Rochester Community and Technical College
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| Type | Two-Year Community and Technical College |
|---|---|
| Established | 1915 |
| President | Mary Davenport, interim |
| Students | 8,000 |
| Location |
Rochester, MN, United States 44°00′50″N 92°25′23″W / 44.014°N 92.423°WCoordinates: 44°00′50″N 92°25′23″W / 44.014°N 92.423°W |
| Campus | Main Building, Heintz Center, and Rochester Regional Sports Center |
| Colors | Navy and Gold |
| Nickname | Yellowjackets |
| Mascot | Sting |
| Affiliations | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities |
| Website |
rctc.edu rctcyellowjackets.com |
Rochester Community and Technical College, (RCTC) is a public two-year college located in Rochester, Minnesota. It serves more than 8,000 students annually. The college was founded in 1915 on a motion by Dr. Charles Mayo to the Rochester School Board and is Minnesota's oldest original community college.
RCTC offers more than 70 programs and over 130 credential options. The College has partnered with Winona State University to establish more than a dozen “Path to Purple” programs that allow students to complete a four-year degree without leaving Rochester. RCTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
On August 23, 1915, Dr. Charles Mayo made a motion at a meeting of the Rochester (MN) School Board to add two years of university work to the high school. The board voted unanimously for adoption. The original school consisted of four faculty members and 17 students. Classes were held in what was called the “University Department” or the “Southern University.” In June 1917, Rochester Junior College (RJC) graduated its first 10 students at a joint commencement program with the high school. After joining the Minnesota State Junior College System, Rochester Junior College’s name was changed in 1964 to Rochester State Junior College (RSJC). The state legislature renamed the College Rochester Community College in 1973.
The start of what was to become Rochester Area Vocational Technical Institute dates back to 1944 when adult vocational classes were first introduced as part of the Rochester Evening College. By 1966 construction of a separate facility for RSJC was underway. The original technical college building of 78,000 square feet was completed in 1969. When the technical college opened in 1969, it offered 15 program majors and enrolled 213 students. In 1971 a 14,000 square feet addition to the technical college doubled the size of the cafeteria, added four classrooms and a carpentry shop, and expanded the machine shop. In 1987 Rochester Area Vocational Technical Institute (RAVTI) became Rochester Technical Institute.
A 70,000 square foot, two-story addition to the technical college was completed in 1987 and provided facilities to accommodate the move toward the restructured, credit-based delivery of instruction. It included classrooms and labs for all health and services programs, classrooms for the custom training services division, a child-care center, student commons, media center, reading room, student services office, and offices for administration. In 1989, Rochester Technical Institute was renamed Rochester Technical College. On July 1, 1991, Rochester Technical College merged with Austin Technical College and Faribault Technical College to form Joint Vocational Technical District 2501, also known as Minnesota Riverland Technical College.
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