El Rito Campus
El Rito, NM
(505)581-4100, FAX (505)581-4130
Española Campus
921 Paseo de Onate, Espanola, NM 87532
505-747-2100 FAX 505-747-2180
- Degrees Granted: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, and Vocational Certificates
- Enrollment: Averages 2000 + per semester
- Service Area: Rio Arriba, Taos, Los Alamos Counties, covering 10 area high schools and over 9,000 square miles
- Contact President Jose G. Griego, Ph.D.: jose@nnmc.edu ; www.nnmc.edu
This institution began in 1909 as the Spanish-American Normal School. It was constitutionally established to provide teacher training for students of Spanish-American descent who would return to their native villages in the mountains of northern New Mexico. The school was reorganized in 1977 as Northern New Mexico Community College by an act of the state legislature. On April 7, 2005, the name of the school was officially changed to Northern New Mexico College and authority was granted to offer baccalaureate degrees. Northern currently offers thirteen baccalaureate degrees: Elementary Education, Biology, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Environmental Science, Integrative Health Studies, Mathematics, Nursing, Mechanical Engineering (Solar), Software Engineering, Information Engineering Technology, and Music (Classical Guitar and Jazz Studies). Northern is maintaining its ‘community college’ mission and open admission policy.
Northern is currently an Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) school and accreditation has been granted through 2008-09 from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities.
Northern has campuses in Espanola and in El Rito. The Espanola campus is located 25 miles north of Santa Fe and 40 miles south of Taos. The El Rito campus is 32 miles north of Espanola. The El Rito Heritage Retreat Center offers short term courses in the areas of Spanish Language Immersion, poetry, tinsmithing, weaving, Spanish Colonial Furniture Making, adobe construction, retablo making, New Mexico History, etc. Northern employs about 51 full-time faculty and about 189 adjunct faculty as well as an additional 140 professional and support staff members.