News and Events

Michael Seymour, President, Alexandria Technical & Community College
Published in the Echo Press as Beyond the Classrom at Alexandria Technical and Community College

When students feel welcomed, guided, and cared for, they make confident decisions and move forward with purpose. This isn’t a new concept, and certainly not one that’s new to Alexandria Technical & Community College. Since its founding in 1961, ATCC has taken a students-first approach to education, prioritizing connection over transactions and establishing itself as “the college that cares.” 

Participation outside the classroom is a proven retention strategy, and we have expanded opportunities for students to engage in activities that strengthen their sense of belonging, build confidence, and develop leadership and professional skills. Advisory committees and community partnerships foster curriculum alignment with transfer and workforce requirements, while civic engagement deepens applied learning and social responsibility. Our comprehensive approach to supporting students in and out of the classroom is critical to the foundation for student success. These efforts contribute to ATCC’s substantial enrollment growth and distinction of achieving the highest related job placement rate in Minnesota State for the past two years.

Perhaps an even more telling metric is applications for campus housing. The opportunity to pursue quality education and engage in co-curricular activities has driven requests for on-campus housing to levels not experienced in the college’s history. The ATCC Foundation doubled our student housing capacity in Fall 2024 with the opening of J.A. Wedum Foundation Hall, allowing 300 students to live on campus. As of February 1, both Foundation Hall and J.A. Wedum Foundation Hall are full for Fall 2026, with a waiting list.

ATCC partners with many area businesses and organizations to provide opportunities that connect students with our community, and with each other, starting on the first day of class. We celebrate the start of fall semester with an all-campus picnic and involvement fair featuring more than 40 student clubs, organizations, and local businesses. This event helps students form friendships and discover resources—connecting classmates, college, and community. 

Civic engagement is commonplace across the curriculum, reinforcing skills and community connections. Last year we added civic engagement to the college mission, elevating co-curricular learning as a priority. Here are some of the ways we live that mission:

• In 2025, the Accounting program’s VITA tax clinic processed 298 tax returns at no cost to low-income community members, securing $638,000 in refunds (and VITA just kicked off again this year, for those needing a little tax-time help).
• The Carpentry program built a Habitat for Humanity home last year.
• In partnership with LOVE INC, the Law Enforcement Club raised $1,500 to provide toys for children over the holiday season.
• This April, ATCC students will participate in an intergenerational discussion with Think and Thrive attendees (formerly Senior College) during a performance by Carlos Andrés Gómez, a Colombian American poet, speaker, actor, author, and educator from New York City. 

By embedding civic engagement into our mission and providing opportunities for students to make a positive impact, learning extends well beyond the classroom, strengthening community connections while deepening students’ sense of place and purpose.

Our students live their passions through Legends athletics, leadership and interest-based clubs, student activities, and skills competitions. More than 150 student-athletes participate on our 10 varsity athletics teams, and we’re still growing.  The Legends women’s flag football team will begin competing Spring 2027.

Approximately 600 students participate in one of 13 clubs on campus, including Student Senate, the official voice of the students at ATCC. Through Student Senate, students provide feedback on important campus topics, propose ways to improve the student experience, and positively impact our campus community.

Students apply their skills in authentic settings that both challenge and inspire them:

• Technical program students showcase their expertise through SkillsUSA, where in 2025 ATCC proudly celebrated two national champions in Machine Tool Technology.
• Business students strengthen their professional abilities through active participation in Collegiate DECA, bringing home dozens of state finalist honors and national awards.
• Communication Design students demonstrate their creativity and strategic thinking in the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition.
• Students in health programs share their knowledge and engage with peers through HOSA.
• ATCC collaborates with the Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence to host the Minnesota Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) each year, and a team of our IT students showcase their skills in defending against cyber-attacks. 

These experiences not only enrich learning, they empower students to discover their strengths, pursue their interests, and prepare for purposeful careers.

Beyond good paying jobs, students are looking to engage and thrive in communities that leverage their experiences gained as Legends. As students learn, excel, and contribute—to campus, to industry, and to the community—they develop not only the skills for successful careers, but also the mindset and momentum to shape the world around them. At ATCC we prepare our Legends for bright futures, but even more importantly, we take an active role in preparing them to thrive beyond the classroom.