Advocates, One and All Final enrollment figures for the fall semester show us slightly behind last year's pace. We hope to turn that around next spring. One reason for optimism: Inquiries from potential students shot up almost 10% in academic year '06. Also, Student Services has begun exploring improvements to our deregistration process. And innovative recruitment initiatives are in the works. We can take some comfort in knowing that MATC is far from alone. Whenever the economy improves, enrollment falls at two-year colleges, which is happening across the country. Locally, new competition has entered the academic marketplace, and some sectors of the economy that have been red hot, such as health care, lately show signs of cooling. Moving forward, all of us need to step up to the plate as advocates and recruiters. MATC is the bridge to our students' dreams of a better life. Please communicate this powerful message to your friends, neighbors and professional contacts. We might be down a bit, but our reputation still sparkles because graduate success continues to advance. This statistic speaks for itself: Our total number of annual graduates has risen 46 percent over the last five years. That achievement takes on even bigger dimensions in light of new insights into our student population, thanks to the Office of Strategic Planning and Research. As a percentage of the total students actually pursuing a degree or diploma, our graduation rate measures up very well compared to major, urban two-year colleges. Like you, I remain tremendously proud of everything we do here at MATC. An advocate could want no finer cause. Darnell E. Cole President

October 2006 Issue: CCAMPIS Grant Supports Child Care Access We recently were awarded a $148,181 federal grant that will pay on-campus child care expenses for 50 low-income and first-generation college students. Discovery World Gala MATC was highly visible at the grand opening gala for the new Discovery World on Sept. 8. Counselors' In-Service More than 100 counselors from area high schools attended the annual in-service orientation held by our Recruitment Department. 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. 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. New Front Door to matc.edu The frontpage portal to our website has been redesigned for improved usability. WisPASS Grant We have received a $446,000 federal grant to implement a new statewide system for training, testing and certifying manufacturing production workers. Click here for top of Communique.