Listening & Learning Sessions FY2010
All Campuses
20=Oak Creek 50=Mequon 60=Milwaukee 80=West Allis
CONCERN / LOC / PERSON RESPONSIBLE / RESPONSE/RESOLUTIONGrab n’ Go
1. / Students voiced concerns regarding the lack of services in the cafeteria: No Grill; sinks and drains removed; no cappuccino/ hot chocolate machine / 80 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / Grill opened spring semester. Cappuccino machine added
2. / Suggested outside chain restaurant be considered on campus. / 80 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / Not allowed by union contract
3. / Parents toured with students and were happy that hot food was available, now it is just frozen. / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / We are working with student senate to add hot sandwiches and other offerings
4. / It is a very small space with not a very healthy variety of food choices. / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / It is small. We are trying to expand it with construction this summer
5. / Prices in Grab-n-Go / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / Prices are comparable or below to industry
6. / What was the actual reason for the Grab-n-go: cost of food or cost of services? / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / Cost of operation exceeding revenue generated and the tight budget
7. / Will this be reviewed? / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / Yes, in December
8. / Not everyone has a car to travel to get hot food; closest restaurant is 3 miles away / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / We are working with students to add more hot food selections
9. / No student input in the loss of the hot food menu. / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / The issue was budget changes had to be made during the summer
10 / Were any feasibility studies done? / 50 / M. Sargent, VPFinance / We reviewed the existing operation of food service and determined that continued operation as a cafeteria was not feasible.
Student Services
11 / Refund policy needs to be addressed / 80 / P. Cardona
VP-West Allis A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / The refund policy is determined by the state technical college system. It’s the same for all 16 of the technical colleges.
12 / We need a person to answer Financial Aid questions all the time. / 50 / P. Cardona
VP-Mequon A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Will review and collect data and review with Student Services Manager and Campus VP. The need for additional financial aid coverage at the Mequon Campus is currently being researched. The number of students requesting financial aid assistance at the Mequon Campus will be studied to determine how to provide the best coverage. I will confirm the Mequon Campus staff has a current listing of financial aid contact phone numbers to answer student/staff financial aid questions immediately.
Update: Will pilot in fall 2010 to have two (2) additional FA staff a week. Stats will be kept on the number of students being served. Mequon Campus front-line staff do have up-to-date FA contact information.
13 / Classes are cancelled and students aren’t called/informed and show up for class / 50 / P. Cardona
VP-Mequon / This is a district wide issue. This will be addressed at Coordination day on the campus, New Student Orientations and with the instructional chair faculty.
14 / Should assign one person per campus to provide all transfer information for students. / 50 / P. Cardona
VP-Mequon A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Review and consideration of a transfer information center/rack in the Library. Review of information and location to be conducted with the VP, Student Services Manager and the Librarian.
MATC in collaboration between UWM, WTCS, and the USC Center for Urban education has just completed the Wisconsin Transfer Equity Study. This student examined how to increase collegiate transfer. Focus groups were conducted among future transfer students in the College to get their feedback on the process, available material, and challenges they face, and how to improve the process. Material was reviewed as well as the College's website regarding transfer. Information will be shared with the necessary areas of responsibility and the process of improving transfer will continue this fall semester.
15 / Counselors need to be better informed about the college transfer information / 50 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Working with marketing department and articulation office to provide better communication to students and staff by way of new printed materials. There are Transfer Fairs conducted regularly at all 4 campuses.
Update: College transfer fair was held during May 2010.
16 / Need more Counseling staff due to increased enrollments / 80 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / The institution is evaluating the growing need to address student retention. Staffing is also being reviewed to determine the role of Counselors as well as faculty advising.
17 / To be able to get the appropriate and accurate information when needed from counselors regarding nursing transfer issues and Financial Aid / 50 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Health division and counseling staff have been meeting to assure that proper information is being delivered by both departments with particular emphasis on the petitioning process.
Meetings with Health Division and Financial Aid, Admissions and Counseling staff are scheduled periodically to discuss any petitioning issues. Any FA changes are communicated by FA director to key-point people to disseminate to their staff.
18 / Downtown counselors know more. / 50 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Counseling staff from all campuses attend regular meetings to discuss program issues and updates.
19 / UPASS from South-side park-n-rides would be nice. / 50 / P. Cardona
VP-Mequon A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Will explore meeting with the County and other Campus VP’s to look at possible other connections. Mequon Team: Lamarre, Holloway and Pinckney This issue will be investigated to determine UPASS usage at Oak Creek Park and Ride.
Brochure created for MATC students with option.
20 / Elimination of the Multicultural Department—where do the student’s go to obtain those services? / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Al Pinckney along with Lauren Baker, MATC Board Chair, and Dr. Martin assured the students that the Multicultural Department is not being eliminated.
21 / Students get bounced from one person to the next when calling to find out information related to the enrollment process. Documents get lost. / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Phones are not being answered by admissions staff or registration staff. Our general numbers were transferred to the Welcome Center to answer. This process is now under review.
Fall 2010 the Registration Department took their calls to help ease the burden on the Call Center.
22 / Latino Student Organization would like to be more visible at the college and have more of a presence. / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / The Office of Student Life will continue to support Latino Student organization activities.
The LSO was allocated $5,000 (up from $3,000) for activities.
23 / Need to look at the policy for refunds after the first day of class. 80% refund. Should be allowed to switch classes for free. / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Students are allowed to switch doing the first two weeks, free of charge. After the first two weeks, they can still switch for free as long as it is the same course, with the instructor’s signature and associate dean’s signature.
Looking at the feasibility of having a statement added to INFOnline to say if a student needs to drop/add courses they should do this during the same INFOnline session.
24 / Multicultural Affairs department needs new computer equipment for students and additional staff to help students / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Worked with Information Technology on installing new computer equipment.
25 / Student Life needs additional staff to help with student issues / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Office of Student life is expecting to hire an addition staff person.
Currently in process.
26 / Need to recognize the African American community more often during the year other than just February (Black History Month) / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Office of Student life will work with the Black History Committee and the BSU to increase black history month activities as well as year-long activities.
Activities are being planned to extend from January – March 2011; committee currently working on theme for celebration.
27 / Student information gets lost “in the system” and students end up filling out paperwork multiple times / 60 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Documents were being deleted inadvertently when the scanning department was new to the process. The problem has since been resolved. Staff have received additional training to prevent this situation from happening. A process is in place to insure quality review. Documents are being scanned/linked correctly with a rapid turn-around time. Communication between the scanning/linking departments is ongoing to update the staff of changes with admissions, registration and financial aid documents.
28 / Older adult student returning to school has faced numerous road blocks in her attempt to return to school / 20 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Every student has an opportunity to attend an orientation. In this case student did not attend orientation therefore problems arose. Student who expressed concern has been taken care of. Counselors strongly encourage new students to attend their orientation.
There were 133 (CPP) orientations scheduled during June-August 2010.
29 / Library and Academic Support Center could open earlier (7:30??) / 20 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv
John Stilp
VP-Oak Creek / Appropriate personnel will be contacted to discuss the possibility of opening earlier.
Update: The Oak Creek Library opens at 8:00 a.m. and the ASC opens at 7:45 a.m.
30 / Student Accommodation Services had a concern raised regarding services provided at Oak Creek. No one knows how to train/assist a student with arthritic issues with the keyboard. / 20 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Al Pinckney noted that he will follow up and look at the possibility of rotating staff throughout the various campuses.
An adaptive key board is available and can be requested for use. No training is necessary.
31 / Some issues were raised regarding miscommunication from counselors (prerequisites, etc.) / 20 / A.Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Marisela Galaviz discussed the issue during a meeting with the Counselors. Counselors with the most knowledge of a particular program will be the main contact counselor for the program.
Public Safety/Parking
32 / Public safety – increased need due to increase in crime / 80 / J. Falkenberg
VP & General Counsel / The Department of Public Safety continually strives to provide the safest environment possible for students, employees and the public. A significant investment has been made by the college in upgrading the skills of public safety personnel, hiring individuals who are law enforcement certified, improving security and surveillance systems and working collaboratively with local law enforcement to maximize enforcement and responsiveness to disruptive and criminal behavior. A mobile patrol unit has been implemented to provide perimeter security and the scheduling of personnel has been revised to maximize on duty staffing at all campuses.
33 / People on campus who are not attending school and not conducting business / 80 / J. Falkenberg
VP & General Counsel / Random student identification checks are done routinely by public safety personnel to ensure that individuals with no college business are not on premises. The college is currently assessing feasibility of access control at central access points and requiring all faculty and staff to wear photo identification name tags at all times while on campus.
34 / Shuttle service needed for Lot #5 / 80 / P. Cardona
VP-West Allis / Shuttle driver positions were eliminated. Shuttle service at the west campus was eliminated 5 years ago.
35 / New Parking procedures are very unattached. We used to be able to explain or at least talk with a campus representative, now it has no connection at all. / 50 / M. Sargent
VP-Finance / Each campus can establish a local parking committee that must coordinate changes with the college parking committee to ensure publications are updated and the changes are communicated to everyone.
36 / Faculty parking is outrageous; we don’t have all the benefits of Downtown, why should we have to pay to supplement the structure. / 50 / P. Cardona
VP-Mequon M. Sargent
VP-Finance / The parking fees at regional campus provide funds to maintain the regional parking lots. Union Contract Issue.
37 / UPASS / 60 / A. Pinckney
VP-Stud Serv / Office of Student Life will continue to implement the UPASS program and look for ways of expansion.
The UPASS contract is scheduled for review in January 2011 and will review options at that time.
38 / Smoking outside/inside entrances to buildings needs to be better enforced / 60 / J. Falkenberg
VP & General Counsel / Public Safety personnel continue to enforce the no smoking policy within 25 feet of the entrances. A citation system with progressive penalties for repeated violations is under review for implementation.
39 / Why when the ECAM facility was built there was no additional parking included in the construction instead of the 'green space' NW corner of ECAM - or a path from the B-lot to the B-building as suggested at prior L&L sessions. Dollars are spent on the 'fitness trail' as well as to install a stairway (in the middle of winter) in the B-lot. / 20 / John Stilp
VP-Oak Creek / John responded that the original ECAM plan included a plan for additional classrooms, but budget constraints put that additional square footage on the back burner. However, there is still a plan for future expansion of ECAM to the NW corner of the facility. Per Construction Services, when “B” Lot was repaved last summer, there was not enough dollars to incorporate a walkway between B Lot and ECAM Access road. B04 form on file with Construction Services for installation of walkway between “B” lot and ECAM Access Road. Stairway was required, per Construction Services, and done with funds from the repaving of “B” Lot. Student funds used for majority of costs related to “fitness trail”, not Fund 1 dollars. As a result of Safety concerns, Oak Creek Campus VP is recommending moving forward with the Walkway from the B-Lot to the ECAM Access Road