Challenged Yes, Daunted No As educators, we love a challenge. Therefore I hope you will join me in looking forward to this new school year with hope and optimism. Our challenges are by no means insurmountable. The pride that we all take in our mission will be a constant, reassuring companion. The so-called "secession" controversy in Germantown and Ozaukee County has had some upsides. It provided an opportunity for us to talk about the enormous value that MATC adds to the regional economy. While the media has given a bully pulpit to our critics, we also, quietly, have received gratifying support from our constituent school districts and the business community. My own thoughts were summed up in an August 18 opinion column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The administration also has prepared a value-added inventory of our services to north-suburban communities. These resources can help as you answer questions from friends and neighbors. I am pleased that Dr. Victor Rossetti, Germantown School District superintendent, has come forward as a candidate for the District Board. Highly qualified, Dr. Rossetti is running unopposed for our current vacancy. We hope that the Board Appointment Committee accepts his application later this month. To those of you who have been away, a warm welcome back. Here are some quick highlights of a busy, productive summer. In a blur of activity, the center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing (ECAM) prepared for opening. We worked with Discovery World to expand course offerings there and use the partnership to enrich curriculum. On the recruitment front, a series of Smart Start/Smart Step events brought in more than 500 new applications. Recruitment also represented the college at the State Fair and more than 20 other summer festivals, with highly positive feedback. In June, Student Services launched a massive outreach effort to register new students who had completed all the other admission steps. MATC reached a new labor agreement with AFSCME Local 587. We welcomed Dr. Robert M. Davis and Fred Royal, Jr., to our District Board. They began three-year terms on July 1. Congratulations to Bobbie Webber, who begins a second term as board chairperson. Other 2007-08 officers are: Jeannette Bell, vice chairperson; Ann Wilson, secretary; and Peter Earle, treasurer. Mayor Bell also was named board liaison to the MATC Foundation, Inc. Thanks again for all that you do for our students. Their futures depend upon us. I pledge to do everything in my power to make sure we continue to be here for them. Darnell E. Cole President

September 2007 ECAM Is On Track The greatest new business opportunity for MATC and the greatest new learning opportunity for technical students is rapidly nearing completion at the Oak Creek Campus. Public Safety - Continuing the Discussion The Public Safety department conducted a district-wide management and operations assessment in early August with help from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Report Shines Light on Grad Success It pays to go to MATC, as our 2006 Graduate Success Report clearly shows. Graphic Design Now Offered at Mequon We are pleased to expand one of our most popular programs, Graphic Design, to the Mequon Campus starting this fall. Giving Campaign Kicks Off Sept. 10 Please join me in supporting the MATC Foundation and MPTV Friends by participating in the 2007-08 Combined Giving Campaign. Statewide Service Learning Summit For two-year-college teachers, administrators and service learning practitioners, MATC is pleased to host the first annual statewide service learning summit, "Transforming Lives," Sept. 13 and 14 at the Radisson Hotel, 6331 S. 13th St. Easier to Pay - And to Get a Ticket Some streets around the Downtown Milwaukee Campus have new, digital, multi-space parking meters that accept both coins and bank cards. New Name for PR Group Public Relations is now Communications and Creative Services. Sept. 27 Is Safety Day We have invited school groups and the general public to learn about safety practices and protective services careers at our first Safety Day, Sept. 27. Click here for top of Communique