Wichita Area Technical College

Wichita Area Technical College

200px
Type	Technical college
Established	1965
President	Sheree Utash
Location	Wichita , Kansas , US
Colors	Growth Green, Sky Blue, Citrus Lime
Nickname	WATC
Affiliations	Kansas Board of Regents
Website	www.watc.edu

Wichita Area Technical College is a public institution that offers more than 100 programs of study in Healthcare, Aviation, Manufacturing, Design, Business, Police Science and Transferable General Education. Degree and certificate options include Associate of Applied Science, Technical Certificate and Certificate of Completion.

WATC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), coordinated by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) and governed by the Sedgwick County Technical Education and Training Authority Board (SCTETA). WATC operates three different campuses throughout the metropolitan area of Wichita. Its main campus is the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT), located at 4004 N. Webb Road, Wichita, KS 67226.

Wichita Area Technical College's Workforce Education Division offers customized training solutions for business and industry in south-central Kansas. Customized business training includes corporate and technical training as well as continuing education coursework, in addition to career services.

History

Year	Event
1995	Senate bill 257 was passed and signed by the governor authorizing the transition of Wichita Area Vocational-Technical School to Wichita Area Technical College (WATC) and gave the college the authority to grant college credit and award the associate of applied science degree.
1999	State supervisory jurisdiction over WATC was changed from the Kansas State Board of Education to the Kansas Board of Regents with the passage of Senate bill 345.
2000	An ad hoc task force, appointed by the Wichita Public Schools Superintendent, developed and presented Keys to Success, a list of the desired characteristics of a world-class technical college. WATC received Candidacy status with the Council on Occupational Education. Camille Kluge was appointed president of the college.
2001	WATC received full accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.
2002	The Kansas Board of Regents established a policy enabling all degree-granting institutions in Kansas to achieve accreditation from HLC-NCA. WATC began the research and planning necessary to accomplish this new requirement.
2003	The Kansas Legislature passed Senate bill 7, allowing all degree-granting institutions to be governed by a board independent from a K-12 school board and to develop a plan for transition.
2004	The WATC transition plan was approved by the local Wichita Public Schools Unified School District 259 (USD 259) Board of Education (BOE) and the Kansas Board of Regents. WATC transitioned to an independent entity governed by a new nine-member Board of Trustees on July 1, 2004. WATC suffered a loss of $3.5 million in funding from USD 259 resulting in a reduction-in-force of 59 positions and 12 programs. Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution creating a Sedgwick County Technical Education and Training Authority. The Preliminary Information Form seeking HLC-NCA accreditation was prepared and submitted to HLCNCA.
2005	WATC Board of Trustees expanded to 11 members.
2006	WATC received candidacy status with HLC-NCA. Camille Kluge resigned. Jim Means was appointed interim president. Plans for a new campus were announced by the Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners. WATC was named the managing partner for the new facility.
2007	The Sedgwick County Technical Education and Training Authority became the governing board for WATC. Peter Gustaf was appointed president. Twenty-nine full-time equivalents were eliminated to redirect funds for instructional priorities.
2010	The National Center for Aviation Training opens at 4004 North Webb Road, Wichita, KS, near Jabara Airport.
2012	Wichita Area Technical College was awarded $13 million Department of Labor grant and chosen to facilitate the National Aviation Consortium (NAC) as the head institution in partnership with four colleges to develop a nationally recognized curriculum and training standard.
2013	Wichita Area Technical College was the only state college in the Wichita area with fall enrollment growth.
2015	Agreement between WATC and WSU creates a joint Associate of Arts degree – called Shocker Pathway – to assist students who want to begin their coursework at WATC and finish their AA degree, or beyond, at WSU.

Governance

The Kansas Board of Regents governs six universities and coordinates and supervises Kansas’ 19 community colleges, five technical colleges, and five technical schools. Within Kansas Board of Regents’ purview is the establishment of policies related to all institutions and the approval of all programs and course offerings. Courses may be submitted for approval on an as-needed basis, and program approvals may be submitted monthly. Institutions that wish to deliver approved programs or courses within the service area governed by the Kansas Wichita Area Technical College

Assessment

Formal assessment began in 1999 as a way to measure the effectiveness of technical education. Instructors developed course competencies to provide a structure for assessing the skills, knowledge, and abilities graduates need to be successful in their programs and the workforce. The assessment plan was built upon this competency system. Department instructors, along with program advisory committees, made changes to the competencies that align them with current job-market needs. This process continues today, and in 2005, instructors, student, and employer surveys were added as a way to assess program outcomes.

Following the 2006 HLC-NCA visit, WATC embarked on a revised process of assessment. This process allows instructors to use a variety of measures that focus specifically on student learning outcomes.

External links

• Official website