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The May 1 edition of Newsweek contains an essay
identifying a truth that those of us in higher education
already know: Two-year colleges are among America’s greatest
assets.
William D. Green, CEO of Accenture - a $17 billion
global management consulting, technology
services and outsourcing company with 48 locations world
wide - wrote that “community and junior colleges can help
America regain its competitive edge.” As a recent
high-school graduate in the early 1970s, Green anticipated
becoming a plumber like his father before him.
A chance visit to a two-year college
changed all that. “As I walked around the campus and
listened to my friends talk about their experiences, I
realized this was an opportunity to change my path … an
opportunity to take another shot at learning. So I enrolled
… and I can honestly say it was a life-altering experience.”
Green’s story is not unique. I have had
numerous people tell me that without UW-Marshfield/Wood
County, they would never have attained the level of success
they presently enjoy. What I find most rewarding about
these success stories is that all of the alumni make mention
of life skills – decision making, organization, strategic
planning, relationship building, study habits, time
management – when they talk about what this institution did
for them.
The two-year campuses aren’t just about
academics. (Though the small class sizes, personal attention
and guaranteed transfer make us a leader there, too). We’re
about the future – a future that looks beyond finishing a
bachelor’s degree at a four-year university. We’re about
preparing people for life.
As Green wrote, “…These colleges can
smooth (students’) transition from high school to work life,
provide them with core decision-making skills and teach them
how to think and learn.”
What concerns me however, was the fact
that Green’s exposure to the two-year college that changed
his life was accidental. He presumably knew the college
existed – as it was near his hometown – but never considered
it an option until he happened to visit friends there.
That’s not unusual. We often hear that
UW-Marshfield/Wood County is central Wisconsin’s “best-kept
secret.” But there’s nothing secretive about us – we offer
high-quality education in a convenient location at the
lowest tuition possible – right in your back yard. Our
alumni include doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers,
actors, journalists, musicians, research scientists,
bankers, accountants, business executives, pharmacists,
college professors and more.
Don’t leave your future to chance. Call our Student
Services Office at 715-389-6530 to schedule a tour. Tell
them Andy sent you.
Dr.
Andrew Keogh is the dean and campus executive officer of
UW-Marshfield/Wood County, a freshmen-sophomore campus of
the University of Wisconsin.
