MATC Alumni Foundation Newsletter Fall 2006

MATC Foundation & Alumni Association

Robert Dinndorf, Executive Director

Managing Editor:

Bill Graf

Graphic Design:

Amy Kittleson

Contributing Writers:

Robin Gee,Janet Kelly, Mark Crawford

Communications Director:

Janet KellyFor more information, click on“Alumni and Foundation” at

matcmadison.edu

MATC

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Profiles • Fall 2006

In academia we are often told that we need to know whatit’s like in the real world. Well, our students come fromthe real world. Most have one foot in the classroom andthe other in the workplace. They pursue their studies whileholding down jobs, raising families, paying the bills andmeeting all kinds of other real world responsibilities.Why do they perform this balancing act? If you are anMATC alumnus, you already know the answer: becausereal world jobs demand real world skills — and many of them don’t demand a four-year college degree. MATC’smore than 140 programs are taught by instructors with real world experience of their own. Students learn the technical skills for a particular occupation and thecritical thinking and problem solving skills they need to function as productiveemployees and citizens.Do you sense a theme here? So didwe. That’s why this fall, we started promoting MATC as “Real world smart.”The whimsical, bespectacled globe inour newspaper and billboard advertisinghas carried this message to prospectivestudents and the broader community.Real life examples of real world smart are all around us. From the shop floor to the top floor, from the corner store to the corner office, our graduates arefound throughout local business, industry and public service. You would behard pressed to go through a typical day without encountering an MATC alumsomewhere.In fact, alumni are often our best promoters of all. If you are one of the thousandsof former students who’ve benefited from an MATC education, your success is persuasive proof of MATC’s value — to students, to the local economy and totaxpayers. Joining your alumni association is a great way to meet and connectwith others who have had positive, life-changing experiences at MATC.I encourage you to join the MATC Alumni Association. By becoming an activemember, you will enter a new circle of camaraderie with your fellow alumniand show your commitment to thesuccess of future students.Please keep MATCa part of your life today!Sincerely,Bettsey L. BarhorstMATC President

Don’t Duck This AlumniPitch!

Dear MATC Alumni and Friends,

Become an active member of theMATC community by joining the Alumni Association. You’ll receive regular news,discounts and other valuable servicesat MATC’s:• Athletic events•Salon•Dental Clinic•Career planning & placement office•Fitness Center•Gourmet dining events•Library and computer labs•Optical dispensary Your membership supports alumniprograms and scholarships for MATCstudents.

To join the MATC Alumni Association,use the form on page 7

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Major initiatives to increase studentaccess and success are included in the2006-07 fiscal year budget adopted bythe MATC District Board at its Junemeeting.The board made base budget reduc-tions of $1.3 million and reallocated thesavings to fund emerging priorities. The$177,617,000 budget will require a prop-erty tax levy of $78,680,000. Propertyowners will pay an estimated $121.95 for every $100,000 in assessed value — $4.72less than last year — to support MATC.

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Profiles • Fall 2006

MATC News

MATC budget invests in student success

The budget initiatives include:• Staffing to complete a three-year expansion of nursing instruction.• Adding sections for mandatory student assessment, advising and placement classes.• Creating a “First Semester Experience” programfocused on the crucial period that oftendetermines a student’s success incollege.• More summer schoolcourse offerings.• Adding classes to reducewaiting lists in the artsand sciences, nursing assistant,college transfer art, welding,construction and criminal justice programs.• New offerings in constructionand remodeling, “FasTrack”marketing and English asa Second Language.

More MATC News on page 10 >