Highland Community College (Illinois)
| Highland Community College | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1962 |
| Type | Community college |
| Endowment | $600,000 |
| President | Dr. Joe Kanosky |
Academic staff | 190 |
| Students | 6,043 |
| Postgraduates | none |
| none | |
| Location |
 Freeport, Illinois, United States |
| Campus | Rural, 140 acres/346 ha |
| Colors | Orange |
| Mascot | Cougar |
| Affiliations | Higher Learning Commission |
| Website | http://www.highland.edu/ |
Highland Community College ("HCC" or Highland) is a public two-year community college. Its main campus is located in Freeport, Illinois. The college is recognized by the Illinois Community College Board, and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and a member of the North Central Association.
History
Highland was first established in 1962 on the land purchased from the Taft family. The Highland Community college foundation was the first community college foundation established in the State of Illinois and only the second in the nation. The foundation was established by Dr. Howard D. Sims, president of Highland Community College from 1975 to 1980.
Timeline
- 1955 State survey completed by the University of Illinois showed Freeport, Illinois was a logical location for a junior college. A legal requirement in preparation for a referendum was safisfied.
- 1957-1959 State legislation passed allowing public junior colleges to charge tuition.
- 1959 Public defeated a referendum that would have included space for the college in the remodeled high school.
- 1961 Referendum passed by a 3-1 margin calling for the establishment of a comprehensive community college.
- 1962 229 students began evening classes held at the Freeport Senior High School.
- 1964 $150,000 was raised for the Acres of Education campaign to purchase the Taft farm land.
- 1966 Referendum held in 15 districts established an area college district. Facilities were rented and classes were held on Stephenson, Main, Locust, and West Ave. The first board was elected.
- 1967 District 519 was officially established. Ken Borland was hired as the first president. A contact was held to name the college. "Highland" was chosen over another entry "Farmers' Cash Crop College".
- 1968 Voters approved a plan for the current campus.
- 1970 Five temporary buildings were occupied on the permanent campus.
- 1971 The first permanent facilities were occupied on the current campus.
- 1973 Foundation approves $45,000 grant to the college for the Festival of Arts.
- 1976 Phase III of HCC building program approved. Work began on the physical fitness education facility to be used jointly by HCC and the YMCA.
Campus
Main Campus
Highland is located in Freeport, Illinois on 140 acres (or 346 ha). There are seven buildings on the campus, which are mainly used for classes. The college's sports complex is also the local YMCA, to which Highland's students carrying more than six credit hours per semester receive a free membership.
HCC West
Highland Community College has a campus in Elizabeth, Illinois. On Route 20, Highland West offers a great opportunity to residents of Jo Daviess county to easily commute to classes. Several classes can also be taken in Savanna, Illinois. Currently, the off-site campuses mainly offer general education courses. In 2007, the Elizabeth campus started offering a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) course.
Academics
Highland offers the Associates degree to its students. After about 60 college-level credit hours have been completed, students can pursue either an Associate of Science or Associate of Arts degree. Other non-degree seeking students may complete a certification in one of the many vocational skills. A wide variety of majors and vocational programs are offered. Highland's Nursing Program is especially worth mentioning for its excellence and night program, which is popular among students who have jobs during the daytime. Nursing students may choose to graduate with their RN (a two-year program) or LPN (one-year program). In recent years, nursing students have completed the NCLEX-RN board exam with a 99% or above pass rate.
Athletics
Highland Community College is most famous for its basketball program, which is in the top 10 among the nation's junior colleges. The Highland Cougars Basketball team is a member of the NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. The following sports are played on campus:
- Baseball
- Men's Basketball
- Women's Basketball
- Golf
- Softball
- Volleyball
Altogether five Highland student-athletes have been named Academic All Americans, and 11 have been named All Americans by the NJCAA.
Tuition and Fees
Highland Community College has the lowest tuition in the tri-state area. On its website, it is stated that "You will spend about $3,200 a year for tuition, books and fees when you start at Highland... or you can go somewhere else and pay at least $7,000 a year for tuition alone." This affordability has attracted many students from the Illinois-Iowa-Wisconsin Tri-State area.
Students and Faculty
The college is home to about 6,000 students and 190 faculty members, most of which are full-time. Highland is technologically advanced, and it is one of the pioneers in Distance Learning Program, in which a partnership between the college and Sauk Valley Community College exists.
Clubs and Organizations
Highland has a big variety of interesting clubs and organizations. Some of the most active ones include:
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Nu Mu Chapter
- Student Senate
- History Club
- Current Events Club
- Dairy & Livestock Judging Teams
- Physical Science Club
- International Club
- The Chronicle Student Newspaper
- Forensics
- Royal Scots
- Fellowship
H.C. Mitchell Library
The H.C. Mitchell library is located on campus in Building M. The library has recently (Summer 2007) become involved in the PrairieCat program, which is a cooperation of 130 libraries in Northern Illinois and Eastern Iowa. This allows the student body and local residents to search over millions of books, videos, and other archives.