McHenry County College forms the educational heart of our community. For over 50 years, the College has provided a broad range of programs tailored to students’ diverse interests and occupations. We’ve partnered with local businesses to help ensure a workforce armed with the latest knowledge and skills. And our focus on lifelong learning and cultural enrichment has expanded the horizons of residents of all ages.
Diverse Program Offerings
There’s something for everyone at McHenry County College (MCC). Students can choose from an array of options, including:
- Associate’s degree programs, which provide the first two years of a baccalaureate college curriculum;
- 30+ Associate of Applied Science degrees aimed at career preparation; and
- 66+ certificate programs.
Agreements with other community colleges allow students to take programs that are not offered at MCC.
Students can also earn a four-year Bachelor of Arts or Science degree through our affiliation with a number of four-year schools. See www.mchenry.edu/advising for more information and a current listing of affiliations.
MCC makes learning convenient for a variety of lifestyles and schedules. Students can choose from an array of delivery methods, including online classes and programs, blended classes or other nontraditional options. Visit www.mchenry.edu/online to learn more about combining classes at MCC with online courses to earn a degree.
Quality Education
Students who attend MCC can expect to come away well prepared for the next step in their career or educational journey. Whatever their specific goals or program, all students receive a solid educational foundation.
MCC’s commitment to its students includes a general education component, which provides important life and career skills, including:
- Critical thinking:
Students who think critically deconstruct information, identify components, and assess how these components relate to one another. Students make connections from multiple sources or components, bringing together components to form new ideas. Students select effective tools and processes for a given situation and relate components to established standards. Students actively engage with materials rather than passively accepting the views of others and consider the implications of decisions and behaviors on the well-being of themselves, others, and the world. Students recognize and minimize bias through self-reflection and by questioning the assumptions of themselves and others.
- Information literacy:
Students who are information literate assess their need for information. Students find sources that meet their information need, which may range from people and social media posts to academic articles and books. Students recognize the diversity of sources and understand the criteria that contribute to authority and credibility. Students select sources that best meet their needs and integrate information to accomplish a specific purpose ethically and responsibly, acknowledging sources and respecting intellectual property rights.
- Effective communication:
Students who communicate effectively express and receive information, concepts, and emotions successfully. Students adapt their communication appropriately depending on audience and context as they acknowledge the impact of language and presentation style, including vocal, verbal, and nonverbal cues. Students select from a variety of communication modes to respond to professional, civic, and personal needs.
- Professionalism:
Students who exhibit professional behavior effectively understand the tasks assigned to them and/or seek appropriate assistance to gain necessary comprehension. Students fulfill commitments, comply with professional standards, and adapt to the changing environment whether at school or work. Students demonstrate the ability to work with others, which includes respecting a variety of cultural views and practices, abilities, and sensibilities.
Some certificate and all degree seeking students entering MCC are assessed for general education goals, and their progress is tracked through program completion. This knowledge helps inform their future career and educational decisions.
Dedicated To Our Mission
As a leading community college and an integral part of the Illinois system of higher education, MCC is dedicated to upholding:
- A policy of open admissions
- A comprehensive program of educational offerings
- Maintenance of an informal student-oriented learning environment
Mission:
Our focus is learning. Student success is our goal.
Institutional Goals:
- Create accessible, high-impact student-focused services, interventions, and facilities that increase student engagement, completion, and career readiness.
- Develop and execute transparent strategies for generating and sustaining financial resources necessary to drive College innovations and operations.
- Deliver agile, secure, and cost-effective infrastructure and technology solutions to drive institutional innovation and empower a positive learning and work environment.
- Attract, retain, engage, and value diverse and dynamic faculty, staff, and administrators who are committed to excellence in our ever-changing context.
- Strengthen collaborations with the community and local industry to ensure that all College efforts are focused on improving the quality of life and economic development for those individuals who learn with us.
- Inspire and challenge students in every learning experience through the careful professional expertise of faculty who engage and support students, and expect high levels of learning.
- Articulate the College’s key value propositions in order to strategically increase community engagement and support, improve enrollment, and prepare the next generation of learners.
- Develop effective strategies in all our interactions with students and each other that welcome and value our diversity.
A Community Partner
As part of its mission, MCC continually monitors the needs of the community. We strive to provide classes and training opportunities that keep pace with changes in our society, economy and employment trends. We pride ourselves on being the area’s resource for:
Career Training Program
MCC offers career entry and continuing education for certified professionals.
Community Education
MCC welcomes students and residents of all ages and interests. We offer non-credit classes that cover a wide range of topics for personal development and lifelong learning, in a variety of delivery modes, including the Retired Adult Program (RAP) which is designed to enrich learning at any age. We also partner with the McHenry County 22nd Judicial Court to provide the MCC Court Programs: Traffic Safety School and Focus on the Kids.
Workforce Training Program
Area businesses and organizations partner with MCC to offer their employees non-credit, workforce development training. These courses, seminars, and workshops are held on site at their facilities or at the MCC Shah Center (4100 W. Shamrock Lane, McHenry)
Adult Education
MCC offers various adult education opportunities, both onsite and at satellite locations. Programs include: High School Equivalency (HSE) and Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), Literacy, and Citizenship.
Dual Credit
MCC collaborates with area high schools in accepting students who are capable of using selected college classes to complement their high school programs. Students must make their choices with full awareness of the standards set by the College for these courses or programs; therefore, students are expected to acquaint themselves with all available information related to the College’s performance standards. High school counselors provide services to assist students in making educational and career decisions.
Conferences and Event Services
Designed with business in mind, MCC is an excellent site for conferences and business meetings. Whether your group is 10 or 350, we offer a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere in a sophisticated environment. With locations in both Crystal Lake (main campus) and McHenry (Shah Center), we will work with you every step of the way to ensure a successful event. Our Luecht Auditorium, private dining rooms, breakout rooms and computer classrooms are fully A/V equipped with all the amenities you need to make your next conference or business meeting a success!
Library Access
Library access, including library cards, is available to Illinois Community College District #528 residents age 16 or older. In accordance with MCC’s “Children on Campus” policy, children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and are not to be left unsupervised while they are in the library.
Fitness Center
MCC’s Fitness Center is open to students and community members. The Center features a full line of weight training machines, treadmills, stair machines, elliptical trainers and free weights.
The Children’s Learning Center
The Children’s Learning Center (CLC) offers a positive learning environment for young children (ages 15 months to 6 years) and a lab site for early childhood education students. Students and employees can take advantage of flexible scheduling for their children within this age range. The CLC also includes a preschool program for children ages 3 to 6 years, which is available to parents in the community. The facility is state licensed.
A Safe And Accessible Environment
MCC promotes and adheres to a policy of equal opportunity and an academic and work environment free of harassment and discrimination or allow harassment for students, faculty and staff. The College does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, creed or religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental disabilities, military status, sexual orientation, gender-related identity, pregnancy, unfavorable discharge from military service, or other factors prohibited by law, in its admissions, employment, educational programs or activities. See the Legal Guidelines section of this catalog for more information. To view the harassment/discrimination policy, visit www.mchenry.edu/nondiscrimination. Report a concern or formal complaint to the vice president of Human Resources, (815) 455-8738 in regards to faculty or staff; or the director of Crisis Intervention and Prevention Services, (815) 479-7572, in regards to a student.
Accommodations For Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities who require accommodations, should contact the Access and Disability Services office for information on taking the appropriate steps to receive accommodations and support. The Access and Disability Services office approves accommodations under Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Academic accommodations are not automatic. To receive accommodations, students must make a formal request and engage in the interactive process. Students should supply documentation from a qualified professional to support their request, however, documentation is not required for the first meeting. Students must contact the Access and Disability Services office to begin the accommodation process. All discussions remain confidential. The Access and Disability Services office is located in Building A, Room A256. To schedule an appointment, please call (815) 455-8766. More information about Access and Disabilities Services at MCC can be found at: www.mchenry.edu/access.
General Education Philosophy Statement
McHenry County College’s commitment to its students includes a general education component structured to provide a wide array of life and career skills, which will enrich students’ professional and personal lives.
While at MCC, students are given the opportunity to develop and improve upon these goals through certificate and degree seeking programs. The assessment of the General Education goals is conducted at the course, department and institutional levels.
Assessment
In education, assessment is a method for determining how students are learning. In a school, an assessment may be as simple as a question posed to students in class about what they understand, or as complicated as a capstone project measuring all of the learning a student has done in one particular course. At MCC, we use assessment to determine how our students are progressing through their courses and through their degree programs, and we use the resulting data to make changes in the way we teach and in the way we organize our curriculum. All of this is done to ensure McHenry County College students are learning the things they need to learn in the most effective possible ways.
As an institution, McHenry County College believes that by the end of a degree program, a student should have a familiarity with and an ability to employ four General Education Goals: critical thinking; information literacy, effective communication, and professionalism. To assess a student’s understanding and aptitude with each of these goals, we ask each student who is seeking an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), Associate of Engineering Sciences (AES), or an Associate of General Education (AGE) to complete an E-Portfolio. Students build their E-Portfolios using MCC’s learning management system, and the finished portfolio comprises one graded artifact for each of the four general education goals. Students build their E-Portfolios throughout their time at MCC and submit their final portfolios before they graduate. Because MCC is committed to continuous improvement, this E-Portfolio is a graduation requirement. For more information, visit www.mchenry.edu/eportfolio.
Additionally, because the College believes in continuous improvement across all programs, students pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree (AAS) or a certificate of 30 credits or more will be asked to participate in the assessment activities designated by the department for those degrees and/or certificates.
MCC is committed to assessment to ensure that we are effectively addressing the College’s Mission and are good stewards of the public trust.
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