College Leaders Mark Facilities Master Plan Progress

For more than seven months, teams of faculty and staff have advised Madison College leaders in the many small steps building toward construction of new facilities described in our Master Plan.

The whirlwind of activity owes its success to the many volunteers who worked on committees, work groups and problem-solving teams even while absorbing duties due to our historic enrollment increase. Thank you for your exceptional effort.

President Bettsey Barhorst recently shared our progress report with the Wisconsin Technical College Board in Janesville, and today we are pleased to share some more details with you.

Several steps in our plan for the next decade were hard to miss. We celebrated the success of our West Side campus at an Oct. 14 opening with much media attention. The site offers “surge space” for our Protective Services Program for the next seven years until a permanent home on the west side of our parking lots at Truax is prepared.

The popularity of a West Side location urged college leaders to consider additional space in the new campus located at Gammon and Mineral Point Roads for business and other courses that could continue to expand as our students vote with their feet.

At our Commercial Avenue site, faculty and staff are enjoying improved space, including 20,000 square feet in Building A and 7,000 square feet in Building B remodeled in a $1 million project. Another $1.2 million was spent on new equipment. Contact "Events" at (608) 246-6338 to reserve the space for larger events and meetings.

On Sept. 10, 2009, the Madison College South Education Center held its Grand Opening Celebration for its enlarged site. This facility is located in the Villager Mall on South Park Street in Madison. The size of the space more than tripled, now totaling more than 8,600 square feet. 

Technology educators also got more support when the College this summer renewed the lease on the McAllen Technology Center, home to computer networking courses and other computer hardware classes. The lease includes expanded space to be ready by January, 2010.  

Today’s distance learning has evolved to include 12 telepresence rooms that will deliver instruction in a digitally intimate setting. There are six large 16-seat rooms and six smaller two-seat rooms across the district. The six large rooms have been specifically adapted for instructional delivery, the first of its kind in the world to use telepresence for instructional delivery. These six rooms are located at the Truax, West Madison, Reedsburg, Portage, Fort Atkinson and Watertown campuses. There are six classes running in these rooms this Fall in an extended pilot. In Spring, 2010, more than 50 classes will be held using telepresence. Demonstrations/tours of these rooms can be scheduled by contacting ajerger-lopez[at] matcmadison [dot] edu (Alli Jerger-Lopez). We are offering training on how to teach via telepresence to faculty who are scheduled to teach on telepresence in the Spring. Check the CETL schedule for registration information.

We hope you have seen the video prepared by ZD Studios that gives shape to the College’s vision for the Master Plan.

Many other activities preparing the foundation for that vision are taking place behind the scenes:

• A committee of faculty and staff reviewed requests for proposals from 13 contractors who are competing to become the manager of construction services for buildings in the master plan. Depending on resources, the top priorities for contractors will be expanded planning for construction of a health sciences building and a central entrance to the Truax building that could house tutoring, counseling, enrollment and career services in a Student Success Center.
• The college will start a similar effort in December for a request for proposal for construction management at the Downtown Madison campus. This distinctive project will seek a public/private partnership in the redevelopment of the historic block.
• Another cross functional team this fall finished Exterior Design Guidelines that will help new buildings visually flow and unite our look across campuses.
• The Marketing Department advised by colleagues and the Executive Team led an effort to introduce our “street name” of Madison College and our new logo. Work continues on unified signage throughout our campuses.
• A team of our colleagues will deliver Optimum Classroom Design Criteria in January, 2010. This group, comprised of faculty, staff and students, will be determining the design and layout for future classrooms that will support optiminal student success. 
• In an effort to comply with increasingly detailed federal regulations, Bob Dinndorf, Becky Baumbach and Roger Price worked with the Foundation Board and the District Board to clarify the Foundation’s independent status as a non-profit organization, referred to as a 501(c)(3).
• Several college leaders continue work with Realtors and financial advisors on possible purchase of land north of the Truax campus that could house an enhanced Advanced Manufacturing/Transportation Center. The Foundation could have a role in this purchase.
• Staff in Facility Services has been working on plans to construct a new parking lot at the Truax Campus directly adjacent to the softball and soccer fields. This lot will make it easier to accommodate parking for our many athletic events and serve as on overflow lot for student parking when the other lots are full. We anticipate the new parking lot to be open in Fall, 2010. In addition, a traffic signal at the corner of Anderson and Hoffman Streets is being pursued to alleviate traffic congestion and maximize safety.
• At the same time, the Executive Team is exploring proposals with private developers who might build dormitories on the current tennis court location.

You can track additional information on the progress of the Master Plan by going to our website and entering “master plan” in the site’s search box.

If you’d like to share a comment or volunteer for a study group, please contact LStier[at] matcmadison [dot] edu (Lori Stier) at (608) 246-6263.