New Leaders at NTC and UWMC Commit to Excellence in Adult Education
adult education, dr. lori a. weyers, education, northcentral technical college, sandra r. smith. smith, university of wisconsin-madison,
For Dr. Lori A. Weyers, becoming the new president of Northcentral Technical College in July 2006 represented a meaningful milestone in her lifelong commitment to learning.
“I went back to school at the age of 47, so I have a real appreciation for the multitasking our adult students have to do to complete the degrees they’re pursuing,” says Weyers, who received her Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004.
Since assuming her leadership position at NTC, Weyers has focused on expanding specialized training programs for local industrial partners.
“We’re part of the engine that fuels the local economy,” says Weyers. “We offer a very broad spectrum of workforce training programs to meet the needs of the community.”
Sharing the commitment to providing more opportunities for adult learners is Weyers’ counterpart at nearby University of Wisconsin-Marathon County, UWMC Dean and CEO Sandra R. Smith. Smith took the post in July 2007 and says her impact will be “through strategic enrollment initiatives that target adult learners.”
To that end, UWMC is part of a collaborative effort among all of the University of Wisconsin Colleges called the Adult Student Initiative.
“This program is structured to provide services and course delivery that are designed specifically to meet the needs of the adult working population,” Smith says. “The goal of the initiative is to meet the employment needs of the state by increasing the number of baccalaureate degree holders.”
Story by Valerie Pascoe
Photo by Jeff Adkins
