Amplifying Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Tech Stack
Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) traces its roots back to 1912, growing from a continuation school for young people leaving high school into the largest and most diverse two-year institution in southeastern Wisconsin. Today, MATC supports over 30,000 students across four campuses, with a continued focus on accessibility, affordability and workforce readiness.
But as student expectations around digital experiences evolved, the college recognized the need to enhance its technology infrastructure — without disrupting existing functionality. For MATC Chief Information Officer, David Rowe, the objective became clear: deliver cohesive digital experiences supporting every student — while maximizing the value of existing systems.
Elevating Experience
In 2023, the college transitioned from its internal intranet site to a new platform, aiming to maintain continuity and introduce a new, intuitive interface for content delivery. While the new platform met the college’s basic functional requirements, it became clear that other areas — particularly user experience, content management and engagement — warranted further enhancement.
In 2024, MATC launched a broader evaluation of its engagement approach, bringing together stakeholders from Student Life, IT and Marketing. The task force explored how a centralized platform would support a more integrated and cohesive experience for all campus users — especially focused on students.
After exploring several options, MATC selected Pathify, most notably for the platform’s integration capabilities and extensibility, including a native chatbot. “We wanted one place for all campus communications — not just those tied to the SIS,” Rowe recalled. “Pathify provides the ability to centralize tasks, information, resources, community and other high-traffic items in one place.”
Power to Publish
As implementation began, Rowe and his team focused on Pathify’s approach to content management. The platform’s flexible content ownership structure empowered individual departments to manage and publish their own content — reducing IT bottlenecks and allowing the team to focus on more strategic priorities. “The approval workflows and role-based access provide incredible flexibility,” he noted. “It enables us to distribute content responsibilities more efficiently across different business units, without diluting content controls and branding consistency.”
Student-Focused Strategy
At MATC, technology decisions remain closely tied to student outcomes, especially important given the college’s significant population of first-time and non-traditional learners.
“For many, college feels overwhelming,” reflected Rowe. “Students may not know what to expect, whether navigating a college campus, finding the right information or simply accessing resources that are available to them. Pathify, as our digital front door, simplifies communication and information access for students, making the college journey much easier and manageable.”
With this in mind, MATC’s implementation of Pathify’s Chatbot aims to address frequently asked questions, helping students access information quickly and confidently. This student-centered philosophy guides how the college plans to integrate Pathify into its broader technology ecosystem — as a strategic tool designed to reduce friction and enhance the overall student experience.
Smart Consolidation, Stronger Outcomes
MATC’s approach prioritizes thoughtful enhancement rather than disruptive change. Rowe envisions future consolidation — such as migrating groups, events and task management into Pathify — while the current focus remains on making strategic improvements to complement existing systems.
“As a CIO, my biggest challenge involves identifying solutions that better serve students and our mission, while delivering innovative new technology within budget,” said Rowe. This measured approach allows existing systems in use at MATC to continue providing self-service access while Pathify addresses engagement and communication gaps.
As MATC prepares to launch “myMATC” in fall 2025, the college’s selection represents a strategic approach to digital transformation — one prioritizing student success while maintaining operational stability and fiscal responsibility. The college intentionally layers in new capabilities to address specific gaps, enhance usability and elevate the user experience — underscoring its broader commitment to improving communication, engagement and success.
About Milwaukee Area Technical College
- Student Headcount: 30,000+
- Institution Type: Public college
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Tech Stack:
- SIS: Ellucian Colleague
- LMS: Blackboard
- Productivity: Google
- Technology Consolidated into Pathify: Link farm portal, employee intranet, mobile app
As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Learn more at matc.edu.
