Riverland Community College Biology Instructor Pamela Anne Tranby was one of the four educators presented with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees’ highest academic honor, Educator of the Year, on Wednesday.

Several Riverland Community College SkillsUSA club members captured gold, silver and bronze medals at the SkillsUSA Minnesota 2011 State Leadership and Skills Conference in March at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington. The competitions focused on technical skill demonstration where students captured gold, silver and bronze medals in 75 competitive events in both divisions, with over 540 college students from 25 campuses of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities the competition focused on technical skill demonstration in 54 competitive events.

Riverland Community College student Katherine Kirsch (Albert Lea) has been chosen as a student Intern for the 2011 American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Annual Governance and House of Delegates meeting scheduled for June 2011 in Albuquerque, N.M.

“Wegner and Friends” opens Tuesday, April 25 in the James Wegner Art Gallery. The show features members of the Austin Area Arts Center, including James Wegner, Bonnie Lee, Barb Cafourek, Dustin DeBoer, Mary Gentle, Tammy Schneider, Shelley Aquino Brandon, James Murphy, William Olson, and Lucas Scott.

Riverland Community College’s Austin Chapter of SkillsUSA is having a rummage sale on Friday and Saturday to raise funds to send SkillsUSA medalists to the national competition.

Every spring, Riverland Community College’s advisory committees gather for an All College Advisory Committee Banquet and Meeting. This impressive group combines Riverland’s career technical program faculty with area business and industry community members who serve as program advisors.

Program advisors add value to Riverland's career and technical training programs. Committee members’ expertise, time and dedication boosts Riverland’s ability to meet the region's workforce needs.

The Riverland Training and Development (RTD) division of Riverland Community College recently announced a free training program in green technologies. Manufacturing company employees, dislocated workers, and students in manufacturing related programs all qualify for this unique program. The Green Enterprise Development program is quality curriculum from Purdue University, administrated by the Blue Green Alliance and brought to southern Minnesota by Riverland.

Riverland Community College honored current and outgoing faculty and staff at the College's annual Riverland Awards and Recognition Ceremony on May 13 held at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin.

Riverland employees gathered to acknowledge staff members for their achievements through out the year including those who reached milestones of years of service and this year's retirees.

Last month, we explored how Riverland Community College has successfully completed specialized accreditation for its academic programs. This month, we examine how Riverland maintains regional accreditation using the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP), an accreditation program of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) that encourages Riverland to employ continuous improvement strategies. The HLC, an independent corporation and one of two commission members of the 19-state North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), accredits Riverland.

Riverland’s Cycles for Success Scholarship program received the Innovative Partnering and Collaboration award. Cycles for Success, a private-public collaboration with Austin’s public and private K-12 system was created to increase high school and college graduation rates. The Hormel Foundation is contributing $1 million over five years for scholarships expected to assist about 200 students.

Effective July 1, 2011, Riverland Community College further restricted the use of tobacco on college property and became a Tobacco-free campus at all three of its locations in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna. The goal behind this new policy is not to punish smokers or tobacco users but to demonstrate Riverland’s commitment to creating a healthy, clean and safe learning and working environment for all students and employees.

Riverland Community College is pleased to announce the students whose academic achievement placed them on the 2011 spring president’s and dean’s lists. Riverland congratulates these individuals for their outstanding academic accomplishments.

Riverland Community College officials are relieved that the longest state government shutdown in recent history has ended but have deep-seated concerns about the four-year trend to cut public education.

Like all Minnesota State College and Universities schools, Riverland began its fiscal year July 1 using tuition revenues and cash reserves to operate through the summer and fall semesters. In other words, despite the government shutdown, Riverland attempted to concentrate on business as usual. Working with reserves was a temporary fix during the shutdown; however, now that it has ended and the ink is drying on the higher education bill, Riverland officials are still speculating on how the shutdown and budget cuts will affect its students and its enrollment.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently announced an award of $9000 to the Leading Entrepreneurs in New Directions (LEND) project. The grant was awarded is one of SMIF's Community Growth Initiatives (CGI) aimed at capitalizing on the assets of a community.

The project focuses on teaching business and technical skills to local immigrant entrepreneur students through a hands-on training program. Students will complete a business course at Riverland Community College, where they will identify and work on real problems and issues affecting the community.

Steven Rosenstone begins service today as the fourth chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

“I am energized and ready to get to work for the people of Minnesota,” Rosenstone said. “Students, families, businesses and communities across our state are counting on the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities - more than ever - to meet Minnesota’s pressing need for a better-educated workforce.

Recently, Riverland Community College, like all colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and universities system, suffered a 10-percent cut in public funding after the state government completed the higher education bill. Our college expressed concerns that four straight years of cuts would pass a greater financial burden onto students.

Unfortunately, as national officials negotiate the debt-ceiling package, Pell Grants are at risk. The Pell Grant program is targeted because of recent increases in program costs.

If you or someone you know receive/received Pell Grants as financial aid or if you are concerned about Pell cuts, we encourage you to sign the Ed Trust “Stand Up for Students” online petition.

Riverland Community College names Lindsey Duoos Williams as the new theater instructor and director. She succeeds former director/instructor Jerry Girton, who retired in May.

Williams received a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Theatre.

New Riverland Community College theatre director Lindsey Duoos Williams announced the theatre department’s 2011-2012 season today. The season includes a beloved classical musical, an exciting contemporary drama, a Pulitzer Prize winner and an old-fashioned comedy.