Bob Meyer, President
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College

The Gift of Leadership
 My Background
 About Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
 The Greatest Generation as Servant Leaders
 Servant Leadership
 Strategic Planning
 The Importance of Partnerships
 Measuring Outcomes
 The Importance of CTE http://www.witc.edu/witccontent/presidentsdocs/uwstoutinresppt.pptx

Bob Meyer Bio Information
 President – Wisconsin Indianhead Technical
College
 Special Assistant to the Chancellor for State and
Federal Relations – UW-Stout
 Dean, College of Technology Engineering and
Management – UW-Stout
 Director of the Stout Technology Transfer Institute –
UW-Stout

Bob Meyer Bio Information
 Manufacturing Engineering Program Director –
UW-Stout
 Faculty Member – UW-Stout
 Technology Education Instructor – River Falls
School District
 General Machinist, Johnson Brass and Foundry –
Saukville, WI; and Badger Dynamics – Port
Washington, WI

 Campus locations are at Ashland,
New Richmond, Rice Lake, Superior, and the Administrative Office in Shell Lake
 The College district encompasses
11 counties totaling 10,500 square miles
 There are over 59 career programs resulting in a technical diploma or associate degree (7 programs are unique in
Wisconsin)
 Nearly 1 in 9 residents have taken a class on a WITC campus, at a learning center, on-line, or via ITV-IP video

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Mission – Learning First
Learning is our passion. As Northwest
Wisconsin’s leader in technical education,
WITC creates dynamic opportunities for career preparation and personal effectiveness. We are committed to making each and every experience with us meaningful and professional.

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Vision – An Innovative Journey
Education is a lifelong journey of learning and discovery. We embrace innovative theories, techniques, and technologies to ensure success in a changing world.
Values
Empowerment Integrity
Excellence Collaboration
Innovation

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Tenets
Quality and continuous improvement are expected in all aspects of the College
Learning environments are created and nurtured to maximize personal success
Decision-making is collaborative and research based
Leadership is based on talent and vision

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Tenets
All individuals are valued
Students and staff are both teachers and learners
Diversity is respected and embraced
Dialogue takes place in a safe, open, and empathetic environment
Risk-taking is encouraged

(Brain Gain vs. Brain Drain)
 Employed within 6 months
 Employed in Wisconsin
 Employed in WITC District
 Average Starting Salary
92%
80%
69%
$33,800

97% of graduates are
“very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the training they received at
WITC!

The Greatest Generation and
Servant Leadership
Frank D. Meyer’s influence (the “gift”)

The Greatest Generation and
Servant Leadership
Frank D. Meyer’s influence (the “gift”)

The Greatest Generation and
Servant Leadership
Frank D. Meyer’s influence (the “gift”)

Servant Leadership
“You become a great university because you have great programs. You have great programs because you have a great faculty and staff.”

William E. Kirwan, President
Ohio State University

Servant Leadership
(Adapted from Jim Bensen’s presentation)

The President as a Servant Leader
 Steward of the Mission
 Role Model of Values and Tenets
 Facilitator of Learning
 Partner and Collaborator
 Advocate and Enabler of Excellence and Accountability
 Effective Listener and Communicator
 Team Builder
 External Spokesperson and Marketer

The President as a Servant Leader
 Co-planner
 Information Sharer
 People Developer
 Champion of Professional
Development
 Resource Catalyst
 Supporter
 Self-Confident, Centered, but not Arrogant

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
A oneword definition of leadership is…
in·teg·ri·ty (ĭn-tĕg′rĭ-tē) n.
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
“Patience, kindness, humility, selflessness, respectfulness, forgiveness, honesty, commitment.
These character building blocks, or habits, must be developed and matured if we are to become successful leaders who will stand the test of time.”

James C. Hunter
The Servant

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
“People with humility don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less .”

Ken Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Ethical Management

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
“Your success, and the success of the college, can be summed up in one word:
RESPECT .”

Bob Cervenka
Phillips Plastics

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
that when each of us understands, believes, and practices that All People Are Important we too will also REALIZE
People Working Together Achieve More.
it’s part of the PeopleProcess … it’s our

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
“Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox’s
Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant. Good leadership encourages everyone’s evolution.”

Colin Powell

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates but as the leader I must love them. Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual.
This is the strength of any organization.

Vince Lombardi

We Should All Be Servant Leaders!
“Ask not what your College can do for you
– Ask what you can do for your College.”

John F. Kennedy

What I Value
 Honesty and openness
 Hard work and commitment
 Teamwork and respect for others
 A service attitude
 Pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement
 A willingness to make meaningful change and try out new ideas
(initiative and innovation)

What I Value

A “can do” attitude
 An intense desire to learn
 Humor
 Strategic planning
 External partnerships
 Celebrating achievement
 Balancing between work life & family life

The key to developing people is to catch them doing something right.

Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
The One Minute Manager®

PERFORMANCE = M  A  E
M = Motivation
A = Ability
E = Expectations

Dr. Charlie Krueger
Organization Leadership

(Assumptions and Management’s Roles)
THEORY X
Assumptions:
• People have an inherit dislike for work and will avoid it whenever possible.
• People must be coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment in order to get them to achieve the organizational objectives.
• People prefer to be directed, do not want responsibility, and have little or no ambition.
• People seek security above all else.
Management’s Roles:
To coerce and control employees.
THEORY Y
Assumptions:
• Work is as natural as play and rest.
• People will exercise self-direction if they are committed to the objectives (they are not lazy).
• People learn to accept and seek responsibility.
• Creativity, ingenuity, and imagination are widely distributed among the population.
People are capable of using these abilities to solve an organizational problem.
• People have potential.
Management’s Roles:
To develop the potential employees and help them to release that potential towards common goals.

THEORY
X
THEORY
Y

Balance
“Don't always run at a breakneck pace.
Take leave when you've earned it.
Spend time with your families.
Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.”

Colin Powell

“Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”, said Alice.
“That depends on where you want to get to,” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
“So long as I get somewhere”, said Alice.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the cat,
“If you only keep walking.”

Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland









A plan by many is better than a plan by one
Create a common vision or road map of where the college is going
Engage and connect all college stakeholders and embrace diverse feedback
Manage change rather than change managing us
Identify priorities and take advantage of opportunities
Use precious resources wisely and develop new sources of support
Implement priority actions more effectively and efficiently
Achieve our mission

 Inclusive
 Responsive
 Transparent

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak”
(Epictetus, AD 55)

1.
Emilie Bailkey (O)(RL)
2.
Alex Birkholz (F)(NR)
3.
Steve Bitzer (A)(ASH)
4.
Leslie Bleskachek (M)(NR)
5.
Dan Cooper (F) (RL)
6.
Bonny Copenhaver (M) (SUP)
7.
Becka Cusick (M)(SL)
8.
Wendy Dusek (F)(NR)
9.
Nicole Finstad (C)(RL)
10. Lynn Fitch (M)(H)
11. Craig Fowler (A)(RL)
12. Paul Haugen (F)(ASH)
13. Joe Huftel (A)(NR)
14. Dean King (M)(RL)
15. Jennifer Kunselman (M)(SL)
16. Marcia Lavasseur (S) (ASH)
17. Meri Locke (S) (NR)
18. Bob Meyer (A)(SL)
19. Brigitte Miller (S) (RL)
20. Steve Miller (F) (SUP)
21. Kim Olson (A)(SL)
22. Bambi Pattermann (M)(ASH)
23. MaryAnn Pebler (M)(RL)
24. Ellen Riely Hauser (M)(ASH)
25. Jerry Secord (O)(RL)
26. Kris Vesel (M)(SUP)
27. Cher Vink (A)(SL)
28. Barb Williams (F)(SUP)
29. Jon Willoughby (F)(SUP)
Key – Employee Groups: (A) Administration, (C) Custodial, (F) Faculty, (M) Management, (O) OTS, (S) Students
WITC Locations: (ASH) Ashland, (H) Hayward, (NR) New Richmond, (RL) Rice Lake, (SL) Shell Lake, (SUP) Superior
WITC Locations: (ASH) Ashland, (H) Hayward, (NR) New Richmond, (RL) Rice Lake, (SL) Shell Lake, (SUP) Superior

Link to timeline

 Forums 20
 Attendees 414
 Comments 1,201 (unduplicated)
Link to SP site

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things that I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.

No.
Category
1
2015-2018
Strategic Goals
Student Focused
Goal Statements
Provide support and opportunities for student learning and success.
2 Partners and External Stakeholders
3 Employee Support and Development
4 Leadership and Communication
Create and strengthen partnerships that benefit our stakeholders.
Foster a learning and working environment that encourages trust, respect, and professional growth.
Demonstrate effective leadership through collaboration with clear and consistent communication.
5
Planning and Implementation of Continuous Improvement
Improve planning processes, decision making, and use of resources.

It is better to aim too high and miss than it is to aim too low and succeed.

Michelangelo

Unsuccessful endeavors are not “failures” provided that you can learn from them.

Bob Meyer

It is surprising how much you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.

Abraham LIncoln

Strategic Planning Accomplishments
• Streamlined and integrated WITC’s Planning
Processes *
• Developed WITC’s Online Learning Vision and
Strategies [AQIP]
• Expanded Partnerships with K-12, Technical
Colleges, and Universities
• Strengthened Partnerships with the Economic
Development and Workforce Development Boards

Strategic Planning Accomplishments
• Launched New High-Demand Programs
Dental Assistant Program
Building Performance Technician Program
Human Services Associate Program
Composite Technology Program

Strategic Planning Accomplishments
• Increased WITC Foundation funds 50%
• Improved Internal Communications [AQIP]
• Communicated Strategic Priorities to External
Funding Agencies and Organizations
• Recognized Staff for their Personal and
Professional Achievements
• Implemented a Spectrum of Professional
Development Events for WITC Staff [AQIP]
• Enhanced Safety Collegewide

Strategic Planning Accomplishments
• Implemented Effective Student Learning
Assessment Strategies and Measures (COWS
[AQIP], TSA)
• Deployed Options to Reduce Textbook Costs 50%
• Implemented Direct Lending to Students
• Improved the Prepared Learner Program
• Leveraged the CCSSE and SSI Student Survey for Continuous Improvement

Strategic Planning Accomplishments
• Initiated Marketing on Social Media
• Launched a New Online Orientation (recognized by the National Council for Marketing and Public
Relations)
• Significantly expanded International Education
Opportunities *
• Successfully Pursued AQIP Accreditation

• “We have a very thorough process to complete strategic planning – it’s well organized”
• “WITC does a great job listening to its stakeholders”
• “Getting Collegewide representation (QISC) to facilitate listening forums and review input”
• “The strategic planning forums allow QISC members to hear firsthand the comments of business and industry”

• “Students are invested in the idea of strategic planning”
• “Make it like a family here – strong support of all”
• “I am not just a number at WITC”
• “Provides a fabulous work environment”
• “WITC has a caring faculty and staff!”

• “Student comments indicate they value what we are doing – great feedback !”
• “Staff see how their positions contribute to the College’s success”
• “Let’s keep doing what we are doing!
Great job !”

“It should be noted that the Higher Learning Commission
(HLC) team was impressed with the campus culture WITC has developed. Students told the team that they were proud to be a student at WITC. Students were comfortable going to any faculty or staff member with concerns or to ask for help. The student support system is holistic – everyone gets involved in helping students learn. The sense of community was palpable. External stakeholders expressed their pride and appreciation of WITC’s connection to the local workforce. According to students, the College has earned its national ranking .”

Quality Checkup Visit Report

• Momentum West www.momentumwest.org/
• Visions Northwest http://inwisconsin.com/whywisconsin/regions/visionsnorthwest/

• Northwest Wisconsin
Workforce Investment
Board
• Workforce Resources

Gold Collar Careers
‣ Mechanical Engineers
‣ Manufacturing Engineers
‣ Maintenance Technicians
‣ Engineering Technicians
‣ Network Specialists
‣ Electronic Technicians
Gold Collar Careers: High Tech Manufacturing pushing the limits of technology. Bright individuals who understand and embrace the latest machine, electronic, computer and other technologies. Creative thinkers with applied/hands-on abilities to solve problems and get things done. High demand, high potential, rewarding careers.
‣
CNC Programmers
‣ Robotics
‣ Computer Integrated Manufacturing
‣ Medical Device Machinist
‣ Mechanical Designers
‣ Computer/IT/Network Professionals
‣ CNC Laser Operator
‣ Nano-Technology
‣ Precision Welders
‣ Electrical Designers
‣ Quality Technicians
‣ Machinists

Gold Collar Careers
• School District Presentations and Plant Tours
• Print Ads – School/Business
• Radio Ads – Business/Alumni
• Movie Theater Trailers
• Bus/Truck Signs
• goldcollareers.com Web site
• Career Fairs – Promoting Business AND Education
• Regional Career Day for High School Students
• Counselor Workshops

Gold Collar Careers
• Faculty Externships
• Presentations to K-12 Students
• Presentations to Parents
• Newspaper Articles on Manufacturing Careers
• Call in to Public Radio on Manufacturing Careers
• Meetings with State Legislators
• Bringing High School Teachers on Campus
• Presentations to Civic Groups
• Presentations to Job Placement Agencies
• Raised Funds from Local Industry for the Effort

Saint Croix Valley Educational Collaborative
(SCVEC)

Northwest Wisconsin Educators for Regional
Development (NorthWERD) http://www.northwerd.org/

• Dual Credit with High Schools: o “Articulation Agreements” with 48 school districts (advanced standing and transcripted credit)
• Credit Transfer to Universities (examples): o Accounting UW’s at RF and Stout; St. Scholastica o Early Childhood Education UW’s at LaX, OSH, RF, SUP, Stout,
Whitewater; and Lakeland College o Human Services Associate UW’s at OSH, SUP; St. Scholastica o Information Technology - UW Stout o Nursing UW’s - EC, GB, OSH, MAD, MIL; & U of M
• Other Transfer Agreements with: o Bellevue, Franklin, and Capella Universities,
Silver Lake College, and MSOE’s Radar School of Business

WITC 2011 benchmark scores were higher in all five areas in comparison to the Small School Cohort and 4 out of 5
WITC 2009 Scores.
70
60
50
40
10
0
30
20
62,5
51,2
60,4
54,3
50,8
53,2
58,8
50,3
58,2 59,1
51,7
57,9
51,7 51,5
52,6
Active and
Collaborative
Learning
Student Effort
WITC 2011
Academic
Challenge
Student-Faculty
Interaction
CCSSE Small School Cohort WITC 2009
Support for
Learners

Cost of
Textbooks

Lack of finances 69%
Working full-time
Caring for dependents
54%
53%
Academically unprepared 36%
Transfer to 4-year college 34%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Percent of Students Indicating Very to Somewhat Likely
80

Solutions Deployed:
• Textbook
Management/Aquisition
System implemented
(Nebraska Book Company)
• Online textbook system implemented
• Options for textbooks now include: new, used, rented,
“buy back”, and e-books

Textbook Affordability:
Course/Subject Area
Math and Science
Sociology
Principles of Accounting
Agricultural Mechanics
Cost of New
Textbook
Cost of Used/
Rented Textbook
$1,008.76
$634.00
Savings
(Percent)
37.2%
$94.11
$128.16
$441.00
$40.00
$64.00
$140.00
57.5%
50.0%
68.3%

Is Skill, Industry, and Honor still relevant?

Gallup surveyed people in 150 countries from Ecuador to
Rwanda to Iran to Russia,
Afghanistan, Ireland, Cuba,
Lebanon, Kazakhstan,
Venezuela, Honduras, China…
“What the whole world wants is a good job…”
The Coming Jobs Wars by Jim Clifton (Chairman of Gallup)

“If you were to ask me, from all the world polling Gallup has done for more than 75 years, what would fix the world – would suddenly create worldwide peace , global well-being, and the next extraordinary advancements in human development, I would say…

the immediate appearance of 1.8 billion jobs – formal jobs . Nothing would change the current state of humankind more.

“ What America’s most pressing current problem, according to
Gallup, is a lack of good jobs .
The country doesn’t have enough good, full-time jobs for people who want to work”.
“This is one of the most important discoveries Gallup has ever made. At the very least, it needs to be considered in every policy, every law, and every social initiative.
”

The shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing is already costing that sector of the economy over
$7 billion per year
( http://hubpages.com/hub/Skilled_Labor )

“Closing the skills gap would lower the national unemployment rate by 2.5 percentage points.”
Narayana Kocherlakota
Back inside the FOMC, (2012),
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

“But in the short term, our urgent mission has to be getting this economy growing faster and creating jobs. That’s what’s on people’s minds; that’s what matters to families in this country.”
– President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Washington, DC

“In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a prerequisite.”
– President Barack Obama
Address to Joint Session of Congress
Feb. 24, 2009

“I want my cabinet secretaries to have branded across their heads, ‘250,000 jobs’. I want them to know their job is on the line because my job is on the line to create 250,000 jobs in the private sector.”
– Scott Walker
December 28, 2010 www.postcresent.com

The Role of CTE in Supporting Good Jobs
“The United States needs to focus on areas with emerging job growth and create partnerships between schools, universities, and businesses to ensure the workforce pipeline remains full of qualified workers….
– Representative Jim Langevin

The Role of CTE in Supporting Good Jobs
There is a natural partnership between businesses and CTE programs to address local Workforce needs.
And it’s imperative that we do our part at every level to expand successful programs because a failure to engage our students will hurt our country’s innovative edge and we will be unable to fill the jobs of the 21 st century.”
– Jim Langevin (D-RI), Co-chair of the Congressional CTE Caucus
2011 National Leadership Forum, Association for Career and
Technical Education and the CTE Foundation, 2011

“We have to ensure that there are enough workers to fill the technical jobs that will soon be vacated by the retiring baby boomer generation and also make certain there are enough skilled workers to fill newly created jobs or emerging industries.
This will foster real economic growth with real sustainable jobs.”
– Rep
. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Co-chair Congressional CTE Caucus 2011 National
Leadership Forum, Association for Career and Technical Education and the CTE Foundation, 2011

The Role of CTE in Supporting Good Jobs
“There is not a congressional district in the country that doesn’t have CTE needs; the needs for a qualified and trained workforce.
During this time of economic uncertainty, CTE provides a silver lining.”
– Rep . Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA),
Congressional CTE Caucus Co-chair 2011 National
Leadership Forum, Association for Career and
Technical Education and the CTE Foundation, 2011

“We need to make an investment at both the state and national levels, especially in workforce development programs.
We need to be creative and proactive about workforce development in our country.”
– Jim Langevin (D-RI), Co-chair of the Congressional CTE Caucus
2011 National Leadership Forum, Association for Career and Technical
Education and the CTE Foundation, 2011

“This is the very time when we should not be pulling back investments in peoples’ skills, when we are trying to get them back into the economy.
This is especially true when we have employers out their saying that they cannot find skilled workers.”
– Andy Van Kleunen, National Leadership Forum, Association for
Career and Technical Education and the CTE Foundation, 2011

According to former Secretary of Education
Richard Riley:
60 percent of all new jobs in the 21st century will require skills possessed by only 20 percent of the current workforce.

We are currently preparing students… for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented, to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.”
– Dr. Seuss

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
– Pericles (495-429 B.C.)

“Choose work you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
– Confucius

Questions?

Thank you