Mankato East students visited Rasmussen College’s Mankato, Minn. campus  December 11 to learn about health care careers.

The campus taught students through hands-on trials of actual health care careers, from massage therapy to medical assisting to nursing, according to Fox 12 TV in Mankato.

“”Right now is a great time for students to explore where they want to go and what they want to do,” said Karen Toft, the high school admissions representative for Rasmussen College. “It’s a great way for them to validate if this is a career field for them or not.”

Students learned how to check blood pressure, how to evaluate strep tests, and how to properly take blood.

Rasmussen College’s new Romeoville/Joliet campus was featured in a front-page story in the the Herald-News on December 12.

The article featured the new campus’s buildings and program offerings. The east wing of the college features several computer labs for independent student learning, game design classes and network administration. Additionally, business classes are hosted in the east wing. The west wing of the college will host all of the medical and allied health classrooms in addition to a student lounge. The college also boasts a library and multimedia room in its main entrance.

Rasmussen College’s Ocala, Fla. campus held a seminar December 14 to educate the public on how to pay for college in today’s economy.

The seminar was designed for people who are currently unemployed or looking to change career paths. The seminar covered federal loans as well as other financial options Rasmussen offers, such as scholarships and grants.

The event was free and open to the public.

Following a visit on November 9 to the School of Allied Health at Rasmussen College in Green Bay, Wisconsin State Senator Dave Hansen introduced SB 388, a bill that will update licensing standards for massage therapists throughout the state.

Of the 44 states that regulate the profession, only five states (including Wisconsin) do not require everyone providing massage therapy services to have a state license.

Rasmussen College announces the first graduates of its campus in Fort Myers, Fla., one month after celebrating its one-year anniversary.

The campus congratulates Phillip Matt Green and Evelyn Roberts for their scholastic achievements and continued contributions to the Fort Myers community. Green graduates with an Associate of Science in Information Systems Management – Network Administration, which he will utilize as a Mid-Level Systems Engineer at Abacus Technology. Roberts, a police officer for the Fort Myers Police Department, graduates with an Associate of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.

Rasmussen College Fort Myers opened its doors to students in July 2008.

Rasmussen  College’s new online pharmacy technician degree was featured in an article in Pharmacy Tech News.

The article, “The Cyberspace Race,” talks about the new and different tasks being asked of pharmacy technicians. The education for technicians is evolving as their workload is, and schools are having to react to that by offering diverse programs. Rasmussen’s School of Allied Health recently started offering an online, two-year associate’s degree for pharmacy technicians to respond to this trend.

“The demand for trained and certified pharmacy technicians continues to increase,” said Lorrie Laurin, the director of the School of Allied Health.

On Friday, Nov. 13, the Fargo-Moorhead Extra featured a behind-the-scenes look at a college admissions director’s job when they did a Q & A with Travis Reimche.

They asked about the campus at Fargo/Moorhead, the degrees offered and the time students spend in college. The Q & A gave a lot of information about the Fargo/Moorhead campus and Rasmussen College as a whole. Listed below is a full transcript of the article.

FMX: Travis, when did the Rasmussen College facility open in Moorhead?

TR: The Moorhead Campus opened in January of 2008.

FMX: Where did Rasmussen College originate?

TR: Rasmussen College was founded in 1900 in St. Paul, Minn. Since its founding, the college has expanded to 17 campuses in five states, as well as a vibrant online campus with students from all 50 states.

FMX: What types of degrees does Rasmussen College offer?

TR: Rasmussen College offers bachelor’s and associate’s degrees within six academic areas:

1) School of Business,

2) School of Allied Health,

3) School of Nursing,

4) School of Justice Studies,

5) School of Technology and Design,

6) School of Education.

FMX: If a student wanted to accelerate their time to earn a degree, could this be done through going to classes alone, or would online classes be required as well?

TR: We have an accelerated business program, but our online classes really allow students the opportunity to continue their daily lives and attend college at the same time. The online flexibility is really beneficial for a lot of our students.

FMX: What are the more sought-after degrees earned at Rasmussen?

TR: At Rasmussen we invest a significant amount of time in researching new degree programs to ensure that we are able to deliver market-relevant, in-demand programs.

With the current economic climate, we are specifically seeing a lot of growth in those areas where job opportunities are highest, such as nursing, accounting and information technology.

FMX: Should a student change their mind about what they want to do for a career and need to transfer to a different college, would the credits they earned at Rasmussen transfer?

TR: Rasmussen College is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. This is the same type of accreditation as Minnesota State University Moorhead or North Dakota State University, and certainly, sharing that accreditation with those other schools can make the transfer process easier; however, it is always up to the institution as to what they will accept.

FMX: How many students attend Rasmussen presently? What is the student-teacher ratio?

TR: We have a total of 11,000 students across the Midwest and Southeast. Our student-to-instructor ratio is 17:1. Small class sizes are key to our differentiation in the market, and we pride ourselves on our ability to keep our classes to a size that ensures interactivity and active learning.

FMX: Does Rasmussen have a placement office for helping graduates locate employment opportunities in the local area? What about in other states?

TR: We have a dedicated career placement staff ready to help our current students and graduates find careers related to their field of study. These services are available to our students on campus and online. Currently, 98 percent of Rasmussen graduates are employed, and we are focused on helping every one of our students land a great job and develop a rewarding career.

FMX: Does Rasmussen have a financial aid office to help students with loans, grants and other financial information?

TR: Yes, we have people dedicated specifically to helping our students get the financial aid assistance that they qualify for. Also, there are many scholarship opportunities available to make college more affordable.

FMX: Travis, would you please let our readers know how to contact Rasmussen College in both Fargo and Moorhead?

TR: The Fargo number for Rasmussen is 701-277-3889, and for the Moorhead facility the number to contact is 218-304-6200.

This past quarter, Rasmussen College’s Chicago corporate office teamed up with other Chicago metro area corporate sponsors to help out the Ray Graham Association.

The Rasmussen team tended the bridle path that runs along the 12-acre perimeter of Ray Graham Association’s Hanson Center, according to the Ray Graham Association’s Web site. They also cleaned up the flower gardens in the circle drive. All of the garden tools that were used on the project were donated to the Ray Graham Association for future use.

Rasmussen College in Rockford, Ill., teamed up with the area’s leading female professionals in criminal justice to present “Women in Law: Success in the 21st Century,” on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.

The panel discussion was open to the public and addressed the opportunities and challenges for women pursuing a career in criminal justice. Presented by the college’s School of Justice Studies, the discussion featured five prominent women in the criminal justice field serving the local Rockford-area:

Chief Judge Janet Holmgren - “2009 Women of the Year,” Rockford Woman Magazine

Andrea Tack – Winnebago County Jail Superintendent

Jamie Evans – Chief of Police, Roscoe, Ill

Carol Lussky – Chief of Police, Pinegree Grove, Ill

Sue Fiduccia - Winnebago County Coroner