Rock Valley College
| Rock Valley College | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Established | 1965[1] |
| Type | Public, 2 year Community College[2] |
| President | Dr. Jack J. Becherer, Phd, President[3] |
| Undergraduates | 8072[4][5] |
| Other students | 7853 (non-credit)[5] |
| Location |  Rockford, IL, USA |
| Campus | Rural, 217 acres (0.88 km2) |
| Newspaper | Valley Forge |
| Colours | Gold Navy Blue |
| Athletics | 9 Varsity Teams[6] Illinois N4C Conference NCJAA Division II |
| Nickname | Golden Eagles[6] |
| Affiliations | Illinois Community College System[7] |
| Website | RVC homepage |
Rock Valley College (RVC), located in Rockford, Illinois, is one of 48 two-year, open-admission colleges of the Illinois Community College System (ICCS), organized under the Illinois Public Community College Act.[2] RVC’s district comprises Winnebago County and Boone County and parts of Stephenson County, Ogle County, McHenry County and DeKalb County counties.[1] Since opening for classes in 1965, RVC has grown to an institution of 140 faculty members, 500 part-time lecturers and more than 10,000 students.[1][5]
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[edit] History
Rock Valley College was founded in 1964 to allow students from the region in and around Rockford Public School District No. 205 the opportunity to receive post-secondary education similar to university curriculum. RVC’s district comprises all of Winnebago and Boone County and parts of Stephenson, Ogle, McHenry and DeKalb counties.[1][8] Authorized by the Illinois General Assembly and signed by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. in 1961, legislation was enacted that created the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). The IBHE was tasked by statute with formulating a Master Plan for Higher Education in the state of Illinois.[8][9] In July 1964 the higher education master plan was published by the IBHE, which led to the Junior College Act of 1965.[8][9] Soon thereafter, a district-wide referendum was approved that authorized the founding of RVC.[1] It received accreditation via the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1971.[5]
[edit] Campus
The college is located on a 217-acre (0.88 km2) tract of land at Mulford and Spring Brook roads in northeast Rockford. In addition to the main campus, RVC operates programs at owned facilities at the Stenstrom Center for Career Education on Samuelson Road, home to several health and technical programs, the Aviation Center at the Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford, and the Bell School Road Center, which houses the college’s Center for Learning in Retirement.
Rock Valley College holds continuing education classes at more than 50 sites throughout its district, and operates employment and training programs at the Illinois Employment Training Center at 303 North Main Street in Rockford.
[edit] Academics and demographics
Rock Valley College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) to offer certificates, diplomas and associate degrees.[5] It received the maximum ten-year accreditation approval by the Higher Learning Commission of the NCA during its last review through the year 2014.[5] It received initial accreditation in 1971 after applying for accreditation candidacy in 1967.[5]
Rock Valley College partners with area four-year colleges and universities, such as Northern Illinois University, University of Illinois, Springfield, and Western Illinois University as a part of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement which ensures general education credits are transferable among more than 100 participating college or universities in Illinois.[10] There are two primary educational tracks at RVC: Transfer Programs, and Career Educational Programs.[11] The tracks offer a total of 33 associates degree programs, and 34 certificate programs to students of RVC.[5]
[edit] Enrollment
As of April 13, 2009, for-credit Spring enrollment at RVC was 8,072, of which 3,569 were enrolled full-time, and 4,503 were enrolled part-time. In addition, 7,853 non-credit enrollees were reported by RVC for the same period. Dual credit students, who are obtaining college credit while attending high school accounted for 536 students of total enrollment.[5] Overall student head count at the college rose 8 percent from 2008 school year.[12] Most of the increase in enrollment was attributed to new freshmen beginning at community colleges, as well as the introduction of new programs at the college.
[edit] Libraries
Rock Valley College provides a library at its main Rockford, Illinois Campus. The library has over 100,000 volumes and equivalent online periodical and newspaper databases. It has facilities for study, research, leisure reading, class preparation, and wireless Internet access for students.[13]
[edit] Athletics
Eight men's and women's intercollegiate sports are offered at RVC. The Golden Eagles compete in NJCAA Division III in volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis and golf. RVC has won six NJCAA National Championships in volleyball, golf, and tennis.[6] RVC was one of only four community colleges to field a football program among the 48-member Illinois Community College System.[6] Due to funding and attendance issues, the RVC Board of Trustees voted to discontinue the football program on April 28, 2009.[14]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "Rock Valley College History". Rock Valley College. 2009. http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/About/index.cfm. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Public Community College Act (110 ILCS 805/), Illinois General Assembly, 1978, http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=011008050HArt.+I&ActID=1150&ChapAct=110%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B805%2F&ChapterID=18&ChapterName=HIGHER+EDUCATION&SectionID=50182&SeqStart=100000&SeqEnd=600000&ActName=Public+Community+College+Act., retrieved August 9, 2009
- ^ Watters, Carrie (September 4, 2004). "Becherer chosen to lead RVC". Rockford Register Star. http://cache.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/?archive_id=0&page_id=812711619&page_url=%2f%2fwww.rrstar.com%2fapps%2fpbcs.dll%2farticle%3fAID%3d%2f20040904%2fNEWS0107%2f409040312%2f1011%2fNEWS0107&page_last_updated=9%2f5%2f2004+10%3a41%3a23+AM&firstName=Jack&lastName=Becherer. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ^ Unknown (Unknown), IBHE Institutional Profile: Rock Valley College, ICCB, http://www.ibhe.state.il.us/InstitutionProfiles/ILinstProfile.aspx?id=001747, retrieved August 2, 2009
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rock Valley College Accreditation Status". The Higher Learning Commission. 2009. http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_directory&Itemid=192&Action=ShowBasic&instid=1144. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Unknown (Unknown), NCJAA Stats Page for Rock Valley College, NCJAA, http://www.njcaa.org/colleges_college_home.cfm?collegeId=1306, retrieved November 21, 2009
- ^ "ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGES". Illinois Community College Board. 2008. http://www.iccb.state.il.us/colleges.html. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c Illinois Junior College Act; Illinois Revised Statutes, Chapter 122, Sections 101-1 to 108-2: Illinois Legislature, 1965
- ^ a b Lach, Ivan (1998), ICCS HISTORY, Illinois Community College Board, http://www.iccb.state.il.us/history.html, retrieved August 9, 2009
- ^ "The Illinois Articulation Initiative". Illinois Board of Higher Education. 2008. http://www.itransfer.org/iai/container.aspx?file=iai. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
- ^ "Degree Programs". Rock Valley College. 2008. http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/Academics/DegreePrograms.cfm. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ "RVC thinking 'we need to build'". Rockford Register Star. April 27, 2009. http://www.rrstar.com/communities/x126913735/Rock-Valley-College-considers-building-third-classroom-facility. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ "Library Collections". Rock Valley College. 2008. http://library.rvc.cc.il.us/collections.htm. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
- ^ Taft, Jay (April 28, 2009). "Board of trustees votes to end RVC football program". Rockford Register News. http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1092988709/Board-of-trustees-vote-to-end-RVC-football-program. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
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