Rogue Community College has secured approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation to bring its Dental Assisting program to the Redwood Campus in Grants Pass, marking a significant expansion of career training opportunities in Josephine County. The newly approved site will begin serving students in the fall 2026 term, extending a program that until now has been based at the Table Rock Campus in White City.
The decision effectively creates a dual-campus model, allowing students in Southern Oregon to complete the same accredited, one-year certificate program in two locations. For Josephine County residents, the shift removes a geographic barrier that has historically required travel outside the community for this type of training. The expansion arrives at a time when regional demand for trained dental professionals continues to outpace supply, placing additional pressure on clinics and patients alike.
RCC’s Dental Assisting program is structured as a three-term, special admissions track spanning fall, winter, and spring. Students entering the program receive hands-on clinical experience alongside classroom instruction, preparing them for a range of responsibilities inside dental offices. Those duties include assisting with procedures, taking radiographs, maintaining patient records, and managing front-office operations. The program is designed to mirror real-world workflows, giving graduates a direct transition into employment settings.
The accreditation from CODA ensures that the curriculum meets nationally recognized standards, a distinction that carries weight for both students and employers. “This expansion into Josephine County opens the door for more students to pursue a career in dental assisting without having to travel outside their community,” said Carmen Mons, director of RCC Dental Programs. “With accreditation in place, students can feel confident they are receiving high-quality training that prepares them for success in this high-demand field.”
Applications are now open for the fall 2026 cohort at both the Redwood and Table Rock campuses, with a deadline set for May 17. Entry into the program requires prospective students to attend a Dental Program Information Session, a step designed to ensure applicants understand both the academic expectations and the professional pathways tied to the field. These sessions, hosted online, will take place on April 24, May 13, and June 5, providing multiple opportunities for interested candidates to engage before the application window closes.
The expansion of dental assisting training into Grants Pass also complements RCC’s broader dental education offerings. The college continues to operate a two-year Dental Hygiene associate degree program and a public dental hygiene clinic at its Table Rock Campus. That clinic not only provides services to the community but also functions as a training environment for students, reinforcing the institution’s role in both workforce development and regional health care access.
From an economic standpoint, the addition of an accredited program in Josephine County reflects a targeted response to workforce shortages in health care support roles. Dental assistants play a critical role in clinic efficiency, patient care coordination, and procedural support. By increasing the number of trained professionals entering the field locally, the program has the potential to stabilize staffing pipelines for dental offices throughout Southern Oregon.
For students, the change represents more than convenience. It reduces commuting costs, shortens travel time, and allows individuals to pursue a health care career while remaining rooted in their community. That combination often determines whether prospective students enroll at all, particularly in rural or semi-rural regions where distance can become a barrier to education.
With its first Grants Pass cohort set to begin this fall, RCC’s expansion signals a broader shift toward localized training solutions that align education directly with regional workforce needs. As applications move forward and classrooms prepare to open, the Redwood Campus is poised to become a new entry point into one of health care’s most accessible and in-demand career paths.