Joliet Junior College Romeoville campus offers innovative community education

Romeoville — Joliet Junior College celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Romeoville campus on Tuesday with a Halloween-themed open house event for the community.

“We really wanted to bring the community into the college,” said Stephanie Braun, JJC’s dean of Academic Intervention and Support, who oversees the Romeoville campus. “I think a lot of people don’t realize we’re here. We wanted to give them a reason to come inside.”

In addition to a reception with food, raffles, and a live musical performance by the Fine Arts department’s Student Jazz Combo, the anniversary celebration included a trick-or-treat open house, in which families were encouraged to go from department to department through the campus’ two buildings collecting candy and learning about the school’s programs and services.

Growth over the years

While the first building of the campus at 1125 W. Romeo Road was built in 1993 as the “north campus,” the facility has seen significant growth in the past decade, with the second building being added in 2017 to double its footprint and expand the campus’ offerings.

January 2023 also saw the campus bookstore converted into a “makers lab” featuring 3D printing and virtual reality equipment, which are open to the public through memberships and classes.

Currently, the Romeoville campus is the primary home of the school’s Cisco computer networking classes and the cybersecurity and business programs, in which students can earn associate’s degrees or certifications.

The campus also hosts a CNA lab for the nursing program and several natural sciences labs, as well as a testing center where students from programs around the state can take certification exams.

“The testing center is really a great facility,” said Braun. “We’ve had folks drive from Chicago and even from out of state to do testing at JJC.”

In addition to the regular community college programs, the Romeoville campus also hosts 40 community education programs, including courses to earn a GED, English Second Language classes, computer courses, and artistic programs from weaving to 3D printing.

The school is also home to the University Center which allows students to take classes from partner universities, including Southern Illinois University and Roosevelt University, to earn more advanced degrees in specific programs, such as public safety management, business administration, and health administration, while remaining at JJC.

“The ease of access for students to get an affordable education at this campus is great for the community. But it also brings a lot of enrichment.”

—  John Noak, Romeoville mayor

Braun said the University Center program is still growing and “helps students who are geographically bound to the area to still get their degree.”

Looking for expansion

University President Clyne Namuo also acknowledged the recent growth of the campus’ “three plus one” program in his remarks at the anniversary reception, which allows students to take a third year of university courses online through JJC before transferring to a partner university for their final year of school.

The program is aimed at saving students money and was bolstered by a $50,000 donation from Carlyn Engers to provide students with $1,000 scholarships for the program.

“The Romeoville campus is certainly a facility that has grown into its identity over the last 30 years,” said Namuo. “We are exploring expanding JJC’s footprint west to serve more of our region. As we pursue growth opportunities, we want to use Romeoville as a model for offering those services.”

“I was here when we dedicated the expansion in 2017, and I’m so happy to have this campus here,” said Romeoville Mayor John Noak. “This institution has a stellar administration, a great board, and some of the best faculty you could ever hope for. We’ve come so far as a village and as a county over the years and this institution has evolved so everyone can be involved and feel involved. I’m proud to be a part of it.”

According to Namuo, Romeoville was one of the fastest growing communities in the state at the time the original campus building was first constructed, with 25,000 residents coming into the community between 1990 and 2010. The campus has continued to grow with it.

“The ease of access for students to get an affordable education at this campus is great for the community,” said Noak. “But it also brings a lot of enrichment. There are so many groups, whether it’s art, or culture, or sports, it helps bring the community together and educate them.”

The campus has also recently partnered with the village in its efforts to improve walkability and street beautification along Route 53 and Weber Road, which border both the campus property and the village administrative buildings, something Noak said will make the community more accessible and “create a more welcoming civic area.”