President's Message: April 27, 2011

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Our 2010 Graduate Employment Report was recently released and shows that 87 percent of our graduates are employed - many in their related field of study - despite the uncertain economy. We had an 18 percent increase in the number of graduates compared to the previous year. Click here to see the full graduate report.

More Flexibility
Just to let you know, for the past few months we have been attempting to get more flexibility from state statutes, especially when it comes to obstacles related to our planned new facilities. This week we decided to tell our story to the public, and you may have seen the report in the media. I want to assure you that we have not asked for autonomy, but simply relief from anachronistic and arbitrary regulations. We’ll keep you posted regarding our progress. If nothing else, it’s time for someone to speak up about the situation, and this seemed like the right time.

Budget Update
We’re still working on finding ways to resolve our budget shortfall. We have a deadline of May 9 (Board meeting), so you'll be hearing more soon.

College Marvels
When I talk to students and hear about their favorite instructors, I also ask them to tell me about anyone at the College who has especially helped them. Here are the names mentioned to me most recently:

Janet Braun, Nursing
Mitch Milton, Accounting
Beth Schewe, Arts and Sciences
Hiep Van Dong, Business and Marketing

More Marvels
The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of $851,454 to the College for the project, “Development of a Technical Program in Stem Cell Technologies: Responding to an Emerging Need.” Congratulations to Tori Barron, Diana Brandner, Amy Brown, Ed Clarke, Mary Ellen Kraus, Jeanette Mowery,  Anne Scott, Lisa Seidman and Thomas Tubon for securing this grant!

The WTCS System Office has informed us that we have been approved for General Purpose Revenue (GPR) grant awards in the amount totaling $548,270. I’d like to congratulate the grant managers and staff – particularly Amy Brown, Ed Clarke, Bret Johnston and Denise McKay – for all of their hard work in preparing the competitive proposals.

Our SkillsUSA team took home 19 medals at the recent Wisconsin State Conference - 8 first places, 8 second places and 3 third places. Ten students will be going to Kansas City in June for the 47th Annual National Leadership and Skills Conference. A special thanks to Paul Morschauser, Craig Lathrop, Aaron Stroot, Tim Hoege, and
JR Colvin for their exceptional leadership with the SkillsUSA event.

Four Madison College graduates, who are currently enrolled at UW-Madison, won the Grand Prize in the Climate Leadership Challenge. Joseph Keuler, Matthew Kirk, Patrick Kirk and David Osmalov won $50,000, a free 12-month lease in the UW Research Park MetroInnovation Center, and a free 3-month membership at the Sector67 community innovation space. The team proposed a new way to produce hydrogen from plant sugars in agricultural waste and explored how the technology might be applied in biogas plants.

My Recent Activities:
• Attended a WisPolitics luncheon where U.S. Senator Paul Ryan discussed the federal budget and health care reform
• met with State Senator Dale Schultz and aids of Senator Luther Olsen,
• attended the annual Board Appointment meeting where Jo Oyama-Miller, Vera Riley and Joel Winn were reappointed for three years,
• welcomed a delegation of school administrators from China who were visiting our campus,
• attended the swearing in ceremony for new Dane County Executive Joe Parisi,
• met with representatives from Associate Bank,
• welcomed guests at the annual Student Success Awards Banquet and the Foundation Scholarship Awards Breakfast,
• hosted several guests at a President’s Table in the Gourmet Dining Room,
• met with Todd Stebbins, who was recently promoted to Dean of Arts and Sciences,
• attended and welcomed guests at the Athletics Banquet,
• met with the editorial board of Wisconsin State Journal,
• met with Chancellor Ray Cross and Teri Venker of UW-Extension,
• provided welcome remarks at the Business Opportunities in the Government Sector Workshop at Monona Terrace,
• participated in the Executive Administrative Council meeting, and
• attended the weekly Rotary meeting where UW System President Kevin Reilly and Former Chief of Staff Harry Peterson were guest speakers.

Green Tip of the Week – Eat Locally
Eating locally grown food is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and support your local economy. Also, many Farmers’ Market products are grown organically without the use of pesticides and antibiotics. 

In the next few weeks I will be on campus only intermittently, due to a family illness. I appreciate your understanding as you round out the semester and deal with finals.

In honor of the upcoming royal wedding, here’s a quote from Princess Diana:
“I don't go by the rule book...I lead from the heart, not the head.”

Thanks for everything you do for our students.
Bettsey