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.”

Doherty Staffing Solutions and Riverland Community College Foundation are working together to raise scholarship dollars for Riverland Community College students. Funds raised from the Scholarship Golf Classic—now in its seventh year—will go to scholarships for Riverland Community College students. Over the years, the Scholarship Golf Classic has raised more than $125,000 for Riverland students.

When Suhai Boyer graduates this spring from Riverland Community College, she will be among the first outstate students to earn an associate’s degree in Translating and Interpreting (TRIN) through a program offered jointly by Riverland and Century College in White Bear Lake, Minn. The TRIN program has been offered since 2010 through interactive television (ITV) classes where students take classes in specially equipped Riverland classrooms and are able to interact with their teachers and colleagues at the Century College in White Bear Lake.

The Riverland Community College Athletic Booster Club has scheduled its 26^th annual golf tournament on Monday, June 3 at the Austin Country Club. The golf fundraiser starts at 12:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m. There will be a silent auction throughout the day. This event is a critical fundraiser for the Athletic Booster Club to help support all athletic programs at Riverland. The college does not offer scholarships for its student-athletes. The Foundation Blue Devils Athletic Booster Club is a supportive organization and annually raises more than $10,000 to help support all six programs including men’s soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball.

More than 85 healthcare educators/clinicians from the five-state region are scheduled to attend Friday’s Minnesota Simulation Conference hosted by Riverland Community College with conference partners HealthForce Minnesota and Laerdal Medical. The conference features experts from the healthcare simulation industry, provide professional development/learning opportunities for attendees and facilitate networking and building/enhancing a simulation community.

The Riverland Athletic Golf Fundraiser scheduled for June 3 has been postponed until June 24. The large amount of rainfall we have received over the past few weeks has caused the Austin Country Club to restrict the use of golf carts on the course.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities presented the Academic and Student Affairs awards and Diversity awards at its annual joint meeting of chief academic and student affairs officers - college and university deans held May 30-31 at Normandale Community College. Diversity awards recognize programs and individuals for fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student body and providing quality services and support.

Bonnie Rietz of The Hormel Foundation awarded Cycles for Success scholarships as part of Austin High’s 2013 Scholarship Ceremony at Austin High School’s Christgau Hall May 23. The Hormel Foundation is dedicated to help Austin students attend Riverland Community College. More than $540,000 in “Cycles for Success” scholarships have been awarded in the past three years to graduates of Austin High School and Pacelli Catholic Schools. Scholarship amounts range from $1,000 to 6,000 based on the student’s financial need.