Academics
鈥淚n high school we were fed information and expected to memorize it,鈥 explains a freshman. 鈥淎t Rockford College we discuss things that are important to us and the community and learn about it. The students are the teachers too.鈥 The Rockford brand of collaborative learning reflects a liberal arts approach to education that students describe as 鈥渇un, exciting, [and] interesting.鈥 Located along the northern fringe of Illinois, Rockford boasts a corps of professors who 鈥渨ill all know you by name and treat you like they have known you forever.鈥 In fact, many of them 鈥渆ven go as far as to give out their cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, and personal e-mail addresses.鈥 Rockford鈥檚 undergrads tell us that their professors are not only 鈥渂rilliant, dedicated, engaging, and very accessible,鈥 but they鈥檙e also determined to provide students with 鈥減ractical experience鈥 that will give them a leg up when they hit the working world. Undergrads are also encouraged to 鈥済ive back to the community鈥 and 鈥渕ake a difference.鈥 As an elementary education major says, 鈥淩ockford College not only promotes learning and education, it also promotes humanity, honesty, and a lifelong passion to help others.鈥
Student Body
The salad bowl at Rockford College includes a healthy mix of students 鈥渞ight out of high school鈥 and 鈥渞eturning students who have decided that a career change was in order.鈥 This often means 鈥渟ome are 18, some are 52,鈥 and 鈥淵ou can see all walks of life learning together and from each other.鈥 The student body is also given texture by 鈥渟tudents from far away, all ethnicities and races, and different financial backgrounds.鈥 But above all, they鈥檙e 鈥渕otivated, intelligent, and socially conscious.鈥 Not to mention 鈥渇riendly,鈥 鈥渆asygoing,鈥 and accepting of everyone. 鈥淓veryone is different in their own ways. Everyone is at Rockford College for a reason, which is to reach their goal.鈥
Campus Life
鈥淚 look forward to getting up every day and going to classes,鈥 exclaims a freshman---and she鈥檚 not alone. The majority of Rockford students report that they 鈥渞eally enjoy鈥 their classes. Outside of the classroom, 鈥淭his is a school that is huge on community,鈥 a senior reminds us. 鈥淭hey 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.鈥 Student organizations accommodate 鈥渁 large variety of interests,鈥 and though the school isn鈥檛 鈥測our typical party college,鈥 that isn鈥檛 to say that there isn鈥檛 鈥渁 party scene on campus.鈥