Owatonna area residents now have access to a four-year degree within their community, eliminating the obstacles related to commuting and job responsibilities.

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.

Riverland business instructor Dr. Deb McManimon commented on the partnership and program, stating “There is a shared commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement, and both institutions are dedicated to providing the highest quality business education for its students.” She further went on to discuss their commitment to the community, explaining “This equal partnership will benefit not only the potential students, but also the community as a whole, offering companies the opportunity to advance their employees with no interruption to work flow while simultaneously building a sustainable community.”

Yesterday, Riverland and Stritch offered a “preview” of the upcoming program to local CEO’s, HR Directors and managers, highlighting Riverland and Stritch’s desire to work with the business leaders to further cultivate a program and initiatives that fit within their employee development plans.

Riverland and Stritch will officially launch their program and partnership on April 10, 2013 at the Riverland Owatonna campus from 4-6 p.m. All those interested in learning more about the program and registering for classes starting in June should attend this launch event, appropriately dubbed “Advance Yourself. Go Further, Stay Closer!” To RSVP for the event, call 763-548-1313 or email registrations@eventshows.com.

For more information on the new partnership and program, please visit www.stritch.edu/riverland or call (800) 347-8822, ext. 8830.

About Stritch | Cardinal Stritch University, a fully accredited Catholic institution based in Milwaukee, provides transformative, value-centered education to more than 6,000 men and women of all faiths and ages in four colleges: Arts and Sciences, Education and Leadership, Business and Management, and the Ruth S. Coleman College of Nursing. The University offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as certificate and other training programs. Founded in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, Stritch is the largest Franciscan institution of higher education in North America, with classroom sites across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.

About Riverland | 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.