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NIU Business Dean Talks About New Offerings At Hoffman Estates

NIU

Five community colleges northwest of Chicago have partnered with NIU to help business students complete a bachelor’s degree while staying in their region.

The Business Dual Degree program enables students who have received their associate degree to continue their education at the NIU Hoffman Estates campus.

The program resulted from conversations between the colleges and NIU President Doug Baker about qualified students unable to complete their degrees. That’s according to Denise Schoenbachler, Dean of the NIU College of Business.

“In recent years, our President Baker has had great relationships and conversations, and has been more aggressively been asking our community college partners, ‘What do you need from NIU? What can NIU do to serve you better,” said Schoenbachler.

If this program is successful, she adds, it could be a model for extending NIU offerings in the future. “I think the growth will come at the campus with other programs,” said Schoenbachler.

The program is expected to start in January.

The colleges include:

  • Harper College
  • Elgin Community College
  • Oakton Community College
  • College of Lake County
  •  McHenry County College