Updated 10/25/19

Martin Methodist College (MMC) was host for the second annual Rural Higher Education Institute, an annual Credo event that is focused on the value of, and challenge to, rural colleges and universities across the country.

The theme of 2019’s Rural Higher Education Institute was “Student Success in the Rural Context.” Campus leaders from numerous institutions came together on MMC’s campus to examine many issues centered on the theme: redefining the narrative of rural education; strategic finance and rural philanthropy; leveraging community and municipal partnerships; and recruitment and retention of students from rural areas.

“It is an honor to serve as a national model of higher education in rural America,” said MMC President Dr. Mark La Branche. “We have an extremely important mission to prepare professionals in the rural context, and we have an opportunity to assist the communities around us by driving the economy and raising the quality of life. So often, higher education discussions default to a focus on urban, whereas an initiative like this one shifts the emphasis to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the rural place. This gathering of campus leaders served to strengthen us all in pursuit of this initiative.”