February 6, 2012
Riverland Theatre’s comedy, ‘Ring Round the Moon’ opens Feb. 15
The Riverland Community College Theatre 2011-2012 season continues with the comedy Ring Round the Moon, Feb. 15-19 at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on the Austin campus.
Ring Round the Moon, by Jean Anouilh and adapted by Christopher Fry, is filled with glamour, romance, intrigue, and laughs! This enchanting and witty comic tale centers on wealthy twin brothers: Frederic, who is shy and sensitive, and Hugo, who is aggressive and scheming. To prevent Frederic from entering into a loveless marriage, Hugo devises a plan to save him. The result is a clever mix of comedy and drama, filled with mistaken identities, misguided love affairs, and an unexpected happy ending.
February 13, 2012
Riverland President's Column -- February 2012
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) requested $110 million for its Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) fund for 2012. Typically, the Legislature has appropriated $50 to 55 million biennially to the entire MnSCU system, which includes Riverland’s three campuses in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna, and serves about 420,000 students.
February 22, 2012
First Graduate and Valedictorian of Riverland Community College (then Austin Junior College) honored with Memorial Scholarship in his name
Steve Bowron, dean for institutional advancement and Laurie Minehart, associate director of the Riverland Community College Foundation, recently met with Shirley Wright to thank her and her sons George and Charlie for the recent $50,000 donation to the Riverland Community College Foundation to establish a scholarship to honor the memory of Shirley’s husband and their father, Stephen C. Wright.
Stephen C. Wright was Valedictorian of the first graduating class of Riverland Community College (then Austin Junior College) in 1942.
March 6, 2012
Riverland President's Column -- March 2012
Recently, Minnesota’s House Education Reform committee members considered a bill that encourages school districts to seek funding and develop a plan for helping students make a successful transition to college and employment. The Legislature showed its commitment to this important initiative and approved the bill, part of the Governor’s Workforce Development Council’s All Hands on Deck report, which is a blueprint for strengthening Minnesota’s workforce by closing the state’s skills gap.
March 28, 2012
Students gather college credits while in high school
Riverland Community College will host a Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) information session at the Owatonna campus located in the Owatonna College and University Center at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 10. The PSEO program is a Minnesota state program that allows qualified high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit that also counts toward their high school graduation requirements.
April 16, 2012
Riverland Community College President’s Column -- April 2012
Riverland Community College, with three campuses in the MnSCU system, recently invested in its commitment to workforce education. After a comprehensive nationwide search, Dr. Scott Williams was appointed as dean of academic affairs with an emphasis on workforce education.
April 16, 2012
The Broadway musical, RENT, rocks the Riverland stage starting April 20
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Musical, the Broadway phenomenon RENT finishes out the Riverland theatre season. The play performs two weekends starting April 20. Considered a modern day classic, RENT is a ground-breaking musical that resonates across generations and reminds us there’s “No Day But Today.” With a book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, RENT is recommended for audiences 14 and older due to language and mature content.
April 17, 2012
Riverland adds new Student-Parent Help Center
A new Riverland Parent Center opened for business today in partnership with the Austin-based Parenting Resource Center to provide support services to college-age pregnant and parent students. The center is located in Austin West, room A239, and will be staffed by trained Parent Educators from the Parenting Resource Center and Riverland mentors Bruce Heiny, Juan Perales, and Andy Swank.
April 19, 2012
Riverland’s Albert Lea campus hosts Job and Career Fair Wednesday
Riverland Community College will be hosting a Job and Career Fair on Wednesday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at its Albert Lea campus. Over thirty businesses and organizations will be attending, representing Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna, Rochester, Mankato and their surrounding communities. Job Seekers will learn about full- and part-time career opportunities in healthcare, services/trades, manufacturing, retail and hospitality. Riverland, Workforce Development, Inc. and the WorkForce Center are coordinating this event.
April 26, 2012
Project 515 performs on Riverland’s RENT set before Saturday’s show
A theatrical presentation illustrating the 515 discriminatory Minnesota laws against same-sex couples and their families based on marriage will be presented at 5:30 p.m., prior to Saturday evening’s 7:30 p.m. performance of RENT at the Riverland’s Frank W. Bridges theater at the Austin Campus.
515 – The Tour features six actors including Riverland Alum, Bryan Gerber, who also produced and directs the show. Gerber is from Adams and attended Southland High School before attending Riverland.
May 7, 2012
Riverland Community College President's Column -- May 2012
During summer, Riverland Community College offers credit classes geared toward students who want to complete a full semester of coursework in a shorter term.
Riverland has expanded its course offerings this summer to accommodate more learners. Besides offering general studies classes in the traditional classroom setting, there are many opportunities to complete courses online.
May 16, 2012
Riverland and Stritch finalize business programs’ articulation agreements
Riverland Community College announces two new articulation agreements with Cardinal Stritch University. This collaboration enables Riverland students to complete their Associate in Arts (AA) degree with a Business Emphasis or Associate in Science (AS) degree in Business then transfer those credits to Stritch’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Management degree.
May 31, 2012
Riverland announces president and dean's lists for 2012 spring semester
Riverland Community College is pleased to announce the students whose academic achievement placed them on the 2012 spring president’s and dean’s lists. Riverland congratulates these individuals for their outstanding academic accomplishments.
June 12, 2012
Riverland Community College President's Column -- June 2012
Last Month, Riverland sent 553 graduates either into the world to enter the workforce or onto another institution to continue their education. The commencement ceremony is the culmination of our students’ dedication, discipline and self-sacrifice, and the Riverland community celebrates their success. Commencement is always one of the more rewarding days of the year for our employees as we witness the joy the event brings to our hard-working students and their families.
Commencement brought to mind a recent Star Tribune article written by Maureen MacDonald Swan. Swan, from a family who valued education, earned degrees from Vanderbilt, Harvard, Purdue, Washington University, Dartmouth and Notre Dame. She investigated students attending elite schools versus those attending state schools like Riverland and which produces better (more marketable) students.
June 21, 2012
Riverland collaborates with Winona State to offer RN-BS Completion Program
Winona State University will offer its RN-BS Completion Program during the fall 2012 semester Riverland Community College’s Austin campus. Arranged into eight nursing courses, the RN-BS Completion Program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Delivery methods include traditional classroom and online learning assignments as well as clinical experiences in the student’s home community. A total of 120 credits are required to earn a baccalaureate degree.
June 26, 2012
Riverland Community College involved in $3M training grant for manufacturing technicians
Riverland Community College is a partner in a regional center of excellence receiving nearly $3 million to educate and train manufacturing technicians.
“This grant will help us advance our goal of increasing the quantity, quality and diversity of manufacturing technicians,” MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone said in a news release. “Employers from across the state tell us they are concerned about the shortage of skilled technicians. Meeting this need for highly skilled workers is vital to keeping Minnesota manufacturers competitive in the global marketplace.”
June 26, 2012
Riverland hires new coaches for 2012 season
Riverland Community College has added two new coaches to lead the Blue Devils athletics teams for women’s volleyball and men’s soccer.
July 23, 2012
Riverland Community College President's Column -- July 2012
In June 2010, Riverland Community College announced Cycles for Success, a scholarship program that is a milestone in our college history and is especially significant because of its transformative effect on local education. The Hormel Foundation made this program possible by funding the new Cycles for Success scholarship program with $1 million over five years.
The program supports graduating high school students who might not pursue a postsecondary education because of financial barriers. The program focuses primarily on assisting “traditionally underrepresented students” within the middle fifty percent of their class ranking who have few resources available to them.
July 23, 2012
Kent Hanson Appointed Interim President of Riverland Community College
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees today appointed Kent Hanson interim president of Riverland Community College. His appointment is effective Aug. 2.
In recommending Hanson’s appointment, Chancellor Steven Rosenstone said, “Kent Hanson is an experienced, thoughtful and effective leader. His record of success in collaborating with students, faculty, staff and community leaders will serve the college and its campuses in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna well. I am confident that Riverland Community College will be in very capable hands.”
July 23, 2012
Riverland receives $100,000 MJSP post-acute care training grant for nurses
The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) recently awarded Riverland Community College a $100,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for a Post-acute Care Nursing Competency Training project. MJSP works strategically with businesses and educational institutions to train or retrain workers, expand work opportunities, and keep high-quality jobs in Minnesota.
