Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois, United States which is the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois (a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area). It was established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn. Blackburn is one of only seven federally recognized work colleges in the United States,[1] and it has the only student-managed work program, enabling students to gain leadership experience as they manage other students. All resident students are required to work, but the program is optional for commuter students. Each student that works receives a tuition discount for the hours they work in the work program. It is also the least expensive private college in Illinois.
Work program
The work program was first instituted at Blackburn College in 1913 in order to provide access to higher education to individuals with the academic ability, but who were lacking the financial means. While cost reduction remains an important value of the work program today, there is an emphasis on the opportunities it provides for student learning. The work program is intended as a vehicle for personal growth including leadership opportunities and community involvement. Most students work a minimum of 160 hours each semester (10 hours a week) in partnership with faculty and staff to help provide virtually all services essential to college operations. By sharing, belonging, and contributing through their work, students gain an added sense of community and individual responsibility, while also establishing some lifelong friendships. This combination of academic preparation and practical work experience uniquely prepares students for meeting the challenges of life, career, and any post-graduate experience.
Athletics
The College Quad
Hudson Hall - The Main Academic Building
Blackburn's athletic teams compete in Division III of the NCAA's St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Blackburn, known athletically as the Beavers, was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1914 to 1923. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf and soccer; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
In January 2009, the college announced that it would stop fielding a football team after the 2008-2009 school year.[2]
Notable alumni
- Mary Hunter Austin, nature writer and novelist
- Lois B. DeFleur, sociologist, former President of Binghamton University
- Walt Harrington, journalist and professor, produced an Emmy-Award-winning documentary [3]
- Mark Kirk, U.S. Senator from Illinois (attended briefly)
- Truman H. Landon, General and Commander, U.S. Air Force
- Bruce Pavitt, cofounder of Sub Pop Records (attended briefly)
- Dennis Phillips, professional poker player
- Craig F. Stowers, Associate Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court
References
External links
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