RRCC Staff Report
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has chosen Rainy River Community College as one of the top 120 community colleges in the nation. Using publicly available data on student outcomes, Rainy River was selected from a national pool of over 1,000 public two-year colleges, and is eligible to compete for the $1 million 2013 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. “The selection as a national finalist is very rewarding and recognizes RRCC’s commitment to student success,” said Dr. Ken Simberg, Provost of Rainy River Community College.
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley underscored the importance of improving outcomes for community college students, the majority of whom are underrepresented minorities, “Many community colleges across this country are doing an excellent job of boosting student success, but we need to encourage all community colleges to achieve excellence. When students learn more, graduate or transfer to four-year institutions, and get competitive-wage jobs after college, it helps everyone - students, employers and our nation’s economy as a whole.”
“The success of our nation’s community colleges is more important than ever before,” said Aspen Institute College Excellence Program Executive Director Josh Wyner. “At a time when a college degree is essential to entering the middle class, community colleges like Rainy River offer the most promising path to education and employment for literally millions of Americans.”
Rainy River Community College is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and is an Equal Opportunity employer and educator. The MnSCU system comprises 31 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota and serves more than 420,000 students across the state.
