UW Tech College Merger is a bad idea
Wisconsin’s technical college system is under attack again, and we need your help to
defend it.
Five Wisconsin legislators have proposed merging Wisconsin’s technical colleges (WTCS)
and the University of Wisconsin’s two- year junior colleges.
At a time when the state is facing skilled labor shortages and has fewer four- year
graduates than neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois, it is crazy to talk about
merging two very different educational systems; systems that have entirely different
missions, cultures and students.
Career and technical education is more expensive that liberal arts education because it
requires labs with sophisticated, state of- the-art equipment and smaller pupil teacher
ratios to facilitate hands-on learning. Merger advocates who have supporting cutting public
education to cut say their goal is to identify “efficiencies” which is a business speak for
cutting costs.. So in a merged system, what kinds of classes do you think would be cut first?
Exactly the kinds of classes that students pursuing a career and technical education need!
This is the third time in seven years that legislators have attempted to meddle with the
WTCS.
First, they proposed eliminating all employee representatives on the state’s sixteen
technical college boards. When that proposal met opposition across the state, they singled
out MATC, eliminating all employee representatives and installing an undemocratic
selection process that gives counties that are home to only 6% of our students 50% of the
board appointment power, while the city of Milwaukee, home to 65% of our students, has
no voice at all.
As a result, African American board representation at the state’s only minority majority
campus has plummeted from 4 to 1.
Then, last summer the legislature established a study committee designed to change the
governance and funding of technical colleges. This effort failed because people throughout
the state value their technical colleges and told the committee, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
But bad ideas don’t die in Madison, they germinate to rise again.
The current merger advocates admit they haven’t talked to any students, faculty of
administrators from either system. If they had, they would have learned that
 for every dollar invested in the WTCS, taxpayers receive $12.20 in benefits;
 the WTCS has a 92 percent job placement rate; 88% of whom were employed in
Wisconsin

97% of WTCS graduates were satisfied with their Wisconsin technical college
education.
http://www.wtcsystem.edu/about-us/wtcs-overview/test-docs/subdocs-folder/completereport-2014-(pdf)
The merger advocates are apparently unaware or willfully ignoring that similar
mergers in other states like Minnesota and Georgia have not saved money. But,
merging two organizations with entirely different missions and cultures has led to
organizational dysfunction and employee demoralization.
What is the real agenda here? Governor Walker has praised for-profit but dysfunctional
training schools like ITT (being sued for fraud by the federal government) and diploma
mills like the now defunct Everest College. He even tried to eliminate the state agency that
regulates these diploma mills..
Some merger advocates would be happy to see the WTCS whither away after the merger
with the void filled by these for-profit hucksters. Others simply hate the WTCS because it
has unionized faculty and staff while the other system doesn’t.
But employers are clear that they need employees who are literate, numerate and
innovative. They need graduates of comprehensive technical colleges.
Please call your state representative and state senator and tell them that MATC and
all technical colleges work.
Tell them

To review what technical colleges do and the problems associated with mergers in
Minnesota, New Jersey and Georgia and you’re sure they will agree that merging the
two systems is a bad idea.

You’re proud that MATC and other technical colleges produce creative and
innovative employees and entrepreneurs- animators, chefs, nurses, IT professionals,
graphic artists, web site designers, chemical techs, electricians, accountants,
welders, auto mechanics, firefighters, police officers and many more skilled and
technical professionals too numerous to mention.

You’re also proud that we provide our students with the skills they need to stay in
the middle class or get there.
Our students are the heart and soul of Southeastern Wisconsin’s economy. The merger
proposal is a solution in search of a problem.
And if they want to help solve the state’s skilled labor shortage they should increase the
state’s investment in the WTCS.
To identify your state representative and senator go tohttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/ Toward
the right hand side of the page, you'll see the words "Find my Legislators." Underneath, there is
a space to enter your address. Type in your complete home address including city and click
"Find." You will see a map of your legislative district and photos of your representative and
senator in the Wisconsin State Legislature.