NIU, Rock Valley College to offer bachelor's degree programs in Rockford by fall 2002

by Melanie Magara

Northern Illinois University and Rock Valley College (RVC) have announced plans to offer bachelor's degree completion programs in Rockford beginning next fall.

NIU President John Peters and RVC President Roland "Chip" Chapdelaine told reporters at a news conference last week that the two institutions would begin work immediately to assess community needs and identify specific program offerings.

"Rockford is an important part of our service region, and we've worked hard to find innovative ways to make public higher education more accessible to the area," Peters said. "In addition to our graduate-level programs at the NIU-Rockford campus, we'll now be offering bachelor's degrees through programs at Rock Valley College, and we're excited about what that will mean to the Rockford community."

Chapdelaine called the partnership "a natural extension of Rock Valley College's mission in the region."

"It has been clear to us for some time that there is genuine unmet need here for people who want to get a four-year degree from a public university but can't leave the community," Chapdelaine said. "We're proud to have Rock Valley at the forefront of a movement that hopes to change that picture."

Both presidents said staff at their respective institutions were busy assessing specific program needs, technology and faculty schedules in an effort to begin course scheduling. Under the agreement, NIU faculty would teach courses on the RVC campus and centers, and graduates would receive NIU degrees. Innovative approaches to student support services also are being explored.

Among the bachelor's programs under consideration are education, computer science, family and child studies, industrial technology, nursing, allied health, business and general studies.

Rockford Mayor Doug Scott, who made Rockford access to higher education part of his election platform, hailed the agreement as "a real difference-maker for our community."

"Both these institutions are strong, well-respected and have a long history of involvement in Rockford," Scott said. "Where there's a will, there's a way, and together we've found a good solution to a long-standing need in this community."

Many community groups have wrestled with the issue of higher education in the state's second-largest city. Recently one of those groups, the Regional Initiative in Community Excellence (RICE), sent representatives on a number of field trips to observe model programs elsewhere in the country.

Representatives from NIU and RVC were among the RICE contingent, and agreed to accelerate discussions between the two institutions.

Among the principles guiding the NIU/RVC partnership is a commitment to regular community surveys and demand-driven program offerings.

"We know that we need to be flexible and responsive to make this venture successful," said Anne Kaplan, NIU's vice president for administration. "Much will depend on what students and potential students tell us they need, and the extent to which we can meet those needs both on Rock Valley's campus and centers, and through innovative use of educational technology."

"We've worked on Rockford issues for more than 20 years," Kaplan added. "Six years ago, we built the NIU-Rockford campus to serve working adults who sought master's degrees, and now we've found a way to offer bachelor's degrees in Rockford."

NIU President John Peters called the agreement with RVC "a model for future working partnerships with community colleges throughout our service region."