New recruitment options, technology advantages at RRCC

Enrollment perk

Barb Fisher, campus recruiter and marketing director, said one of the changes going on at RRCC was the chance for students to receive a $200 gift certificate for helping enroll another student. 

“The gift certificate is available for the first 10 students who sign up,” she explained. “Students have until Aug. 26 to take advantage of this offer.”

The gift certificate is for current students to assist a friend, relative, or anyone who wants to enroll at RRCC, and both students will receive the $200 to be applied to either tuition for spring semester or Voyageur Bookstore items. 

Fisher said the potential new students cannot be post secondary education option students, must be a new applicant (someone who has not already applied or attended), and must register for at least 12 credits. 

“We had our first pair qualify today,” an excited Fisher said Monday. 

Fisher hopes the $200 will interest more people in taking advantage of the college. 

“It’s kind of exciting,” she said of the opportunity. 

For more information, Fisher can be contacted at 285-2213.

New clubs

Brad Krasaway, director of student life, said he was looking forward to students returning to campus and for them to take advantage of being heard. 

“My goal is to get students what they want,” the student advisor said. 

Krasaway said one of his roles is overseeing campus clubs and small communities. 

One of the new groups on campus is a Mom’s Group, which was an idea formed by a student who is a mother. 

“She came to me with the idea and with other people interested in joining the club and it is brand new this year,” Krasaway said. 

Krasaway described several clubs and groups that have formed and fizzled out over the years depending on the desires of students. 

“We have registration forms students can fill out if they want to start a club or small community, we see if there is enough interest and we go from there,” he said. “It is all about meeting the needs of our students.”

A student life survey will be administered to students to determine their interest in becoming involved in the campus and in the community.

Krasaway added that he was looking forward to seeing how Student Senate grows this year, because it is “as active as ever.” 

“I’m looking forward to watching this group,” he said of Student Senate headed by President Jack Bragg. “They’ve been winning awards in the past few years and I think it’s going to be another good year for them.”

Krasaway can be contacted at 285-2208 for more information, and for a campus club or small community form.

Technology changes

James Bujold, director of information technology, summed up his contributions to changes at RRCC. 

“We’re not the same old Rainy River anymore — we’re up to speed,” he said.

New touch screen computers can be found throughout the campus.

“We’re also expanding wireless throughout the facility,” Bujold said.

According to Bujold, one of his main goals is to implement technology and programs of which students are familiar.

The RRCC website has also began taking on a new look. Bujold has been working to make the site more user friendly and more staff friendly. Student and faculty are “keeping connected” through an online chat system Bujold has installed on the site.

“Potential students, current students, and even alumni students can chat with a faculty or staff member and inquire about the campus, ask questions, or just check in,” Bujold said.

The college can be found on Facebook, which Bujold and Fisher agree is valuable to recruiting and keeping in contact with students.

“People want to find out about a campus online rather than talking to someone they don’t know face-to-face,” Fisher said.

Bujold concluded that the campus is also up to date on the “latest and greatest technology.”

“We want no barriers when it comes to education,” he said.