Two Ridgewater College professors have been recognized by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities with Outstanding Educator awards. Amy Maher and Kathy Steffen were honored with a ceremony, medals and cake at the Hutchinson campus this week.

“The true award, the true honor is from the students. It’s when they say, ‘I get it,’" Maher said. "It’s when they get that job and they’re so excited. Having that opportunity to have a positive impact on somebody’s life is a great thing.”

For details, check out the Thursday, May 1 print edition of the Leader.

Two Ridgewater College instructors have been awarded the Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

Amy Jo Maher, instructor in the Multimedia Design Technology program, and Kathy Steffen, English instructor, each received this honor that is bestowed upon fewer than one half of one percent of system faculty.

This is the System’s highest faculty commendation. The award is a reflection of the instructors’ commitment to teaching, continuous improvement, student development, Ridgewater College and their profession.

Ridgewater College is hosting its third annual Multicultural Week on both its Hutchinson and Willmar campuses. The event will be on the Willmar campus March 31 through April 3 and on the Hutchinson campus April 7-10. Events are free of charge, and the public is welcome to attend.

The week-long series of events is intended to be a celebration of culture and diversity. Event organizers expect that the week’s events will help students and staff gain knowledge and appreciation of cultures that may be unfamiliar to them.

Ann Bancroft, Minnesota native and world-renowned Arctic explorer, educator, and speaker, will be the keynote presenter at Ridgewater College’s 23rd annual Women’s Event. The event is Thursday, April 3 at the Willmar Holiday Inn and Conference Center. Vendor exhibits begin at 3:00 p.m. with dinner, program and prizes from 5:15 to 7:45 p.m.

Minnesota private college and university admissions representatives will visit with students at Ridgewater College Friday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to noon outside the Willmar campus gym.

The visit is one in a series of visits made by admissions representatives from Minnesota’s private colleges and universities to community colleges throughout Minnesota.The cooperative community college visits provide students with an opportunity to learn more about the convenience of transferring to a private college or university and the resources available to help them through the transfer process.

Four Ridgewater College students will be reading to Willmar Junior High students on March 3 in celebration of “Read Across America.”

This is an event recognized across the country in honor of the late Dr. Seuss’ birthday. For the past few years, Willmar Junior High has celebrated by having all students hear the same book read to them by their teachers in anticipation of this special event. On the actual “Read Across America” day, an exciting part of the book is read to them by community members.

The Trustee Candidate Advisory Council is extending the application deadline for four positions on the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. The previous deadline had been Feb. 15. The deadline has been extended to increase the pool of applicants.

The 15-member Board of Trustees governs the MnSCU system. The board provides leadership in such areas as academic programs, fiscal management, personnel, admissions requirements, tuition and fees, and rules and regulations. The board also appoints the chancellor, who serves as chief executive officer of the system.

The Ridgewater College nursing, practical nursing and associate degree nursing programs will host an on-site evaluation by the Nursing Accrediting Commission March 4-6.

This visit is a portion of the continuing accreditation process that Ridgewater participates in every five to eight years. As part of this evaluation, constituents are given the opportunity to provide information to the NLNAC about the programs.

Comments should be submitted to: Carol Gilbert, PhD, RN, deputy director, National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission, 61 Broadway, 33rd floor, New York, NY 10006.

The deadline for students to apply for scholarships through the Ridgewater College Foundation is March 1.

This deadline is for students enrolling in courses for fall semester 2008. The Ridgewater College Foundation has many scholarships that recognize students for academic achievement, community involvement, enrolled program, financial need, and/or potential for success at Ridgewater College.

To apply, go to www.ridgewater.edu and click on College Foundation, then Scholarship Program.

(WASHINGTON, D.C) – Congressman Collin Peterson yesterday voted for legislation that will tackle the high price of college tuition and remove obstacles that make it difficult for qualified students to go to college.

With a strong bipartisan vote of 354 to 58, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137), which will reform and strengthen the nation’s higher education programs to ensure that they operate in the best interests of students and families.