A white honeycomb with two gold cells and four blue cells. "Beehive Blog"

Highlighted in this week’s Beehive Blog:

STUDENT SUCCESS DAY – Tuesday, October 6th

This is your chance to make friends, connect with faculty, and meet staff—all while attending sessions tailored to help you crush it at RCTC and beyond! We’re covering everything YOU said matters most, with topics like boosting your study skills, mapping out your college journey, managing your finances like a pro, taking care of your mental health, and so much more!

Your go-to hub for the day is D2L Brightspace—just look for the SSD course right alongside your other classes. The course is already open, so jump in now to check out the schedule and start planning your day of success.

Check out Student Success Day.

SCHOLARSHIPS

RCTC is an exceptional value, but there still may be financial struggles associated with attending college. Scholarships help to ease the financial burden for many students and do not need to be repaid.

Thanks to our generous donors, the RCTC Foundation will offer over $100,000 in scholarships for Spring 2027. Scholarships help pay for tuition, textbooks, and class fees, and each award is based on a variety of criteria such as major, demographics, financial need, GPA, etc. The scholarship application for the Spring 2027 semester will be open from September 14th – October 31st.

WEATHER/EMERGENCY CLOSING MATTERS

RCTC may close campus or cancel classes due to severe weather, power outages, fire, water loss, or other emergencies. Decisions are made as early as possible based on weather severity, storm duration, travel conditions, and the ability to safely maintain campus roads, sidewalks, and parking lots.

Morning closure decisions are typically announced by 6am
Evening closure decisions are typically announced by 3pm
Students should use their own judgment regarding travel safety, as conditions may vary across the service area.
Students remain responsible for completing coursework and should notify instructors if they are unable to attend class.

Notification Methods In the event of a closure or emergency, notifications are sent through:

RCTC email
RCTC Alert (phone, text, and alternate email)
RCTC website
Social media (Facebook and X/Twitter)
Local television stations (KTTC, KAAL, KIMT, and KXLT)

CAMPUS SAFETY

As a student, you can maximize your safety on campus by:

Trusting your instincts.
Displaying an aware, confident attitude.
Being alert to your surroundings and other people.
Having direct eye contact with strangers approaching you.
Taking your belongings with you wherever you go.
Parking in a well-light area.
Locking valuables in the trunk or glove compartment of your car.

If it’s dark, and you are unable to walk with others, call Campus Safety at 507-280-5050 to request an escort. There is no need to walk alone!
Learn more about staying safe on campus.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

RCTC offers free mental health support through Mantra Health, including self-care resources, wellness coaching, peer support, therapy, real-time support, and 24/7 crisis assistance. Students can access services online or through the Mantra Health app using their school email.

RCTC also partners with Zumbro Valley Health Center to provide confidential, campus-based mental health counseling. Current students can schedule appointments or call 507-285-7261 for assistance.

PARENTING PATHWAYS SUPPORT GROUP

Parenting Pathways is a support group for parenting RCTC students. This group will be facilitated by licensed mental health practitioners who will provide practical caregiving skills, emotional support, and valuable resources to help parenting students navigate the challenges of raising a child while pursuing their own educational goals.

The group will meet on Mondays for six (6) weekly sessions, 11:00 am – 12:00 noon beginning October 12 through November 16, 2026. Please note – these sessions are for parents only – childcare is NOT available. Participants may attend in-person or via Zoom. If you do not have childcare available during the session times, please plan to attend via Zoom.

Parenting students who fully attend at least five (5) of the six (6) 50-minute sessions will receive a tote bag and an RCTC Bookstore gift card.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS–HELP SHAPE MINNESOTA’S FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

Minnesota is exploring possible changes to how it distributes state financial aid, and policymakers want to hear directly from students like you!

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) is working with Bellwether Consulting to learn more about what students and families like yours think about state financial aid. We want to hear from you, even if you aren’t familiar with state financial aid programs or aren’t sure if you’ll qualify. Your feedback will help Minnesota make decisions about how financial aid should work and who should qualify, so all perspectives are valuable! Learn more about this work.

Here’s what’s involved:

Who should take this survey: Current high school students, current college students, and/or parents/guardians of current high school and college students.
Take the survey
Time: 5-10 minutes
Anonymous: Your responses are anonymous and we don’t collect names
Deadline: October 23, 2026

OHE and Bellwether are committed to hearing from as many voices as possible, so you may receive information about this survey more than once. We ask that you only complete the survey one time.

Thanks for helping make college more accessible for Minnesota students!