Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Wisconsin Indianhead technical College (WITC) is a two-year public technical college with several campuses in the Superior, Wisconsin area. It is one of 16 schools in the Wisconsin Technical College System. Originally, WITC was founded in 1912 as the Industrial, Commercial, Continuing Evening School. Today, the college has campuses in Ashland, New Richmond, Rice Lake, Superior, Hayward, and Ladysmith, as well as a learning center in Washburn County at Spooner. Administrative offices for the school are located in Shell Lake.

WITC offers associate degree programs, technical programs, short-term certificates, customized training, and a wide assortment of classes for personal and career enhancement. There are over 8,000 students enrolled in degree and certificate programs, and nearly 19,000 in non-credit classes. In fact, more than 10% of area residents have taken at least one class of some kind through WITC.

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Information Summary

Ranks 38th in Wisconsin and 1738th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	68.7
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$6,689
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	8 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	72% / 55%
Enrollment Total (all students)	2,963

Academics

There are a variety of career and transfer programs of study at WITC. There are over 50 career programs at the college alone. Many of the more well-paid and marketable career tracks recommended by WITC are Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology; Automotive Maintenance Technician; Information Technology-Computer Networking; Law Enforcement; Machine Tool; Nursing and Nursing Assistant; Occupational Therapy Assistant; and Welding. Some of the more out-of-the-box choices include Agricultural Power and Equipment Technician; Dairy Herd Management; Energy Efficiency Technician; Motorcycle, Marine, and Outdoor Power Products Technician; and Wood Technics.

Certificate Programs

WITC offers several certificate options that take a year or less to complete. They include several particularly healthy and profitable fields such as AutoCAD Drafting, Biofuels and Chemical Process Technician, IBM PRG IV Programming, Information Security Specialist, Renewable Electricity, and Sustainable Design. Other certificate programs serve to enhance the credentials of professionals already working in their fields, such as Ethical Leadership, Customer Service, and Supervisory Leadership.

Online Education

WITC offers four degrees that can be earned completely online. These include: accounting, administrative professional, marketing, and IT-Web Analyst/Programmer. In addition, many basic courses in a variety of disciplines are offered online, creating convenience for many students who attend general classes online, and specialized classes in person.

General Studies

WITC offers a General Studies degree on the Ashland, New Richmond, Rice Lake, and Superior campuses. General Studies includes classes in mathematics, science, communication, social science, and behavioural science in order to lay the foundation for other degree, certificate, and diploma programs.

Basic Education

WITC offers a full range of Basic Education classes in English, English Language Learning (ELL), reading, social studies, science, mathematics, civics, health, career exploration, and employability skills. GED preparation is also available. Basic Education is available at every level, from the primary grades to the completion of high school.

College-Wide Outcomes

In every program, students are expected to meet the WITC college-wide outcomes, which include demonstrated knowledge, skills, and understanding in communication, critical thinking, social interaction, mathematics, science and technology, and local and global perspectives.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Unique Programs

WITC has a strong apprenticeship program for students in the trades. The school’s formalized training programs offer students opportunities to enter a skilled profession and achieve journey-level status while still in school. An apprentice registers for a legal agreement called an indenture in these arrangements and are paid a predesignated percentage of the skilled journeyperson rate. Any Wisconsin resident over the age of 18 with a high school diploma or GED.

The WITC internship office in Rice Lake works with regional apprenticeship offices in Chippewa Falls, Wausau, Milwaukee, Appleton, and Madison to set up appropriate opportunities for their students. The college also makes connections directly with businesses, industries, and local labor union offices as needed.

Apprenticeships available through WITC include:

ABC Carpentry
Barber
Cosmetologist
Masonry
Bricklayer
Maintenance Mechanic
Millwright
Plumber

Admissions

In keeping with their mission to offer high-quality education to any adult who wishes to pursue it, WVNCC offers open admissions. Applicants need to either have a high school diploma or a GED to begin college level studies; the college also offers basic adult education and GED preparation for students not yet ready to begin college level work. Some programs, particularly in nursing and other medical disciplines, have further requirements, so check with the department in which you wish to study before registering for classes.

Financial Aid

In addition to the wide range of state and federal financial aid options available to college and university students in Wisconsin, CVTC offers several of their own need- and merit-based scholarships.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 5875th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Wisconsin.

Students

Dining on Campus

Breakfast and lunch are available most days from an on-campus cafeteria. There are also several vending machines in the student lounge.

Residing Near Campus

WITC has no housing of their own, although the Ashland campus has an arrangement with Northland College to provide housing for WITC students in their dormitories the Rice Lake campus provides student housing at nearby Glenwood Commons, and the Superior campus has a similar arrangement with the University of Wisconsin Superior. All campuses maintain housing listings in the Student Services office to assist students in finding housing to meet their needs.

Careers After College

WITC is deeply invested in connecting their graduates with work in their field. The college provides employability skills instruction, job seeking assistance, and employment fairs. The school also maintains a web-based job bank called TechConnect. Students are encouraged to take Job Quest, a one-credit class encouraging students to take control of their own success. The college boasts of a strong career placement rate: 85% of students are employed within six months of graduating.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

The following sports can be found here:

Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Basketball
Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Softball
Men’s Intramural and Women’s Intramural Volleyball

Bibliography

About. Index. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. Web. 29 July 2011.
Apprenticeship. Programs. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. Web. 29 July 2011.
Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.
Food. Student Services. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. Web. 29 July 2011.
General Studies. Programs. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. Web. 29 July 2011.
Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You. New York: Penguin. 2007. Print.

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College