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MATC plan draws applause, criticism
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Also by Kate Maternowski:
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After announcing a new transfer agreement Apr. 19, University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley said Tuesday he is disappointed with the reaction of some UW students.
The agreement with the Madison Area Technical College promises admission to UW for MATC students who meet certain requirements, which include earning 54 breadth credits and maintaining a 3.0 GPA.
While some UW students have denounced the program with calls of unfairness, Wiley said dissenting students are simply misinformed.
"I think they don't bother to check the facts," he said. "It makes an easy sound bite to say this is a way for [MATC students] to sneak in."
And "sneaking in" is exactly what those students are doing, according to Erica Christenson, who is chair of the College Republicans, but noted she speaks on her behalf and not for the group she represents.
"I think it's kind of a slap in the face," she said. "To be completely honest, I didn't come home last night from the library because of all the work [I had to complete] … and I would like to think the GPA I receive here is different from one received at MATC."
She went on to say that attending a four-year institution of UW's caliber is something that "becomes a lifestyle that isn't something you can just jump in and out of."
But Terri Wipperfurth, who is a former student of MATC and is currently both a UW student and faculty member, has a different opinion.
Wipperfurth completed her general requirements at MATC and transferred to UW just over a year ago to take on business school classes. Additionally, she is a human resources manager for the Antarctic Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Institute at the university.
"I think [the transfer agreement] is great," she said. "It gives students at MATC a goal to strive for."
Wipperfurth went on to say that attending MATC was particularly beneficial to her as a returning adult student, as she was able to "regain some of those skills you lose over time" in a comfortable environment with more non-traditional students.
She added the transfer agreement will give MATC students of all different ages and races the confidence needed to pursue a UW degree.
UW System spokesperson Doug Bradley also noted the program could bring more diversity to the UW campus.
"I think [MATC] has a more diverse student population," he said. "[At UW] we have a constant challenge to further diversify our student body … so the [transfer agreement] will be helpful."
The "world of work is changing," he said, adding that bringing in students of varying races, socio-economic backgrounds, skill sets and future plans will better prepare the university's graduates for life after college.
Wiley said while adding diversity is one benefit of the agreement, the real goal is to smooth the transition to UW for qualified MATC students.
"[The transfer agreement] was designed as a move to improve access to students who we would have loved to admit as freshman but just didn't have the room for," he said, adding where the university is at capacity in freshman and sophomore classes, the university has the space to accommodate more upperclassmen.
Since MATC does not offer bachelor's degrees, he said, students interested in pursuing upper level classes, and who are qualified to do so, will be now be able to work toward that degree at UW.
But another UW faculty member, political science professor Donald Downs, has some qualms about just how qualified potential students admitted through the transfer agreement might be.
"It raises the question of whether this is going against the grain of admission trends," he said, questioning the rationale behind admitting students who were not initially accepted to the university into higher-level UW courses.
But Jocelyn Milner, who works in academic planning and analysis at UW, maintained transfer students to UW, including those from MATC, "come here and do well."
"Like every other admission decision, [the transfer agreement] is very carefully designed to admit students we believe can succeed here," she said.
Christenson, though, questioned the ability of those transfer students to hold up in a university where even she can "barely keep up a 3.0 [GPA] to keep my scholarship here."
Amid concerns from dissenting students such as Christenson, Wiley continues to laud the benefits of the transfer agreement.
"I can't make them love it," he said. "But it's part of our mission to serve as many people in the state as we can possibly handle."
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“Christenson, though, questioned the ability of those transfer students to hold up in a university where even she can "barely keep up a 3.0 [GPA] to keep my scholarship here."
Erica, get over yourself
Why would you quote a political science professor on this topic? Or this Erica Christensen? These people have NO qualifications to discuss this matter. Have they ever taken a course at MATC? How can they know what classes there are like? People here are so snobby. Try interviewing an Ed policy professor who could tell you that MATC students are extremely likely to succeed here. And stop quoting random students who are just speculating. This = poor journalism.
Way to go Chancellor Wiley! I’ll keep the negative comments at bay for now.
It’s not like every single MATC student who achieves a 3.0 GPA is going to transfer here. Some still won’t be able to afford it and some are happy with the technical programs. Only those who really want to succeed here will come. And why should that be a problem?
omg, if that is the chair of the college republicans no matter the right wing is soo pathetic on this campus, she barely have a 3.0, what an idiot
i bet chrit en son is going to piss her pants when she realizes how pathetic she does in comparison to all the MATC students
People for this have to make the following arguments:
MATC = UW 3.0 = 3.0 money saved @ MATC for 2 years is justified.
Can you?
MATC > UW in this deal.
I am a UW student, not one of THOSE, junior college high-school drop-outs.
Christenson over looks the fact that, on the average, transfer students perform far better that those students who come directly from high-school. In part because they are grateful, in part because it is a second chance, but mostly because they are more driven and committed than is the average student—by far. Compare attendance rates. You'll soon find that students who pay for their own college don't piss it away. "Hey its Momy and Dady's money anyway."
It really shouldn't be a slap in the face. What would be slap in the face is if they were performing poorly. They are not. Again most of them do far better than barely keep up a 3.0 GPA.
Junior college is the only way for some to get into a 4 year degree school. There many things to consider other than ones own need to fell better than others. We should just say "hey, there is only one way in, sorry, we must protect the right of our students to feel better then MATC students." We wouldn't want them mixing and all. None of that class mixing. If they get in and can compete why should Erica Christenson or anyone have a problem with that?
I thought that was part of the American dream, if you are able you will be provided with the opportunities to ascend. The colleges Republicans however, seem less interested in the American dream and more interested in their own dreams and the corporate dreams. I am a transfer student from MATC, 24 years old, I have 3.7 and work. I'm sure I could get a 4.0 if I didn't have to do taxes, work, and all with my own money. I am NOT complaining. It is what I gotta' do and I am grateful for the opportunity to do it. Really Erica Christenson, look around your self at the lazy, un-grateful and sometimes just plain poor studentship. Your performance now should matter more than where you came from.
MATC is a choice for some. However, for Christenson it is merely a last resort, a second choice at best but certainly inferior to the UW. It is classist, elitist and absurdly egotistical to suppose that a pathway for citizen ascendancy should be cut because you feel lest special. It is also un-Republican. I am a Republican with my parents and grandparents, and I'll tell you there are more Republicans at MATC per capita then here.
P.S. Not a member of UW College Republicans because they backed Bush. Three generations of Republicans and soldiers (excepting myself) and my whole farming family agrees, THAT MONSTER AIN'T MY PARTY!!!! Republicans for just war, for a clean environment, and for keeping out of peoples bedrooms (for Abe's sake!) and for getting big money out of office, I'll join that club.
Should kids from Parkside, Whitewater, Rock County, etc. be able to transfer in? None of those schools are exactly equal to UW.
UW is a public school, kiddies, and a land-grant one at that, too.
FREE THE MATC 50,000!!
UW 2 Year Colleges already have transfer programs/agreements in place.
Responding to Anonymous (May 3, 2006 @ 2:08pm):
This guy has some horrible logic. Wow I mean really bad. If you can make the grade at the UW than obviously you'll be fine here. If a MATC student with a 3.0 can make a 3.0 or better at the UW, then what. This guy skipped logic class. This is definitely one who should not have been admitted, assuming he is a UW student. How ever admitted him made a mistake. It is true about the other UW system schools. There no different than MATC and they can transfer. People like this are not even at this university to learn, for them it is just a brand name. We'll see how little they do with there education.