"BACK TO SCHOOL" BLASTS OFF NEXT WEEK AT MATC
STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE 24/7 ACCESS TO ONLINE REGISTRATION AND HIGH-TECH OPPORTUNITIES
When the expected 15,000 full- and part-time students navigate their ways to classes at Madison Area Technical College’s five campuses, they can count themselves as members of the "high-tech" generation.
Online registrations skyrocketed nearly 120 percent compared to the fall of 2006 and climbed 52 percent over the more than 9,000 web registrations for spring term.
"Students are taking advantage of the round-the-clock access to MATC classes," said MATC President Bettsey Barhorst. "They find out instantly whether a class is available and can immediately adjust their schedules."
MATC statistics show a spike in the number of students who enrolled in classes online during non-traditional business hours – before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
"Students are taking care of responsibilities before the kids get up in the morning or after work hours," Barhorst said. "Students who once used paper or phones are now going online."
New technology is the theme for the new school year, Barhorst pointed out.
Students have enrolled in MATC’s cutting-edge Information Technology programs, including the emerging field of Voice-Over Convergence. Companies are using more innovative methods in video conferencing and voice communication. To meet this need, MATC offers a new VoIP Convergence Certificate, a nine-credit curriculum geared for Information Technology professionals currently working in networking.
The IT Programmer Analyst program is remodeled for small- to medium-sized company employers looking for Web developers and programmers. It focuses on wider-range of subjects. And Microsoft has released a new version of Windows Operating System. MATC offers training in the installation and configuration of that program.
"We are responding to employer requests," Barhorst said. "Both MATC graduates and their employers told us of the need."
A new $125,000 Italian-made CNC (computer numerical control) Machining Center that MATC acquired through a partnership with Delmac Machinery Group of Greensboro, N.C., will offer students a "Real world smart" opportunity to craft more sophisticated and complex designs in about one-third the time.
With 300 CNC machines in the state, employers are begging for workers who can operate these machines to give then the edge on the competition.
And speaking of "high tech," MATC’s English Department now offers a new Journalism Certificate that includes a hybrid/online Newswriting and Reporting class so students may live anywhere in the Wisconsin and file their work just like reporters at big-city dailies. The certificate is earned in conjunction with a two-year liberal arts degree. Students will collect the skills to work as an entry-level news reporter in a small weekly newspaper or radio station, or as an intern at a daily newspaper, magazine or in television news.
With 1,600 dailies, 800 weeklies, 4,000 trade magazines and the explosion of the Internet news and web pages, there are "enormous" opportunities for journalists to write news and issue-oriented stories, says Larry D.Hansen, journalism instructor.
Students are diving into MATC programs to take advantage of the low-cost tuition and accessible small classes. Registrations in Liberal Arts transfer classes, which gives students on-ramp access to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have accelerated in popularity. Statistics show a 10 percent increase since 2005. "That’s a big jump," said Terrance Webb, associate vice president for Learner Success.
Enrollment in Construction, Manufacturing, Transportation and Apprenticeship classes has shot up 9.1 percent compared to 2006 registrations. And nearly 50 high school teachers participated in MATC’s Summer Institute to collect the inside facts on the newest technology, said Kenneth Starkman, program dean. Much of the success is due to business stakeholders recognizing that MATC is an important component, Starkman said.
If science isn’t your bag, one of MATC’s chemistry professors has some magic up her sleeve. Research proves it’s possible to grab your attention!
Holly Kerby, chemistry and playwriting instructor, received a $75,000 National Science Foundation planning grant to produce "Fusion Science Theater." She plans to work with community groups, such as the Madison Children’s Museum, community theater actors, UW-Madison Center for Biotechnology Education and UW-Madison Wonders of Physics, to produce fun and entertaining "street" performances that explain the basic concepts of science.
MATC is one of the largest of the Wisconsin Technical College Systems’s 16 colleges. It provides “Real World Smart” education through a comprehensive curriculum of technical, liberal arts and science, adult basic education and life enrichment studies and activities, as well as customized employee training. MATC offers associate degrees, vocational diplomas and certificates, and non-degree courses in more than 140 programs of study. The college serves all or parts of 12 counties located in south-central Wisconsin and offers instruction through five campuses, located in Madison, Fort Atkinson, Portage, Reedsburg and Watertown, and numerous community locations throughout the district.
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September 17, 2007
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