Rich Mountain Community College
Encyclopedia
Rich Mountain Community College (RMCC) is a public two-year institution of higher learning located in Mena, Arkansas
. There are satellite campuses of the college located in Waldron
, Wickes
, Oden
, and Mount Ida
that serve Polk, Scott, and Montgomery counties. In 2008, Dr. Wayne Hatcher was appointed the fourth president of the college. The college notes itself as a "learning-centered community" serving the citizens of the Ouachita Mountain Region.
's off-campus program to form Rich Mountain Community College, as part of the establishment of the Polk County community college district. In 1990, it was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
following 6 years in candidate status and was re-accredited in 2005 with the North Central Association noting it was a "model rural community college".
The forty-acre main campus in Mena includes the new Machine Tool Maintenance Building, St. John's Library, the KRMN-LP 101.1 FM radio station, and the RMCC TV broadcasting studio among the various classroom and administrative offices. Most students major in the liberal arts, with business being the second largest concentration.
Mena, Arkansas
Mena is a city in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County.It was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad . It was Stilwell who decided Mena would be the name of this new town along the route to...
. There are satellite campuses of the college located in Waldron
Waldron, Arkansas
Waldron is a city in Scott County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,508 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Scott County.-Geography:Waldron is located at ....
, Wickes
Wickes, Arkansas
Wickes is a town in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 675 at the 2000 census.Near Wickes is the Boggs Springs Youth Encampment of the American Baptist Association, a retreat of Missionary Baptist churches....
, Oden
Oden, Arkansas
Oden is a town in Montgomery County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 220 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oden is located at ....
, and Mount Ida
Mount Ida, Arkansas
Mount Ida is a city in Montgomery County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 981 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is known as the quartz crystal capital of the U.S...
that serve Polk, Scott, and Montgomery counties. In 2008, Dr. Wayne Hatcher was appointed the fourth president of the college. The college notes itself as a "learning-centered community" serving the citizens of the Ouachita Mountain Region.
History
RMCC was founded in 1973 as the Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School, where it would serve as an affiliate of the Arkansas Department of Vocational Education. Accepting its first students in 1975, the school enrolled an entering class of approximately 250 students. In 1983, the school was merged with Henderson State UniversityHenderson State University
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
's off-campus program to form Rich Mountain Community College, as part of the establishment of the Polk County community college district. In 1990, it was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
following 6 years in candidate status and was re-accredited in 2005 with the North Central Association noting it was a "model rural community college".
The forty-acre main campus in Mena includes the new Machine Tool Maintenance Building, St. John's Library, the KRMN-LP 101.1 FM radio station, and the RMCC TV broadcasting studio among the various classroom and administrative offices. Most students major in the liberal arts, with business being the second largest concentration.
Presidents
- 1973-1987 Mary Louise Spencer
- 1987-2000 Bill Abernathy
- 2000-2008 Janet Smith
- 2008–Present Wayne Hatcher