Around FVTC

From Afghanistan to the Fox Valley

Improving English skills helps refugees adjust to life in America.

Mohammad Ashrof Azimy was a dentist in Afghanistan. He trained at the Kabul Medical University and has five years of experience working in a hospital setting. Then in August 2021, he fled his home country during the final weeks of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In September 2021, Mohammad was one of the 76,000 Afghan citizens arriving in the U.S., and now at 30 years old is settling into his new life in Menasha.

“I want to be a licensed doctor again, and enroll in a dental program in America,” he says. In January 2022, he started taking advanced-level English classes at Fox Valley Technical College. He attends class two days a week at the Appleton campus.

About 90 Afghan refugees are enrolled in FVTC’s English Language Learning (ELL) classes this semester. Classes are offered both online and face-to-face, and focus on reading,

Mohammad Ashrof Azimy (right) and his classmates in February 2022.

writing, speaking, presentation, and career skills through English language immersion. Workplace communication is also included. Refugees are referred to FVTC for classes by the humanitarian organization World Relief Fox Valley, which works with them to meet their other needs, such as housing, healthcare and more.

Mohammad appreciates his teachers’ patient and thorough manner. “I am learning a lot. They are great teachers,” he says.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/LearnEnglish

Partnership Expansion

Agreement creates new educational opportunities for FVTC students.

Fox Valley Technical College and Lakeland University have entered a partnership expansion that will bring the two colleges together under one roof. With the agreement, Lakeland University is moving from its current Fox Cities Center to FVTC’s Appleton campus. In addition to a dedicated area for classes, Lakeland will also have an office presence on campus and utilize other campus services. Dr. Chris Matheny, president of FVTC points out that the shared space agreement is a natural extension of articulation agreements already in place between the two colleges. “Having a trusted partner like Lakeland on our campus provides the opportunity for a student to start here and then seamlessly transition to a bachelor’s degree and beyond in a place they know and are comfortable with.” Over the last two and a half academic years, Lakeland University has had 633 students attend classes through its Fox Cities Center and 227 of those students were graduates of Fox Valley Tech.

Lakeland expects to start classes on the FVTC campus during the fall ’22 semester.

News Briefs

For the latest Fox Valley Technical College news, visit www.fvtc.edu/News.

• Fox Valley Technical College renewed its commitment to entrepreneurship by joining the National Association for Community College

Entrepreneurship (NACCE) in signing the President for Entrepreneurship Pledge. The pledge recommits FVTC in supporting entrepreneurship at the college and surrounding communities. Since 2005, FVTC’s Venture Center has helped more than 600 entrepreneurs and small business owners launch or grow their business.

• Congratulations to Mayra Pasayes,

FVTC Scholars for Success

Coordinator, for being named one of Wisconsin’s 36 Most Influential

Latino Leaders. In its first-ever Sí Se

Puede list, Madison 365 recognized

Mayra for the work she does to help at-risk students at Fox Valley

Technical College. Mayra Pasayes • Enrollment numbers were on the rise for the spring semester of 2022 compared to one year ago. By offering flexible coursework and part-time options, the college saw a double-digit increase in the number of students choosing to take courses at FVTC at the start of the semester. Overall, this drove up the college’s total enrollment by just over 1%.

• As the state of Wisconsin struggles with a shortage of law enforcement officers, FVTC is taking steps to help recruit and train new officers. Among them, expanding the number of recruits in each law enforcement academy class from 30 to 32. This puts the program at maximum capacity but also reduces the waiting list to get into the highly competitive program.

• FVTC hosted a regional

SkillsUSA competition at the Appleton campus on

Feb. 18. About 150 middle and high school students participated in events related to automotive, diesel, manufacturing, public speaking and more. Getting hands-on at SkillsUSA

Transfer Options for IT Students

Agreements allow credit transfer to UWSP.

Fox Valley Technical College and the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (UWSP) have signed five new articulation agreements benefiting students in FVTC’s Information Technology programs.

Each agreement guarantees that an FVTC graduate with an associate degree from one of several of the college’s IT programs can transfer a minimum of 56 credits and as many as 63 credits to UWSP. The student enters the college at a junior year status as he works to complete his bachelor’s degree.

The transfer agreements include programs in network/computer support and software development/web.

“We are very excited to announce this latest articulation agreement,” says Brooke Sumner, associate dean of Information Technology. “These agreements are a direct reflection on the superior quality of our IT programming as well as the commitment of our team.”

All five transfer agreements between the two colleges took effect on January 1.

Creating a More Sustainable Campus

FVTC takes team approach to campus organic land care.

Chuck Stangel drops compost into soil-sifting machine.

Horticulture instructor Chuck Stangel is leading a land care effort to create a more environmentally friendly campus.

“Between food waste and yard waste, this college produces a lot of compostable material,” he says. “The goal is to put it back in the ground to increase the organic matter content of the soil.”

Each day, FVTC Culinary Arts students generate compostable food waste which is then combined with excess grass clippings and leaves collected by the lawn crew. After about a year, the compost is harvested.

“When I started working here, the composting process was in place, but it wasn’t small enough to spread. We had nowhere to go with it,” he explains.

During a visit to Riverview Gardens in Appleton, Chuck saw a machine that breaks material down into finer material, making it spreadable. The machine had been custom-built by Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), who shared the design plans with FVTC. Chuck worked with the FVTC Welding department to build a soil sifting machine that saves the college money, reduces the use of fertilizer, and gives students valuable experience.

“We’re now able to produce about 10-15 cubic yards of rich compost each year, and our students are learning about and participating in something important,” Chuck says.

• • • Learn more & view video: www.fvtc.edu/LandCare

Take A Class

Learn a new skill, explore a new career, and stay close to home taking classes that will transfer to other colleges. New classes are added regularly, so visit often for the most current options. Search for classes and register online at www.fvtc.edu/TakeAClass.

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www.fvtc.edu/Focus.