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Mission:  Rich Mountain Community College exists to provide all citizens of the Ouachita Mountain Region with exemplary educational and enrichment opportunities to improve the quality of life and standard of living.

Welcome to learning more about Rich Mountain Community College.  We, the students, faculty, staff, administration and Board of Trustees of Rich Mountain are proud of the college's heritage, its excellence in education, and its caring atmosphere.

Rich Mountain Community College is a learning-centered college dedicated to student's achieving at the highest level of their ability and effort.  This dedication is the soul of the college's vision and mission.  Everyone at the college contributes to the successful realization of making RMCC a learning-centered institution.

As a comprehensive community college, a broad range of programs, services, and learning opportunities are provided for you and the other citizens of our service area.  Thos programs and opportunities include:  transfer and technical degrees and courses; professional, workforce, and personal development; Adult Basic Education; English as a Second Language; GED; student support and outreach programs; and financial aid including grants and scholarships (federal, state and local).

We look forward to your enrolling and becoming a part of RMCC.  The learning experience from RMCC will go with you throughout your lifetime.  If you need help, please let us know.  All questions are important.

Janet F. Smith, Ph.D.
President

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History and Heritage

Rich Mountain Community College is located on the eastern edge of Mena-a town with a population of approximately 6,000 and is set in the Ouachita Mountain range on the west central border of Arkansas.  The campus site was originally obtained by the citizens of the are for Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School, established in 1973 to serve Polk, Scott and Montgomery Counties as a postsecondary vocational-technical school under the Arkansas Department of Vocational Education.  Vocation-Technical Division classes began in the new buildings in 1975 with Dr. Mary Louise Spencer as the first president of the school.

Henderson State University also began an off-campus program in Mena during 1975 offering 60 hours of academic courses, which could be transferred to four-year institutions.

The Arkansas Legislature, by Act 16 of 1983, approved combining Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School and the Henderson State University off-campus program to form a new, comprehensive community college. On April 12, 1983, the voters of Polk County approved a 5-mill tax to establish the Polk County community college district.  Rich Mountain Community College opened on July 1, 1983, as a new institution with Dr. Spencer as the first president and 250 students attending college.

The original campus consisted of one vocational-technical building.  Construction of an instructional building was completed in 1986 and is now known as the M. L. Spencer Building.  Bill Abernathy was installed as the second president in 1987.  Under President Abernathy's leadership, the campus saw growth in facilities and in the development of comprehensive community college programs and services.  In 1992, a student services building was opened and was later named in Abernathy's honor.  In 1995, the St John Library expansion doubled the library's original floor space.  The vocational-technical building was renovated in 1998 and dedicated to Representative Ode Maddox, who was the author of Act 16 of 1983 to create the college.  Branch sites were also established in Waldron, Mt. Ida and Wickes.

Rich Mountain Community College was fully accredited through the North Central Association for Colleges and Universities in 1990 and maintains full accreditation today.

Dr. Janet F. Smith became the third president of the college in July, 200 and is seeing enrollment consistently exceed 1000, is renovating existing facilities and constructing new maintenance and machine tool facilities, is seeking support for various aspects of the master plan, and is leading the college in the implementation of long-range plans and new policies.

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Administration

Janet F. Smith, President
Ph.D., George Peabody College for Teachers, Vanderbilt University
M.A., Austin Peay State University
B.S., Austin Peay State University

Dusty R. Johnston, Dean of Instruction
Ed.D., Texas Tech University
M.Ed., Texas Tech University
B.S., Texas Tech University

Steven Rook, Dean of Student Services
Ed.D., University of Arkansas at Little Rock
M.Ed., Eastern Illinois University
B.S., University of Arkansas at Monticello

Morris Boydstun, Chief Fiscal Officer
M.B.A., Henderson State University
B.B.A., Delta State University

Diann Gathright, Dean of Planning, Development and Communications
Ed.D., University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Ed.S., University of Central Arkansas
M.S.E., University of Central Arkansas
B.S.E., Southern Arkansas University

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Mrs. Carole Martin, Chair
Mrs. Sharon Cole, Vice Chair
Mr. Patrick McDaniel, Secretary
Mr. Allen Herod
Mr. Jim Mabry
Mr. Lawrence Philpot
Dr. Bill Pitchford
Mr. Steve Schulte





 

Dorothy Ann Stevenson, Chair
Chip Bentley, Vice-Chair
Lawrence Philpot, Secretary
Paula Brotherton
Ann Crossett
Gar Eisle
Gayle Ford
Bill Harvey
Bert Hensley
Carol Kaiser
John Maddox
Bette Ann McRee
Vickie Stanley
Bill Wood

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