Laurie Borowicz: Kishwaukee College ready for future, despite challenges

My first month as the President of Kishwaukee College has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. I’d like to share some things I have learned about the College community in my first few weeks.

• Kishwaukee College touches the lives of many area residents.

Close to 6,500 students have enrolled in over 60 different programs during the 2015-16 school year. The faculty are second to none. They are dedicated to providing the best academic experience for our students and do so in a setting of small class sizes that allows them to really get to know their students.

The number of alumni who credit a Kishwaukee faculty member for providing support and guidance in choosing a career path and their eventual success on that path is, quite simply, inspiring. In addition, Kish has outstanding staff who come to work every day to help make the college a great place to learn.

• Kishwaukee College has a tremendous impact on the young adults in our communities. Almost a third of the Class of 2015 from our district high schools made Kishwaukee College their first choice.

In another year, history tells us that number will rise to nearly 45 percent – that means almost half of all high school graduates in the district will attend Kishwaukee within a year of graduation. I look forward to enhancing our relationships and programs with area school districts to help our young people be college and career ready.

• Kishwaukee College contributes significantly to the local workforce. Approximately 60 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2015 are employed in the area by over 60 different businesses and industries. An impressive 95 percent of Kishwaukee graduates continue to live, work, and pay taxes in Illinois in the long term. Of Kishwaukee students who transfer to a university, 70 percent choose Northern Illinois University. We are pleased to see so many students stay local to continue their education.

I look forward to working with our business partners to ensure the college continues to meet the needs of our local workforce.

• Kishwaukee College provides affordable access to higher education. According to debt.org, student loan debt in the U.S. grew from $260 billion in 2004 to a staggering $1.2 trillion in 2014. The average university graduate can expect to complete their degree with $26,600 in student loan debt (collegescholarships.org). For the 2015-16 academic year, tuition at a four-year public university in Illinois ranged from $11,000 to $20,000 according to collegeillinois.org.

The tuition for the year as a full-time student at Kishwaukee is approximately $3,570, a considerable savings. Federal financial aid was awarded to 53 percent of our students this year, but an impressive 80 percent of our students receive financial assistance – primarily in the form of grants and scholarships – to attend our college. Much of this is due to the generous donations from the residents of the communities we serve.

The Kishwaukee College Foundation awarded more than $267,000 in scholarships to our students in 2015-16.

• Kishwaukee College, while faced with budget challenges, is preparing for the future. Although the current budget situation in Springfield is proving a challenge to higher education institutions across the state, Kishwaukee College has taken steps to face this challenge.

The college relies on state funding for 22 percent of its total budget, and we have not received any of the funds to date. Furthermore, the future of the funding is uncertain. Faced with this situation, we have developed a plan, remaining focused on the student experience, both in and out of the classroom.

Most of our community residents are aware that we are planning for layoffs effective July 1 to meet the budget impasse and resulting funding shortfall. The plan has no academic programs being eliminated. No support services for students are being completely eliminated. The college has provided the educational opportunities that you, our community, need and want and we will continue to do so in the future.

I am proud to be leading Kishwaukee College, and thank you for welcoming me into the community. I am confident that we will continue to build on a strong tradition of educational integrity and excellence.

• Laurie Borowicz is president of Kishwaukee College in Malta.