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WDT welcomes new President

Ann Bolman01Western Dakota Tech is pleased to welcome Dr. Ann Bolman to campus as WDT's new President. She comes to WDT after 25 years of higher education experience in Texas.

Dr. Bolman will assume leadership of the campus July 24, pending approval by the Rapid City School Board on July 14. Dr. Bolman replaces Mark Wilson, who left WDT in June to become President of Mitchell Technical Institute.

"I was so impressed when I met with faculty and staff with the commitment they have to the students," Dr. Bolman said. "You don't see that everywhere. When I saw that, it really excited me about the potential for the school."

From 1990 to 2009, Dr. Bolman served at Grayson College, Texas, as a reading and writing instructor, director of developmental education, Assistant Dean, and Dean.

Dr. Bolman says she has been looking for a college that understands the impact technical institutes can have on the local and regional economy. She is impressed with the progress WDT faculty and staff have made with community and regional development and with improving student learning and retention.

Dr. Bolman feels her skills with strategic program and resource development and her focus on partnerships and collaborations on and off campus make her a good fit for WDT.

"WDT is a great institution and has wonderful potential," Dr. Bolman said. "I am excited to be part of that bright future."

During her career, Dr. Bolman:

  • Managed department, division, and instructions budgets up to $14 million.

  • Identified, acquired, prioritized, and allocated resources on a need-based system.

  • Wrote, received, and managed several grants.

  • Partnered with regional universities to develop articulation agreements to allow skilled technical graduates to complete bachelor's degrees.

  • Served as member of the Lone Star College Completion Council to implement system-wide reforms in developmental education, student tutoring, and advising services across all Lone Start College campuses.

  • Led the development of a campus-wide peer tutoring program to support the needs of technical and workforce students, particularly in areas such as EMT, criminal justice, and fire science.

  • Developed strategies to assist students in transitioning from adult basic education preparation/GED courses into career and technical programs.

  • Developed basic skills instruction that was embedded into career and workforce programs aimed at supporting student progress in technical programs while simultaneously building basic skills.

  • Worked as a full-time faculty member teaching developmental reading and writing, during which time her students had the highest and second-highest pass rates on the statewide standardized placement test.


Dr. Bolman wants the community to know she has an open-door policy and wants to hear from those who need WDT's assistance. She will be taking a lot of time in the early months of her tenure to get to know everyone on campus and in the community.

"If there's something WDT can help with, I want to know about it," Dr. Bolman said. "I really want to hear everyone's dreams for the school, its programs and its role in the community."

Dr. Bolman earned a Doctor of Education degree in English from Texas A&M University-Commerce, a Master of Arts degree in English from Texas A&I University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Texas A&I University.

For information about WDT, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to admissions@wdt.edu. Visit WDT on the web at www.wdt.edu.

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WDT breaks ground June 30 on expansion

Western Dakota Tech broke ground Tuesday, June 30, 2015, on multiple expansion projects that will help WDT better meet the needs of students and the community.

The expansion project includes:

  • Diesel Service Technology Lab: This 31,110-square-ffot lab will be constructed north of the main entrance. It will give students plenty of room to practice skills needed for success and allow the Diesel program to move from the Rushmore Building on Mickelson Drive to the main campus.

  • Medical Simulation Lab: Home to some of the most high-tech equipment in healthcare education, students training in this 8,780-square-foot facility will use high-fidelity, responsive, lifelike patient simulators to log clinical hours and practice real-life scenarios with no risk of endangerment. WDT's long-term vision is to make the Simulation Center a training location for healthcare professionals from across the region.

  • Event Center: Seating 450 people in a round-table setting, this 13,130-square-foot center will provide a large gathering place for WDT events, conferences, regional training opportunities, and the community.

  • Public Safety Building: The new, 15,435-square-foot Public Safety Building will provide flexible and real-world inspired education opportunities to students in WDT's Law Enforcement, Fire Science, and Paramedic/EMT programs. It will allow students in these programs to learn and work together under one roof just as they will after graduation.

  • Kitchen Renovation: An expansion of the current commons area and complete kitchen remodel will rejuvenate the space students call their own and make it more functional and inviting.


This expansion will prepare WDT for an exciting future full of opportunity. Once complete, the project will fuel future growth so WDT can play a bigger role in making Rapid City and western South Dakota even better places to live and work.

Construction begins soon. The expansion is scheduled to be ready for use by the beginning of the Spring 2017 semester.

For information about WDT, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to admissions@wdt.edu.

 

 

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Board announces programs eligible for Build Dakota Scholarship

PIERRE, S.D. — Today (February 13, 2015) the Build Dakota Scholarship Board announced the 54 program options within eight, high-need industry areas that will be covered in the first year of the scholarship program. The industry areas covered are as follows:

  • Automotive

  • Building Trades/Construction

  • Energy Technicians

  • Engineering Technicians

  • Licensed Practical Nursing (select programs)

  • Medical Lab Technicians

  • Precision Manufacturing

  • Welding


For a complete list of the program options at South Dakota's four technical institutes, go to http://doe.sd.gov/builddakota.

Scholarship applications will be available Feb. 17. The scholarship is available for new, incoming students in the 2015-16 school year. It is expected that approximately 300 scholarships will be awarded in the first year.

In-state and out-of-state students are eligible to apply. Scholarship applicants must be accepted into their program of interest. Recipients of the scholarship must enroll full-time and complete their educational program on schedule. The Build Dakota Scholarship will cover tuition and fees, books, equipment and other related program expenses. Scholarship recipients will commit to stay in South Dakota to work in their field of study for three years following graduation.

The Build Dakota Scholarship program was announced in late 2014. It is made possible by a $25 million donation from T. Denny Sanford and a $25 million grant by Gov. Dennis Daugaard from the South Dakota Future Fund. Build Dakota aims to support students entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota's technical institutes to fill the state's technical career fields with skilled professionals.

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Teen Cert class canceled for Monday, Feb. 16

The Teen Cert class at WDT is canceled today (Monday, Feb. 16) because of the weather.

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Electric opportunity for students and coal mine

A bumpy ride, the smell of coal, and the steady bleep of radio communications: "Shovel 20? Over."... "Shovel 20 ready for power. Over."... "Go ahead! Over."

That's the scene for electricians at Thunder Basin Coal Company at the Black Thunder Mine in Wright, WY. It's a scene that Dan Watson hopes to make his career after graduation in 2015. Watson is a second-year Electrical Trades student at WDT who is participating in the Thunder Basin Coal Electrical Co-Op Program. The program provides a path to employment and financial assistance for students while filling the need for electricians at the mine.

"Our main problem right now is finding qualified electricians," said Black Thunder Mine Electrical Superintendent Rick Crouse. "That's the best way to end up with a qualified electrician. You don't get as much bang for your buck as you do with the coop program."

Crouse says the program started at least 10 years ago and has been successful ever since. Students interested in the program must be 18 years of age and planning to attend an electrician program at a technical school. The student begins working at the mine the summer before classes start, with a starting wage of $21.75 per hour. Once classes begin, students need to put in a few hours per week dependent on their class load. With one semester under their belts, the students must bring proof of grades to Thunder Basin. If they have a C average or better, the coal company will pay for tuition.

This is the arrangement for the entirety of each student's electrical program. They focus on classes, put in time at the mine when possible, and receive financial assistance as long as they are showing successful grades. After graduation, the student is required to take the Federal Electrical Card Test. If they pass and there is a position open at the mine, Thunder Basin has the option to offer the student a position with an automatic wage increase. If a position is offered, the student is not required to take it but must pay back tuition if they turn it down. If no position is offered, the student is not required to pay back tuition. There are currently three WDT graduates working at the mine.

Aside from the opportunity to help finance schooling, the program also offers students hands-on training with highly qualified electricians and an immediate career path after graduation.

"Our primary objective is to get them trained. They are working with a certified electrician the whole time," said Crouse.

Watson is impressed with the experienced electricians he works with.

"There are electrical maintenance coal miners that have been there for 30-35 years," said Watson.

Watson says he enjoys the hands-on experience under the supervision of highly qualified engineers at the mine. He's still in his first year, but a lot of his classes focus on residential electrical work, and he enjoys the variety and sense of accomplishment the mine provides.

"I get more hands-on experience with the industrial side of electrical trades, more troubleshooting," said Watson. "I feel accomplished at the end of the day, knowing I fixed something and helped make it easier to mine coal."

Electrical work at a coal mine isn't for everyone, and both Crouse and Watson admit it takes a special kind of person who doesn't mind getting dirty to be successful in this industry.

"If they don't mind getting dirty, I'd recommend to go try it, as long as you're safe," said Watson.

Electricians at the mine work with extremely high-voltage equipment, which makes safety and training key. There are currently more than sixty electricians working at the mine, but Crouse said ideally they would employ more than seventy. The mine operates multiple draglines, power shovels, and load trucks around the clock. The electricians work on power distribution, troubleshooting, and preventative maintenance for all the electrical machinery at the mine.

Crouse says it can cost the company more than $20,000 per hour if a machine is down, so having well trained electricians on staff is crucial.

It takes time to learn the workings of such a huge operation, but students who complete the coop program are usually ready to start working on their own immediately after graduation.

"We end up with a fairly well-trained electrician," said Crouse.

That's exactly what the mine needs. Students end up with very little educational debt and a career with high earning potential immediately upon graduation. For those who fit the program, it's a pretty good situation.

Students interested in the Thunder Basin Coal Electrical Co-Op Program can contact the WDT Admissions Department at admissions@wdt.edu or 605-394-4034.

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Western Dakota Technical College prepares students to be highly-skilled professionals through accessible, career-focused programs to improve their lives, while adapting to community workforce needs and positively impacting our economy.

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