During the last decade, the number of available online courses and programs skyrocketed worldwide. Online programming provides students with the flexibility and convenience to complete coursework according to their schedules at home or anywhere Internet is available. To insure the quality of our online programming, our deans and faculty are rigorous in their review of curriculum, learning goals and student outcomes for all our courses, especially online. Further, many of our instructors have acquired national certification from Quality Matters™ (QM™) for online courses.

Riverland Community College, in conjunction with “College Knowledge Month,” will waive the application fee for all high school seniors that apply to attend Riverland Oct. 25-31. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system is participating in “College Knowledge Month,” a statewide effort to provide every graduating high school senior with the preparation, opportunity, and support needed to apply to college. In conjunction with this effort, Riverland is one of 25 MnSCU colleges and universities waiving application fees for new students for a limited time.

Nearly 1,000 regional high school juniors, high school counselors and teachers are registered to visit Riverland Community College’s Austin Campus Wednesday to participate in the College’s annual Career Day/College Fair. At Career Day, business professionals from the region present informational seminars regarding career options.

Consul Alberto Fierro Garza, Consulate of Mexico in Saint Paul, presented grants from the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME - Institute for Mexicans Abroad) Fellowship Program to colleges and universities in Minnesota including a $14,000 grant for Riverland Community College. The grants benefit Mexican or Mexican-American students. The presentation took place during a ceremony hosted by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities following the October meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Riverland Community College will host an informational session featuring a new program partnership that enables college students to complete their bachelor’s degree in elementary education, all without leaving Austin.

The Radiography program at Riverland Community College celebrates National Radiologic Technology Week by introducing a new X-ray machine at a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for Nov. 7. “The purchase of new X-ray equipment for the radiography program is instrumental to the success of our students” said Sandra Sellner-Wee, Riverland Radiography Program Director. “Students are able to take x-rays on a phantom and process the images in a digital processor. This allows our students to practice, critique and learn from errors in a safe environment before going into the clinical setting.”

Riverland Community College has a rich history helping working farmers improve business operations in the best way to maintain their competitive edge. Our highly qualified faculty provides practical training and education, working directly with farmers and their business operations, often on the farm. Riverland is ready to advance this practical and very effective approach to problem solving within the broader agriculture environment, contributing to meeting personal business needs and promoting regional economic development growth. In an Ag Symposium scheduled for Nov. 21 at the Historic Hormel House, Riverland and The Hormel Foundation will host Ag professionals to discuss the expansion of three specific areas in agriculture technology application that will increase the capacity and potential for contributing to practical solutions for agricultural challenges within our region and across the nation.

Riverland Community College hosts approximately 100 leading middle and high school VEX Robotics students and mentors from Minnesota and Iowa at Albert Lea High School on Dec. 14 for the Dream It Do It Southern Minnesota VEX Robotics Tournament. The action-packed tournament features teams competing with and against other schools in a series of back-to-back robot challenges. Participants will compete for the championship title by strategically executing the game Toss Up, driving robots they designed, built and programmed from the ground up using the VEX Robotics Design System.

Riverland Community College is already wrapping up fall semester and preparing for a new semester to start January 13 in the new year. Our communities may be aware of the programs and courses we offer on our campuses or online, but I have been extremely impressed with some of the partnership opportunities that leverage the talents of our colleagues in the area’s K-12 systems.

Riverland Community College Foundation’s 150 x 2015 Scholarship Campaign is making headway and clearing the way for many more students to achieve their dream of a higher education and get a jumpstart to a new career. The Foundation embarked on a special project July 1, 2012 to increase the number of scholarship funds available that support Riverland students on their quest for an education. When the campaign began, the Riverland Foundation had 90 sponsored scholarships with a goal to have 150 sponsored scholarships available for students by the end of 2015.

Riverland Community College Theatre and Music departments will transport audiences into the magical, wonderful world of The Drowsy Chaperone, the musical comedy on stage at the Austin Campus’ Frank W. Bridges Theatre Feb. 27 through March 9. This musical was the darling of the Tony awards in 2006, winning the most statues including best book of a musical for Bob Martin and Don McKellar and best musical score for Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.

Riverland Community College is pleased to announce the students whose academic achievement placed them on the 2013 fall president’s and dean’s lists. Riverland congratulates these individuals for their outstanding academic accomplishments.

Riverland Community College will host an open house with a variety of different higher educational partners four times this spring at the Owatonna Campus. This free event, open to all students, parents and community members, provides an opportunity to meet with Riverland’s partnering colleges and universities to explore the opportunities available in the Owatonna area.

Community colleges like Riverland have become increasingly more popular options as students consider the rising costs of traditional four-year institutions. Attending Riverland and then transferring to a four-year university to complete a bachelor’s degree is a more viable option when families consider managing educational expenses.

The Ohio State University has certified Riverland Community College employees Wanda Staska and Lori Jensen as Level III DACUM facilitators. DACUM is an acronym for developing a curriculum. It is a one or two day storyboarding process that provides a picture of what the worker does in terms of duties, tasks, knowledge, skills, traits and in some cases the tools the worker uses. A DACUM workshop or individual job analysis can increase a business or organization’s efficiency, effectiveness and productivity; update human resources job descriptions; prepare for future openings and the hiring of new employees.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 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 Sandra Sellner-Wee, instructor of radiography at Riverland Community College, yesterday during a luncheon in St. Paul.

Riverland Community College, in partnership with Workforce Development, Inc., hosts an Adult Scrubs Camp for participants from southeastern Minnesota Thursday, May 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the West Building of Riverland’s Austin campus. This event immerses participants into the world of healthcare and focuses on building necessary skills for a career in the healthcare industry.

Riverland Community College is hosting a statewide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) symposium for educators and community members interested in collaborating with educators on project-based learning activities. Symposium highlights include work sessions with nationally recognized, experienced Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) practitioners, Dr. Devanas and Dr. Koupelis, introducing the participants to the SENCER models of curriculum and active learning. In addition, hands-on workshops with experienced Minnesota SENCER practitioners offer participants opportunities to interact and collaborate with colleagues to improve STEM education within their institutions and communities.