PAST YEAR ACCOMPLISHMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

New Mission Statement For Rctc

After gathering input and feedback from numerous stakeholder groups, RCTC’s Mission Statement Task Force presented several options to RCTC Senior Leadership for consideration. The President’s Cabinet narrowed down the choices to two options for campus-wide consideration. After additional feedback from employees, students, and the community was solicited through a virtual gallery walk, the Cabinet presented the final language to the Minnesota State Board of Trustees for approval. RCTC’s new mission statement below was approved on June 21, 2023.

Outstanding Educators

RCTC recognized Ruth Casper, Ph.D., with the College’s 2023 Outstanding Educator Award. Dr. Casper has taught in the Psychology Department since 1991. During her tenure at RCTC, she has become known as an instructor who genuinely puts her students first.

RCTC also recognized Adjunct Faculty of the Year, Aaron Shannon. Aaron is an accomplished recording engineer, producer, and musician with over 17 years of experience in Nashville, Tennessee. Aaron is an RCTC alumnus and has worked in the Music Department at RCTC since 2016.

Instructors were nominated by faculty, students, and staff, and completed an extensive portfolio of their work and accomplishments to be considered for the award.

AWARDS/RECOGNITION

RCTC’s College Relations Office earned four awards from the NCMPR Region 5 Medallion competition.

• Gold Medallion: Register Now poster series

• Silver Medallion: “We have that.” radio ad

• Silver Medallion: “Protect the Hive” logo wear

• Bronze Medallion: CTE wrapped buses

The National Council for Marketing & Public Relations is the only organization of its kind that exclusively represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges.

RCTC’s latest advertising campaign, “We have that.”, earned two Communicator Awards for our agency partner, 25th Hour Communications.

Art instructor, Jeff Jacobsen featured his work, “Exactly Where I’m At” at the first 2022-2023 Art Exhibit Opening in the RCTC Art Gallery.

The Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators (MAFAA) recognized Cheryl Klingsporn Morgan, Financial Aid Assistant, for 25 years of service, and Beth Diekmann, Financial Aid Director, for 30 years of service.

Physics instructor Rod Milbrandt, Ph.D., was selected to be part of the Temple/American Association of Physics Teachers group of the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT). Dr. Milbrandt was one of only eight instructors selected to participate in the training in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Welding instructor Paul Titus was awarded the Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Administrators (MACTA) Educator of the Year award.

Dr. Scott Olson, President of Winona State University, was appointed Chancellor of Minnesota State and began his new role on August 1, 2023.

Athletics

The Women’s Basketball Team won the 2023 NJCAA DIII National Championship. The team came into the tournament as the #3 seed earning an at-large bid and finished their season 28-1. The team also finished third in the 2022 National Tournament.

Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jason Bonde was named the 2023 NJCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Athletics

The #10-seeded Men’s Basketball Team took home national honors when they finished third in the NJCAA DIII National Championship.

The Wrestling Team took home the national second place trophy at the NJCAA Wrestling Tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa. RCTC had three wrestlers claim All-American status: Walker Ingham at 174 pounds with an eighth place finish; Nate Beberg at 285 pounds with an eighth place finish; and Antony Tuttle at 184 pounds with a fourth place finish.

Women’s Basketball standout Olivia Christianson was honored with her RCTC jersey being placed in the Ring of Honor display at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, in recognition of her outstanding play for the 2021-2022 season.

RCTC ART, MUSIC, AND THEATRE

“Coming Down” was the comedy/drama featured in the RCTC Drama Club fundraiser show in May. This play was written and directed by Theatre Director, Jerry Casper.

In April, the Theatre Department and students performed “Boy Gets Girl”, a suspense-filled drama set up in-theround style. This unique format had the audience seated on the stage with the performance unfolding around them creating an up-close-and-personal experience.

Theatre students and director Jerry Casper presented an Icelandic folk tale, “One Snowy Night” in November.

RCTC Music presented “Making Spirits Bright” to celebrate the holidays. The Chamber Band, Concert Choir, and the Rochester Community Band performed on December 8, 2023 in the Hill Theater.

RCTC Music’s Spring Finale featured the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Chamber Band on May 4. The Jazz Band and World Drum Ensemble also showcased our students’ musical talents prior to the Spring Finale.

Art 2281 Professional Portfolio students held their exhibition “Visual Perspective” in the RCTC Gallery April 24 – May 9, 2023. Exhibiting artists included: Mara Dealing, Kelsey Gaffney, Samantha Garson, Kaitlyn Glasswell, AnnMarie Jalmasco, Summer Johnson, Hannah Johnsrud-Tempel, Kami Mirande, Kris Naatz, and Sam Willows.

Commencement 2023

RCTC celebrated its 107th commencement on May 10, 2023. 842 students graduated and 910 degrees were awarded, including 169 students graduating with high honors (a grade point average of 3.75 or above), and an additional 124 students graduated with honors (a grade point average of 3.5 – 3.749).

Student Life

The 2023-2024 elected RCTC Student Government officers include President Maple Lassila, Vice-President Issac Coley, Treasurer Manakherto Shoble, and Secretary Rachael Linscott. Student Senate officers will have the opportunity to participate in LeadMN and student government conferences; leadership training and development; learn about local, state, and national politics; network with students, staff, faculty, and administrators; gain life skills to succeed in, and beyond, college; and make a noticeable change and impact at the College.

RCTC competed in its first ever Esports tournament in November in the online multiplayer game “Overwatch 2” through the NACE Starleague. RCTC Esports has 38 students participating.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming

Last March, Saul Flores presented, “The Walk of the Immigrants” to share his experiences about how immigrant communities try to overcome adversity in the United States.

In April, a music theatre piece, “Unbought,” presented the dramatic stories of three African American women: journalist and women’s suffrage activist Ida B. Wells; Shirley Chisholm, the first African American in the U.S. Congress and first African American woman to run for President; and Sally Hemings, the slave with whom Thomas Jefferson fathered six children. The music was drawn from classical, jazz, and popular works by African American composers.

A Zoom presentation, “Celebrating Black Wall Street & Remembering the Tulsa Massacre,” was presented in April by Dr. Karlos K. Hill, an Associate Professor of African and African American Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Student Safe Space Training and Student Trans 101 sessions were offered to RCTC staff and faculty.