catalog - Prairie State College

OVERVIEW2006-2008 CATALOGOVERVIEWCONTINUING & PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION . . .AND MOREThe opportunities to be trained–or entertained–continue withother programs of Prairie State College. Each semester’s classesare described on our Web site, in the Fall and Spring “Personal& Professional” Non-Credit Schedule, and in the SummerSchedule (which includes Credit, Non-Credit, Kids@Collegeand Y.E.S./Teen classes).All these programs are coordinatedthrough PSC’s Matteson Area Center, 4821 Southwick Drive,Matteson, IL 60443.Opened as a convenient satellite campus, the Matteson AreaCenter has a variety of classrooms, meeting rooms (availablefor rent) and computer labs. Phone (708) 709-3750 for moredetails.Non-Credit Classes. Whether you’re pursuing a hobby, tryingto understand personal finances or seeking new vocationalskills, these classes meet your need.They are offered at theMatteson Area Center, the main campus in Chicago Heights andat other locations throughout the district. Online non-creditcourses are also available.Non-Credit Vocational Certificates. Although you won’t beearning college credit, you will soon be earning more in salary.In as little as one semester, you can open the door to excellentjobs.Topics include Medical Billing/Coding Specialist, HomeInspection, Real Estate, Security Officer Training and more.Kids@College and Teen Classes. Children ages 3 to 13 enjoyour Kids@College classes, most of which are held at theMatteson Area Center. Meeting once or twice a week forapproximately four weeks, usually in July, topics cover Art (variousmedia), Computers, Study Skills, Languages, Music, Being aDetective, Math, Drama and more.Teenagers are not forgotten, as summer classes include theY.E.S. (Youth + Education = Success) program. Meeting once ortwice a week for approximately four weeks, usually in July,recent classes have included Basic Car Care,Web Design,Preparation for College and Entrepreneurship.During the Fall and Spring semesters, a limited number ofYouth and Teen classes are offered.They are listed in the“Personal & Professional” Non-Credit Schedule and on theMatteson Area Center Web page.RESPONDING TO THE COMMUNITYPrairie State College has grown in many ways over its nearly50-year history–in size, in facilities, in breadth and depth ofeducational options, and in reputation. Always we have respondedto the needs and concerns of the district’s residents andbusinesses while maintaining strong partnerships with the area’sother educational, cultural, social service and civic organizations.OUR HISTORY:THE SUM OF MANY STORIESFounded in 1957 as Bloom Township Junior College, PrairieState College held its first classes the next year in a localchurch. Originally established to offer only transfer liberal artscourses and occupational-technical courses, the College wasreorganized in 1967 as a Class I junior college.With the combiningof four high school districts into an enlarged territory,the College was renamed Prairie State College. In 1989, theBeecher Community High School district was added to District515 by the Illinois Community College Board.In 1968, the College was housed in 10 interim buildings onits campus at Halsted Street and Vollmer Road. Construction ofpermanent facilities began in the fall of 1972 and was completedfor the 1975-76 academic year.A vocational-technical addition to the Main Campus Building,housing classrooms and laboratories, was dedicated in August1979. A new Library, the Christopher Art Gallery and theCommunity Instructional Center (later renamed the Business &Community Education Center) opened in 1996. Six years later,the Donors Forum of Chicago selected the PSC Library tohouse the South Metropolitan Philanthropy Center, the onlyresource and service center of its kind for nonprofit organizationsin the south and southwest suburbs.The Health/Tech Center, home to the Dental Hygiene,Surgical Technology and Networking programs, opened in 2000.The Fitness Complex, a unique partnership among Prairie StateCollege, the Chicago Heights Park District and St. JamesHospital and Health Centers, opened in 2001. Ground was brokenin May 2002 for the Adult Training and Outreach Centerand Children’s Learning Center; the dedication ceremony washeld two years later.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTTo prepare and train employees and support the businesses ofthe Chicago Southland, the College encompasses a number ofdepartments and programs, as well as hosting two or more jobfairs each year.Here are a few of the services within the Division ofCommunity & Economic Development:Corporate Education & Training. Trained professionals providecustomized solutions to the training needs of businesses andorganizations large and small, including the popular Computerson-the-Goprogram, technical training, leadership skills,Industrial & Environmental Safety Training Institute, ISO 9000,ISO 14000 and TS 16949 training, customer service, qualityskills, and more. Call (708) 709-3941 for more information.Business & Community Education Center. The center includesa 487-seat auditorium for lectures, concerts and other events,as well as four break-out rooms for meetings. Space is availablefor rental, with a customer-service-oriented staff to serve you.Call (708) 709-3782 for more information.8