Contact:
Paul G. Anjeski, 608-258-2416, panjeskimatcmadison.edu
The
MATC Writing Center opened its doors only one year ago.
The director of the center is a faculty member of the English Department. The MATC Writing Center has several components.
To begin, the Writing Center director works with faculty from many
divisions within the college to assist them in designing clear writing
assignments. Based on these
discussions, many instructors request that the director come into their classes
to discuss with students how to incorporate effective writing techniques into
the assignments. The director has
designed informational handouts for the students that reflect the points covered
in the discussion. The
director also offers one-on-one tutoring sessions for those students who need
extra support with their writing. The
Center has been a success so far in that it supports many teachers and students
each semester. The director has
been working with as many as 15 faculty members and 50 students each semester.
The main challenges are the need for a bigger space in a building where
space is at a premium and the need for more teachers to work within the center.
The number of faculty and students who can be reached are limited because
only one faculty member so far is working in the center.
The
idea of the Virtual Writing Center (VWC) stems from work already done in the
center on campus and the challenges that have developed.
The students and faculty who choose to work with the VWC will have access
to the services that the center already offers.
Students will be able to discuss their papers individually with an
English instructor on-line. Faculty
will be able to conference about assignments with the director of the Writing
Center on-line. Students and
faculty will have access to the informational handouts via a library on-line.
This center will be another vehicle for students and faculty to get the
support they need; therefore, the center will reach more students without the
need for a physical space.
Contact:
Janice Mettauer, 608-246-6174, jmettauer@matcmadison.edu
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The
focus of Student Life at MATC is to enhance a sense of community through an
array of comprehensive programs and services.
The programs and services have been designed to support the academic
endeavors of the individuals served. Students
who become involved outside the classroom through athletic, theater and
leadership opportunities will find that the experiences enrich the classroom and
learning experience.
Health
Education Program
The
health education programs provide the college community with resources, programs
and information that allows individuals to make informed decisions and be
self-directed regarding their personal health and wellness.
Through computer assisted programs, members of the college community can
obtain learning experiences and information on a confidential basis.
The center provides various clinics and health screenings throughout the
year while also provides individuals and groups to become involved in
health–related community service projects.
Challenges:
The
challenges which face the program are that of responding to the community need
health assessment and the further inclusion of health education in the college
culture. Student Life is also
developing an instrument to assess the learned outcomes of students
participating in the programs/services.
Contact:
Anna Marie Hoffman, 608-246-6027, ahoffman@matcmadison.edu
Enhancing
Leadership
Enhancing
the leadership abilities and skills of individuals is essential to the success
of our communities. Through various
Student Life programs, students are provided the opportunity to participate in a
series of workshops and simulation exercises designed to teach and foster
leadership skills. The Student Life
staff has worked with various members of the faculty to develop curriculum that
includes simulation exercises as part of their course.
Where these partnerships have taken place, the Student Life staff serve
as guest lecturers for that segment of the course.
The
implementation of the Karen Roberts Leadership Endowment will allow the program
to enhance its offerings and provide scholarship opportunities to learners that
have demonstrated leadership and a desire to foster their growth in the subject.
Challenges:
Challenges
for the program will continue to be that of developing and enhancing the
financial base of the program. Currently
the staff is developing measurement tools to obtain the learning and development
of the student from these experiences.
Contact:
Keith Cornille, 608-246-6464, kcornille@matcmadison.edu
Service
to the Community
The
Volunteer Center at MATC provides students with the opportunity to experience
learning in real life settings. Through
active role modeling by the Student Life staff, students become exposed and
realize the importance of providing leadership to the community through active
participation. Servant-Leadership
theory and active involvement are used to teach students the principles of
community service. The center uses
a computerized matching and tracking system to assist individuals with placement
into service projects and to validate and maintain a record of the individuals
service.
Challenges:
Challenges
that face the center are that of further educating the campus community on what
defines community service and how it can be utilized as a teaching technique.
The Student Life staff is also in the process of developing sound
infrastructures, which will support the integration service learning into the
curriculum. Additional challenges include the refinement of providing those
involved with effective tools by which to journal and reflect upon there
experience.
Multicultural,
Social Issues and Peace Programs
The
Cultural Diversity Series aims to promote intercultural dialogue and reduce
ethnic and racial misunderstandings through diversity education.
Encompassing both domestic and international understandings of cultural
diversity, the series offers ongoing programs that include guest lectures,
workshops, and performance events.
The
aim of the Student Life Issues Series and Peace Programs is to foster awareness
of local and global social concerns and to develop students' sense of civic
involvement. Over the course of the
year, we explore issues including peace and social justice, human rights, the
environment, hunger and homelessness, gender issues, and college success.
Programming is supported by membership in the Wisconsin Institute for
Peace and Conflict Studies, a statewide consortium of educational institutions.
Students
are encouraged to become active learners by participating in learning
experiences both inside and out of the classroom.
In turn, Student Life staff works closely with instructional faculty to
develop programs to fill specific curricular needs.
Challenges:
Assessing
student’s knowledge and comfort levels with regard to issues of
multiculturalism and diversity and encouraging them to push beyond those
boundaries toward new understandings of self and community.
Providing information that both informs students of current social
events, yet providing opportunities for discussion and application that are
meaningful to their daily life and understandings.
Contact: Dr. Geoffrey W. Bradshaw, 608-246-6165, gbradshaw@matcmadison.edu
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This
instructional design system helps teachers write performance-based instruction.
Performance-based instruction helps make the link between what is taught
and the skills learners will actually apply in their jobs or life roles.
WIDS integrates sound instructional design theory into a practical
database software that assists frontline educators to develop well designed and
well planned curriculum and courses.
During
faculty development workshops, participants learn to specify performance
standards, create performance-based assessments, and plan learning and teaching
strategies that work. Participants
receive coaching, feedback, and assistance from certified, experienced WIDS
trainers as they design their own curriculum following the workshop.
Successes
Conducted
a minimum of three WIDS designing and assessing learning workshops per year:
one in the Fall, one at semester in-service, one after finals in May or
early June (synchronous, personal attendance required).
Established
independent study workshops for WIDS basic training as an on-line course
(using the "Instructional Design and Planning" WIDS CD and
supporting documentation).
Trained
in-house WIDS trainers who do all the WIDS training for Madison Area
Technical College.
Trained
in-house WIDS faculty mentors who can help the faculty with WIDS curriculum
projects.
Presented
Outline of Instruction training workshops using WIDS software for
approximately 100 faculty and staff.
Posted
completed outlines of instruction on the Web using the WIDS format.
Challenges
All
curriculum and courses written by the faculty at Madison Area Technical
College will be completed using the WI DS software and performance-based
instructional design.
Conduct
curriculum workshops for the faculty every week using the WIDS software.
Train
curriculum mentors in each division/department to help faculty write their
curriculum using the WIDS software and performance-based instructional
design.
Contact:
Nancy Schley, 608-246-4506, nschley@matcmadison.edu
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