Northern New Mexico College and its differing missions have always played an integral role in the State of New Mexico’s goal to provide educational opportunities for its residents.
In the early 1900’s the New Mexico Territorial Legislature determined that a facility was needed as a “normal school” with a primary function of training teachers for the State’s Spanish-speaking population. The Spanish American Normal School at El Rito opened its doors in September 1909.
When the New Mexico territory applied for statehood in 1912, the State Constitution, Article 12, Section 11, identified the Spanish American Normal School as one of ten educational institutions which would be supported by the state. The Spanish American School provided both secondary and post secondary educational programs.
In 1953, the State Legislature changed the name of the institution to Northern New Mexico State School and mandated that the institution provide training not available in public schools and implemented a secondary school curriculum. Six years later, in 1959, the Board of Regents adopted the name of Northern New Mexico College. Under this designation the new institution continued to maintain secondary educational functions (grades 7-12) as well as a college curriculum.
By 1961 the College was offering two-year programs in business education, general studies, and selected vocational programs. Technical-vocational programs proved popular and enrollment increased due to a school-operated transportation system which allowed the population from the surrounding rural villages to attend the school.
In 1969 the high school curriculum was transferred to a newly created public school district and the curriculum at the College was limited to technical-vocational course offerings. One year later, in 1970, the Board of Regents again adopted a new name to indicate the change in course offerings. Thus, the New Mexico Technical-Vocational School became the common designation.
Operating under its new name, the Technical-Vocational School expanded its curriculum and faculty, and developed a campus in Espanola, approximately 30 miles from El Rito. the school assumed the Practical Nurse program from St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe. Then, as educational needs in northern New Mexico evolved, educators and legislators began to feel a need for a more comprehensive delivery of educational services. In 1976 a task force was created to assess the feasibility of establishing a community college. The task force membership included representatives from the New Mexico Technical-Vocational School, the University of New Mexico, and local school boards and citizens. The recommendation of the task force was that the University of New Mexico-Northern Branch (at Santa Cruz) be dissolved and the delivery of academic course offerings be combined with those of the New Mexico Technical-Vocational School. The Legislature accepted the recommendations of the task force and provided for the expansion of the institution’s mission.
In July 1977, the Board of Regents accepted the new mission of the institution, adopted the current name of Northern New Mexico Community College, and began the enormous task of joining the existing programs, philosophies, and procedures to establish a comprehensive community college.
The new institution was headed by a president appointed by the Board of Regents. The programs to be offered by the new institution included associate degrees in various academic and occupational disciplines, certificate-granting programs in occupational studies, special interest courses granting continuing education units (CEU’s), and other courses offered for no credit.
In 2004, legislative approval and accreditation was extended to Northern, permitting it to be the first community college in the state of New Mexico to offer a four year degree, a BA in Elementary Education.
In 2005, legislation was enacted which changed the name to the Northern New Mexico College, permitting it to offer four-year degrees in any programs deemed necessary and appropriate.