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MATC, UW College of Engineering partner up

The University of Wisconsin’s School of Engineering will likely receive more transfer students in the coming years due to a guaranteed admission agreement signed in July by UW and Madison Area Technical College.

The agreement provides a course of studies for MATC students to follow in order to be able to receive a bachelor’s degree in engineering once at UW.

“We’re doing this because we can help provide more students a pathway to graduate from a university,” MATC President Bettsey Barhorst said.

Prior to this agreement, many credits MATC students would earn in their first two years would not transfer to UW, forcing students to either give up on engineering or stay at UW for an extended period.

About 64 credits must be taken at MATC before transferring, nearing four semesters. Included in these credits are several new engineering, chemistry and math requirements, as well as other basic requirements for English and the social sciences.

To be guaranteed admission at UW, MATC students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0, including at least a 2.5 in math and science courses, according to UW Assistant Dean of Engineering Don Woolston.

“As long as students have a chance to see the clear path, then I think it will be much easier to find their way from MATC to Madison,” Woolston said.

College of Engineering spokesperson Jim Beal said the plan shows UW is focused on graduating more engineers by committing to increase the number of students.

“Engineering is a fundamental part of maintaining our quality of life in this country,” Beal said.

This is not the first guaranteed admission program at UW. The Connections Program, in effect since 2001, requires students who are denied admission at UW to attend any two-year UW College or one of three Wisconsin Technical Colleges if they want to be a part of the program at UW. One of these tech schools is MATC.

If those students receive a GPA higher than 3.0 in their first two years at MATC, they are guaranteed admission to UW.

A $60,000 grant from the UW System will be granted to MATC to alter their programs and create adequate advising programs.

“Students will be getting specific tutorial assistance, particularly with students going from college algebra and trigonometry to Calculus I,” said David Shonkwiler, agriscience and technologies dean at MATC.

Shonkwiler said the money will also be used to create and develop two new engineering courses. MATC has already begun a class titled Introduction to Engineering Design, which is similar to Engineering 160 at UW.

The grant was approved by a UW System committee that is trying to find ways to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees given to Wisconsin residents.

“We want students to have multiple points of entry into all levels of higher education,” Shonkwiler said.

Between 12 and 15 percent of all transfer students at UW come from MATC.