The Illinois Board of Higher Education authorized $60,000 July 1 for the establishment of a new cooperative college institution in Rockford led by NIU.

NIU President John LaTourette said the new Northern Illinois Regional Academic Center will replace the Rockford Regional Academic Center in which NIU was involved with seven other universities. The RRAC, which LaTourette said was founded “about 15 years” ago, was phased out June 30.

The new center will include programs by Rockford College and Rock Valley College as well as NIU. LaTourette said the new center will begin with programs NIU had established in the RRAC, but will have a new objective of “assessing the new educational needs of the greater Rockford area.”

Master’s degrees in business administration and education, baccalaureate completion in nursing, and a bachelor’s degree in general studies are among the programs NIU has offered in Rockford. LaTourette said there have been about 2,500 registrations for these programs yearly.

However, he said he shares a “strong commitment” with Rockford College President Karl Jacobs and Rock Valley College President Gretchen Kreuter to meet additional higher educational needs of area residents.

“Increasingly, new jobs that are created require a college education. This was the case in 52 percent of the new jobs created between 1980 and 1986, and indications are that this trend will continue,” LaTourette said.

“We would like to broaden our educational spectrum for the whole community.” LaTourette said possible future programs could include professional continuing education, featuring short courses and seminars.

Program development depends first on a needs assessment, which he said should last about one year. LaTourette said the assessment will start with an “analysis of the Rockford area economic structure—its occupational systems and their projections for the future.”

The second stage, he said, would involve a series of extensive interviews with Rockford area community and business leaders to validate the economic analysis. A “residential survey” would be the final assessment step in identification of the area’s educational needs.

LaTourette said NIU has been involved in educational programs in Rockford because the area, like the Moline and Chicago suburban areas, is “underserved in higher education.”

He said the actual area to be served by the new center encompasses the Rock Valley College District of Boone, Winnebago and part of Ogle Counties.

Tom Montiegel, NIU vice president for development and university relations, said, “We consider Rockford to be a major center of support for NIU. We have 3,000 alums there, and lots of our undergraduate students come from Rockford.

“Rockford business leaders are anxious to get a program like (the new center),” Montiegel said. “This should help add to the area’s economic revitalization.”

About 12,000 students take NIU degree program courses off campus each year throughout Illinois, while about 100,000 are involved in seminars and special sessions on and off campus.

NIU, as the center’s lead institution, will manage the center’s budget, LaTourette said.