Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season!

At the close of another year, it’s a wonderful time to pause and reflect on accomplishments. We have much to be proud of at Moraine Park. To name a few, we broke ground on a new Student Services addition on our Fond du Lac campus, were awarded $1.2 million in Wisconsin Fast Forward grant dollars to train workers, and hosted a very successful inaugural Pink Pumpkin 5K Run/Walk.

I am especially proud of our student’s accomplishments throughout the year. We have seen the Health Science Program achieve outstanding national exam pass rates, students from many different programs represented the College at SkillsUSA competitions, and our service-learning efforts were showcased at our State’s capitol. 

As I mention service-learning, I want to give special recognition to the students who have been volunteering this holiday season. Students in Moraine Park’s Electrical Power Distribution Club rang bells for the Salvation Army, many students spent time at local nursing homes and coordinated toy drives, while the Radiography Club adopted a family during the holiday season. I am always moved by the caring hearts of our students at Moraine Park. You really are making a difference!

We have much to celebrate at Moraine Park and to look forward to! Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year! http://youtu.be/WgIRgTn25Uc 

Beaver Dam Student Senate making washcloth bunnies for Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam. Each bunny is tied with a ribbon and tag that reads “Hoppy Holidays! Wishing you peace and joy throughout this season and into the New Year! – Moraine Park Beaver Dam Student Senate”

Introducing Community Connections Newsletter

I am pleased to announce that Moraine Park has released the first edition of Community Connections, a MorainePark Technical College Newsletter.

The biannual newsletter is intended to keep business leaders and community members informed of the many happenings at the College. In our first issue you will find information about projects Moraine Park faculty and staff have been working on including the grand opening of our new Jackson Regional Center, lab updates and several new initiatives implemented by departments within the College. For questions or feedback on the newsletter, please contact jurben@morainepark.edu.

Summer Event Recap

The month of August has been filled with many exciting events to get us all back in the swing of things before the start of the fall semester.

The first thing I want to share with you are a few highlights from Tech Knowledge College (TKC). This annual summer workshop gives students entering sixth through eighth grade the opportunity to explore career options offered at Moraine Park. This year we had nearly 200 students participate in 20 different sessions. The sessions ranged from culinary creations to welding projects. Below are just a few of my favorite photos from the event!

In the intro to party planning class, students hosted Mexican and Italian-themed parties with food and decoration to match. They even sported festive mustaches for the occasion.

 

Welding students learned the art of welding from Moraine Park Instructor Larry Clark. During the three-day event students worked to weld pieces of metal together to create a lawn sculpture.

Another one of my favorite August events is Summer Welcome Day because it means students are coming back soon! This year’s event featured a new twist with an Amazing Race theme. To help new and returning students learn more about the College we hosted our very first Amazing Moraine Park Race.

Like the popular TV show, The Amazing Race, students had to work together with their teams using clues to find locations and complete challenges around their campus. The challenges helped students meet new people while they learned about the College and resources available to them once school starts.

 

 

Although the race activities were very exciting, my favorite part of the event was getting the chance to walk around each table to meet new students. Thank you to all the students who participated in the event! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I look forward to seeing you all in a few short weeks!

Week 4: Finding a balance

It’s hard to believe we are into the fourth week of classes! I trust you have adjusted to balancing your class schedule, class assignments, work, family and the many other to-do’s on your daily and weekly schedule.  Let’s not forget the early alarm clock for those of you who have classes and or clinicals starting before 8:00 a.m.

myMPTC is an excellent way to stay organized and connected. I encourage you to log into myMPTC and take a look at the Home, Student, and Student Life tabs.  Helpful information along with news, reminders and campus activities for students is listed.  Student Senate meetings at the Fond du Lac, West Bend and Beaver Dam campuses are scheduled.  You will find invitations for free donuts, pizza and speakers to ease your busy days and add a little fun.

Jot me a note to let me know how things are going…whether you are new to MPTC or a returning student, I’m interested in hearing from you!

Welcome back, students!

What an exciting first week back for our students! It was so nice seeing the faces of new and returning students on our Beaver Dam, West Bend, and Fond du Lac campuses, ready to kick off a new semester. Welcome lunches were held throughout the week on each campus for students and staff along with entertainment. I attended the welcome lunch on the Fond du Lac campus and enjoyed entertainment from a Forrest Gump impersonator and professional speaker. Steve Weber used the persona, wit and wisdom of Forrest Gump to deliver an interactive and motivational program. There were some wonderful inspirational messages for students and staff to carry with them throughout the new semester.

Lunch and comedic entertainment also took place on the Beaver Dam and West Bend campuses this week. I hope that students were able to enjoy these events and take advantage of meeting and mingling with new friends, old friends, and fellow classmates in attendance.

Since I’ve been at Moraine Park (it’s hard to believe it’s already been a year), one of my favorite new semester duties is volunteering as a semester greeter. Today, I was stationed at a table and helped students who were looking for a new class, free breakfast, or had general questions about the College. I always enjoy meeting new students and greeting returning students. If you ever see me in the hall, please introduce yourself and say hi. I hope this is a wonderful semester for all of our students. We are so happy you chose to attend or return to Moraine Park!

A Year in Review

It’s been over one year since my adventure as Moraine Park President began. It was an exciting start with meeting students on our Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac and West Bend campuses during the welcome lunches and mascot reveal. I attended Student Senate meetings to see what our student leaders had planned for the semester ahead and welcomed new students, and learned my way around a bit better,  as a semester greeter. As the fall semester continued, one of my main focuses was on business and industry partnerships. I visited organizations around our district, learning what skills are needed for our graduates to be hired, how we can strengthen our programs to meet business and industry needs, and other ways to improve the pipeline between Moraine Park and our business partners.

My first year was also the kickoff to Moraine Park’s Centennial Celebration, and it has been great fun taking part in the many Centennial activities that have taken place.  It has also been interesting looking back at historical documents and photos and learning about the roots of our College and how it has grown into the educational leader it is today. While so much has changed over the past 100 years, it’s wonderful to see that our focus on student success and hands-on, applicable learning still remain a key focus for our staff and faculty.

Attending my first Student Awards Banquet, Moraine Park Commencement ceremony, and GED graduation was especially an honor. Addressing the class of 2012 and their family and friends on that special day was a wonderful experience. I was so proud of their accomplishments and look forward to learning where their Moraine Park education takes them.

This summer, Moraine Park received exciting news that we were one of just five recipients of the Wisconsin Workforce Partnership Grant from the Wisconsin Covenant Foundation Inc. Governor Scott Walker visited our Fond du Lac Campus to share the news with our staff and industry partners. The grant will help establish Manufacturing Skills Academies for both machine operation and welding training in a 15-week boot camp format.

As Moraine Park’s centennial year, and my first year, come to an end, I look forward to the year ahead. We have so much to be proud of here at MPTC and we will continue to instill in our students “if you believe it you can achieve it!”  We have  new programs getting underway, facilities upgrades taking place and continued conversations about ways to prepare our students with relevant training for today’s workforce. Thank you for staying connected over the past year by keeping up with my blog. I look forward to sharing with you the new adventures for 2012-13!

Welcome back students!

It was a week of excitement and vibrancy as students returned for spring semester classes. Hopefully everyone had a restful winter break and feel ready to get back into the swing of things with their new classes.

I had the opportunity to be a “semester greeter” where I helped answer questions and direct students to their respective classrooms.  As I assisted with this task I was impressed with how students helped the president learn things that I still have not had the opportunity to learn or inquire about.  The enthusiasm from students returning to the Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam and West Bend campuses is great to see as we begin another academic term.

One way students and staff were welcomed back was with lunch events on the three campuses. There were comedians, an interactive inspirational speaker, Lunch n’ Learn event, and opportunities for students to stuff and bring home their very own gray wolf mascot. What a fun way to kick off the new semester!

Students, how did the first week of classes go for you? Do you have anything that you are especially looking forward to this semester?

First Week Welcomes Students and New MPTC Mascot – the Gray Wolf!

The first week of the fall semester is coming to a close for our new and returning students. As I greeted many of our new students on Monday at the Fond du Lac campus, I could see the glazed looks in their eyes and the sense of feeling lost, and maybe even a bit overwhelmed.

These are certainly all feelings to which I have been able to relate to since starting my presidency on July 5th.  Many times during the past two months I have been standing in a hall, whether I was at the Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam or West Bend campus, when thankfully someone would approach me and ask “can I help you?”  My answer was generally always “yes” and I was most appreciative for the help!  It’s great to know that our faculty and staff are there to help, whether it’s guiding a student to the right classroom or ensuring they get their new president where I need to be. Also this week, as part of Moraine Park’s Centennial kickoff, I had the opportunity to unveil the college’s new mascot – the Gray Wolf!  What an exciting time it was to join students at all three campuses to welcome MPTC’s mascot.  During these events, students were provided with the opportunity to submit a name for our mascot. I submitted a name so I’ll be anxiously awaiting this announcement!

If you didn’t get a chance to make a name suggestion, you can still be part of Moraine Park history by voting for the mascot name. From September 6^th through the 16^th, students and staff can head to myMPTC and vote for their favorite name as many times as they’d like. You can find the voting instructions below as well as how the selection of the Gray Wolf was determined.

Wishing you a successful school year!

Gray Wolf Voting Instructions

Beginning Tuesday, September 6^th, visit myMPTC, click the Student Life tab, then go to Student Life News and click Vote! Name MPTC’s Gray Wolf. You can vote as many times as you’d like. Voting ends on Friday, September 16^th.

Selecting the Moraine Park Gray Wolf

During the 2009-2010 school year, Moraine Park’s District Student Government approached then President Dr. Gayle Hytrek, with the idea of creating a mascot for the College. Dr. Hytrek charged members of District Student Government with developing a mascot they felt would accurately reflect Moraine Park’s Student body. District Student Government selected the Gray Wolf for what it symbolized – pathfinders, success, perseverance, stability and thought – and because they felt it truly embodied the spirit of Moraine Park students as well as faculty and staff.

Celebrating Technical Colleges and Connecting with the Community

Some of you may be wondering how my first few weeks at Moraine Park have been. I will tell you that they have been busy and I have learned a lot. What I have been most impressed with is the warm welcome I have received from not only the employees at Moraine Park’s three campuses but also the college communities. I spent my first three days on the job touring the Fond du Lac, West Bend and Beaver Dam campuses and meeting individuals within the communities.   Employees within the college were eager to learn about me and I was eager to learn about them and the important jobs they have.  Remembering their names will come in time, but for now I’m doing well to remember where and how I can locate them!



Photo by Gateway Technical College via Flickr

 I was also privileged to be able to attend and participate in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Centennial Celebration at Gateway Technical College (GTC) in Racine.  It was a wonderful celebration with GTC laying the foundation for career training in Wisconsin.  Serving over 400,000 students annually, the WTCS provides the education and services to meet today’s student and employee needs.  I am proud to be a part of this wonderful system and look forward to kicking off Moraine Park’s centennial celebration starting in the fall. We are planning many events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year, and encourage you to check back this fall for more information on these activities. 

Finally, I want to share with you the wonderful lunch I had with Moraine Park’s Student Ambassador, Kristina White. Kristina was a joy to talk with and I look forward to seeing her involvement with not only Moraine Park’s campuses but also the WTCS system.  I encourage you to attend any events that Kristina plans as our Student Ambassador.

The start of the fall term is just around the corner. I look forward to meeting you as you return to MPTC this fall.

Coming Home

As a Wisconsin native, it is with great pleasure that I am coming home as the new president of Moraine Park Technical college; a role supported with deeply planted roots in both the technical educational system and the Midwest geography.  I earned my first college degree through the Wisconsin Technical College System, so it seems fitting to find myself coming full circle.

The beginning of my story is not unlike that of many other students.  I was introduced to the technical college system my senior year of high school by my guidance counselor.  Even then as I pondered my future, I understood that some formal training and education beyond high school was important. I, along with a few of my high school classmates, inquired about what MATC-Madison might have to offer someone like me.  Encouraged by what I learned, I completed the admission application and soon found myself on my way to the start of educational and career endeavors I never dreamed possible as a 17-year-old small town, high school senior.

I flourished at MATC.  I was inspired.  Sometime during my second year, Dr. Nancy Tans, a fashion/marketing instructor, encouraged me to consider going on to a four- year university.  It wasn’t something I had really considered, but with her encouragement, and that of other department faculty, I applied at UW-Stout in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.

The rest, as they say, is history…

After earning my bachelor’s degree, I went on to UW-Madison and received both my Doctor of Philosophy degree in Continuing and Vocational Education with a minor in Educational Administration, and a Master of Science degree in Continuing and Vocational Education.  That small town girl made good on some big time dreams.

My journey from a student to a faculty member to a dean and on to a vice president has been immensely fulfilling and diverse both in scope and in geographical location.  Now, the newest role of “president” has also brought me “home.” While I’ve enjoyed the many friends, students and colleagues I’ve met along the way, “home” seemed to be a missing part of the equation. 

It feels good to be back.

What does “home” mean to you?  Send me your thoughts.