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Harper College history
Harper College company history timeline
Harper opened its doors to students on September 13, 1967.
In 1967, Harper’s first faculty members were hired, and classes for 1,725 students were begun in temporary facilities in September.
By fall 1968, enrollment had already more than doubled that projection to 3,735 students.
The college began offering classes at its new location in September 1969, serving 4,130 day and evening students.
In 1969, Harper second-year student Larry Moats, then 21, won a seat on the Board of Trustees, unseating a University of Chicago-trained nuclear physicist who had worked on the Manhattan Project.
The original 1969 library was reimagined as a light-filled learning space and was dedicated as the David K. Hill Family Library in honor of former Trustee David K. Hill and the Hill family’s donation of more than $1 million in support of the College’s programs.
Founded in 1970, the program continues to thrive despite state funding cuts leading to other women's programs throughout Illinois to close.
A fire destroyed Harper's fieldhouse (the one remaining remnant of the old horse stables) on June 9, 1973, destroying classrooms, offices, physical education equipment and locker rooms.
Since the Harper College Educational Foundation was established in 1973, it has raised $30.4 million.
The $50 million Main Campus was fully operational in the fall of 1974.
In September 1975, a successful funding referendum was held that allowed the College to proceed with the completion of the Palatine campus.
In 1978, the College began a major effort to develop a new master plan in concert with a comprehensive self-study effort.
In the fall of 1980, the college opened an instructional site at the Louis Joliet Renaissance Center at 214 N. Ottawa Street in Joliet's downtown City Center.
In 1982, the College established a CAD/CAM training center in cooperation with high technology firms in the area.
It is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It first offered distance learning courses in 1984.
In fall 2005, there were 1,000 students enrolled in distance learning courses. It first offered distance learning courses in 1984.
In March 1992, thousands of people came to campus to view a 480-panel section of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, created as a memorial to those who have died of AIDS and to help people understanding the disease's devastating impact.
In 1992, a new Information Systems Division was formed.
In January 1993, JJC opened the Romeoville Campus at 1125 W. 135th Street in Romeoville, a 35,000-square-foot facility with 18 general classrooms; biology, chemistry and computer skills labs; a library/learning resource center; and offices for student services, faculty and administrative support.
Harper developed a new technology plan in 1994, following two years of extensive participation and input by administrators, faculty, and staff.
In spring 1994, the Liberal Arts building was opened.
One of the most unusual came in 1996 when Building M was transformed into a bowling alley for the Brunswick World Tournament of Champions.
The campus computer network was completed in 1996, providing links between offices and classrooms and as a resource to position Harper for higher education in the current century.
The Main Campus expanded in 1996 with the Arthur G. and Vera C. Smith Business and Technology Center.
The College implemented a new shared governance structure and published its first comprehensive strategic long-range plan (SLRP). Groundbreaking for the new Performing Arts Center (PAC) and the Wojcik Conference Center was held on May 18, 2000.
On November 7, 2000, the Harper College district residents passed an $88.8 million referendum to build a new facility to house Harper’s growing science, technology, and health care programs.
In 2000, the Main Campus opened the Veterinary Technology and Industrial Training Building and Centennial Commons campus student housing, which is run by an outside management group.
On August 29, 2001, Harper College purchased a new facility in Schaumburg for the Technical Education and Consulting at Harper (TECH) program.
Construction of Avanté began in fall 2001.
With significant growth in student population from Grundy County, JJC opened the Morris Education Center at 1715 N. Division Street in Morris in fall 2001.
In 2002, the conference center opened and was named the Wojcik Conference Center in recognition of a $1.1 million member initiative grant given to Harper by Illinois State Representative Kay Wojcik.
In 2004, Harper College opened Avanté, Center for Science, Health Careers, and Emerging Technologies.
In 2004, Harper College served a total of 37,338 credit and noncredit students during the summer, fall, and spring terms, making Harper one of the largest community colleges in the country.
In 2005, Avanté was selected as a Merit Award finalist by the Chicago Building Congress (CBC). The CBC praised Avanté for its distinctive design and outstanding construction, and its positive impact on the surrounding community.
In 2006, blue and silver were adopted as Harper's new colors.
In 2006, Harper College received the National Science Foundation Undergraduate Research grant.
In 2009, DoctorKenneth Ender became Harper College’s fifth president.
In 2010, the College worked with community partners to develop a new five-year strategic plan.
The Career Skills Institute launched in 2012 for students with mild intellectual disabilities to strengthen basic academic and employability skills.
In 2012, the United States Department of Labor awarded Harper $12.9 million to expand the Advanced Manufacturing program to community colleges across Illinois.
In 2013, the College broke ground on $38 million in renovations of the Engineering and Technology Center.
The average Harper graduate will earn an additional $591,000 compared to someone who hasn't completed an Illinois community college program, according to The Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University's 2014 economic impact report.
In 2014, the College relaunched the Northeast Center (NEC) in Prospect Heights as the Harper College Learning and Career Center (LCC) with a target market focus on local community needs, credential programs, wrap-around services, and workforce emphasis.
In 2015, the White House awarded Harper College a grant to support apprenticeships that integrate coursework with on-the-job training.
The Harper Promise Scholarship was launched in 2015 to provide every student attending a public high school in Districts 211, 214 and 220 the opportunity to earn two years of tuition at Harper.
While 114 students made up Harper's first class of graduates, Harper conferred more than 3,500 transfer, career and technical degrees and certificates in 2017 alone.
The year 2017 marked the beginning of the College’s yearlong 50th Anniversary celebration honoring its proud past, affirming its present mission and impact, and aspiring to an even stronger future.
Major accomplishments in 2017 included the implementation of the assigned advisor case management model to assist students in navigating toward completion and the launch of the University Center, where students can complete a bachelor’s degree without leaving Harper’s campus.
In February 2019, the Board of Trustees selected Doctor Avis Proctor to be the sixth president – and the first woman – to lead the College and build on the legacy of Doctor Ender, who stepped down on June 30, 2019, after helping to transform Harper into a premier 21st-century community college.
Doctor Proctor took the helm on July 1, 2019, and embarked on a Year of Engagement to learn about the institution, find ways to leverage resources and assets and launch new initiatives.
In fall 2019, Harper College welcomed its inaugural cohort of 421 Promise Scholars to campus.
The campus reopened on a limited basis in July 2020 with numerous safety measures in place, allowing students to complete their spring semester labs.
In late September, the College announced instruction would continue primarily online in the spring 2021 semester.
"William Rainey Harper College ." College Blue Book. . Retrieved June 22, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/william-rainey-harper-college
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Harper College competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morton College | 1924 | $6.4M | 404 | 38 |
| College of DuPage | 1967 | $62.0M | 4,336 | 1 |
| Cape Cod Community College | 1983 | $49.9M | 494 | 17 |
| Clackamas Community College | 1966 | $8.0M | 865 | 51 |
| Raritan Valley Community College | 1966 | $8.0M | 500 | 51 |
| Community College of Philadelphia | 1964 | $34.8M | 1,165 | 73 |
| Snow College | 1888 | $3.1M | 657 | 14 |
| Trenholm State | 1963 | $6.8M | 94 | 42 |
| Waycross College | 1976 | $240,000 | 300 | - |
| East Georgia State College | 1973 | $2.7M | 1 | 6 |
Harper College history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Harper College, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Harper College. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Harper College. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Harper College. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Harper College and its employees or that of Zippia.
Harper College may also be known as or be related to Harper College, Harper College Plant Faci and WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER COLLEGE.