Dear Faculty and Staff,
Welcome back from a nice, long Thanksgiving weekend. Although you still have a few weeks to get your holiday shopping done, you have a great opportunity right now to make the season happier for families who can’t afford gifts. Student Life is again sponsoring the Wish List for hundreds of children of MATC students. Now through December 1, please take time to pick an ornament with a child’s “wish list” from the Giving Tree located outside the Student Life office at Truax and in the DTEC cafeteria, and bring your gift by Monday, December 4. The last time I looked there were many ornaments left on the trees. If your time is really cramped you can simply write a check to the MATC Foundation and drop it off at the Student Life office.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the annual holiday concert on Sunday, December 3, in the Mitby Theater. Our MATC Show Choir will be teaming up with the Municipal band to perform holiday song favorites. Tickets for the concert are $5 for adults and $4 for children under 12 and seniors.
Each week, I like to highlight some marvelous people I encounter or learn about here at the college. Here are this week’s “favorite teachers,” as mentioned to me by students:
Matthew Guenette, literature
Debra Olsen, college success
Brenda Sprecher, algebra
Sheri Parker, mathematics
David Shaw, chemistry
Anna Marie Hoffman, health program coordinator, for organizing the six-week walking class. It’s fun, it’s free and it’s healthy! Come and join in.
- Attended the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTCI) Board meeting.
- Hosted the President’s Table in the Gourmet Dining Room for Kevin Harlan, general manager for WKOW-27, Dave Kuehn, general sales manager for WKOW-27, and Randy and Joe Alexander of the Alexander Company.
- Attended the College Council meeting.
- Attended “An Autumn Gathering” at Monona Terrace to celebrate and promote Madison’s diversity, hosted by the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- Attended Rotary Club, where David Edwards, environmental specialist at the Department of Natural Resources, talked about public health and the environment.
- Ate way too much turkey and dressing!
Today’s quote is from an interesting article in the Wisconsin State Journal last week about the challenges facing European universities (pdf, scroll down). The quote from Andreas Schleicher, head of the education directorate of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, was particularly significant. He said changes in European higher education are unavoidable.
“The world is indifferent to tradition and past reputations, unforgiving of frailty and ignorant of custom or practice,” Schleicher said. “Success will go to those individuals and countries which are swift to adapt, slow to complain, and open to changes.”
Have a great week!
— Bettsey
Bettsey L. Barhorst, President |
Bettsey L. Barhorst, President
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