President's Message: March 30, 2011

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I’m happy to report the Madison Area Technical College District Board voted unanimously to ratify contracts and contract amendments for the part-time faculty, full-time faculty, and our paraprofessional and school-related personnel (PSRP) bargaining units. The Board expressed its gratitude for the collaborative process that lead to these historic agreements.

Please accept the gratitude of the College for placing our students’ interest in front of your own. These new agreements go a long way towards solving challenging financial problems and making it possible for us to continue to meet the needs of our students. More than that, these agreements stand as testament to our resolve to fulfill our mission in the most challenging circumstances.

Update on Smart Future Building Plan
The Wisconsin Technical College System Board recently approved the College’s plan to construct a $39.5 million Health Science Center at the northwest corner of Anderson and Wright Streets that will include dental and health clinics. The WTCS Board also approved the conceptual phase of the proposed Protective Services Education Center at Truax, as well as construction of a Gateway Entrance and Student Achievement Center. We’re hopeful that final approval will occur in May. 

Community Meeting on Governor's Budget
I'll be joining Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, state lawmakers, and other area leaders tonight for a community meeting on Governor Walker's state budget. The meeting runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Madison Memorial High School gym. Officials will share information about impacts of the budget on local government and schools and take comment from the public. Written comment, as well as video of the meeting will be sent to Governor Walker and the Joint Finance Committee leadership since no official state hearings will be held in or near Madison. I hope you have a chance to join us.

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 will focus on the budget, construction issues and related topics. I and/or members of the Executive Team will be visiting your campus to hear any suggestions or comments you might have. Here is the schedule: 

Wednesday, March 30
South Madison Campus, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Room S104
Commercial Avenue Campus, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Room 108B 

Thursday, March 31
Downtown Campus, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Room D240
Truax Campus, 10 to 11a.m., Room 129D 

Monday, April 4
Fort Atkinson Campus, 10 to 11 a.m., Room 157
Watertown Campus, Noon to 1 p.m., Room 121
Truax Campus, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Room 142 Lounge 

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

Ruth Adams, Arts and Sciences
Mary Haight, French
John Otterson, Medical Assistant Program
Jessica Pelzel, Physical Education

Highlights of My Past Week

• Welcomed new employees during their orientation session;
• participated at an administrative “Brown Bag” session;
• participated in a Facilities Master Plan Project Team meeting;
• participated at a United Way Executive Committee meeting;
• attended the U.S. Department of Education’s Community College Regional Summit in Indianapolis on Senator Herb Kohl’s behalf;
• conducted a listening session at West; and
• toured several new buildings at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with VP Learner Development Keith Cornille, Facilities Director Mike Stark and Health and Safety Associate Dean Antonio Re.

Green Tip of the Week – Ramp-up your Recycling:
Help divert waste from the landfill by making it a habit to recycle any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes and junk mail. Remember that we have “Single Stream” recycling so we can recycle plastic, glass and paper in our blue recycling bins.

Thanks for everything you do for our students!

Bettsey