History of RMCC

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 area for Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School, established in 1973 to serve Polk, Scott, and Montgomery Counties as a post secondary vocational-technical school under the Arkansas Department of Vocational Education. Vocational-Technical Division classes began in the new buildings in 1975, with Dr. Mary Louise Spencer as the first president of the school.

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, 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 the Act 16 of 1983 to create the college. Branch sites were also established in Waldron and Mt. Ida.

RMCC 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, 2000 and is seeing enrollment consistently exceed 1000, is beginning work on a campus master plan and renovation of existing facilities, and is leading the college through long-range planning and policy changes.