President's Message: January 31, 2011

Dear Faculty and Staff, 
Education was a key topic in President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. The president says during the next 10 years, half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond high school. He stressed that the nation’s future depends on improving our education system. I want you to know I appreciate everything you do for our students.

Big Storm
In case you didn’t hear, a big winter storm is headed our way. Forecasters are predicting snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches today into Tuesday, with the potential for 6 to 10 inches later Tuesday into Wednesday. It will also be very windy—gusts of 25 to 35 mph are expected Tuesday night and Wednesday. Please watch your local news or check the College’s website for the latest on possible closings.

College Marvels
Here are the names of faculty members mentioned to me recently as I spoke with students:

Jack Hart, Hospitality
Bernard Nelson, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Pithoon Thanabordeekij, Economics
Joel Ryan, History
Tim Twohill, English

Highlights of My Past Week:
• participated in a meeting of the College’s Facilities Master Planning Project Team,
• attended the WTCS State Board meeting and presented projects in Phase I of our Facilities Master Plan,
• participated in a Madison College Foundation Board meeting,
• participated in a press conference and awarded scholarships to winners of the Madison College Big Idea Challenge at Elvehjem Elementary School,
• participated in a District Board meeting,
• visited with a group of leaders from local community organizations who were at our Downtown Education Center for a two-day summit on “Reinventing the Future for Disconnected Young Adults” (the focus was to collaborate on a plan to foster transition and retention in post secondary education for disconnected young students),
• joined Terry Webb and Roger Price for a telephone discussion with City of Madison Police Chief Noble Wray regarding the city’s training facility,
• attended the annual Best of Madison Business Luncheon,
• interviewed final candidates for the Dean of Protective Services position,
• dropped in at a WTCS Human Resources Certification Committee meeting that was taking place at our campus,
• met with representatives from the Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) who were on campus for a two-day site visit as part of our candidacy to become a Board member institution, and
• met with staff to discuss strategies for the College’s 100th anniversary celebration.

In closing, here’s a quote that ties-in nicely with the president’s State of the Union address:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler

Bettsey