The Tech College Blog

• Unprecedented

  10/14/2009 2:26:29 PM

  Traditionally, enrollments in the technical colleges have been counter-cyclical – up during lean economic times and down when a strong economy drives job growth. Enrollment patterns have deviated from past trends in recent years, remaining strong despite the relatively good economy in the middle of this decade. This was due in large part to skills gaps in health care, advanced manufacturing and other expanding industries.  It is against this backdrop of already-high enrollments that the WTCS System reported unprecedented enrollment growth.
  
  Given their focus on retraining, most knew that the state’s 16 technical colleges would shoulder the brunt of ...

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• Academic Leadership Council now online

  9/22/2009 4:54:42 PM

  In recent years, many faculty have expressed frustration over the lack of faculty involvement in various educational decisions.  From development of the “Prepared Learner” initiative and reconfiguration of the Associate of Applied Sciences degree, to implementation of statewide curriculum, faculty have concerns over their participation in critical decisions that impact classroom instruction and student services in the technical colleges.    

   

  As faculty, this is of great concern to you.  Faculty are responsible for the day-to-day delivery of instruction and student services in the technical colleges.  You understand the impact that educational policy changes, implementation of systemwide projects and other educational ...

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• H1N1 season

  9/9/2009 1:17:59 PM

  Well, the swine flu – sorry, H1N1 – is back after a brief respite in the Southern Hemisphere.
  
  According to the American College Health Association, students with flu-like symptoms are already beginning to show up in college health centers, although it is largely unknown whether the ill have the H1N1 virus. The ACHA will be issuing weekly flu-tracking surveillance at college campuses.
  
  The Capital Times reports that MATC-Madison has already seen a handful of confirmed H1N1 cases among its student body. UW-Madison recently said University Health Services has begun seeing more patients than usual for this time of year with flu-like symptoms. See more ...

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• Happy Labor Day

  9/3/2009 4:12:55 PM

  With the Labor Day weekend upon us, let’s take time out to celebrate the many contributions America’s hard-working men and women make to our individual and collective well-being.

   

  The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882 in New York City, organized by the city’s Central Labor Union after labor leaders witnessed Canadian labor celebrations. 

   

  Municipal ordinances requiring observance of Labor Day were passed throughout the country in the mid-1880s. These local ordinances quickly led to the first state law honoring Labor Day – enacted by Oregon in 1887.  Over half the states adopted the holiday by 1894.

   

  That same ...

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• Faster and cheaper...but better?

  8/25/2009 12:26:58 PM

  The last several years have seen a strong push to expand dual credit programs, arrangements that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school.

  Earning college credit while in high school is nothing new, of course. Many technical colleges have long maintained a large number of advanced standing agreements. Advanced standing credits can be earned upon enrollment in a technical college if students successfully complete courses that are deemed to be similar to technical college courses.

  The recent focus, however, has been on dual credit - also known as concurrent enrollment. Under these agreements, high school students earn high school and technical ...

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• Welcome back

  8/21/2009 12:23:53 PM

  By Andy Lyons

  As the fall semester begins, I want to take an opportunity to welcome you back to campus.  Many of you, I realize, never left.  Much hard work by faculty and support staff alike was done throughout the summer months.  But the turning of the academic year is a fresh start and deserving of a welcome.

  This will be a challenging year.  Enrollments are skyrocketing as dislocated workers are returning to technical college campuses around the state.  At the same time, growing numbers of traditional college-age students are turning to the technical colleges as they seek more affordable postsecondary options.  

  Yes, enrollment growth will ...

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• Friends in high places

  8/11/2009 1:05:02 PM

  I have been excited and encouraged in recent months to see Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden emerge as a leading advocate for community and technical colleges. 

  Dr. Biden used a recent speech before the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to tout America's community college system.  She explained to her international audience that community and technical colleges could be pillars of economic recovery and sources of new skills after layoffs - and a model for poorer countries struggling to educate their citizens.  Read the full text of Dr. Biden's speech here.

  Fresh on the heels of the UNESCO speech, Dr. Biden ...

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• Minimum Wage

  8/7/2009 3:06:00 PM

  I was thinking the other day about a song by the quirky duo They Might Be Giants. The tune has one simple verse: “Minimum wage,” which is then followed by the sharp crack of a whip.
  
  The song popped into my head when I read the Federal minimum wage increased from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour on July 24th. The Wisconsin minimum wage increased from $6.50 to $7.25 per hour the same day.
  
  There are an estimated 4.5 million minimum wage workers in the United States. Those working a 2,000 hour work year will now earn about $14,500 ...

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• You like me...you really, really like me

  7/27/2009 10:48:57 AM

  By Andy Lyons

  WEAC WTCS Consultant

  So said Sally Field in her 1985 Academy Award acceptance speech (she was actually misquoted, but that's another story). 

  Technical college leaders should be feeling similarly.  After decades playing second fiddle to 4-year universities, community and technical colleges have been thrust into the limelight in recent months, with major news outlets, pundits and politicians extolling their virtues.

  Time magazine, for example, ran a cover story on the role community and technical colleges will play in reviving the U.S. economy.  Read more.  And the highly respected Brookings Institute recently called for a significant federal investment in 2-year ...

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