Twin Cities’ History Tied To Higher Education
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Higher education is unquestionably an integral part of McLean County’s past … and its future. The community’s history is closely intertwined with the area’s four academic bastions – Illinois State University‚ Illinois Wesleyan University‚ Lincoln College and Heartland Community College‚ which offer a variety of degree options.
For Illinois State University‚ the rich tradition of excellence began 150 years ago.
“We’re actually the oldest public university in the state‚” says ISU President Al Bowman. “As a matter of fact‚ the town of Normal took its name from us. We were a ‘Normal School‚’ which is a European term for a teacher’s college.”
ISU has come a long way since opening its doors in 1857 with less than 20 pupils. Today‚ more than 20‚000 students seek undergraduate and graduate degrees in 160 different majors and minors.
Although Bowman says the demand is there to increase enrollment‚ the vision of ISU is to instead focus on growing the university’s reputation to that of Ivy League standards.
“Our strategic goal is to continue to increase the selectivity of our admission process and to expand the number of academically ranked programs‚” he says. “We’ve made good progress on both fronts.”
Recently‚ Business Week magazine rated the College of Business undergraduate programs in the top 50 in America. The university’s accounting graduates have placed ISU in the top 10 based on national CPA exam pass rates‚ and U.S. News & World Report has consistently included ISU’s College of Education on its top 100 list.
Helping pave the way for success is the relationship fostered with other academic institutions.
“We have seamless articulation agreements that allow students to transfer right into a major after earning a community college degree‚” Bowman explains.
At nearby Heartland Community College‚ nearly 70 percent of the credit students take that path‚ according to President Jonathan Astroth. The remaining 30 percent of Heartland’s nearly 5‚000 credit students‚ he adds‚ are working toward specific vocational skills to move directly into their chosen field. The school also enrolls 6‚500 non-credit students who take classes of interest without pursuing a certificate.
“I think we’re an important piece of the fabric of a community‚” Astroth says. “Historically‚ community colleges provide higher education opportunities to those who might not have otherwise had that opportunity.”
With the projected growth in student population‚ Heartland is embarking on Phase II of its campus plan. The $60 million project‚ scheduled for completion in 2010‚ includes the addition of an instructional building; a large child care center to alleviate the current wait list and serve as a practicum site for early childhood majors; a fitness and recreation facility; expansion of the current student center; a new athletic complex; and a spacious community education venue that will house the Challenger Learning Center.
“We’re always trying to balance the needs of taxpayers with the needs of students‚” Astroth says. “We think this is a good project and that it’s good for the community.”
Story by Cindy Sanders
Photo by Wes Aldridge
