Welcome to the 2010-2011 edition of the Rockford College Fact Book. An institutional fact book provides a centralized location for valuable information about the College . Data within this document are available to facilitate analysis of trends, decision-making and reporting . Existence of the Rockford College Fact Book helps institutionalize the collection, dissemination and use of standardized information
The fact book project was initially developed through the Rockford College Assessment Seminar (RCAS) and has been implemented by the Office of Institutional Research . Every effort is made to include the most accurate, currently available data along with historical trends Data in this edition reflect the 2010-2011 academic year
The Rockford College Fact Book is updated annually by the Office of Institutional Research . If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Ryan Chung, Coordinator of Institutional Research, at (815) 226-4186 or rchung@rockford .edu .
Mission and Vision
Our mission is to educate men and women to lead responsible and productive lives by means of a curriculum grounded in liberal arts learning and complemented and extended by professional and practical experiences . Through the total academic and co-curricular experience, Rockford College strives to prepare students for fulfilling lives, careers, and participation in a modern and changing global society
Our vision is to be Jane Addams’ college in the 21st century .
Strategic Direction
In 2008, Rockford College began a broad-based strategic planning process that refocused the college on eight goals that had potential for a more immediate impact . Objectives that included curriculum review, improving the student experience, increasing support for faculty and staff, improving the college culture, enhancing physical, technological, and informational infrastructure, collaborating with our community, strengthening fundraising efforts, and implementing a disciplined fiscal planning and budgeting process were tackled successfully Phase I work concluded in 2010 and led into three more advanced strategies that define the long-term goals for the College Phase II Strategies:
• To distinguish the College through academic programs designed to expand our academic reputation.
• To distinguish the College through our commitment to the whole student experience.
• To distinguish the College through stewardship of its assets.
Honor Societies and Programs
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Chi Alpha Sigma (Athletics)
• Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics)
• Phi Alpha Theta (History)
• Phi Delta Kappa (Education)
• Phi Sigma Iota (Foreign Languages)
• Psi Chi (Psychology)
• Sigma Xi (Scientific Research)
• Honors Program in Liberal Arts
• Honors Program in Economics, Business and Accounting
Dr. Robert L. Head, President
President’s Executive Council
Dr Stephanie Quinn, Executive Vice President and Dean of the College
Ms Christina Anderson, Vice President for Business and Operations and Chief Financial Officer
Mr . Barrett Bell, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Mr Bernard Sundstedt, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
President’s Administrative Council
Ms Christina Anderson, Vice President for Business & Operations and Chief Financial Officer
Mr Raymond Baker, Division Chair, Social & Behavioral Science and Education, Professor of Economics, Business and Accounting
Mr Barrett Bell, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Ms . Rita Elliott, Interim Director of Communications
Mr Jeffrey Fahrenwald, Director of the Masters of Business Administration Program, Associate Professor of Economics, Business, and Accounting
Mr Todd Fischer-Free, Assistant Vice President for Student Administrative Services
Dr. Fred Hadley, Division Chair, Science, Mathematics, and Nursing, Bergmann Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Robert L. Head, President
Mr. Jeff Hendry, Division Chair, Arts and Humanities, Professor of Theater Arts and Performing Arts
Ms. Anna Jattkowski-Hudson, Registrar
Ms Bonnie Johnson, Director of Information Technology
Ms. Kristyn King, Interim Director of Athletics and Head Women’s Softball Coach
Mr. Bradley Knotts, Dean of Students
Mr. Justin Krueger, Business Office Accounting Manager
Mr John McNamara, Senior Development Officer
Dr . Michelle McReynolds, Director of the Master of Arts in Teaching Program
Ms. Jennifer O’Brien, Director of Human Resources
Ms Susan Oshinski, Executive Assistant to the President
Dr Colleen Page, Faculty Chair and Associate Professor of English
Mr . Matthew Phillips, Associate Vice President of Operations
Ms Teddy Phillips, Assistant to the President
Dr Stephanie Quinn, Executive Vice President and Dean of the College
Ms. Heather Snider, Coordinator of Institutional Research
Mr Bernard Sundstedt, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Ms Cassie Swanson, Director of Marketing
Distinctions
Rockford College has garnered numerous distinctions in recent years, making it an institution that stands out. Here are the most notable:
Phi Beta Kappa. One of 11 colleges in Illinois and 280 in the country with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the oldest and most prestigious liberal arts academic honor society
Ability to Add Value for Students. Named to the prestigious Colleges of Distinction group of 200 institutions recognized for their ability to add value for students through a broad commitment to enhancing student achievement Colleges of Distinction are noted for their strong focus on teaching, wide variety of innovative learning experiences, opportunities for personal development and their high value to graduate schools and employers for students’ outstanding preparation . (2007)
Community Partnerships. Named one of only 64 colleges and universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to receive a new designation for universities notable for civic engagement (2010) College with a Conscience. One of 81 US colleges and universities in the Princeton Review book, Colleges with a Conscience, recognizing Rockford College’s strong ethos of civic engagement and the opportunities for community service offered to our students (2005)
Access through Economic Diversity. US News and World Report ranking of 9th among 130 Midwestern “master’s universities” for economic diversity – important recognition of our long-standing and successful effort to promote access for qualified students to excellent higher education, irrespective of the financial means of those students and their families . (2007)
Student Engagement Leads to Satisfaction. Shown by the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement as performing at or above U .S . norms on virtually all measures of student engagement in students’ education . In a recent alumni survey, 91% indicated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience as a student at Rockford College
“Best in the Midwest.” One of 158 colleges in the Midwest to receive the designation, which is based on student opinion data compiled by The Princeton Review and the Review’s standards for academic excellence within each region . (2005–2011)
Prestigious Honor for Community Service. One of only 83 colleges in the U.S. to receive the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, based on innovative and effective community service and service learning programs (2008–2010)
Accreditations
Rockford College is a private, independent, coeducational college providing courses of study leading to baccalaureate and master’s degrees The academic programs of students are based on a foundation of learning in the liberal arts and sciences The college emphasizes excellence in teaching, and has a strong commitment to scholarly activity, creative expression and community service The educational program is characterized by a concern for the needs of all students, and reflects the basic human rights and responsibilities of a democratic society Rockford College is accredited by the following:
The Higher Learning Commission
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
230 South LaSalle St, Ste 7-500 Chicago, IL, 60604-1413
800-621-7440
www ncahigherlearningcommission org
American Chemical Society 1155 Sixteenth St NW Washington, DC 20036
Financial Aid Distribution by Type: All Full-time Undergraduates
SOURCE:StudentAdministrativeServices
FinancialAidDistributionbyType
Campus Crime Statistics
Campus Safety
Campus Crime Statistics
The following crime statistics are in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (formerly the Campus Security Act)
By participating in the Campus Activities Board (CAB), Rockford College students have a voice in planning their own events . CAB is a student group that brings musicians, comedians, and other performers to campus . CAB also programs Homecoming, Family Weekend, April Weekend, and dances.
Students also play an important role in College governance through the Student Government Association (SGA) Student representatives may hold memberships on the Board of Trustees and its Student Life Committee, as well as being members of the four standing committees of SGA: Academic Affairs, Allocation Committee, Campus Activities Board (CAB), and Residence Hall Council (RHC).
Rockford College has 26 registered student clubs and organizations .
Rockford College competes in the NCAA Division III, Northern Athletics Conference Approximately 25% of the full-time undergraduate population participates in intercollegiate athletics each year .
Adult Accelerated B.S. in Management Studies. The Bachelor of Science in Management Studies (BSMS) degree program is designed to provide a quality educational experience for adult learners in the area BSMS is an accelerated undergraduate degree completion program specifically designed for the adult learner who has an associate degree or equivalent and wants to complete a bachelor’s degree program .
English Language Institute. The English Language Institute (ELI) helps students learn English for the purposes of transferring or beginning studies at an American college or university, improving career opportunities and growing professionally, and fully experiencing cultural exchanges in the United States The Rockford College ELI offers and intensive day program, evening program, customized courses for businesses, and private tutoring
Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence. The Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) works to build the management capacity of nonprofit organizations The numbers reported here represent unduplicated enrollments in the Center’s core programs including the Proposal Writing Workshops, Leadership Café, Leadership Certification Program, Board Training, Nonprofit Dialogue, Economic Impact Dialogue, and Nonprofit Summit Other offerings include agency assessments and technical assistance, a foundation directory, and an annual business plan competition
Northern Illinois Center for Non-Profit Excellence
Rockford College Learning Center. The Rockford College Learning Center (RCLC) offers academic support to members of the community The RCLC emphasizes quality teaching with a strong commitment to aid each student in attaining academic potential while directing the student towards independent learning and improved personal achievement Programs and services include diagnostic testing; reading, writing, math, and study skills courses; private tutoring; ACT, Illinois Basic Skills, GRE and GMAT preparation; and academic summer camps
TheNorthernIllinoisCenterforNonprofitExcellence(NICNE)workstobuildthemanagementcapacityof nonprofitorganizations.ThenumbersreportedhererepresentunduplicatedenrollmentsintheCenter'score programsincludingtheProposalWritingWorkshops,LeadershipCaf é, LeadershipCertificationProgram,Board Training,NonprofitDialogue,EconomicImpactDialogue,andNonprofitSummit.Otherofferingsinclude agencyassessmentsandtechnicalassistance,afoundationdirectory,andanannualbusinessplancompetition.
Community-Based Learning (sometimes called sevice learning) links the classroom to the community in an experiential learning process Professors, students and community agencies learn collaboratively while benefiting the wider Rockford community
Rockford College participates in two standardized assessments of student learning: the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) These two assessment tools are administered in alternate years The most recent CLA administration was during the 2010-2011 academic year, and NSSE was most recently administered in Spring 2010
The CLA is designed to measure an institution’s contribution, or value-added score, to the development of higherorder skills (e g analytic reasoning and evaluation, writing effectiveness, writing mechanics, and problem solving ) This assessment tool randomly assigns students to take either a Performance Task or an Analytic Writing Task The Analytic Writing Task includes a pair of prompts called Make-an-Argument and Critique-an-Argument This type of assessment requires that students use critical thinking and written communication skills to perform cognitively demanding tasks
The CLA allows the College to determine whether our first-year and senior students are performing (a) near expected, (b) above expected, (c) below expected, (d) well above expected, and (e) well below expected, based on their general aptitude It also allows an institution to compare its students’ learning results to those at similar institutions Finally, the CLA is intended to assist faculty, school administrators, and others interested in programmatic changes to improve both teaching and learning
Based on the average Entering Academic Ability score of Rockford College first-year students, we would expect the average CLA score to be 1050 The actual average was 1121, which is at the expected level
Based on the average Entering Academic Ability score of Rockford College seniors, we would expect the average CLA score to be 1156 Or seniors scored 1208, which is well above the expected level
The 2010-2011 CLA results should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes and high transfer-in rates 9 freshmen and 22 seniors (including 19 seniors transfer-in students) . Please contact Chih-Ming (Ryan) Chung Ph . D ., Coordinator of Institutional Research, at rchung@rockford edu for additional information
Standardized Institutional Assessment
National Survey of Student Engagement
The NSSE is an indirect measure of student learning based on five benchmarks of effective educational practice: Level of Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction, Enriching Educational Experiences and Supportive Campus Environment . Benchmark scores are calculated on a 100-point scale, but do not represent percentages Comparisons with reference groups and trends over time are more informative than isolated scores The reference groups with which Rockford College compares itself include a group of selected peers, colleges in the same Carnegie Classification, and all schools that participated in NSSE
The following information is reproduced from Rockford College’s NSSE 2010 Benchmark Comparisons Report and Multi-Year Benchmark Report The Executive Snapshot summarizes benchmark results for Rockford College and its three comparison groups A plus sign (+) indicates that Rockford College scored significantly higher than the respective comparison group (p < 05), a minus sign (–) indicates that Rockford College scored significantly lower than the comparison group, and a blank space indicates no significant different between Rockford College and the comparison group . After the summary table, benchmark comparisons and trend information are presented separately for each of the five benchmarks
Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student leraning and collegiate quality . Colleges and universities promote high levels of student achievement by emphasizing the importance of academic effort and setting high expectations for student performance
Active and Collaborative Learning
Standardized Institutional Assessment
Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and asked to think about what they are learning in different settings . Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material prepares students for the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during and after college
Active and Collaborative Learning
Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education and asked to think about what they are learning in different settings Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material prepares students for the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during and after college
Students learn firsthand how experts think about and solve practical problems by interacting with faculty members inside and outside the classroom As a result, their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life-long learning
Complemetary learning opportunities enhance academic programs . Diversity experiences teach students valuable things about themselves and others Technology facilitates collaboration between peers and instructors Internships, community service, and senior capstone courses provide opportunities to integrate and apply knowledge
Students perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that are committed to their success and cultivate positive working and social relations among different groups on campus
Master of Business Administration 146%188%239%2118%2719%
Master of Art in Teaching 21194%20892%23191%9983%11781% ElementaryEducation198%219%3213%2017%2215% SecondaryEducation2812%219%156%2118%1510% K-12**N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A53% Reading31%42%1<1%54%53% SpecialEducation1<1%1<1%00%00%00% InstructionalStrategies11451%7533%5421%3328%4934% Education,General*1<1%31%166%119%1611% AlternativeCertificationProgram†4520%8337%11344%98%53%
The charts below represent the increasing numbers of alumni (duplicated) who take part in the life of the college through their participation in Alumni events We are most proud of our marked increase in Academic and Co-Curricular program offerings, during which our alumni mentor and support current students of Rockford College
SOURCE:AlumniandDevelopment
SOURCE:AlumniandDevelopment
Alumni Participation by Event Type Change in Alumni Participation
