Riverland Community College Nursing Program will host a site review for continuing accreditation of its Associate Degree Nursing Program by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC).

Austin Adult Learning will offer a tuition-free college prep academy at Riverland Community College beginning summer 2013. The academy, called SPARK, will be for recently graduated high school students or those between ages 18 and 22 who are no longer in high school. SPARK staff have been working closely with the successful and award-winning Be Your Best Summer College Prep Academy to create the most benefits to students. This collaboration includes a dual application as well as a shared workshop one morning a week during the dates that the two programs coincide.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) has named three semifinalists who are under consideration to be president of Riverland Community College. The candidates are Adenuga Atewologun, Mary Davenport and Annette Parker. The candidates were recommended by a search advisory committee comprised of students, faculty, staff and community leaders and chaired by Tim Wynes, president of Inver Hills Community College.

The Windom Eagles, from Windom Middle School and High School were awarded the Excellence Award at the Dream It Do It Northern Minnesota VEX Robotics Tournament hosted by Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in Bemidji this past weekend. Riverland Community College provided the robotics kit that enabled Windom team to participate. With this award, the Windom Eagles qualified to compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Anaheim, California, in April against top teams from 30 countries worldwide. This was the team’s first VEX Robotics tournament.

The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system Tuesday appointed Kent Hanson to be the president of Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Anoka Technical College. Hanson will continue as Interim president at Riverland until June 30 and assist with the transition to the new Riverland president scheduled to begin July 1. The process to name a permanent president for Riverland is in the final stages.

Riverland Community College today released the results of a study that estimates the economic impact of Riverland on the regional economy to be $70 million and 871 jobs. The study was conducted by Wilder Research, a nationally recognized source of data used by state and local planners, policy makers and service providers. The study also concluded that Riverland generates approximately $4 million in tax revenues for state and local government each year.

Microsoft announced that they will soon begin upgrading Internet Explorer to version 10 for Windows 7 users. At this point IE10 is not supported by D2L, so we recommend that you NOT approve that update if you use Internet Explorer for your browser when using D2L. Once the situation changes, we will post an announcement.

The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system today appointed Adenuga Atewologun president of Riverland Community College. His appointment is effective July 1. Atewologun succeeds Kent Hanson, who has been serving as interim president since August 2012. Hanson was recently named president of Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Anoka Technical College.

Riverland Community College, which has campuses across Southern Minnesota, has partnered with Milwaukee-based Cardinal Stritch University to make available a “2+2” program in which students can earn their Associate in Arts or Science in Business from Riverland, and then transfer all of the credits to Stritch to finish a four-year degree in Business Management at the Owatonna campus. This program is not only available to Riverland alumni, but anyone with the appropriate 50 credit pre-requisites.

Priority web registration allows students who are currently attending or have previously attended Riverland Community College an opportunity to register prior to new or non-degree seeking students. The number of credits you have successfully completed both at Riverland and in transfer determine your registration date as listed below. Registration dates are based on credits earned through Fall 2012.

Disaster/Up Against It, a new show at Riverland Community College's James Wegner Art Gallery opens Monday featuring recent sculptures by Charlie Nestor. Nestor’s work demonstrates the creative and expressive potential of everyday objects when transformed by a creative mind. The artist’s materials are often the cast offs of industrial civilization- a stack of old mail, a rack of punch cards or a bench from a defunct factory- that seem to carry their histories with them. Reminiscent of the Italian sculptural movement, Arte Povera, the sculptures reveal the beauty of ordinary things. Nestor’s delightful interventions bring fresh insight to these objects, provoking thought with a characteristic humor.

Summerset Theatre Executive Director Lindsey Duoos Williams announced the 2013 season today. This will be Summerset Theatre’s 46^th year performing in the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on the campus of Riverland Community College.

Summerset Theatre will also be launching a new online ticketing system this season. Audience members will now be able to purchase tickets online at www.summersetaustin.org 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The online ticketing system allows customers to pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Customers will also now be able to purchase tickets by credit card in person at the box office and over the phone.

Riverland Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter, Zeta Eta, was recently recognized as a Distinguished Chapter at the Phi Theta Kappa International Convention in San Jose, California April 6. This award was given to the top 32 chapters out of 1,300 in the organization. In addition, the chapter received a Distinguished Chapter Officer Team Award.

Riverland Community College Theatre and Music departments present the new musical version of a classic story Little Women, starting April 25 at 7:30 p.m. The musical continues April 26, 27 May 2, 3, 4 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on May 5 at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on the Austin Campus.

Riverland Community College and Enterprise Minnesota are currently accepting registrations for a free State of Manufacturing event to be held at the Albert Lea Campus May 29 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Lecture Hall (Room 124). Bob Kill, Enterprise Minnesota president, will discuss findings from its fifth annual State of Manufacturing® survey results that report on the state’s manufacturing outlook and the industry’s top issues. Enterprise Minnesota conducted hundreds of phone surveys and 20 focus groups with manufacturing executives across the state to understand their perceptions and opinions on the economy and other major issues impacting business.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees presented the system’s highest academic honor, the Educator of the Year Award for Excellence in Teaching, to four faculty members including Dr. Alan Erdahl, Riverland Community College biology instructor. The MnSCU Board of Trustees bestows the award to acknowledge and reward exceptional professional accomplishment and to encourage ongoing excellence in teaching.

Riverland Community College has named Matt Bissonette has the new dean of workforce education.

“We are excited to have Matt as part of our academic team,” said Mary Davenport, interim vice president of academic and student affairs. “As a college on the move with exciting programs and new program development, Riverland is a key partner in meeting the area’s workforce needs and growing the region’s economy. Matt’s experience with the private and nonprofit sectors brings fresh collaboration skills that will strengthen and build Riverland's relationships with business and industry.”

Riverland Community College has named J.C. Turner as the new interim dean of liberal arts and sciences.

“We are excited to have J.C. as part of our academic team,” said Mary Davenport, interim vice president of academic and student affairs. “J.C.’s experience in teaching is important to growing strong faculty, while his experience within the four-year college environment will bring opportunities to enhance collaboration with our university partners. Building upon our current university partnerships will allow Riverland Community College students enhanced options for seamless transfer and additional possibilities for baccalaureate degree completion.”