RVCC 2019 NECHE Self-Study

INSTITUTIONAL OVERVIEW
River Valley Community College is a small, rural community college which celebrated its
50 th year anniversary in 2018. Originally named New Hampshire Vocational Institute at
Claremont, it opened in 1968 with 129 students, and became an immediate source of the
pride for the Claremont, New Hampshire area. The first graduating class was composed of
twenty-six nurses, twelve medical assistants, and nine medical laboratory students,
beginning a tradition of excellence in the allied health field that continues today.
River Valley Community College is one of seven colleges that make up the Community
College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH, “the System”). CCSNH is overseen by a
Chancellor and a Board of Trustees. While RVCC works within a system, each college is
directed by its own President who is responsible for the organizational structure of the
institution; and its own Board of Trustees. Each college is responsible for its own
budgeting system, developing its own academic offerings to meet the needs of the region
it serves, and creating its own strategic plan; all while working collaboratively under the
umbrella of CCSNH.
RVCC is located on the western border of the state of New Hampshire. The College’s
service area extends from Keene, NH in the southwestern portion of the state, up to
Hanover, NH to the north, spanning approximately eighty-five miles. It also extends
westerly into the state of Vermont approximately fifty miles and easterly to the Lakes
Region of New Hampshire, another 50 miles. In addition, students attending some of our
unique Allied Health and Health Science programs regularly commute two hours one way
to attend classes, as there are no other institutions that offer these programs in the area.
In academic year 2017-2018, RVCC served 859 credit students and 229 non-credit
students. The average age of the student population is 30 and the majority of the
students (78%) attend part time. Approximately 80% of students are eligible for financial
aid. The College’s academic offerings include one Associate in Arts Degree, 17 Associate in
Science Degree programs, and 14 Certificate Programs. For academic year 2017-2018,
RVCC reported 192 program completers with 120 associate degrees awarded, and 72
certificates. The College offers a variety of courses, both on-ground and online, at the
Claremont campus and at two academic centers located in Keene, NH (KAC) and Lebanon,
NH (LAC), and RVCC students generally express satisfaction with their educational
experiences at the College (Figure 1).
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