Southwest Technical College president apologizes for dual-credit registration problems, lays out student-success plans and partnerships

Jason Wood, president of Southwest Technical College, apologized to the Platteville School District for a difficult dual-credit registration rollout that added work for district staff and teachers and said his college is making changes to fix the problems.

"My primary reason for being here tonight is to apologize for your staff and teacher and counselor time that had to go into filling the gaps because of that roll out," Wood told the board, adding that Southwest Tech has worked to correct the registration process and will visit partner districts to explain fixes.

Wood described a three-part Student Success plan the college is implementing: early career coaching for applicants, an academic map that aligns students’ initial courses through a bachelor’s pathway, and a financial plan intended to identify and fill students’ funding gaps. He said the college has aligned scholarships to cover identified gaps rather than provide untargeted aid.

Southwest Tech also highlighted outcomes and program changes: Wood said the college graduates close to 70% of students — a rate the presentation called among the strongest for two-year colleges — and that staff are shifting programs toward higher-wage outcomes. New and expanded offerings mentioned include a rad-tech degree, a precision-agronomy program (supported by an 80-acre farm donation and a local seed-company partnership), upgraded electromechanical curricula and an artificial-intelligence-focused software track.

To support partner districts, Wood said Southwest Tech announced a $5,000 support fund for each of its 30 partner school districts to help implement Student Success plans. He also described a proposed vertical-farm initiative that the college hopes to donate to districts: Wood said a unit costs about $5,000, can produce 25 pounds of leafy greens per month (roughly 250 servings) and will be automated with industry partners to create hands-on STEM learning and nutrition benefits.

Wood framed those moves as part of an effort to keep graduates locally employed at higher wages by aligning curriculum with employer needs. He gave examples of employer-requested credentials that can add $5–$10 an hour to graduates’ starting pay, such as commercial driver’s licenses or pesticide applicator certifications, and described targeted curriculum changes to include those credentials.

The presentation closed with a question-and-answer period in which board members asked about new program capacity and cybersecurity offerings. Board members applauded the partnership and Wood’s remarks.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; it was provided for information and district–college partnership planning.