Jennifer Johnson - Vice President of Administration & Finance

Three Year Plan

Presented by

Jennifer Johnson - Vice President of Administration & Finance

March 12, 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY3-7

Mission Statement3

History of Program3

Deliverables to the Student Body4

Definition of Audience Served5

Accomplishments5 - 6

Challenges Opportunities7

ORGANIZATION’S THREE YEAR GOALS8-11

Objectives/Goals/Action Plan/Measurements of Success

ORGANIZATION’S OPERATIONAL PLAN12

Constitution Bylaws

Structure of Group 12

Significant Operating Procedures (Role Descriptions)12-17

Incentives for Involvement17

Methods Process for Obtaining Student Feedback18

Current Membership18-19

Committees and Memberships19

Calendar (2009-2010)20-21

FUNDING PLAN22-23

Financial Recap of Previous Year (2008 – 2009)22

Financial Forecast for Current Year (2009 – 2010)22

Budget Planning22-23

Rationale Assumptions22-23

Budget Summary Sheet24

Acronyms used in this document:

ACUI – Association of College Unions – International

ASGA – American Student Government Association

CDL – Children’s Diversity Library

DTEC – DowntownEducationCenter

SAB – Student Activities Board

SACE – Student Assessment of College Environment

SSCC – Student Savings Club Card

TABOR – Tax Payer Bill of Rights

VSA – Very Special Arts

WACTE – Wisconsin Association for Career Technical Education

WSG – Wisconsin Student Government

WTCS – WisconsinTechnicalCollege System

ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY

Student Senate

Mission Statement

The mission of the Student Senate at MadisonAreaTechnicalCollege is to represent all students enrolled for credit in post-high school divisions at Madison College Truax, Commercial Avenue, and DTEC campuses.

The Student Senate serves as the coordinating unit for students within the college for the purpose of:

A. Representing students' voice in the Student Senate.

B. Providing a liaison between the administration and the students.

C. Promoting citizenship and leadership within the student body.

D. Encouraging improvement of the college.

E. Acquiring and disseminating accurate information to the student body.

F. Communicating accurate information to the student body concerning the promotion of vocational and adult education within the community.

The MadisonCollege Student Senate whole-heartedly supportsWisconsinState Statute 38.145, which states:

“Responsibilities of students. The students of each district, subject to the responsibilities andpowers of the board, the state director, the district board, the district director and the faculty, shall be active participants in the immediate governance of and policy development for the district and may participate in all matters affecting student interests tothe extent not in conflict with the terms of any collective bargaining agreement. As such, students have primary responsibility for the formulation and review of policies concerning student life and services. Students in consultation with the district director and subject to the final confirmation of the district board have the responsibility for the disposition of student activity and incidental fees under §38.14 (9). The students of each district may organize themselves in a manner that they determine select their representatives to participate in district governance. This section does not prohibit the board, the state director, the district board, the district director or the faculty from selecting students to participate in district governance but any students selected by those bodies or persons shall not be considered to be representatives of the students for the purposes of the students' right to select their representatives to participate in district governance.”

History

The Student Senate was established in 1961 at MadisonAreaTechnicalCollege.

Please reference “deliverables” on page 4 and the “accomplishments” on pages 5 and 6 of this document for an understanding of ways in which this Student Senate has improved services and policies affecting MadisonCollege students.

Deliverables to the Student Body

INFORMATION

• Information about Student Senate opportunities, elections, initiatives, services and accomplishments is provided at New Student Orientation, Wolfpack Welcome, involvement events, in personand viawritten publications, such as The Clarion, and electronic promotions via Inside MATC, the Senate website, etc.
• Student Senate hosts forumsand public hearings to provide students with information and to seek input on matters of concern at the college. (Topics have included: financial aid, safety, recycling, bus services, smoking policies, textbooks, etc.)

REPRESENTATION / MEMBERSHIP

• Student Senators serve as representatives on College Committees. (Examples: Americans with Disabilities Act Committee, Food Services Committee, Judicial Board, Academic Appeals Board, MadisonCollege Environmental Sustainability Alliance, etc.)
• Student Senate represents student investments in co-curricular opportunities at the Student Activity Board.
• Student Senate represents students via membership in the Wisconsin Student Government (WSG), a state-wide lobbying organization, made-up of student leaders from the 16 technical college districts in the state of Wisconsin. (Meetings are held in October, November, January, February and April. The January meeting is hosted at MadisonCollege.)
• Student Senate represents students via participation in the Annual Wisconsin Student Government Legislative Seminar, a state-wide learning, networking and lobbying event. (Senate personnel meet with State Senators and Assembly Representatives to discuss the need for increased state funding for technical colleges in WI, veteran’s tuition remission, the transferability of credits from technical college-to-technical college, from technical colleges to the university system, etc.
• Student Senate maintains membership and utilizes resources from the American Student Government Association.
• Student Senate represents students via participation with faculty, staff and administrators in the Annual Wisconsin Association for Career and Technical Education Legislative Seminar (WACTE), a state-wide learning, networking and lobbying event.
• Student Senate invites college administrators and partnering constituents into meetings to discuss concerns about escalating parking lot overcrowding, traffic safety concerns, breastfeeding facilities, textbook costs, library overcrowding, competing space needs for health services, tutoring, the writing center, the need for increased access to computers, lack of study space for individuals and groups, the need for student organization and club meeting spaces and appropriate event venues, etc.

SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

• Student Senate represents student interests and needs by coordinating the negotiationsof theMadison College Metro Busesand Para-Transit Program.

(This program was established in 2000. Since that time, the Senate has worked to add summer service, para- transit service, a digital bus arrival time sign at Truax and a solar transit shelter at Truax, especially designed for those with disabilities who wait for rides near the AdministrationBuilding.)

• Student Senate annually purchases $500 worth of books to enhance and maintain the Children’s Diversity Library Collection(established 1999, dedicated 2003).
• Student Senate provides “student appreciation days,” such as: Welcome Back, De-Stresser Dayand “Good Luck” Snacks during final exams.
• Student Senate worked with Mad-City Broadband to have MadisonCollege students living downtown to be included in the discounts for wireless internet services and 24 / 7 tech support.

Definition of Audience Served

Student Senate represents all students who are enrolled in degree-credit, academic programs at Madison College Truax, DTEC andCommercial Avenue campuses. The average age of MadisonCollegestudents is 28.

Accomplishments for 2009 – 2010

Services Support for Students

• Student Senate redesigned their website, adding more useful information, resources, links and an improved online application process.
• % increase in student votes for Student Senate fall election
• Student Senate attached a survey to the fall election ballot, which received various replies related to student concerns, including: affordability, parking/transportation, smoking area, facilities, classes, textbooks, the Mitby Theatre, cafeteria, clubs/activities, library/study space, and various “other” responses
• Student Senate sent seven senators to the American Student Government Fall Leadership Conference in Chicago, IL
• Student Senate began a Lobbying Committee, which explores current TechnicalCollege related legislation within the State Legislature and lobbies the state in a way that benefits TechnicalColleges and students
• Student Senate reviewed and revised the Student Senate bylaws
• Student Senate Vice President of State and Local Governmentbegan the school year as the Vice President of Wisconsin Student Government and was chosen to be President in January 2010
• Successful presentations to College President and Vice Presidents with regard to: textbooks, transportation and facility needs
• Transportation Committee makes presentation to Madison City Planning Council (March 2010)
• Senate Learning Committee addresses faculty and staff at Spring Convocation to present status of Textbook Rental Program (March, 2010)

Accomplishments priorto 2009-2010:

Accomplishments for MadisonCollege students, by the Student Senate:

- HUGE Information Campaign prior to Bus Referendum (multiple methods of public relations employed to get-the-word-out) (2008)

- Bus Referendum was held with online ballots & physical polling places at the MadisonCollege – Truax, Commercial Avenueand DTEC campuses from November 3 – 10, 2008, with over 2,800 students voting by a ratio of 9:1 in favor of maintaining the Bus Program with a new funding structure (2008)

-Senate met with Madison CollegePublic Safety Services to encourage andendorse the repainting of cross-walks, tree-trimming for greater visibility, the repair of street lights, increased hours of building access and the change to in-house ticketing, which dropped parking tickets from $40 to $20…And the use of this money for the benefit of student interests. (2007)

-Senate sponsored a webinar entitled: Education for a Sustainable Future. (2007)

-Senate worked with the MadisonCollegeFitnessCenter to provide basketballs for check-out to use on the “outdoor” basketballs courts. (2007)

-Senate made agreement with MATC Foundation to: (1) re-name the foundation scholarship to include the word “textbooks,” since the scholarship is designated to assist students with the purchase of textbooks; (2) direct that syllabi created by faculty contain specific information about the MATC Foundation sponsored Textbook Scholarship. (2006)

-Senate encouraged the college to provide “house phones” for use by students campus guests, after the pay-phones were removed from campus buildings.

-Senate provided input regarding renovations to the Madison College Truax Cafeteria.

-Represented student interests by lobbying against the pending TABOR bill in Wisconsin (2004)

-Student Senate President appointed by WI State Governor to the WTCS State Board (2003)

-Senate was active in amending the on-campus smoking policies (2003)

-Senate participated with Madison College Administration to negotiate an improved Refund Policy in which students receive refunds from parking & supplemental fees, in addition to tuition costs, when they dis-enroll (2001)

-Senate negotiated with Madison College Administration that additional staff salaries & increases be taken from the General Fund, as opposed to the Student Activities Board budget (safe-guards funding for student organizations funded by SAB, 2001)

-Senate provided funding for kitchen equipment in the Child & Family Centers at MadisonCollege –Truax and DTEC campuses

-Senate negotiated and sponsored a referendum to provide student access to the Madison College Fitness Centers using the MadisonCollegeOneCard (2000)

-Senate negotiated with the Financial Aid Office to include course material fees and parking fees in Request for Financial Aid form (1999)

-Senate provided financial support for: StudentArtGallery, Multicultural Programming, Global Horizons Coffeehouse, student socials, Madison College Annual Pow-Wow, andMadison College Student Theater productions (1999)

-Senate established gallery space to display of student artwork (established in 1999, additional display equipment purchased in 2003 2004)

-Senate advocated for MadisonCollege to implement a student ID system (the OneCard)

-Senate advocated for continued operation of Food Service at MadisonCollege - DTEC

-Senate advocated for student e-mail accounts through MadisonCollege (the current Groupwise system, now in-use)

-Senate relocated its office for greater accessibility to students

-Senate lobbied WI Joint Finance Committee regarding need for increased state funding for technical colleges

-Senate representatives arranged for the Peace Corps to recruit at MadisonCollege

-Senate provided feedback & recommendations about Madison College Advising & Career Services

-Senate arranged for Congressional Representative Tammy Baldwin to meet with students

Accomplishments for MadisonCollege Student Senate, by Senate:

- Senate renovated the Student Senate Office at Truax for greater efficiency professional-look (2008)

-Senate developed a new Senate logo (late 1990s; summer 2008)

-Senate established Leadership Merit Awards for Student Senators (initially 2 $500 awards / year, now 5)

-Senate established use of a Conference Participation Application Request (used when Senators request funding from Student Senate) (2000)

-Senate hosted the Student Government President from FermanaghCollege in Northern Ireland (1999)

-Senate has instituted numerous revisions of the Madison College Student Senate By-Laws to include: (1) the establishment of a 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA for Senators; (2) the reduction in the number of Student Senate seats from 32 to 15 (1999); (3) the establishment of an attendance policy (1999); (4) the reduction in minimum number of credits required to run for a Senate seat

- Senate is in the process of revising and re-establishing the 3 credit learning opportunity, via Political Science instructors teaching the State and Local Government course. The instructor and advisor will work together to create assignments which will be complimentary to coursework and practical learning experiences within Senate related roles. Students receiving an A or B in the course "may" have their course tuition reimbursed. [In 2000, the Senate originally developed and established a 3 credit Experiential Learning Practicum with State and Local Government 809 - 224 in which Student Senators worked for academic credit in their role with the Student Senate. Student leaders who successfully completed the course with an A, B, or C had the credits paid for by the Student Life Office.]

Challenges

-Continual turnover of students at the 2-year college requires on-going public relations by Student Senate to create awareness of Senate purpose and current initiatives
-There is a lack of involvement in and awareness of Senate in the Student Body
-Continual turnover of Senators and Officers requires on-going recruitment for open Senate seats and on-going orientation and training of new Senators and Officers
-There is a lack of involvement and representation in senate from the Downtown, West, and South campuses
-Meeting times are difficult to set due to scheduling conflicts
-Senators fail to bring Agenda items to the table during General Assembly meetings and solely rely on Officers for the Agenda
-Varying levels of student knowledge, skills, and motivations impact abilities to perform within Student Senate
-Senate Committees have trouble finding students at large to join
-College Committees meet infrequently and often fail to involve Senate representatives
-Setting and maintaining office hours in the Senate Office, so the student body can easily share it’s voice and opinion

Opportunities
-Each challenge represents an opportunity to structure Senate in a manner which truly works for student leaders in the Senate and, more importantly, for the students at large.
-The Senate must take advantage of newer technology to reach and interact with tens of thousands of students who attend MadisonCollege.
-The Senate must collaborate with other Student Organizations at MadisonCollege in order to build ties, use activities funds wisely and share experiences and skills.
-The Senate must collaborate with other Student Governments from across the nation in order to build ties, share ideas and learn from others’ experiences and outcomes.

STUDENT SENATE’S THREE-YEAR GOALS

Student SenateResearch ~ Design ~ Develop ~ Implement ~ Assess ~ Enhance

Goal #1: TEXTBOOK OPTIONS

A) Textbook Rental Program

To create the best possible system in which students can afford to borrow, rent or purchase new and used textbooks.

Actions:

(1) Ensuring rental books are returned to the bookstore at the end of the Fall 2009 semester through emails and in class presentations.

(2) Urging deans and department heads to encourage instructors to make their textbooks available to be rented. This include attending monthly dean meetings as well as email, ads and other campaigns, as well as scheduling one on one meetings with individuals deans, as well as department heads.

(3) Meeting with Teacher Union representatives to inform and encourage participation. Including the stipulation that a textbook be used for four semesters to be eligible for the rental program.

Measurements of Success:

(1) To have 100 textbooks available for rent for the Fall 2010 semester.

(2) To have 25% of all textbooks available for rent by Fall 2012.

B) Option to Charge Textbooks Against Incoming Financial Aid.

MadisonCollege is one of the only colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System that doesn’t allow students to charge textbooks against incoming financial aid.

Actions:

(1) Meeting with Paul Renzi and Scott Heiman as well as Roger Price to urge a system to be in place that allows students to charge textbooks against incoming financial aid.

Notes:

As of fall semester 2009, Paul Renzi has said the bookstore is moving in this direction by Fall 2010. Continued work with the bookstore’s management and directors is needed to ensure this takes place.

Measurements of Success:

(1) Having a system in place whereby students are able to charge the cost of textbooks against incoming financial aid.

Goal #2: COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM

To develop safe, environmentally-friendly, cost effective & efficient modes of transportation for Madison College students in and around the Madison area.

Actions:

(1) Maintain contract for bus and para-transit services based on the data collected since the beginning of the program in January 2000. (Current contract through 2012, with renewal options for year 2013 and 2014.)

(2) Continue to monitor student response to the $25 per semester flat-fee for the current Bus & Para-Transit Program. Reference information in the “concern log” maintained by the Student Senate.

(3) Utilize ridership data and financial projections to determine sustainability and preparation for subsequence changes in funding structures. If a student referendum is to take place, it is targeted for Fall 2011. A audit has recently been completed and strategy sessions are taking place to involve other personnel and units at the college. Projections determine that a new funding structure will need to be in-place for Fall 2012.