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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, When the University of Illinois decided to close
3 its Elgin extension center, Public School District U-46 voted
4 to establish Elgin Community College (ECC) in January 1949; the
5 college opened its doors the following fall with 97 students,
6 one administrator, 17 part-time faculty, and one full-time
7 faculty member; during the year 1950 the college initiated its
8 sponsorship of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, a partnership that
9 continues to this day; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Throughout the 1950s, ECC operated as part of
11 District U-46; however, a movement in Springfield to create a
12 community college system started in the early 1960s and became
13 a reality in 1965; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Throughout the 1970s, ECC expanded curricula,
15 faculty, staff, and services such as on-campus child care,
16 financial aid, job placement, student activities, and
17 tutoring; in 1975 the special services program began providing
18 support service and tutoring to physically disabled students
19 and others in need of specialized support; and in 1976, the
20 college launched its Conservatory of music; and
 
21     WHEREAS, During the 1980s, ECC's enrollment skyrocketed,
22 in part due to an economic recession, and the college

 

 

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1 accommodated students by exploring new spaces and alternative
2 delivery systems of classes; in 1980 ECC offered its first
3 telecourses, featuring college credit courses on
4 videocassette; in February of 1988 the Elgin Community College
5 hospitality management program gained accreditation by the
6 American Culinary Federation Educational Institute Accrediting
7 Commission, the only Illinois school to earn the designation
8 and one of only 15 schools nationwide; and in 1988 Corporate
9 Development, a partnership between industry and education, was
10 founded when ECC and Safety-Kleen joined forces to offer middle
11 management coursework through the college to Safety-Kleen
12 employees; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In the 1990s, District 509 experienced
14 unprecedented population growth and demand for the college's
15 services soared; by 1991, enrollment had increased 42 percent
16 in just four years; in August of 1996 ECC became the first
17 college in Illinois to begin offering credit classes via the
18 Internet; and in January of 1997 ECC entered into the first of
19 several partnerships with four-year colleges and universities
20 to provide greater and more immediate access to upper-level
21 undergraduate offerings and baccalaureate degree completion,
22 and to allow for dual admission and/or seamless transfer to
23 four-year schools; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Entering the 21st century, Elgin Community

 

 

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1 College prepared for expanding expectations of community
2 colleges; in August of 2004 the college opened its Culinary
3 Arts Center, including a real-world working lab for students,
4 Spartan Terrace Restaurant, and home to the Culinary Arts and
5 Hospitality Institute of Elgin; therefore, be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
8 congratulate the staff, faculty, alumni, and students of Elgin
9 Community College on the 60th anniversary of this important
10 institution for Elgin and surrounding communities; and be it
11 further
 
12     RESOLVED, That we proclaim May 22, 2009 as Elgin Community
13 College Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15 presented to Dr. David Sam, President of Elgin Community
16 College, as a symbol of our respect and esteem.