Volume 31, Issue No. 17, December 11, 1998

Volume 31, Issue No. 17, December 11, 1998

Mission Statement: Northcentral Technical College provides quality education, training, and services of high value to individuals, businesses, industries, and organizations--building a competitive workforce in a changing global society.

As part of its commitment to provide programs and services of high value, the NTC Board of Trustees Tuesday suspended four programs effective next fall.

Meeting in Wausau, the board voted to suspend the four programs--medical secretary, mechanical and computer drafting, parts & inventory control specialist, and small business management--based on a variety of criteria, including enrollments.

School officials say money saved by suspending the programs will be reinvested into 10 other existing programs which have shown high demand based on enrollments and labor market trends.

NTC President Robert Ernst said the college is committed to using tax dollars in a cost-effective manner that makes the best use of available resources.

The board reviewed the proposed changes in October, and held a public hearing in November. Students currently enrolled in affected programs will be able to complete their program in a reasonable time frame, school officials say.

In another matter, the board heard a presentation on a new statewide Youth Options program that allows high school juniors and seniors to earn dual credit in programs at area technical colleges. Karen Utnehmer (Dir. - H. S. Programs) said there were currently 27 students enrolled in 48 courses at NTC. The college plans to actively market the program this winter with the goal of enrolling 300 Youth Options students next fall.

As part of the discussion, Ernst presented his vision of an Advanced Technology Center at NTC that would accommodate Youth Options students. Ernst said the proposal is a win-win situation because it would provide a state-of-the-art facility for technology education for participating school districts. At the same time, districts could share the cost of providing high school core courses, resulting in a cost savings. The board took no action on the proposal, but did set up a committee to explore the proposal further.

In other action, the board:

• Approved a resolution asking the Wisconsin Retirement System to defer interest on an unfunded pension liability until the state Attorney General renders an opinion on the matter. Many other schools and municipalities are also affected.

• Approved a series of productivity measures in such areas as enrollment of adults and high school graduates, contracted training with business and industry, and operational costs.

• OK'd contracts to provide services to businesses and other organizations totaling $116,000.

Prior to the meeting the board acknowledged the school's buildings & grounds department for an award it received for energy conservation. The board also recognized NTC's surgical technician program for its recent reaccreditation.

Bettyann Battist (Ass't. to the Pres.) announced this week that she will retire from NTC effective June 30, 1999. Bettyann has been at the college for 33 years and has held a variety of teaching and administrative positions. A search is underway for a successor.

A series of stories in last Sunday's Daily Herald pointed out the success our NTC Foundation has been having. The foundation has had a 170 percent increase in its bank account, putting assets at $2 million. The increase will help students through more scholarships and scholarships of greater amounts.

The second session of training which focuses on using the AS/400 for budgets and student/class information will be held on Dec. 24 from 10 - 11 a.m. in the Professional Development Center. Stefanie Geiger (Scheduling) will lead the session. Please call Stefanie at Ext. 4036 to reserve a space as there is limited space. If you leave Stefanie a message that you will be attending, assume that you are unless she notifies you otherwise. You will need to know your password in order to access the AS/400, so bring it with you or call Ann Mueller (I.S.) at Ext. 4817 if you have forgotten it. You should all have access to the mainframe as Tony Sulko (I.S.) has been notified.

Just a reminder to all that the Post Office requires all personal packages over one pound to be mailed at the Post Office's counter. From past experience, the Post Office will not accept personal packages over one pound that have been put in with NTC's mail. If you need to know the weight of your box, Central Services will be happy to weigh it for you.

Also, a reminder that postage will be increasing on Jan. 10, 1999. The cost of a 1-oz. letter will go from 32 cents to 33 cents. The overall increase for new postal rates will be 2.9 percent, per the U. S. Postal Service. There are different amounts of increases for various rates, but the 2.9 percent is the average. For those that use the Bulk Mail rates, the average cost per letter will be 15 cents instead of 12 cents. Any questions, feel free to contact Diane Zimmerman (Cent. Services) at Ext. 4417.

University of Michigan and Michigan State University in collaboration with Consortium for Community College Development host the 11th Annual Leadership Institute entitled "Pushing the Change Agenda." This conference is scheduled on Feb. 21-23, 1999, at the University of Michigan, the Michigan League, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The conference features three case studies which will stimulate discussion of significant issues facing community college leaders and innovative response alternatives to those issues. These case studies are:

1. New Curriculum Paradigms - Presented by developer Carol Copenhaver, vice president, St. Petersburg Junior College.

2. Let's Do It - Presented by developer Robert Ernst, president, NTC. We're all doing a lot of talking about change on campuses these days. But a "Let's Do It" college has gone beyond talk; they "just did it." This case study explores how one technical college used a rapid and radical restructuring process to refocus its priorities to put the customer at the center of its operations, and to break down traditional and historic barriers and interdisciplinary boundaries to create an environment that supports and rewards innovative collaborations and partnerships. But how do leaders hold it all together through the transition? And what are th e lessons to be learned?

3. Preparing for the 21st Century - Presented by developer Stephen C. Head of Kingwood College.

For additional information on this conference, check the "Conferences" section of the Professional Development Opportunities database in Lotus Notes or call Renee Curran (ETC) at Ext. 4048.

• Condolences to Andy Anderson (FBPM), whose father passed away Sat., Dec. 5. The funeral was Wednesday in Holmen.

Here are more safety in your vehicle tips from NTC's Safety and Security Committee:

1. Check under your vehicle and in the back seat before entering.

2. When leaving your vehicle, roll up the windows and lock all doors.

3. When you are stopped in traffic, leave enough distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to allow you to go around that car if something suspicious should occur.

Candace Steffen, a graduate of NTC's EIT program, was a recent presenter at a workshop on teaching American Sign Language. After graduating from NTC, Steffen went on to get her bachelor's and master's degrees.

Jane Bauer (Bus. Instr. Ass't.) recently earned her certification in MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist).

Current guest on NTC Tech Talk is Peg Gross (Curric.) discussing NTC's new Individualized Technical Studies Associate Degree. Tech Talk may be seen on Cable Channel 7 Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. and Mondays at 6:30 p.m.

Stress is on the rise in our culture. Most American adults--despite the proliferation of "labor-saving" devices--say that they have fuller plates, more beanbags to juggle, and less time to do it in than their counterparts of a generation ago. The result is an exponential increase in burnout, fatigue, and significant life imbalance.

There aren't any perfect "quick fixes" for stress, but for those finding it a struggle to balance work, family, and personal needs, here are seven strategies that can get you moving in the right direction.

Strategy #1: Prioritize. According to one nationally regarded expert, a normal human being can maintain no more than three priorities at a time. If work is a priority and family is a priority, that leaves room for one more (but only one) significant priority. If you've been juggling five or six, something's got to go. This means taking a close look at what's really important to you. Ruthlessly cull peripheral activities from your life even if that means learning to say "no." A useful way to say no without making enemies is, "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to do that at this time." It's cordial, sensitive, yet firm, and doesn't get you mired in the quicksand of having to offer answers others will accept or understand.

Strategy #2: Accept your humanness. A cultural myth in our society is that effective men and women can "do it all," but few of us can--and those who do usually end up giving themselves bleeding ulcers in the process. Don't aim for perfection, but for appropriate and sufficient quality, in what you do--a 7 out of 10, not a 10 out of 10. Learn to do some unimportant things badly. In fact, G. K. Chesterton's famous maxim, "anything worth doing is worth doing badly," is a great stress reliever and a prescription for mental health and balance.

Strategy #3: Share the load. In families, most people have areas of specialization that they enjoy using. Take advantage of those natural competencies and motivations. For instance, the family member who's most mathematically inclined and detail-focused might balance the checkbook. Unfortunately, many families get locked into arguments about who "should" do certain tasks or who's "supposed to" do them, often along outmoded gender lines. Don't let inertia, tradition, or cultural expectations shape the division of labor in your family.

Strategy #4: Take a weekly vacation. Every week, you should do something you really enjoy as an individual, and you should do something with one or more family members that you all find fun and relaxing (make sure others’ ideas of fun really do match yours before making assumptions here!). Failing to do this is like trying to drive your car cross-country without ever filling the tank with gas or stopping to change the oil. Some people need to begin with the baby step of identifying what fun means to them especially if the last time they had any actual fun was sometime back in 1965.

Strategy #5: Don't be your own worst enemy. If clutter, disorganization, or other time and resource management challenges are the big stress inducer in your life, find ways to simplify in these areas. For most of us, simply throwing out unnecessary items you've been "saving for a rainy day" can be a major step in the right direction. If you haven't used or looked at something in over six months, unless it's a family heirloom or stock certificate, toss it! The fewer things you have to organize, the less organized you have to be to take care of them.

Strategy #6: Adjust your attitude. Most stress is mental. Life, Charles Swindoll tells us, is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you choose to react to it. The next time you feel out of sorts, ask yourself, "Will this really matter in five years?" If the answer is no, forget it. Some things really do matter (your faith, your family, your core values); most don't (the idiot that cut you off on the highway, the shopper that brought a cart with 11 items to the "10 items or less" grocery line, the microscopic smudge on your clothing).

Strategy #7: Don't try to change everything at once. Small changes are easier to make and to maintain. Aim for lasting changes, not impressive ones that vanish as quickly as they came. Even small changes (like developing the habit of brushing your teeth every morning) take a minimum of three weeks to become habitual and permanent. Prioritize the changes you want to make and begin with any easy change for which success is largely assured. When your first change is second nature, then and only then aim for a second. In this way, you can make 17 significant life changes in the course of a year, or 680 changes in a working lifetime.

Pick your three favorite strategies from the list above and give them a try over the next month. Chances are you'll see some significant differences! If not, you can always increase the number of cats in your household. That's guaranteed to reduce stress, or at least shift your stress focus to hairballs and shredded sofas.

Marlowe C. Embree, Ph.D., INFP
Career Development Group

• Assistant to the President - This is a full-time management position, which reports directly to the President. The Assistant to the President serves as the operational stand-in for the President. As spokesperson for the President's office, the Assistant to the President serves as his/her designee to operations of the college and assumes other administrative responsibilities on behalf of the President. In an emergency situation, the Assistant to the President assumes the duties of the Chief Executive Officer, until the board takes action to approve a longer-term successor. Review of applications begins Jan. 11.

• Administrative Assistant - Human Resources - This is an extended temporary full-time (38.75 hrs/wk, 52 wks/yr) 12- to18-month clerical position which works as a member of the Human Resources Team. This position will support the HR staff during the conversion of our administrative software. Deadline: Fri., Dec. 18.

• Microcomputer Instructor (Adjunct) - This is an adjunct faculty (15 hrs/wk, 18 wk/yr) position that may be available at the NTC campuses in Medford, Phillips, and Spencer. Responsible for instruction in an open-entry lab environment for the following: Lotus 1-2-3, Windows 95, Microsoft Works 4.0, and Microsoft Office 97--Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

• Office Technology Instructor (Adjunct)--This is an adjunct faculty (15 hrs/wk, 18 wks/yr) position that may be available at the NTC campuses in Medford, Phillips, and Spencer. Responsible for instruction in an open-entry lab environment for the following: MS Office 97, Windows 95, Corel WordPerfect 7.0, Keyboarding 2 and 3, Formatting 1 and 2, 10 Key by Touch, and Computer Keyboarding. Deadline: Dec. 23.

• Instructional Assistant, Farm Business & Production Management On-Farm Technician - This is a part-time (maximum of 150 hours per year) classified (non-union) position. This person is accountable to the Instructional Team Liaison as a team member of the Farm Business & Production Management E-Unit. Deadline: Dec. 21.

• Administrative Assistant III - Marketing Services - This is a full-time (38.75 hrs/wk, 52 wks/yr) NESPA (union) clerical position which is accountable to the Team Leader of Marketing Services. Deadline: Dec. 16.

For details on these and other opportunities, call Human Resources at Ext. 5120.

• For Sale:
• Kolbe & Kolbe energy conservation panels (storm windows) and screens, assorted sizes
• Four 205/75R 15" all-season radial tires, mounted and balanced on Chrysler rims with 4 hubcaps, $110
• Two Goodyear Tiempo P165/80R 13" M & S tires, mounted and balanced on Ford rims, $45
• Seven-place gun cabinet with glass doors, $45
• Youth's Bear "Black Mag" compound bow, $35
• Nintendo game, $35
• Exide car battery, 550 CCA, $15
• Cordless Conair phone, $11
Wanted:
• 205/75R 14" tires, 2 or 4 on GM rims or not, or 195/75R 14"
OBO or for more information, call 693-7125 after 5 p.m.