The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is no longer the state’s best-kept secret. The system’s 49 campuses serving 16 colleges have always been rooted in local relationships, but now, says system president Morna Foy, WTCS operates from a much more high profile position in state government.
Foy, who was named the system’s first female president in 2013, has held various positions within the system since the late 1990s. She has more than 25 years of experience in higher education policy development and leadership. She holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science from UW-Madison, an MPA in Finance and Policy from Indiana University, and is nearing completion of a doctorate at UW-Madison in Education Leadership and Policy.
During her first 10 years with WTCS, the system’s state funding never changed.
“As long as it’s working you don’t need to think about it,” Foy said. “We were always valued in our local communities, but we were not a part of the statewide discourse on economic development and workforce advancement.”
Today, WTCS is positioned to address economic development issues head on, and Foy has made addressing Wisconsin’s skills gap and educating tomorrow’s workforce her top priorities as president.
“We exist to serve the needs of our two customer bases; students and employers,” Foy said.
Students today are much more mobile, and demand mobility and advanced technology from their learning environment, said Foy, and the speed at which businesses and employers conduct their business has accelerated 10-fold in the past 15-20 years.
“(Businesses) have to change products, inventory, delivery systems and sales processes, and they are continuously under pressure to do that, and do that quickly,” Foy said. “At the same time, having a workforce that is able to adjust, learn and retool at the same speed has become even more important.”
Public transparency is important to Foy.
“We want to know what the public’s perception of our System is, and learn from our graduates what we’ve done well and can do better.”
WTCS has a 90 percent satisfaction rate from graduating students.
The system serves more than 360,000 students ages 16 and older every year, and creates and adapts its curriculum based on feedback provided by industry leaders representing every sector of Wisconsin’s economy.
“Those relationships are crucial for us,” Foy said. “Employers in our local communities serve on our advisory committees and help us evaluate our array of offerings to make sure our curriculum adequately reflects how the state’s industry sectors are growing and changing.”
