Moving from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Madison, Dr. Jennifer Berne kept hearing the cities were very similar.
As she gets settled in as the new president of Madison College, she’s found that not to be the case.
“I think Madison’s quite incredible,” she said in an interview for the 365 Amplified podcast. “It’s actually not similar at all. Ann Arbor, which is in my heart and I love, is a college town, and that’s what it is. We called it a company town because every other sign was maize and blue. Madison is much more diverse … in the people, but also in that people are here for the university, but they’re here for the industry. They’re here for the government, they’re here for the high tech and they’re here for Madison College. So … I’ve really enjoyed getting to know it, and there’s a lot more for me to explore.”
Listen to the full interview:
Berne stepped into her new role July 1, becoming the first new president in more than a decade. She succeeds Jack E. Daniels III, who retired in January after 11 years.
“I appreciate that the Madison College community has put their faith in me to lead,” she said. “I recognize the significant role we play here: our students change their lives through education, our employees put their hearts into their work, and our partners recognize our significant community impacts.”
A lifelong educator
Berne’s career in higher education spans nearly four decades.
“I’m a lifelong educator. I started in community colleges 38 years ago, teaching English and ESL at a community college outside Detroit, Michigan, and then I’ve done a million other things,” she said. “I’ve been, I think, everything you can be in academics. I’ve been a professor and a dean and a vice president and a provost, and all of it was leading to the ability to lead a magnificent institution like Madison College.”
She has held leadership roles in Michigan, Illinois, and Massachusetts, most recently serving as provost of Oakland Community College in the suburbs of Detroit.
“I’ve held many roles in higher education, and each one has prepared me to serve here, now,” she said. “We are positioned for future success at Madison College thanks to the transformational effort of past leaders, the dedication and innovation of our faculty and staff, and the meaningful collaborations with alumni, workforce development partners, and community members.”
The role of a community college
For Berne, the mission of Madison College goes far beyond its classrooms.
“It is a convener and a central force in a way that only a community and technical college can be, because the students that we educate, we educate in our community, and we educate for the community, and our students tend to stay where they are,” she said. “I actually don’t really see the line between the college and the community. We are the same. Their success is our success, and vice versa, and we just want to be as robust a partner as possible.”
That means ensuring students not only enroll, but succeed.
“We actually need them to finish what they start, not just take classes, not just wander around, but really have a path and complete that path,” she said. “Once we get them in the door, nurturing them and committing to them toward completion.”
Berne says she was drawn to Madison College’s focus on equity.
“My impression is that Madison College is committed to all students, but in particular, is energized toward those who have been traditionally marginalized in higher education, which includes people of color, which includes English as a second language speakers, which includes LGBTQ community, students who are neurodivergent, have disabilities,” she said. “So all of those students are our students. They’re welcome and wanted, and it’s our job to adjust higher education to them. We used to say that students have to be college ready, and now we say that the college has to be student ready.”
As she begins her presidency, Berne has her eyes on both student success and community needs.
“I will know I’ve been successful if more students fulfill the needs of Madison’s workforce,” she said. “So we need X amount of nurses — is Madison College providing those nurses to our community? Are those nurses successful? Are they taking good care of us? And that’s true in all of our industries, in our advanced manufacturing, in our accounting. And also, do our students transfer effectively to UW–Madison, or any of the UW schools … taking their full 60 credits with them so that they can benefit from our really modest tuition.”
She also makes a strong case to parents and prospective students.
“We will offer a highly intellectual, engaged environment for the first 60 credits of a baccalaureate … at a quarter of what it will cost to go to most other schools,” she said. “Please help us. Please let us help you as a parent [and] your student explore career paths that you might not have thought about. We have two-year degrees in biotechnicians, which are extremely well needed in this area. We have a lot of healthcare opportunities … We have two-year business degrees, we have machine tool, we have the highest technology in all of these fields.”
Settling into Madison
Outside of work, Berne has found joy in the city’s culture.
“My experience of Madison is it has two characteristics that I wouldn’t have expected. One is, I cannot leave my house without running into a beautiful trail,” said Berne, who is preparing to run the Madison Marathon next month.
And, she added with a laugh: “They are serious about their gas stations. I had never been to a gas station, where you could buy hamburger meat, a Rice Krispie treat and a cashmere sweater, all in the same location. And it’s not just one. They’re everywhere … In Madison, it’s a whole adventure when you walk into the gas station.”
