Joliet Junior College

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Joliet Junior College


Established	1901
Type	Public, 2-year, community college
President	Dr. Eugenia Proulx
Location	Joliet, Illinois, USA
Campus	4 campuses, suburban and rural
Website	http://www.jjc.edu/

Joliet Junior College, part of the Illinois Community College System, is the oldest public community college in the United States. In Fall 2005, the college enrolled 13,022 students. Every year, over 22,000 students enroll in the college's academic programs in addition to over 14,000 students in non-credit programs. The main campus is located in Joliet, Illinois, with secondary campuses located in Romeoville and Morris. Joliet Junior College offers an Associate of Arts program for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university, Associate of Applied Science Degrees for students wishing to receive terminal degrees in occupational programs, short-term and contract-training for district employees, and personal enrichment courses.

[edit] History

The first college of its kind in the United States, Joliet's founding came about in 1901 as the result of a meeting between the Joliet superintendent of schools, J. Stanley Brown, and the president of the University of Chicago, William Rainey Harper. For years, Harper had been advocating a "2+2" approach to higher education, suggesting that undergraduates should focus on general education coursework in their first two years of college to serve as a foundation to specialize in a field of study in their next two years. Under this model, Harper recommended the creation of "junior" colleges for students in their first two years. In 1901, six students enrolled at Joliet Junior College. In 1916, the name of the institution was formalized. In 1917, Joliet Junior College received accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.