Founded in 1964, Isothermal Community College serves Rutherford and Polk counties in the beautiful foothills of western North Carolina. Isothermal, so-named because of the region's steady climate, is a comprehensive, two-year public institution and is a part of the North Carolina Community College System. Isothermal's mission is to "improve life through learning." The main campus is on 142 acres in Spindale. The Polk Center is in Columbus. The Rutherford campus, perched on the shore of an 11-acre lake, is home to The Foundation Center for the Performing Arts, the area's premier venue for the arts and other special events. The college also owns and operates WNCW 88.7, an award-winning public radio station that can be heard in parts of five different states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.
