a top college newspaper. The paper is one of 10 finalists for the prestigious community college National Pacemaker Award for 2005-06.

At right, (left to right): June Roque, Times Editor-in-Chief Joe Sinicki, and Bob Hanson.

Back to Top

Communique is a monthly online newsletter of Milwaukee Area
Technical College. Got an item for Dr. Cole? Please contact
Dan Reszel, coordinating editor.