President's Message: February 22, 2010

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Congratulations are in order for both the women’s and men’s basketball teams for their wins at the annual Jam the Gym event Saturday. The WolfPack played hard for the hometown audience. It was a great way to celebrate our teams as they head into the post season.

John Johnson’s culinary students have been preparing and serving breakfast on Friday mornings in the Marketplace Café. This coming Friday is the final day so be sure to stop by and enjoy a delicious breakfast while also supporting our students.

Facilities Master Plan Listening Sessions
Just a reminder, I am visiting every campus to discuss implementing the Facilities Master Plan. Please think about what part of the plan your community would support, how the college can build support for the plan within your community, and any other thoughts you have. The college needs all the suggestions you can offer to make this project successful.  

Here’s the schedule for the remaining President’s Listening Sessions. 

Tuesday, March 2
12:30-1:30 p.m.
S104
South Madison Campus

Wednesday, March 3
3:30-4:30 p.m.
108B
Commercial Avenue Campus

Monday, March 15
10-11 a.m.
Room 157
Fort Atkinson Campus

12-1 p.m.
Room 121
Watertown Campus

4:30-5:30 p.m.
Room 142AB
Truax Campus

Wednesday, March 17
10-11 a.m.
Reedsburg Campus

12:30-1:30 p.m.
Room 102
Portage Campus

College Marvels
Here are the names of faculty and staff mentioned to me recently by students:
Peter Berthold, business technology
Jack Pace, criminal justice
Jason Scholz, information technology
Stefan Wahe, information technology

More Marvels
Congratulations to Craig Lathrop for meeting Skills USA requirements and receiving Lowe's “Toolbox for Education” award. Lowe’s will be awarding Kobalt tools to Madison College’s automotive service. 

Thank you to Rhoda McKinney, Susanna Valtierra, Delisa Scott and many other faculty and staff who coordinated the annual Black History Month celebration.

Nancy Johnson, business management, has received a Fulbright GPA award to study in the Czech Republic this summer. The purpose of the trip is to enhance international understanding and to develop curriculum both for our college and for other member colleges in the Midwest Institute.

Highlights of my past week:

• met with representatives from an architectural firm,
• participated in a Leadership Brown Bag meeting where staff received an update on strategic advancement activities at the college and a summary of our AQIP meeting,
• met with our Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP) Union Management Team,
• met with a group of women community leaders,
• conducted three Facilities Master Plan listening sessions with faculty and staff from our West, Downtown and Truax campuses,
• attended a Rotary Club of Madison meeting,
• met with Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and members of his cabinet,
• participated at a Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce board meeting, reporting on our TelePresence technology,
• was joined by Vera Riley and Jo Oyama-Miller at the YWCA Circle of Women annual event (the guest speaker was one of our former students),
• met with student senate president Aaron Rostad,
• hosted a dinner for WTCS women presidents at my home,
• participated at a monthly meeting of the WTCS presidents held in Waunakee and
• attended the annual “Jam the Gym” event.

In closing, here’s a quote by John F. Kennedy that came at the end of an email I recently received:

"There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."                                                                                              

Bettsey