Posted by James Douglass on February 6, 2012 under Media Release | 
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.
Riverland Director Lindsey Duoos Williams directs Ring Round the Moon. The set and lighting designer is James Douglass. The costumes are by Kaye Perry.
“Ring Round the Moon is a delightful comedy that’s perfect for this Valentine’s Day season,” says Williams. “The show is fast-paced and extremely witty, but still manages to be romantic and charming. There’s a good reason that it’s still produced so frequently over sixty years after it was written! We have an exceptional cast that is a mix of experienced students, Riverland Theatre veterans, and newcomers.”
The cast of Ring Round the Moon includes David Albino (Austin) as Patrice Bombelles, Kristy Bina (Austin) as Mother, Sarah Brinza (Maple Lake) as Lady India, Ben Deines (Austin) as Joshua, Sam Gustine (Waltham) as Messerschmann, Samantha Johnson (Austin) as Diana Messerschmann, Penny Kinney (Austin) as Madame Desmortes, Charlie Martin (Austin) as Capulet, Pat Trotman (Blooming Prairie) as Romainville, Jessica Williams (Brownsdale) as Isabelle and Jordan Wylde (Elkton) as Hugo and Frederic.
“What makes Ring Round the Moon unique is that the lead roles of twin brothers Hugo and Frederic are played by one actor,” Williams said. “Needless to say, this provides a number of comic opportunities: quick changes, mistaken identities, and a little bit of stage trickery.”
Ring Round the Moon will be performed Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 15-18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.
Individual tickets to Ring Round the Moon are $12 and currently on sale at the Riverland Box Office, located in room E107 in the East Building of the Austin campus. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before performances. Riverland students receive two free tickets to each performance with a valid student ID. The box office can be contacted at 507-433-0595 or by emailing boxoffice@riverland.edu.
Ring Round the Moon is recommended for all ages. Riverland Theatre strives to provide quality productions that are entertaining and challenging to both the audience and the artists. Because we reach such a diverse audience, some audience members may find some subject matter, language, or situations objectionable. If you have concerns about a specific production, we encourage you to become familiar with the material before attending the performance.
Riverland’s Theatre Department is a high-energy performance-oriented program. Plays produced vary from classical tragedy to modern comedy and from full-scale large cast musicals in intimate small cast plays. Students are encouraged to get involved in all areas of theatre production including, but not limited to, acting, stage managing, set building and painting. Strong academic offerings provide challenges in and out of the classroom.
Posted by James Douglass on January 31, 2012 under Media Release |
Riverland Community College is pleased to announce the students whose academic achievement placed them on the 2011 fall president’s and dean’s lists. Riverland congratulates these individuals for their outstanding academic accomplishments.
President’s List
To be eligible for the president’s list students must have completed 12 credits per semester with letter grades and have earned a grade point average of 4.00 on a 4.00 scale.
View President’s List
Dean’s List
To be eligible for the dean’s list students must have completed 12 credits per semester with letter grades and have earned a grade point average of 3.25 to 3.99 on a 4.00 scale.
View Dean’s List
Riverland Community College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, is a regional comprehensive community college inspiring learning for living through a personalized educational environment. Approximately 4,900 students are served annually through a wide range of credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,400 students are annually served in non-credit courses. Facilities are located in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna, Minn. Riverland may be found on the Internet at www.riverland.edu.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 277,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 157,000 students in non-credit courses.
Posted by James Douglass on January 11, 2012 under Media Release |
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Associate Degree Board of Commissioners recently awarded Riverland Community College, in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna, Minnesota, initial accreditation for its five business degree programs. The following programs received full accreditation:
- Accounting, Associate in Applied Science
- Administrative Assistant, Associate in Applied Science
- Business, Associate in Science
- Business Emphasis, Associate in Arts
- Medical Administrative Assistant, Associate in Applied Science
ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the business degree programs at Riverland Community College meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP. Colleges and universities initially accredited by ACBSP must complete quality assurance reports every two years and undergo a reaffirmation process every 10 years in order to maintain accredited status.
Riverland is one of five accredited Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) two-year institutions and the only outstate college.
“Riverland Community College has shown their commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Director of Accreditation Steve Parscale, who will present the Certificate of Initial Accreditation at the ACBSP Annual Conference in Baltimore, Md., June 17. “This accreditation is evidence that Riverland Community College is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.”
“With this international program accreditation, all of Riverland’s eligible business-related degrees have been recognized as meeting industry-established skills standards,” said Executive Vice President Ron Langrell. “We implemented a college-wide agenda to accredit all career programs four years ago, thus providing Riverland graduates even more marketability in this global economy.”
The accreditation process demonstrates how higher education institutions meet official requirements of academic excellence, curriculum, facilities and personnel. Colleges and universities are accredited on regional and professional or specialized levels.
Regionally, Riverland is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This regional accreditation applies to Riverland’s entire institution and assures students that the credits they earn at Riverland are transferable throughout the country. It also qualifies our students for federal financial aid. HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which serves as a primary national voice for voluntary accreditation and quality assurance to the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Education.
ACBSP is a leading specialized accreditation association for business education supporting, celebrating, and rewarding teaching excellence. Established in 1988, ACBSP is the only business accrediting organization for all associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs. Its mission is to promote continuous improvement and recognize excellence in the accreditation of business education programs around the world.
ACBSP continues to grow, having recently added its 10th region to better serve member institutions in South Asia. ACBSP is recognized by the CHEA as a specialized accreditation agency for business education. ACBSP currently has 1,051 member campuses, 157 of which are located outside of the U.S. Of those campuses, 541 have achieved accreditation and more than 415 are in candidacy for accreditation. Individual members on these campuses now exceed 9,500.
Posted by James Douglass on January 3, 2012 under Media Release |
Tim and Val Doherty, owners of Doherty Staffing Solutions, recently presented Riverland Community College Foundation a check for $23,615.17 to Steve Bowron, dean of institutional advancement and Dr. Terry Leas, college president. The money, raised at the Fifth Annual Doherty Scholarship Golf Classic held last June, provides scholarships to students attending Riverland.
Doherty Staffing Solutions recently presented Riverland Community College Foundation with a check for $23,615.17. The money, raised at the Fifth Annual Doherty Scholarship Golf Classic held last June, provides scholarships to students attending Riverland.
The event included an 18-hole tournament in a four-person scramble format. A social hour, dinner with program and prizes followed the tournament.
Additional event sponsors included Boeckermann, Grafstron & Mayer, LLC, Fidelity Bank, Beth and John Fondell, Gopher Sport, Innovance, Insurance Applications Group, LLC, Loffler, Noble RV, Orange Tree Employment Services, Owatonna Granite and Monument, Riverland Community College, SPX Corporation, TPS Insurance Agency, Truth Hardware, and US Bank, Viracon, Wells Fargo Private Bank.
During the tournament, funds were also raised through the 2011 Doherty Take a Break for Education Raffle. Lynn and Peter Cunningham from Austin donated two vacation packages valued at $6,500. Raffle winners were Kristen Mathias from Mankato and George Walter from Owatonna. Mathias won a 7-day trip to Cancun, Mexico with a $1,500 voucher for airfare. The total value of this prize is $4,500. George won a 7-day vacation to a condominium on the beach of St. Augustine, Florida and $1,000 voucher for airfare, a total value of $2,000.
“We are delighted to have the generous support of Doherty Staffing Solutions and all who contribute towards the fund raising efforts during this tournament,” said Terry Leas, Riverland Community College president. “Their scholarships enable students, many of whom are dislocated workers, to build their skill sets and value to local employers.”
Doherty Staffing Solutions is a contract and temporary staffing firm that collaborates with clients to attract and retain a skilled workforce, allowing them to focus on their competencies. Proceeds from the tournament provide scholarships for Riverland Community College students who are taking classes to update their skills to advance in their jobs with local companies. Each year, more than 500 students graduate from Riverland Community College. Eighty percent of them stay in the area and 94 percent find jobs in various fields, including welding, machining, and forklift operations, contributing their talents to our community.
New this year, Doherty Staffing has established the Doherty Staffing Solutions Endowed Scholarship to provide two $500 scholarships each year to students enrolled at Riverland Community College in a technical program.
The Riverland Community College Foundation raises, manages, and distributes resources to support, enhance and promote the educational opportunities Riverland Community College offers the people of the region. Because achieving dreams of a better life may be financially challenging, the Riverland Community College Foundation is committed to raising funds for scholarships. The Riverland Community College Foundation is a charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) and is funded by local donors. Contributions to the Riverland Community College Foundation are fully tax-deductible.
Posted by James Douglass on under Media Release, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, President's Column |
Dr. Terry Leas
Recently, Riverland Community College announced a more than $3-million addition of a community Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) to Riverland’s Austin campus. This capital project, scheduled for completion next fall, addresses one of the top ten needs cited in recent Mower County United Way survey results.
In a local partnership between the private and public sectors, Riverland will convert about 17,000 sq. ft. in its West Building into an ECEC with a capacity to serve approximately 400 preschool children. Although complete funding is not finalized, The Hormel Foundation has committed $2 million and the Hormel Foods Corporation Charitable Trust has pledged another $1 million to the ECEC.
The Hormel Foundation’s vision is that every child in Austin will have access to a world-class learning facility. By the time children enter kindergarten, they will have acquired the necessary academic, language, and social skills for success in the school system and beyond. In addition to achieving the desired educational outcomes, plans will make scholarships available for low-income families. This charitable strategy will ensure greater access to the ECEC, promote student success, and secure a skilled workforce.
The ECEC not only benefits young children; it provides a learning laboratory for Riverland students in our Human Services, Nursing, Law Enforcement, and other programs and proves invaluable to students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in education or teaching. While the chosen operator of the ECEC has not been finalized, the ECEC will be an advantageous place for student educators to develop their skills alongside experienced educators.
This project also exemplifies an innovative way of funding important projects at public colleges. With public funding declining and the state government’s continued disinvestment in public education, community colleges must find new methods for funding enhancements at aging facilities.
Riverland has been exploring ways to reduce its surplus facility space. The State provides funding to public colleges, in part, based on its square footage even if that space is unused. The current trend toward online classes makes that funding model even more challenging. When funding is based on students using physical space, the model excludes the 20 percent of our total enrollment now online. Ironically, our appropriation declines even as online enrollments grow. The ECEC will be a major enhancement to the aging infrastructure that once housed the Ag Diesel program and is currently used for storage. The ECEC will have its own public entrance, and the lessee will be responsible for its operational and maintenance costs.
The ECEC is a shining example of how the public and private sectors can partner to encourage lifelong learning. Community college officials also must correct the perception that public colleges are “state funded.” In 2009-2010, only 33 percent of Riverland’s funding came as a state appropriation. New financial partnerships that bridge the public and private sectors inspire better learning opportunities and facilities for those we serve.
Riverland welcomes opportunities to find additional ways to collaborate with our communities to ensure student access and protect high-quality instruction during these financially challenging times.