THE FUTURE OFTEX AS ENERGYTSTC programs train technicians for

in-demand energy fi elds. (Page 5)(Page 5)

IN THIS ISSUE

Learning without

Lectures (Page 11)

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Vision for TSTC

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TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE WACO MAGA ZINE

It has been a very busy spring at TSTC and while the uncertainty of the state budget looms, we are confi dent that we are prepared for its out-come. One thing is cer-tain, we are committ ed to continuing to provide our students the quality technical education they deserve and industry expects!

Recently the college held its annual Industry Career Day and more than 100 companies at-

tended. These companies came to TSTC to hire our graduates because they know that TSTC graduates receive a quality education and are work ready when they graduate.

In this spring edition of the TSTC Magazine you can read how TSTC graduates impact the Texas energy sector. While our graduates go to work impacting many areas of the Texas economy, the oil and gas industry has always played a large part in the state’s economy. And as alternative energy sources emerged, the college developed programs to provide qualifi ed technicians for these areas as well.

From “Q&A with TSTC Chancellor Mike Reeser,” to updates on Pub-lishing, Sponsored Programs, kudos, construction progress, events and more, the TSTC Magazine can keep you informed on the latest happen-ings at TSTC Waco.

Thanks for all you do for TSTC!

Dr. Elton E. Stuckly, Jr.TSTC Waco President

Committed to quality education

PRESIDENT

Dr. Elton E. Stuckly, Jr.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Jan Osburn

EDITOR

Sarah-Jane Menefee

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sheila BoggessSarah-Jane MenefeeJan OsburnJustin Chatham

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mark BurdineRobin ReidSarah-Jane Menefee

PHONE • (254) 867-3035WEBSITE • tstc.com/tstcmagazineE-MAIL • tstcmagazine@tstc.edu

NUMBERS TO KNOW

Main (254) 799-3611Recruiting (254) 867-2360College Records (254) 867-2362Alumni Association (254) 867-2026

TSTC WACO MAGAZINE is published two times a year by the Marketing & Communications offi ce at Texas State Technical College Waco.

Texas State Technical College Waco is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate of Applied Science degrees and Certifi cates of Completion. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Texas State Technical College Waco.

© Copyright 2011 Texas State Technical College Waco. All rights reserved.

A PUBLICATION OF TSTC WACO VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2

SPRING 2011

MAGAZINE

WRITE TO US:We welcome your letters. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of letters for publication and to edit them for accuracy and length. Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. If an alum, please include degree and year of degree.

E-MAIL: tstcmagazine@tstc.edu

WRITE:TSTC Waco Magazine3801 Campus Drive Waco, TX 76705 Attn: Marketing & Communications

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Texas State Technical College

CAPITOL CAMPAIGNSPresident Stuckly makes regular trips to the Texas Capitol in Austin to talk to lawmakers about TSTC’s programs and ensure budget needs for the college.

3 Tech NotesCampus news and accolades

5 The Future of Texas EnergyA variety of energy programs train technicians who are vital to Texas energy production

7 Campus SnapshotToyota Technician Training and Education Network lab

11 Learning without LecturesProject-based learning classes look at new ways to teach old lessons

13 Campus Q&ATSTC Chancellor Mike Reeser shares his vision for TSTC

ON THE COVER

Electrical Power & Control student Kara Korn checks the voltage on a distribution panel during a class lab.

MAGAZINE

Contents & Calendar

14 People & PlacesPhotos from TSTC events

Campus Snapshot Page 7-8

In This Issue:

MAY

9 Summer classes begin

20 Employee Award’s Day, student holiday

24 Fall registration begins for returning students

30 Student & employee holiday

31 Fall registration begins for new students

JUNE

17 Last day to apply for graduation

JULY

4 Student & employee holiday

AUGUST

19 Last day to register for fall

End of summer semester Summer commencement, 6 p.m., Waco Convention Center

29 Fall classes begin

SEPTEMBER

5 Student & employee holiday

NOVEMBER

14 Spring registration begins for returning students

21 Spring registration begins for new students

24-25 Student & employee holiday

DECEMBER

9 End of semester

Fall commencement, 6 p.m., Waco Convention Center

Campus closed for winter breakDec. 23, 2011 to Jan. 1, 2012

Calendar of Events

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Groundbreaking held for state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Center

For years graduates from TSTC’s Culinary Arts pro-gram have accepted jobs as head chefs and line cooks at world-class restaurants. They trained in fi ne dining with award-winning chefs who guided them through TSTC’s rigorous, hands-on culinary curriculum — a world-class education. Now, as the culinary program’s prestige con-tinues to grow in Texas and internationally, it will soon move into a new world-class facility. The Culinary Arts program is one of TSTC’s most in-demand courses of study and has long needed to expand from the much smaller space it currently oc-cupies. The new 17,050-square-foot facility will include three kitchens, classrooms, offi ces and both indoor and outdoor dining spaces to provide exceptional learning facilities for students. The highly anticipated new dining spaces, including a 1,195-square-foot outdoor patio will

provide ample space for diners at the program’s weekly gourmet meals held each semester. A tentative move-in date is set for December 2011, with classes beginning in the spring 2012 semester.(See photos of groundbreaking on Page 14)

program kudos

Aft er only two semesters with its re-activated associate degree program, TSTC’s Radiation Protection Technol-ogy (RPT) is gett ing international recognition through both its students and faculty. Two RPT students, Brian Bitt ner and Marc Goldsmith, and Nuclear Tech-nology Coordinator and Instructor Ken Krieger represented TSTC at the international 2011 Waste Management Conference held at the end of February in Phoenix, Ariz. At the conference, Bitt ner received the prestigious Roy G. Post Undergraduate Student Scholarship and Goldsmith presented a student research poster. Krieger delivered a paper providing an update on the Radiation Protection program at TSTC and took part in a panel discussion about workforce development for nuclear power plants. For Environmental Health & Safety Department Chair Linda Morris, these honors are evidence of industry support for the new program.

“It’s probably the fi rst time they’ve ever given this scholarship to an associate degree student,” Morris said. “It’s quite an honor. The opportunity for our students to att end this conference is huge.” As the increase in demand for nuclear techni-cians rises, Morris predicts more students will come through the RPT program on their way to great jobs and a great future at one of Texas’ nuclear power plants. “Both of Texas’ two operating nuclear plants are in the process of adding additional plants,” Morris said. “This is quadrupling the need for technicians in Texas.”

tech notesCampus News & Briefs

From left: Nuclear Technology Coordinator and Instructor Ken Krieger and RPT students Brian Bittner and Marc Goldsmith.

International summit

honors Radiation

Protection Technology

students, faculty

Rendering of the new Culinary Arts Center outdoor patio.

Follow us at:twitter.com/tstcwaco

The James Connally Golf Course has been TSTC’s hidden gem for years. The course design provides natural obstacles allowing golfers of any level to have an enjoyable time. Aft er several years of hard times and ne-glect, James Connally Golf Course’s man-agement was reac-quired by Texas State Technical College in March 2010. Since that time, TSTC has made several improvements to the course to increase play and bring Connally back to optimum playing conditions. In spring 2011, the Golf Course & Landscape Management (GLM) program began using the golf course as a lab for its students. The students in the GLM capstone class learn golf etiquett e, course

setup for events and work experi-ence on a real golf course. Prior to this, students practiced techniques on a four-hole course on campus

without the challenges associated with work-ing around paying

customers. To celebrate and showcase the improvements, the James Connally Golf

Course is holding a grand re-opening tournament on Satur-day, June 4, from 7 a.m.

until 6 p.m To set up a tee time or plan a tournament, call the pro shop at (254) 799-6561. With improvements continually being made to the course, James Connally Golf Course is moving forward and providing a bett er environment while giving golfers a great experience.

CRC-Evans donates $250,000 automatic welding equipment

CRC-Evans (Houston, Texas), builder of one of the world’s most successful and widely used automat-ed welding systems, has provided the TSTC Welding Department with automatic welding equipment spe-cifi cally designed for pipe welding applications. The equipment, valued at $250,000, provides students the opportunity to learn in a state-of-the-art, industry standard training environment. This investment in the college is part of a relationship that goes back thirty years or more, according to Department Chair Matt Siddens. Siddens estimates that over the past 30 years, approximately 80 percent of CRC Evans’ technical workforce came from TSTC Waco. Partners like CRC-Evans lend credibility and industry support to Welding Technology’s pursuit of funding from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Science Foundation as well. For additional information about the college’s welding programs, please contact the program’s department chair Matt Siddens at matt .siddens@tstc.edu.

This annual award recognizes faculty and staff whose outstand-ing contributions and achievements benefi t the TSTC students and community. Along with recognition from the Chancellor, recipients are presented with a 2011 NISOD Excel-lence Award at the National Insti-tute for Staff and Organizational Development conference held at the end of May in Austin.

employee kudosCampus News & Briefs

Terry EhrhardtGolf Course & Landscape

Management

Ftt

Become a fan at:facebook.com/tstcwaco

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2011 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence recipients

Christine KinslowStudent Success Center

Sarah-Jane MenefeeMarketing & Communications

Jane ThompsonInformation/Communications

Technology Core

James Connally Golf Course now under TSTC’s management

Automatic pipe welding equip-ment donated by CRC-Evans.

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By Sheila Boggess

THE FUTURE OFTHE FUTURE OF TEX AS ENERGYTEX AS ENERGY

Miles of transmission lines branch out across the Texas plains like veins pumping life-giving electricity to Texans from the remotest communities to the epicenters of Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin and Houston. The regulation and support of delivering energy to towns across the state is a complex blend of both govern-ment and private businesses which requires a large work-force to keep the lights on. Pair up TSTC graduates with Texas energy, and it’s a win-win situation, says Mike Bowers, department chair of Instrumentation, Computerized Controls & Robotics (ICR), and Dan Bateman, department chair of the Electri-cal Power & Control Technology (EPC). TSTC Waco’s ICR, EPC and Solar Technology programs are just a few of the examples of how TSTC’s programs train students to become electrical technicians, linemen and even designers of intricate computerized control systems to support the growing Texas energy workforce needs. “When you think about how dependent Texans are on electrical energy, you instantly understand how important the electrical support personnel and technology are to our

state economy,” Bateman said. “Our department off ers the specializations to provide intense, hands-on instruction in every aspect of today’s vital electrical systems.” As the workforce demand continues to rise, the number of students in TSTC’s energy-related programs has steadi-ly grown with about 350 students currently enrolled. Many of the students are earning a dual certifi cate in both programs to be more marketable, explained Bateman. And it’s working. “This past semester saw 27 graduates, and 26 got jobs,” Bateman said. “It’s not unusual for graduates to start a new job making $24.50 per hour. That’s more than $50,000 in the fi rst year.” With graduate success stories spreading, oft en several members of one family come through the same programs and a number of students come from the same areas in Texas. “Aft er they succeed at TSTC and land good jobs in the energy fi elds, they let other family members know about us.” Bateman said. Jobs in the once burgeoning solar fi eld are harder to

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• Electrical Power & Control Technology

www.waco.tstc.edu/epc

• Instrumentation, Computerized Controls

& Robotics, www.waco.tstc.edu/icr

• Solar Technology

www.waco.tstc.edu/solar

For additional information about the engineering programs off ered at TSTC call (254) 867-4881.

GET CONNECTEDGET CONNECTED

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come by, said Sid Bolfi ng, department chair of Solar Tech-nology. Despite federal subsidies and support, the recent economic downturn has hurt the industry. But, as the economy continues to turn around, Bolfi ng said, there will be more jobs. “TSTC always has been very innovative. We are always trying to predict the needs of the Texas workforce,” Bolf-ing said. “Solar is part of our future.” To prepare for that future, the solar program has a state-of-the-art 44-foot trailer used for outreach, and Bolfi ng said he believes it soon will be used as a mobile classroom. Started in the fall of 2009 with fi ve students, the program now has 35 students in any given semester. “We can look forward to our program growing and to providing for the needs of the Texas renewable energy workforce,” Bolfi ng said. State-of-the-art equipment also puts the EPC and ICR programs at the top when it comes to training students. Oft en industry donations thanks to TSTC alumni, keep the programs up-to-date on the latest equipment. Bateman and Bowers speak with pride about the TSTC graduates

who enter the Texas workforce only to come back and share with the program that helped them get their start. The two instructors cited example aft er example of students who now are successful in the fi eld and have do-nated equipment. Bateman said Ron Widup, president of Shermco Industries Inc., in Irving came back to visit and noticed they needed starters. “He got right on the phone to his company,” Bateman said. “And we got starters.” In addition to alumni donations, many Texas companies provide funding for TSTC to train their future employees. One company in Houston funds six full-time scholarships for students each semester. Most recently, a TSTC Waco graduate returned with a check in hand. He and two fel-low graduates decided to start a TSTC scholarship and fund it every semester. “He did it out of love for TSTC,” Bateman said. With support from alumni and industry, TSTC energy-related programs will continue to supply the needed technical workforce to keep electricity pumping across the vast network of powerlines to every Texan.

WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING WWE ARE ALWAYS TRYINGW RE ALWAYS TRYINGTO PREDICT THE NEEDS OF THE TEXAS WORKFORCE.

SID BOLFING, SOLAR TECHNOLOGY

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snapshotTOYOTA TRAINED: TSTC’s Toyota Technician Training and Education Network

(T-TEN) program, a specialization of Automotive Technology, is among the

top T-TEN schools in the nation. Developed to fi ll the growing need for highly

professional, technically competent technicians for Toyota dealerships, the

program features nearly $3 million worth of the industry’s latest equipment

and vehicles.

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Partnership continues in East Williamson County

TSTC Waco’s partnership with Temple College in the East Wil-liamson County Higher Education Center (EWCHEC) could be growing rapidly if an upcoming election to levy a junior college district branch campus maintenance tax in the Hutt o Independent School District passes on May 14. TSTC Waco began its partnership with Temple College and EWCHEC several years ago off ering workforce training and dual credit classes at

Taylor High School, before expand-ing to Hutt o High School. The pas-sage of the new tax would provide for the operation and maintenance of a new joint-campus facility in the city and allow TSTC to expand its program off erings. And, while the new EWCHEC-Hutt o facility is under construction, the colleges may begin teaching classes in the Veterans’ Hill Elementary facilities scheduled to close at the end of the school year. For more information on the TSTC partnership with EWCHEC contact Fred Khozein at (254) 867-2035.

@@@@Sign up for the weekly TSTC e-Newswww.waco.tstc.edu/enews

Industry Career Day success

TSTC Waco’s 2011 Industry Career Day was one of the most successful in the college’s history. Representatives from more than 100 companies, including indus-try notables such as Halliburton, Eastman Chemical and Dell, had the opportunity to meet with the 785 TSTC Waco students who at-tended the event. Students who att ended were prepared with a polished resume in hand and dressed for success. For more information on hiring TSTC graduates, contact Placement Coordinator Jerry Atlas at (254) 867-3023 or jerry.atlas@tstc.edu.

Feature . & Campus News

Students compete in bake-off at Collin Street Bakery As part of Culinary Arts stu-dents’ preparation for the state-wide SkillsUSA baking contest, a bake-off competition was held at Collin Street Bakery in March before a live audience. Featuring three Commercial Baking stu-dents working against the clock to prepare several baked goods, the demonstration drew a large crowd of onlookers and taste testers. This event is the fi rst of many live demonstrations planned at

the bakery in conjunction with a new partnership between TSTC’s Culinary Arts department and the world-famous Collin Street Bakery. Department Chair Chef Mark Schneider said he is thrilled with the collaboration. “Collin Street is such a great Texas company and we’re such a great Texas school. It just makes perfect sense for us to partner with them,” Schneider said. To get on the mailing list for more information on Culinary Arts activities, email Schneider at mark.schneider@tstc.edu.

Campus News & Briefs

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Bake-Off winner Jonny Minck ices a layer cake

during the competition.

tech notes

student kudosPublishers Weekly raves forRV Centennial Cookbook

Publishers Weekly, the book industry’s lead-ing news magazine, praised the all-encompassing format of the The RV Centennial Cookbook: Celebrating 100 Years of RVing and the value it brings to the RV community in its recent review. “Cooper’s collection of more than 100 road-friendly recipes will give fellow en-thusiasts plenty to chew on before packing their coolers ... avid campers and RVers will appreciate the portability and economy of most ingredients. Rounded out with sug-gestions for games to keep the kids busy, RV trivia and maintenance tips, [the book] gives campers plenty of options that come together quickly and travel well.”

Cooper Foundation provides grant for new aerospace center

The Cooper Foundation has provided TSTC Waco with a grant to support comple-tion of the 86,000-square-foot Col. James Connally Aerospace Center. The $75,000 grant will be used to support infrastructure in the large, two-story lobby and board room. The rich history of the original Waco Army Airfi eld/James Con-nally Air Force Base will be honored in this space with displays of maps, pictures and memorabilia, including an original training aircraft suspended overhead. For additional information on the center, contact Jim Rowland at james.rowland@tstc.edu.

TechCareers: Welding TechnologyWelders are essential to industry and because welding is a seller’s profession, the opportunity for advancement is nearly end-less. Employment overviews, education, training and everything else needed for a welding business is in this book. Writt en by Joseph Abbott and Karen Mitchell Smith.

The RV Centennial Cookbook: Celebrating 100 Years of RVingWith 100 wonderful recipes, fascinating historical facts and even interesting maintenance tips, this book is the all-around guide to having the best RV trip you’ve ever taken. Writt en by Evada Cooper.

Upgrade to Free: The Best Free & Low-Cost Online Tools and Apps With more than 300 applications and websites to improve your productivity and functionality, this book gives you all the best online tools and applications organized by topic. Writt en by Beth Ziesenis.

Suburban Water Heater Repair for Recreational VehiclesSimple instructions, helpful tips and useful illustrations create the ultimate handbook on water heater repair. Designed for everyday RV-ers, this book contains everything needed to be the hero and fi x any problem. Writt en by Terry Cooper.

New TSTC Publishing Titles

student kudos

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MCI students’ work in photo exhibit, national photography publication

Media Communication & Information (MCI) students have recently garned local and national recognition for their work. At a photography exhibit at the Carleen Bright Arboretum, 29 of the best student and graduate photos were exhibited during February and March. For many students, it was the fi rst time to have their work hung in a public gallery. In addition to the exhibit, two of MCI students, Tyrel McSpadden and Stephen Ruud, will be represented in “Best of College Photography 2011,” an annual book published by “Photographer’s Forum” and Nikon which features the best work of college photography students nationwide.

“Cleanse” by MCI graduate Nora Figlia.

These titles are coming soon in both print and digital formats from TSTC Publishing at select bookstores and online at htt p://publishing.tstc.edu and htt p://www.amazon.com.

(See additional photos from the exhibit on Page 14.)

LearningLearning

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Project-Based Learning assignments are on the rise in TSTC courses, both academic and technical. Instructors have discovered when they stop lecturing and give students a chance to work out problems on their own, they learn better and often have more fun in class.

At TSTC, labs are supposed to resemble the real world workplaces for each industry. So to prepare students for working in computer programming, Computer Science Technology Department Chair Rodney Ortigo’s Systems Analysis & Design class has gone corporate. Not only do students form their own com-panies that they work with all semester, they create resumes and interview one another for jobs, clock in and out when they come to class and accrue sick leave and vacation hours. Instead of a casual Friday, they have a dress up day of the week when they forgo ironic T-shirts and fl ip fl ops for dress shirts and slacks. Ortigo said the class format was an answer to feedback from industry about the soft skill abilities of graduates. “They have the technical abilities, but are lacking those soft skills that make them more hirable,” Ortigo said. “With their company model, they evaluate each other on a lot of those soft skills including their com-munication skills, ability to work in groups and com-promising for the best of the team.” To help build those soft skills in with the technical expertise, Ortigo organizes ICE assignments or in-class exercises to promote teamwork, collaboration and communication. Similar to ice breakers, the exercises include activities such as scavenger hunts and games with balloons. He said the ICE assignments help stu-dents learn to work as a team instead of a bunch of in-dividuals. Along with an increase in teamwork comes a rise in student accountability.

“One of the fi rst things I noticed was the increase in att endance,” Ortigo said. “There’s something about that team accountability that makes a diff erence. Not only do they show up, but they do more research and read the chapters because they realize their actions aff ect their teammates.” Though the focus of the class is to program major soft ware systems, Ortigo said the major accomplish-ment is the positive atmosphere among the students and the diff erence in how they work and communicate. “There’s more camaraderie because everyone is mo-tivating one another to do bett er.”

Programming Class Programming Class Goes CorporateGoes Corporate(a little)

Balloons fl y as students in Ortigo’s class practice teamwork and communication skills during an in-class exercise.

There’s more camaraderie because everyone is motivating

one another to do better.

“”

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Project-Based Learning

By Sarah-Jane Menefee

Students in Jessica Kirkland’s Composition I class expected to listen to lectures and write papers all semester, but got a surprise when a simple how-to paper turned into a three-week long project-based learning assignment. Kirkland split her classes up into groups of four and assigned them to write a manual for a fi ctitious company. Each student company chose their own leadership and job positions and came up with a company name and code of conduct. For the students, learning to work together on everything from choos-ing a topic for the manual to testing the instructions and proofi ng it were a challenge. “They discovered it’s diffi cult to get four people to work on the same page and the real world occurrenc-es of covering for coworkers who slack off ,” Kirkland said. “Several of my students said it was the hardest project they’ve worked on, mostly because of working with people, because writing a set of instructions is not hard.” In the end, Kirkland said she was amazed at the change in student involvement in class and with their companies. “I had bett er att endance and more engagement,” she said. “Students came to class and went straight to work. Some-times I had to tear project managers away for a meeting. They were really into it.”

How To Write a How To Write a Manual Manual (and work in a group)

Robotics Instructor Bob Lovelace’s students know him as just “Bob.” To them he’s more of a manager than a teacher and that’s the way he likes it. Lovelace has modifi ed his classes to look more like the workforce graduates will enter once they complete their degrees than a typical lecture hall. “I could get up, lecture over every page in the textbook and give them a test aft er every unit,” Lovelace said. “Or, I can set the text-book down and give them a project that’s a scaled down version of what they’ll do in the real world. They need to do these projects so they won’t be surprised when they enter the workforce.” To that end, he has combined three diff erent robotics classes for a joint lab project. Working in teams of three, one student from each class, the groups will spend two months building and program-ming a robot that can perform certain tasks such as assembling

parts for a widget or gearbox. The project makes up around 75 percent of the students’ grades because of its comprehensive scope. “They have to design it, build it, do all the wiring and piping and

get it all working with the programming,” Lovelace said. “So they are doing what a technician would do — plus the job of an engineer, electrician, pipe fi tt er and project manager.”

Meet the Robotics Technicians of the FutureMeet the Robotics Technicians of the Future (and Today)

A team of robotics students program a robotic arm to pick up items and place them on a con-veyor belt in their lab class.

without LecturesLectures

A “company” of students in Kirkland’s Composition I class meets to discuss their manual project.

Q&A:TSTC Chancellor

Mike ReeserWhat one word or phrase best represents your vision for TSTC? Explain. A single word would be Innovation. If I get a whole phrase, it would be: constant transformation is the new normal. Since today’s world moves at an exponential rate and not the linear rate of the past, the only way we can remain relevant is to keep innovating, to stay fresh and to add value to our students and employers. It was Jack Welch, former CEO of GE who said, “When the rate of change inside the fi rm falls behind the rate of change outside the fi rm, the end is near.” Thus, constant transformation must be the new normal.

Do you think TSTC is playing a larger role in the future workforce of Texas than it was fi ve years ago? Yes we are. Clearly we are a bigger system today than we were fi ve years ago. However, just as important is the growing range of technologies that we now teach and the positive impact we have on the overall Texas workforce.

What are some upcoming technologies TSTC may branch into? In terms of upcoming technologies, I have no idea. But what I do know is the faculty at TSTC couldn’t be bett er equipped to know what’s headed our way, and I will count on them to lead the way. I am convinced the faculty know that we have to provide programs that are built for tomorrow’s jobs and not yesterday’s. Additionally, they know that there are two major sources of changes that come in technology. The fi rst is a transcending innovation. These innovations happen so quickly and are so transformative that they might catch us fl at-footed. That’s why they have to keep their eyes on the horizon. The other source is mash-ups. We’re really well suited for the mash up transforma-

tions because all we have to do is create cross-disci-plinary partnerships in our existing programs to create degrees.

What do you see as TSTC’s greatest strength? The strongest feature of TSTC is our knowledgeable faculty who truly care about our students. They and the other teammates at TSTC are our greatest asset. The second is our appetite for nimbleness. This makes us completely diff erent than most college enti-ties. Without that, I would despair for our future. Time will move on. If we don’t exercise that nimbleness in the constant transformation, it will move beyond us. I would also add that the entire college system is driven by the fact that we’re about jobs fi rst. Everything else we do is because we’re trying to help students get the career they want.

What do you see as our greatest challenges? The current funding issues are a short-term chal-lenge. However, the long-term strategies we have in place include making TSTC less and less dependent on the legislature for a material part of our funding as we go forward. Another challenge is a requisite shift in our model from a process of content delivery to one of skills mastery and validation. The advantage TSTC has is that mastery starts with hands-on and no one does hands-on bett er than we do! Critical to these long-term strategies is a continued advancement in validating the skills of our students. Indeed, I think that, in time, skills validation will be our highest value-added function.

Campus Q&A

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Texas campus for several years.

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people & places Photography byMark Burdine & Robin Reid

TSTC Day at the Texas Capitol

Media Communication & Information Photo Exhibit

Culinary Arts Center Groundbreaking

Fall 2010 Graduation

Student Ambassadors on the Capitol steps. TSTC presidents and chancellor on the fl oor of the Texas Senate.

President Stuckly enjoys ice cream with Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson and TSTC Board of Regents Chair Rolf Haberecht.

MCI student Mandi Lindley with a photo she modeled for.

Guests admire the pieces at the exhibit.MCI student Steven Rudd with his work.

President Stuckly addresses the crowd. Chef Mark Schneider speaks about the new Culinary Arts Center.

Offi cials break ground for the new center.

TSTC graduate Enrique Cervantes. Texas Senator Brian Birdwell. Honor graduates are recognized.