Riverland Community College

Responding to Our Community, Playing to Our Strengths

As a primary public higher education institution in southern Minnesota, Riverland Community College understands its critical role to help bridge the region’s workforce skills gap and prepare our residents for the knowledge economy of the 21st century.

Our strategic planning process revealed four major industries that require our targeted efforts: agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, some of our residents ask us to expand opportunities for them to complete baccalaureate degrees in engineering, liberal arts and the sciences as close to home as possible.

We also recognize the challenges that confront us in the next few years. The demographic shift influences how we improve access to Riverland. We serve close to 10,000 students annually, with room for growth. The general trend of de-investment in public education continue to erode our ability to provide the best of student experience without shifting costs to the most vulnerable among us. In the shadows are the rising cost of technology, dated and aging facilities that require high maintenance costs and the need to stay abreast of the latest innovations in the digital landscape.

Riverland’s Strategic Vision is our response to meet the challenges and exceed expectations of our communities and stakeholders. Riverland is blessed with community partners who believe in us and trust us. We are blessed with devoted and talented employees; we have a substantial acreage and beautiful landscape. Our alumni are a successful force, dating back to the graduates of the first class of 1942.

There is also a theme of realism with optimism. Our students ask for delivery of full programs of study at all three of our campus communities. We recognize at present that we are unable to replicate expensive state-of-the art laboratories and workshops for major programs at each campus. Therefore, we will start concentrating certain programs at different campuses with the intention to grow as demand increases.

The strategic planning process has shown us that Riverland is capable of much more growth. To accomplish our goals within constraints we have to play to our strengths. We have created a strategic plan that can only be “Best in Class” if backed by an implementation plan and disciplined execution. As you read our Strategic Blueprint, we hope you will discover our determination to excel, to achieve best in class in programs through excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. Feel our heart beating with dedication to our students, communities, and our mission. Join our commitment to foster strong partnerships with businesses and industries. Above all, discern our resolve to remain increasingly relevant to your lives and to escalate student success by improving student experience and providing best practice interventions. 

Please join us on the journey and celebrate us when we accomplish key milestones.