Kristi Waite Retiring as Rasmussen College President

MINNEAPOLIS (December 17, 2014)–Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college and Public Benefit Corporation, today announced Kristi Waite plans to retire as president of the College after serving in the post for 17 years.

“It is with gratitude and esteem for Rasmussen College that I share with you my decision to retire,” Waite said. “Taking into consideration my family and the great position Rasmussen College is currently in, I believe the time has come to pass the torch to new leadership. I do so with absolute confidence Rasmussen College is better prepared than ever to meet our students’ needs and continue our tradition of educational excellence.”

Under Waite’s leadership, Rasmussen College has experienced significant growth, adding 18 campuses and four states to its portfolio. Rasmussen College also introduced several new degree options for students by adding the Schools of Nursing, Health Sciences, Education and Justice Studies and expanding beyond Associate’s degrees to offer 21 Bachelor’s degrees. The College also recently began offering competency-based education through its innovative Flex Choice learning option.

During Waite’s tenure, the College also achieved regional accreditation status from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and significantly increased the number of programmatic accreditations to ensure the quality of instruction delivered to every Rasmussen College graduate. In addition, the College introduced multiple initiatives to help students graduate faster and with less debt, including bachelor completer degree options along with scholarships and a college-wide tuition reduction in 2013.

“We are grateful to Kristi and her family for their combined 115 years of dedication to Rasmussen College,” said Henry S. Bienen, chairman of the Rasmussen College Board of Directors. “Kristi transformed our College during her tenure, leaving us a stronger institution with a solid plan to continue our success into the future.”

Waite’s retirement will be effective March 30, 2015. Upon her retirement from the presidency, Waite will assume the position of vice chairperson of the Rasmussen College Board of Directors.

Dr. Trenda Boyum-Breen Named New Rasmussen College President

Rasmussen College has selected Dr. Trenda Boyum-Breen to assume the presidency on March 30, 2015. Dr. Boyum-Breen joined Rasmussen College in 2012 as chief academic officer. Prior to that position, she served as vice president at Metropolitan State University and previously held leadership positions at higher education institutions, from community colleges to large online universities, for more than 15 years.

While at Rasmussen College, Dr. Boyum-Breen’s academic vision helped better position Rasmussen College in today's higher education landscape. She led the creation of a competency-based education model called Flex Choice, which complements faculty-led courses with self-paced, competency-based courses that recognize students for their prior experience and knowledge. She also led the College in its conversion to digital materials for students, resulting in fully digital course materials in more than 85 percent of all Rasmussen College courses. Both innovations increased accessibility while decreasing student cost and time to completion. Dr. Boyum-Breen also established a new Academic Affairs department that featured strengthened faculty and staff development, a training program for tutors and the creation of faculty program coordinator positions across all campuses.

“We have the utmost confidence Dr. Boyum-Breen is the right leader to carry the College forward and help us grow for years to come,” Bienen said. “She has the right credentials and, more importantly, the right professional experience to deliver what is best for our students, faculty and staff. We could not be more confident in her continued commitment to our mission, the leadership position we can assume in higher education and the positive impact we can have on student success under her guidance.”

Dr. Boyum-Breen holds a Bachelor’s degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, a Master’s degree from Winona State University and Doctorate in Higher Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota. She has published and presented nationally on key higher education topics and is the author of “Across the Sectors,” a career column published by Inside Higher Ed. She sits on the boards of the Jeremiah Program and American Council on Education Women’s Network of Minnesota.