With your input, we can make MATC Day even better.
Bag the boxed lunches.
Rent a cultural venue, like a museum or performance space.
Have more students speak about their experiences.
Let everyone go home at 3 p.m.
Those were among the suggestions employees made to improve MATC Day, Milwaukee Area Technical College’s annual collegewide professional development event.
The feedback was given during the Voice of the College (VOC) Live session, held Wednesday, April 1, virtually and in person at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus. The VOC sessions are designed to receive employee input on a topic applicable to the entire college.
The 10th MATC Day was held March 18, 2026 at the Baird Center. Nearly 1,200 MATC faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the college’s successes, recognize employee excellence, hear keynote speakers and participate in professional development workshops.
“We’re committed to setting aside a day to celebrate our achievements and accomplishments,” MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz said at Wednesday’s session. “With your input, we can make MATC Day even better.”
No idea or suggestion was off-limits–within reason, Dr. Cruz told the participants. “We don’t have an unlimited budget, but we do have an open mind,” he said. “We want to hear ways to reinvent, build on, augment and enhance to make it the best day possible.”
Michelle Wild, the college’s director of training, development and credentialing, asked the employees at the session to list what they would like to see started at MATC Day, what should continue at the event and what should stop.
“Everything is on the table,” Wild said. “Maybe you think we should scrap everything and start over.”
Employees huddled at their tables to discuss their thoughts, then wrote them down on giant easels.
Among the new ideas forwarded were: hold the event at the Mequon Campus or the Oak Creek Campus, where parking is plentiful and close to the entrance; sell MATC merchandise at the event; spend more time hearing from employees; and pay all employees to attend the event.
Things that should continue included employee recognition, holding the event off campus and having workshops.
Items that didn’t seem popular included external keynote speakers and the boxed lunches: some people didn’t like food offered, while others wanted the freedom to leave for lunch and return.
All the feedback and ideas gathered at the session will be reviewed by the Human Resources department, Wild said, and used to create next year’s MATC Day.
Dr. Cruz started the Voice of the College Live in February 2025 to collect input on collegewide issues. Since then, sessions have been held in April 2025 and October 2025.
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
