catalog - Prairie State College

STUDENT LIFE2006-2008 CATALOGWhen you go to Prairie State, you’re giving up very little ofcollege life. Choices abound, beyond the classroom.Find out the latest news and announcements via the electronicmarquees on Halsted Street and Vollmer Road, noticesand posters around campus, the Student Review campus newspaper,and the College Web site (www.prairiestate.edu).THE CAMPUSESThe services and programs of Prairie State College have grownremarkably–in quality and size–in its near-50-year history. Itsattractive buildings and state-of-the-art facilities help us servethe community that is District 515.STUDENTLIFEMAIN CAMPUSBordered by Halsted Street on the east,Vollmer Road on thenorth, Coolidge Street on the west and Joe Orr Road on thesouth, the 137-acre Main Campus incorporates several buildingsand departments.The largest of all PSC buildings is referred toas the Main Building.Main Building. Reaching up all four floors of the MainBuilding, the Atrium is a central meeting spot and at the heartof the campus’s dynamic architecture. From there you canmove easily to other areas of the first floor, including• Information Center• Admissions, Records & Registration• Business Office• Financial Aid & Veterans Affairs• Library• Counseling & Academic Advising Center• Minority Student Transfer Center/Multicultural Affairs• Student Leadership Center• College Bookstore (a Barnes & Noble store)• Pioneer Café, offering a diverse menu featuring daily hotfood specials, soups, sandwiches, salads, desserts andbeverages.Vending services are also provided in all PSCbuildings.• Barnes & Noble Reading Room (a relaxing spot to checkyour e-mail on the computers provided, meet with yourstudy group, or enjoy one of the many special events andmeetings held there)• Tech Wing (west side of the Main Building, includes manyof the departments of Industrial Technology)On the second through fourth floors of the Main Buildingyou’ll find classrooms, numerous computer labs, science labs,the Student Success Center, music rooms, photography studio,faculty and staff offices, and more.Throughout each of the fourfloors, floor plans are posted to help you find your destination.Business & Community Education Center. Built as an extensionof the Main Building in 1996, the BCEC has become a premierbusiness conference center. It hosts many College, communityand business events in the auditorium and four breakoutrooms, all of which are equipped with state-of-the art audiovisualand computer capabilities. Another highlight of the BCECis the Christopher Art Gallery.Adult Training & Outreach Center. Located immediately northof the BCEC, the ATOC is home to Adult Education programs,the Illinois Employment Training Center (IETC) and CorporateEducation & Training. It opened its doors in late 2003.Children’s Learning Center. The CLC is a licensed facility providingquality childcare for children ages 15 months to 12 years.The beautiful facilities opened in early 2004. It can be accessedfrom Coolidge Street.Prairie & Nature Preserve. Located just south and east ofParking Lot A, the natural beauty of this area provides a restfulspot and a reminder of why “the Prairie State” is a close secondafter “Land of Lincoln” among the nicknames of Illinois.The preservealso includes a Fitness Trail that measures nearly a mile.34