President's Message: April 5, 2011

Dear Faculty and Staff,

On Sunday, the Wisconsin State Journal finally published its story about full-time faculty salaries at the College. The article compared our salaries with those of the UW System—and not other technical colleges. At last check, many of the comments from online readers have been supportive of the College.

One woman wrote “So what if the MATC (Madison College) faculty makes more on average than the faculty at most UW campuses? For anyone with college plans in the Madison area, MATC offers a better value for their educational dollar. Classes are smaller and students are taught by real professors instead of TAs.” My response is that we are fortunate to have such an excellent faculty and staff who work very hard and care deeply about our students.

Spring Graduation Speaker
Just a reminder it’s time to consider nominating a student graduate to be the Spring Graduation Speaker. Please fill out the nomination form and return it to the Student Life office by April 8. The Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, at the Alliant Energy Center.

Spring Listening Sessions
This year’s Spring Listening Sessions have focused on the budget, construction issues and related topics. There are just two sessions remaining this spring:

Monday, April 25 (rescheduled from April 6)
Reedsburg Campus, 10 to 11 a.m., Room 132
Portage Campus, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Room 102

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

Vicky Boeder, Accounting
Christine Casselman, Contemporary American Society
Dana Maya, Academic Writing
Jack Pace, Criminal Justice

My Activities This Week:
• hosted two President’s Tables at the Gourmet Dining Room,
• attended listening sessions at the South Madison, Commercial Avenue and Downtown campuses,
• participated on a budget panel at Memorial High School designed to allow local residents an opportunity to comment on Governor Walker’s budget proposal,
• met with staff to discuss the possibility of “communication walls,” part of the Facilities Master Plan projects,
• met with Rebecca Ryan from Next Generation Consulting, and
• met with staff and Mark Schmitz from ZD Studios to discuss new exterior signage for the College.

Green Tip of the Week – Close the Loop
When possible, make it a policy to purchase office supplies made from recycled materials.

Today's quote is in honor of Keith Cornille, Juanita Comeau and Gerald Xavier, who are accepting the Governor’s Service Recognition Award at Monona Terrace on Wednesday in honor of their work with Operation Fresh Start. "The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.”

Thank you for everything you do for our students!