Ridgewater College

Infobox_University
name =Ridgewater College
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motto =Creating Opportunities. Changing Lives.
established =1996
type =Community College
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president =Dr. Douglas Allen
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city =Willmar, Minnesota and Hutchinson, Minnesota
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country =United States
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colors =Blue and Green
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mascot =Warrior
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website =http://www.ridgewater.edu/

About Ridgewater

Ridgewater College is a comprehensive community and technical college offering education designed for transfer to a university as well as technical programs intended for direct entry into the workforce. Ridgewater students can choose to pursue their education in over 100 program areas. This variety of educational offerings, coupled with our extensive support services ensure that Ridgewater students are positioned to succeed academically. Many partnerships also exist that allow Ridgewater graduates to extend their education by pursuing bachelor’s degrees in some disciplines without leaving our campuses. Ridgewater College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Abundant student life opportunities make life outside the classroom fun and exciting. Ridgewater students can choose from a wide variety of activities, such as choir, theatre, student senate, the student newspaper, multicultural club, athletics, and more. Dozens of program-specific clubs also exist. There is also no shortage of entertainment. Student Senate regularly hosts movie nights, dances, music, comedians, speakers, and other fun events.

As a partner in the region's business and industry, Ridgewater College strives to maintain a quality of education for tomorrow's workforce, and to keep pace with the needs of the business community by offering Customized and Continuing Education courses. The Center for Customized and Continuing Education focuses on building long-term relationships with businesses and individuals, helping them achieve specific performance and strategic objectives. We play a significant role in helping organizations position themselves for the future.

Ridgewater College was created in 1996 with the merger of Willmar Community College and Hutchinson-Willmar Regional Technical College. The previous institutions had been founded in the early 1960s and had gone through several name changes and configurations up until the formation of Ridgewater College in 1996. Ridgewater is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

Campus Locations

With over 5,500 individuals taking classes, Ridgewater College is one of outstate Minnesota’s largest public colleges. The institution has two campuses, located approximately 50 miles apart in the central Minnesota communities of Hutchinson and Willmar. Both cities are thriving regional centers.

Willmar

Willmar, Minnesota with a population of approximately 21,000, is one of the fastest-growing areas in greater Minnesota. It is located 90 miles west of Minneapolis and is a regional hub for shopping, recreation, entertainment and health care. It was designated, in 2005, as an All-American City by the National Civic League. This highly-competitive and highly-acclaimed award recognizes communities for civic excellence, especially in the areas of collaboration and local problem-solving. As part of the application process for this designation, the city chose Ridgewater College’s Nursing Simulation Center as one of three projects to highlight.

Hutchinson

Hutchinson, Minnesota with a population of approximately 14,000, is located in a fast-growing, high tech community within one hour of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It has a solid and diverse industrial base, along with a strong retail system. It, too, has received recognition, such as Money Magazine’s one of “fifty great towns with great jobs,” and Mpls/St. Paul Magazine’s “one of eight great towns to call home.”

Popular Programs

Ridgewater College has some very popular and unique programs. One of the most popular programs at Ridgewater College is our photography program, available at the Willmar Campus. The photography program opens for applications and goes to a waiting list on the same day. The photography program just got a new studio to give a more of a professional feeling and to help the students get the experience in a studio setting. Another popular program is our nursing program. Our nursing program uses a very unique system of classroom work and time in Ridgewater’s nursing simulation lab, available at both the Willmar Campus and Hutchinson Campus. Ridgewater also has Veterinary Technician program which we acquired in August 1992 when the University of Minnesota Waseca Campus closed. The Vet Tech program also fills quickly. The program has a full veterinary clinic called Paws and Claws Clinic which has full x-ray and surgical setup. Ridgewater College also has a very popular Agriculture program. The program is one of the most popular and top rated in the country. The program has two internship periods each year, one in the October for harvest and one in the spring for planting. One other unique program is our Nondestructive testing program available at Hutchinson Campus, is one of only a handful in the United States. The program teaches you how to test constructions sites and products using such techniques like x-ray and ultrasound to test the integrity of the site or product. There are many more programs available at Ridgewater College which are available on our website.

2007 Enrollment

Full term equivalent - 3,156

Total number of students - 5,615

Female enrollment - 55.5%

Male Enrollment - 45.5%

Students of Color - 6%

External links

* [http://www.ridgewater.edu Ridgewater College Website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/RidgewaterCollege Ridgewater College Youtube Channel]
* [http://www.mnscu.edu/campuses/profiles/ridgewater.html Ridgewater MNSCU Profile]