MCC’s new University Center brings NIU, SIU, Roosevelt and Aurora together under one roof in Woodstock

Classes are about to begin at McHenry County College’s new University Center in downtown Woodstock.

The space offers students a chance to take courses and complete four-year and graduate degrees from Roosevelt University, Aurora University, Northern Illinois University or Southern Illinois University without needing to commute to those campuses or spend money on room and board.

The Roosevelt degrees to be offered through the University Center include criminal justice, graphic design and bachelor’s degrees in finance, human resource management, master’s in business administration and marketing with accelerated MBA options in those three fields.

Aurora University will be offering degrees in elementary education, nursing, social work, master’s of arts in education, master’s in social work and education endorsements, which are qualifications to teach specific subjects.

Northern Illinois is offering degrees in business administration, computer science, early childhood education, psychology and public health.

Southern Illinois’ offerings in Woodstock will be in accounting and industrial management and applied engineering degrees.

Classes will be hybrid, according to the MCC website.

The University Center won’t be offering McHenry County College classes, but will provide a convenient means for MCC grads and others to continue their education locally and pursue four-year or advanced degrees from the partner schools.

MCC President Clint Gabbard thanked trustees and donors, among others, during his remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. He said the partner universities “believe in the democratization” of education.

“Bachelor’s degrees change our communities,” Gabbard said.

“So often, students have the drive and talent to continue their education but are fastened too closely to a place — a job they can’t afford to leave, family that they support, a lack of transportation,” the MCC president said in separate news release. “Thankfully, our four partner universities have chosen to extend their institutional boundaries beyond their beautiful campuses and join us in bringing their world-class education to McHenry County.”

College officials announced during the ceremony that the building will be known as the Catalyst Campus. The University Center will be in the building, which also has space for other MCC programs including the Small Business Development Center.

There’s still time to enroll in fall 2024 classes, Executive Director Kailley Harmon said.

McHenry County’s University Center is not the first in the region: The College of Lake County’s University Center offers degrees from 12 universities.