• We were honored to have Governor-Elect Sam Brownback deliver our graduation speech during last Friday’s commencement exercises. He did a wonderful job talking about developing character through stressful times and identifying what is important in our lives. While many people never get a chance to meet their Governor face-to-face, our faculty and some staff had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Brownback and every student was able to shake his hand as they processed across the stage. I also took the opportunity to bend his ear a bit about how technical education is the answer to improving the economy. We also talked about how we are such a good return on investment that the phrase “Technical Education Doesn’t Cost…It Pays” should be used as often as possible when talking about economic solutions.
  
  
• SGO Breakfast was an absolute huge success. There was so much food that people were walking by grazing at the left-over food for hours...me included. Thanks to the SGO and those who helped make for a fine belly-filling morning with a chance for our student body to interact.
  
  
• This year’s annual tree contest is pictured to the right: While we had many great submissions, there can only be a few winners. They were: Best Individual Tree-Candy Land; Dee W-Nursing, Spirit of MATC; Welding, Charlie Brown Christmas Tree; EP&D, and Overall Best Tree-Old Fashioned Christmas with Stringed Popcorn; Nursing-ADN class of 2011. The trees go to Pawnee Mental Health Services to given to needy area residents. Thanks to Donna Hobbs for coordinating this event each year.
  
  
• The Konza Rotary Club gives out two $500 awards to MATC students every year. Faculty members nominate their students for what we call the “Student of the Semester”. The fall 2010 “Students of the Semester” go to: Danielle Bacon from our Business Administration Program and Tiffany Pauley from our Computer Aided Drafting Program. Congratulations ladies! Full story available here: http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/Home/homeG.asp?cid=4398
  
  
• Congratulations to Dental Hygiene for being awarded $31,466 to bring digital workstations to the hygiene stations. These will give the hygienist students direct access to patient records, x-rays, etc while working on the patients.
  
  
• Unfortunately, due to lack of sufficient participation, our fall legislative breakfast was cancelled. We thank Rep. Sydney Carlin, Mayor Bruce Snead, and Rep. Vern Swanson for volunteering their time and will call upon them again for our next attempt.
  
  
• Last week our first Dental Hygiene Clinic was held. Students invited friends and acquaintances to come as “live patients”. We had Drs. James Marker and David Craft and as volunteer Dentist Supervisors for the event.
  
  
• Marilyn and Jane worked shoulder-to-shoulder with faculty from KSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Colby CC at an exploratory workshop to determine the fiscal feasibility of offering a satellite of Colby’s Vet Tech program here in Manhattan in cooperation with the three Colleges. While it is unlikely that we will offer any Vet Tech courses ourselves it looks promising that we can host a branch program, in concert with K-State, here in Manhattan. This would provide folks in the areas the opportunity to attend the Colby CC Veterinary Technology Program here instead of having to relocate for two years. More to come…
  
  
• Our Biotechnology Program has created a new Program Logo to adorn their marketing and other materials along with the MATC Logo, of course.
  
  
• Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa...or if you aren't celebrating anything special this time of the year, I hope you'll have wonderful time anyway!
  
  
  Rob

T’was Weeks Before Christmas

By: Rob Edleston

T‘was weeks before Christmas and all through the school, not a student was calm, no one kept their cool.

With finals all looming and no shopping done, the students had trouble considering this fun.

The teachers were all nestled, trying to get ahead, with their tests and their grading…oh what a dread.

When out of the e-mail what should appear, but a memo reminding of days off coming near.

Little smiles emerged on angelic faces, thinking of all the fun to be had and of going lots of places.

The offices were decorated with ribbons and bows, the heaters were on warming our toes.

All through the air was holiday cheer, with the realization that we had finished half a school year.

Well Santa may come and bring his own cheer, but for MATC employees, two weeks off is so near.

So for those others who work through the holidays bright, we wish you quiet days and quieter nights.

Our warm thoughts go with you until that happy day, when we are re-united to laugh and to play.

Drive with care and eat lots of stuff. I love you all, Merry Christmas…I guess that’s enough.

Rob

Happy Hollandaise to all; or is that Happy Ham and Glaze?
Oh yeah, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

• We are honored to have Governor-Elect Sam Brownback deliver the commencement speech during Manhattan Area Technical College’s fall 2010 commencement exercises on December 10th. Sam Brownback is a person who understands the value of a technical education and the need for highly skilled workers. He knows that the State’s economic rebound will come from an enhanced workforce created as a result of the men and women who graduate from technical colleges and community colleges. Earlier in the day the College will hold its biannual pinning ceremony celebrating the graduation of twenty-three of MATC’s Registered Nursing students.
  
  
• We have awarded contracts to two companies in the next phase of the campus expansion project. The modular building project design award went to BG Consultants and the parking lot design project went to Schwab Eaton. Once the design phase is complete we will solicit bids for the construction phase; sometime in early January.
  
  
• We met with Student Services yesterday to begin the planning process for launching our Experiential Learning /Portfolio Development processes. This program, once formalized, will enable our faculty to evaluate real-life learning experiences in order to award equivalent MATC credit. This is a terrific opportunity to attract students who have learned many of the same things that we teach but haven’t had the chance to be formally recognized for their knowledge and experience. More to come.
  
  
• We have our fall General Advisory Committee meeting this afternoon. We will be hosted by Superintendent Bob Shannon at USD 383 in the Robinson Education Center conference room at 3:30. We look forward to seeing our advisors and having the opportunity to share and to listen to these community representatives.
  
  
• Next Tuesday we will be having our fall legislative breakfast. We have expanded our invitation to include city and county officials and have divided the morning into three sessions to avoid over-crowding in the Commons. Tracy has managed to secure about $1,300 of donated food and drinks that will be rolled out for each shift. We began this informal meet and greet a few years ago and most people enjoy the format of sitting and chatting with legislatures while downing breakfast burritos, donuts, and the like.
  
  
• Next Friday, Marilyn and Jane will be working shoulder-to-shoulder with faculty from KSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Colby CC at an exploratory workshop to determine the fiscal feasibility of offering a satellite of Colby’s Vet Tech program here in Manhattan in cooperation with the three Colleges.
  
  
• Inclement weather season is upon us and there are lots of indications that it is going to be a tough winter. If you know that weather is coming, or you wake in the morning to snow or ice, please be sure to check the television, radio, MATC automated phone system, or the web site to see if there is a change to the day’s schedule due to dangerous conditions. The TV and radio will have the information posted quicker than the other two which are a bit labor intensive to update.
  
  
• The picture at the right is our Care Committee’s Mitten Tree. It is being decorated with kid’s mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves. We have partnered with Social and Rehab Services to do this and it has turned out to be very successful. I really like the Batman hat and gloves and the monkey hat and gloves but neither set will fit me. These items will be sent to the SRS Boys and Girls Club later in the month to be given to needy children.
  
  
• Tomorrow the MATC Board of Directors is having their annual retreat/training session. We will be re-visiting “policy Governance” in the morning facilitated by Dr. David Craft and then receive training from our Technical College group’s lobbyist, Steve Kearney, focused on dealing with legislators at all levels of government.
  
  Have a great weekend
  
  Rob