Think Big, Plan Big and Play Big with NWACC's Dr. Dennis Rittle

Summary In this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Dr. Dennis Rittle, President of NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC). NorthWest Arkansas Community College is a public, two-year institution that provides quality and affordable higher education in an effort to empower lives and strengthen communities within Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding areas. NWACC is a nationally recognized, comprehensive college serving regional, national and international students on two campuses in Northwest Arkansas. With approximately three decades of experience in the higher education industry, Dr. Rittle shares his vision for NWACC and dives into NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s rich history and how it connects to Bentonville’s dynamic evolution. Thanks for tuning in! Show Notes Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs. (0:54) Introduction to Dr. Dennis Rittle (9:43) NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s History and Its Bond with Bentonville (13:18) Dr. Rittle’s Vision for NWACC (15:33) An Overview of NWACC’s Innovative Programs and Future Developments (23:21) Personal and Professional Impact of Bentonville (31:02) Dr. Rittle’s #BecauseBentonville Story (35:19) How Dr. Rittle’s past Experiences Shaped His Leadership (47:47) Advice to Individuals Aspiring to Be in the Field of Education (54:20) Closing Thoughts ‍Links James Bell  Bentonville Economic Development  Dr. Dennis Rittle (drittle@nwacc.edu) NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) DennisRittle.com Quotes “[NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s] reaches are regional and now not only national, but international. We have students that are studying overseas. We have faculty that study overseas. We have those who are overseas coming here to Bentonville to study. Why is that? Because the college thought beyond. It thought bigger than itself, but it allowed the reach of Bentonville to go beyond…it thought big, it planned big, and then it played big.” - Dr. Rittle, (11:56) “I think first and foremost, remembering that we are a community college, community is in our middle name. When people ask me, how should the college look and appear in the upcoming years, I said it should be a mirror of the community’s needs. Secondly, and tied inextricably to that mirroring of the community, is that we are student centric. We are focused on the needs of our students and where they are.” - Dr. Rittle, (13:25) “They’re very eclectic, the students, both in their languages, in their experiences in life and in their stations of life. And so the more that we can have those relational collisions between students that allows to enhance the learning experience, that is my vision for the college.” - Dr. Rittle, (15:11) “But here it is, [Bentonville] is an area that’s rapidly growing, and people still view other people as people. People are not viewed as things. They’re people. And I think that’s one of the greatest beauties here, is amongst all the innovation and all of the brilliance that exists here, through all of that, people still remember other people are people. And people are valued and respected and they’re treated well and they’re friendly.” - Dr. Rittle, (27:20)