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The University Mission Roosevelt University aspires to be a national leader in educating socially conscious citizens for active and dedicated lives as leaders in their professions and their communities. The University’s student-centered faculty and staff inspire academically qualified students from diverse backgrounds and all ages to benefit from rigorous higher education and professional development opportunities in the dynamic Chicago metropolitan environment. Deeply rooted in practical scholarship and principles of social justice expressed as ethical awareness, leadership development, economic progress, and civic engagement, Roosevelt University encourages community partnerships and prepares its diverse graduates for responsible citizenship in a global society. History Roosevelt’s founding in 1945 as an independent, coeducational institution of higher learning was a feat requiring considerable courage. The new school had no campus, no library, and no endowment. But its founders had an ideal that enabled them to overcome great obstacles. They were determined to make higher education available to all students who could qualify academically. Considerations of social or economic class, racial or ethnic origin, sex, or age were, and remain, irrelevant in determining who is admitted. Originally named Thomas Jefferson College, the new school was soon renamed Roosevelt College in recognition of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s democratic ideals and values. Members of the early advisory boards included Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson, Pearl Buck, Ralph Bunche, Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, and Gunnar Myrdal. The Roosevelt experiment was a success from the start. Independent and unencumbered by tradition, Roosevelt was free to pioneer new educational programs and democratic decision making. Student representatives are voting members of the University Senate; and faculty, alumni, and student representatives serve on the Board of Trustees. While insisting that its students meet the same high standards of academic excellence as those that characterize any first-rate university, Roosevelt has kept its doors open to the residents of the inner city, to students who work full-time to support themselves, and to students who are the first members of their families to attend college. Current enrollment is more than 7,400 students, of whom about one third are pursuing graduate studies. A large percentage of Roosevelt students also work either full-time or part-time. Roosevelt offers programs and services that place the needs of its students uppermost in its priorities. Class schedules are flexible. Courses are offered from early morning until late at night as well as on weekends, and class sizes are small. The Roosevelt faculty, numbering more than 500 full-time and part-time members, is accessible to students. An impressive number of the faculty publish books and articles, conduct important research, and perform in the world’s great concert halls. But first and foremost, Roosevelt professors are dedicated teachers who enjoy teaching and excel at it. For many students, Roosevelt University’s appeal is its focus on traditional academic disciplines, out of which innovative interdisciplinary programs have emerged. A Roosevelt education has long been characterized as being slightly ahead of the academic mainstream, and the University’s many new academic programs continue that tradition. The College of Arts and Sciences has developed new centers of excellence in the social sciences, humanities and natural sciences, and an honors program called the Roosevelt Scholars. Programs in the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration combine a solid liberal arts background with professional training in areas from accounting and financial services to international business. The College of Education has played a leadership role in the Chicago Educational Alliance, a consortium of nine university presidents and leaders from the Chicago Public Schools. The Chicago College of Performing Arts offers many rigorous performance programs in music and theatre along with studies in such areas as jazz studies, music education, and composition. The Evelyn T. Stone University College is a well-established college for adults who return to earn their degrees. Through a generous grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation, Roosevelt has undertaken an initiative in fully online education, called RU Online, offered through the Evelyn T. Stone University College. Roosevelt is known as an outstanding metropolitan university for several reasons. Its main campus in downtown Chicago and its suburban campus in Schaumburg are near convenient modes of transportation, which make it easy for working students to attend classes. The University provides numerous public services for the greater metropolitan area from which it draws the bulk of its students. Roosevelt also has a number of specialized areas of study including affiliations with other academic, health, theatrical, legal, and civic institutions. Exchange programs with international universities and schools provide a global dimension for both American and international students who come to study at the University. The Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Center for Democratic Values comprises the Institute for Metropolitan Affairs, the St. Clair Drake Center for African and African-American Studies, the Center for New Deal Studies, and the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice—all of which promote research, discourse, and social action in the areas of social responsibility and social justice. In all of its richly varied educational and research programs, Roosevelt is inspired and guided by the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who dedicated the University “to the enlightenment of the human spirit.” Campuses Roosevelt’s Historic Chicago Campus One of the earliest multipurpose buildings constructed in this country, the Auditorium Building originally included a luxurious 400-room hotel, a business section of 136 offices and stores, and the Auditorium Theatre seating 4,200. The theatre, world renowned for its beauty and near-perfect acoustics, was once described by Frank Lloyd Wright as “the greatest room for music and opera in the world—bar none.”Wright served his apprenticeship as chief draftsman for Adler and Sullivan during construction of the Auditorium Building. Roosevelt students enjoy many events in the Auditorium Theatre; it is used for major theatrical events, University convocations, commencement exercises, occasional University concerts, and other events. Throughout the years the University has sought to renovate and restore the historically significant areas of the Auditorium Building, including Rudolph Ganz Memorial Hall, the Louis Sullivan Room, Oscar Fainman Memorial Hall, the Michigan Avenue lobby, and the south alcove of the Murray-Green Library. At the same time, the University has modernized classrooms, laboratories, and computing areas to keep pace with changes in technology and pedagogy. Continuing renovation of the Auditorium Building and future growth in programs and enrollment have been made possible by the opening in 2001, of the Center for Professional Advancement in the historic Gage Building, four blocks north of the Auditorium Building on Michigan Avenue. Another historic landmark designed in part by Louis Sullivan, the Gage Building was renovated to accommodate the latest technologies for programs in business, computer science, and communications. With its expanded presence on Michigan Avenue close to the heart of Chicago’s business community, Roosevelt has reaffirmed its commitment to provide state-of-the-art facilities to meet the needs of students in the 21st century. For students who want the convenience of living on campus, the Herman Crown Center offers residence hall rooms, a cafeteria, and a fully equipped recreation center adjacent to the Auditorium Building. The Center offers students opportunities for democratic living, organized social activities, and access to a wide range of academic and cultural events. In the fall of 2004, the University opened a new residence hall close to campus. The University Center of Chicago—a joint venture between Roosevelt University, DePaul University, and Columbia College—is a state-of-the-art residence hall, housing 1,700 students. With the opening of University Center as an enhancement to the already existing concentration of educational and cultural institutions, the South Loop is becoming one of the most vital centers for student life in the country. Albert A. Robin Campus, Schaumburg The 30-acre campus offers classes through the College of Arts and Sciences, the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration, the College of Education, and the Evelyn T. Stone University College. Courses are offered during the day, evenings, and weekends to accommodate students’ busy work and family schedules. Childcare is available to students, faculty, and staff through the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC). The ECEC has a committed staff, a state-of-the-art facility, and flexible schedules to care for and educate infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. A full range of student services is available at the Schaumburg campus along with a dining center, an electronic library, a bookstore, and a fitness/recreation area. Various student organizations and associations are active on the Schaumburg campus, offering opportunities to meet other students and gain leadership experience. The campus is an ongoing host to a number of local and regional art exhibits and is open to community organizations and businesses for hosting meetings and receptions. The campus is located in one of the most dynamic hubs of business and industry in the nation, in the immediate vicinity of several major corporations and numerous retail establishments, including Woodfield Mall. This proximity to commerce and the University’s strong relationships with area business and industry offer students and graduates a wealth of opportunities for employment, internships, and career growth or advancement. A community advisory board of over 50 business and civic leaders in the northwest suburbs provides counsel and support to the University as well as scholarships and mentoring opportunities for students. Accreditation Some specialized areas within a university may seek additional program-specific accreditation, generally from a professional association in their field. This kind of accreditation focuses on the curriculum, faculty resources, and methods of assessment of a specific academic and/or professional discipline.At Roosevelt,business degree programs in the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration have been accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a professional accrediting organization specifically for business programs. The business-oriented programs of study in the Evelyn T. Stone University College, designed for the specific needs of adult students, are interdisciplinary in nature and have not been accredited byACBSP.Prospective students should speak with an academic advisor and consider the benefits of each available option before deciding which of Roosevelt’s business or business-oriented programs best suits their individual needs and future educational plans. Regional and Professional Accreditations University Memberships Graduate Degrees College of Arts and Sciences Master of Arts Master of Public Administration Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications Master of Science in Journalism Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration College of Education Master of Arts Chicago College of Performing Arts Master of Music Evelyn T. Stone University College Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration Evelyn T. Stone University College |
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