Rockford University (RC)

“In high school we were fed information and expected to memorize it,” explains a freshman. “At Rockford College we discuss things that are important to us and the community and learn about it. The students are the teachers too.” The Rockford brand of collaborative learning reflects a liberal arts approach to education that students describe as “fun, exciting, [and] interesting.” Located along the northern fringe of Illinois, Rockford boasts a corps of professors who “will all know you by name and treat you like they have known you forever.” In fact, many of them “even go as far as to give out their cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, and personal e-mail addresses.” Rockford’s undergrads tell us that their professors are not only “brilliant, dedicated, engaging, and very accessible,” but they’re also determined to provide students with “practical experience” that will give them a leg up when they hit the working world. Undergrads are also encouraged to “give back to the community” and “make a difference.” As an elementary education major says, “Rockford College not only promotes learning and education, it also promotes humanity, honesty, and a lifelong passion to help others.”

The salad bowl at Rockford College includes a healthy mix of students “right out of high school” and “returning students who have decided that a career change was in order.” This often means “some are 18, some are 52,” and “You can see all walks of life learning together and from each other.” The student body is also given texture by “students from far away, all ethnicities and races, and different financial backgrounds.” But above all, they’re “motivated, intelligent, and socially conscious.” Not to mention “friendly,” “easygoing,” and accepting of everyone. “Everyone is different in their own ways. Everyone is at Rockford College for a reason, which is to reach their goal.”

“I look forward to getting up every day and going to classes,” exclaims a freshman---and she’s not alone. The majority of Rockford students report that they “really enjoy” their classes. Outside of the classroom, “This is a school that is huge on community,” a senior reminds us. “They do a lot of things to raise funds for a charity or go out into the community. They just had a group go into the Charles Street area to help with clean up from the freak flood [of Labor Day 2006]. Also, they have campus get-togethers with bands or cook-offs.” Student organizations accommodate “a large variety of interests,” and though the school isn’t “your typical party college,” that isn’t to say that there isn’t “a party scene on campus.”