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Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) is pursuing three new programs to provide area residents with education and training for allied health careers along with other employment applications. “In response to the varied workforce needs of healthcare providers as well as employers in the business and manufacturing sectors, MSTC is actively investigating new associate degree offerings. These programs include Clinical Research Coordinator, Laboratory Science Technician and Biomedical Information Technician,” said Dr. Sue Budjac, Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr. Budjac provided the information during the monthly MSTC Board of Directors meeting, held Monday evening.
Dr. Budjac and Eldean Walling, Dean, Service & Health Division, reported that the proposed programs would be unique in Wisconsin, and pending the results of the investigation as well as MSTC and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) approval, the college could begin offering the programs as early as fall, 2007. “With these three programs, we can provide distinctive offerings designed to meet the needs of employers and the practitioner in health fields as well as potentially in agriculture, food production and processing and others ,” said Walling. “Each would have a broad application for allied health and other fields since the courses would be an integration of health as well as business courses, providing great value for the student and employer,” she added.
Dr. Budjac said the goal of the program investigation process is to make a decision to seek WTCS Board approval with the intent to offer the three associate degrees next fall. She added that the college routinely examines its mix of programs to ensure employer and student needs are met. “During this process, we consider new program opportunities as well as the viability of current offerings. As we continue to work with limited resources, a balance is needed. When we look at adding new programs, it’s essential to revisit our current offerings and review their value from a student and employer perspective. It’s been our history at MSTC to apply a thoughtful process of growing our programs to meet identified need,” said Dr. Budjac.
Other meeting action & news…
New Shared Program coming in January, 2007 – Chiropractic Technician
The board approved a new collaboration with Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) whereby MSTC and MPTC would share the delivery of an associate degree program in chiropractic technician. Beginning in January, MSTC students wishing to earn a degree in the Chiropractic Technician program at MPTC may complete the general education courses at MSTC and concurrently or later, take the occupational specific courses online and complete the clinical requirements at MPTC’s Beaver Dam campus. Walling said Moraine Park is the only technical college in Wisconsin that offers the Chiropractic Technician program. She added that the shared program delivery would not require additional MSTC operational dollars. “By providing this shared program format, it creates the opportunity for MSTC to economically meet the needs of area employers and increase the offers of an additional program to area students.”
Marketing to Adult Learners
Jim Barrett, Director of Admissions and Elizabeth Moran, Director of Communications, provided an overview of strategies the college will employ to market to the adult learner, including a consumer marketing approach to engage adults in their consideration of MSTC. “With growing interest in higher education by adult learners and declining enrollment in high schools, MSTC will place more emphasis in marketing to the adult learner, broadly identified as persons over the age of 25,” said Barrett. He said strategies to reach “non-traditional” students include future campus events specifically targeted to adult learners and engaging in strategic relationships with employers and organizations. “ We will be working directly with area human resource personnel to develop and improve educational opportunities for adult learners.” Moran said another strategy is the “Four after Four” promotion of four associate degrees available after 4 p.m. at the Stevens Point campus. “‘Four after Four’ is targeted to working adults who wish to prepare for, or advance within, the Accounting, Business Administration, IT-Programmer/Analyst or Supervisory Management fields. We recognize that more working adults are choosing to attend college and we make it possible for them to get a quality education while holding down a career and juggling family responsibilities by offering classes at times working adults prefer.”
In final action, the Board reviewed the conditions of a tentative agreement with the Faculty Association and endorsed the proposal. The three-year agreement begins with the 2006-07 academic
year and includes a 3% salary increase per year.
The next Mid-State Technical College Board of Directors meeting will be held Monday, September 18 at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Committee meetings are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m., with the regular Board meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. To learn more about MSTC programs and services, please call 888.575.6782 or visit the college’s website at mstc.edu.
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