New Northwest Arkansas Community College president starts job

Dennis Rittle is in his third week on the job as NorthWest Arkansas Group School’s new president.

• He informed Axios he likes to work in groups to make the group higher and will get the sense that NWA is ripe with expertise that does not function in silos.

Why it issues: The president is tasked with main the area’s flagship group faculty that gives an array of diploma packages and certifications at a decrease value than conventional universities.

• NWACC performs a very vital position in NWA’s workforce pipeline in fields similar to well being care, tech and enterprise. It is also residence to a culinary college, Brightwater.
• Spokesperson Elizabeth Kapsner confirmed to Axios in February that NWACC intends to develop its Washington County facility that simply opened in 2020 to fulfill the wants of the realm, notably in well being care.
• NWACC has added tech packages, similar to coding bootcamps and a certificates in cloud computing, to fill the necessity for tech staff.

The large image: Rittle sees the college as a spot the place college students can discover with out breaking the financial institution and go on to contribute to the area’s workforce. The small-school surroundings permits individuals to have relationships with college who’re specialists of their fields relatively than trainer’s assistants, he informed Axios.

What they’re saying: Rittle says he is serious about discovering areas the place the school can provide upskilling alternatives — packages for college students who could already be within the workforce, however have to be taught a brand new ability.

Background: Rittle involves NWA from Arkansas Metropolis, Kansas, the place he was president of Cowley School, a group faculty, since 2015. He is labored in training since 2007.

• He was a first-generation faculty pupil and attended group faculty himself.

Flashback: Former president Evelyn Jorgenson retired earlier this summer season after working within the position since 2013.

What’s subsequent: Rittle needs to seek out methods to verify the group is aware of what NWACC provides and to assist change destructive perceptions round group faculty. He’d wish to see an financial impression research present what the college’s graduates earn and contribute.

• NWACC, like group schools nationwide, has seen a pandemic-induced drop in enrollment — a 12% decline from fall 2019 to fall 2020 and a 5.6% lower from spring 2021 to spring 2022.
• “Larger training needs to be transformative not transactional,” Rittle mentioned.