User:Crojas2/Harold Washington College



Harold Washington College (HWC) originally called Loop Junior College, is one of seven accredited colleges of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), Community College District No. 508. . T The campus is located at 30 East Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601, in an eleven-story building one block south of the Chicago River at the corner of Lake and Wabash Streets. This institution provides accessible and affordable opportunities for academic advancement. Courses are offered to full-time and part-time students, enabling those with jobs to attend school and work simultaneously. Many working students enroll courses so that they may advance in their jobs or prepare for new careers. HWC was founded 1962, but it was renamed in 1987 after the first African-American mayor of Chicago’ death, Mayor Harold Washington. By1999, it was offering more than 70 courses through distance-learning methods in addition to their in-person common core curriculum, certifications, hybrid courses, and two-year degrees in a wide variety of majors. This institution is located in the midpoint between students from the south, north and west, which allows the school to gather a large race variety. The Chicago City Colleges’ applications fees are free, and tuitions are based on residency status and number of credit hours.

History
HWC was founded 1962 to assist the working class combine education with downtown employment. From 1962 until 1987, this college housed the administration of the City Colleges of Chicago, and Chicago City-Wide College (CCWC) who handled the distance and adult education. In 1987, the CCWC relocated at new offices, which freed a significant amount of space that allowed HWC to expand their curriculum and increase the number of students. However, the same year, 1987, Mayor Harold Washingtonn, the first African-American mayor of Chicago, died. Harold Washington was a strong advocate of education during his election. For this reason the CCC Board of Trustees decided to re-name the institution after Mayor Harold Washington. By 1999, HWC was offering more than 70 courses through distance-learning methods in addition to their in-person common core curriculum. From 2003 to 2005, $29.5 million renovation allowed the school to modernize the building with more classroom, more spacious library, and high-performance computer labs. The renovations assisted the college to continue accomplishing their mission to offer more a accessible and affordable education.

Accreditation
Each of the seven City Colleges of Chicago are accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and are members of the North Central Association, This accreditation means that the content of courses taught at the institution meets national standards; therefore, four-year colleges and universities will accept transfer credits from HWC. Students at Harold Washington College can be secure in the knowledge that the credits they earn at Harold Washington College are transferable to other regionally accredited four-year colleges and universities.

Programs
The community college offers two-year degrees in a wide variety of majors, and it is also the only site in the city of Chicago for taxicab driver certification. In 2005 it finished renovations with the help of a city bond initiative that was the first of its kind in support of a City Colleges institution. The Workforce Institute of the City Colleges of Chicago is operated under Harold Washington College. Harold Washington College offers Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT), Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Engineering Science (AES), Associate in Fine Arts (AFA), and the Associate in Science (AS) for students seeking a two year degree. For students planning to attend a four-year university, but undecided about which one. This institution is also a participant in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), where more than one hundred Illinois higher education institutions participate in the IAI, statewide. By participating, each institution accepts to take IAI general courses. Thus, the IAI general courses transfer from HWC to a four year-university.

Harold Washington Colleges also offers hybrid courses that provide flexible schedule to students who have to combine school with work. In hybrid course, students spend one half of the instruction time in a classroom and receive the other half of their instruction on line. Online lectures do not required students to participate in discussion at specific times, but active participation, online assignments, and discussions are required in the online environment. Hybrid courses are designed for students who are independent, self-motivated learners looking for a more flexible schedule without taking a fully online class.

In addition, HWC offers two academic career programs, Advanced Certificates (AC) and Basic Certificates (BC). Students must complete at least 30 credit hours in order to earn an AC and fewer than 30 for a BC. Advanced and Basic Certificates allow students to select from an array of business, education, technical, human service, and public service courses. This option allows students to advance in their education while working simultaneously.

Enrollment
Since 1962, HWC has provided an education to a large and diverse group of students. Due to its variety of programs and schedule flexibility, 62% are full-time and 38% are part-time students. This institution's location is a midpoint between students from the south, north and west, which allows the school to gather a large race variety. In fall 2009, 9,044 students enrolled in Harold Washington College, 57.5 % and 42.5% were female and male respectively. The largest race/ethnic group was African-Americans followed by Hispanics (26.1%), Whites (20.2%), Asians (13.5%). Although the average student age at HWC IS 28 years old, 742 high school graduates enrolled institution. 77% of them came from Chicago Public Schools, 75 attended private schools in Chicago, six from foreign high schools, and 91 graduated form schools outside of Chicago. The college’s top five feeder schools are Kelly High School, Juarez Community Academy, and Curie Metro.

In 2009, sixty-nine percent of students transfer to a four-year institution, a significantly higher proportion than Course Completers (31.2%) and Occupational graduates (5.6%). The largest receiving transfer institutions of Harold Washington College students were UIC (249 transfers), DePaul (158), and Northeastern Illinois (122).

Cost
The Chicago City Colleges’ applications fees are free, and tuitions are based on the number of credit hours. However, the cost of each credit hour and fees vary according to the student’s residency status. In 2011, in-district students pay $89.00 per credit hour, out of district students $173.56 per credit, and out of state students $230.35 per credit hour.

Under certain guidelines established by the U.S Department of Education, HWC assists students with federal, state, and private funding to cover their educational expenses. In addition, This institution offers private and public scholarships for outstanding students with financial need.

Scholarships:


 * Soglin/McBride Memorial Scholarship Fund
 * Harold Washington Academic Achievement Scholarship (HWAAS)