On April 29, 2015, National Park Community College (NPCC) changed its name to National Park College (NPC). As part of a rebranding strategy initiated by our new president, John Hogan along with several new initiatives and high priority objectives to improve the college's reach and success for our students and community. Read about these new initiatives.
NPC emerged as a result of the blending of Garland County Community College (GCCC) and Quapaw Technical Institute (QTI) into a comprehensive two-year institution by Act 678 of the 2003 Arkansas General Assembly effective July 1, 2003. Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, the college is located in Mid-America Park, just outside the city limits of Hot Springs, America's oldest national park service site.
GCCC had been established as a two-year college in 1973 to provide post secondary higher education opportunities to the citizens of Garland County and the surrounding areas. QTI was first established as Quapaw Vocational Technical School, a branch campus of the Ouachita Vocational Technical School at Malvern. The facility at the Hot Springs Branch opened in 1969, and Act 310 of 1973 stipulated that the Hot Springs branch of the school at Malvern be a separate independent entity named Quapaw Vocational Technical School.
As a result of Act 1244 and Act 773 of 1991, the State Board of Vocational Education changed the name to Quapaw Technical Institute, July 8, 1991. Vocational technical schools throughout history have been designated to provide job training for business and industry. As a Technical Institute, Quapaw was committed to providing quality education and training to enhance the employment opportunities and increase the personal development of students. Combined, NPC forms a comprehensive institution offering associate degrees and certificates as well as continuing education/ community services and workforce training.
