When most students think of NIU, they think of DeKalb.

However, NIU has three satellite campuses, as part of NIU Outreach, that offer academic degrees. The campuses are located in Hoffman Estates, Naperville and Rockford.

NIU Rockford, which opened in 1995, has given the surrounding community graduate-level degree, undergraduate degree and non-degree programs.

“We are a community resource,” said Janice Eisele, conference coordinator for NIU Rockford.

Students interested in attending classes at NIU Rockford apply online, just like students attending the DeKalb campus. However, NIU Rockford students will see different fees charged to their account.

“There are no on-campus fees, but there is an off-campus delivery fee,” said John Lewis, associate vice president of NIU Outreach.

Students who attend NIU satellite campuses such as Rockford will be charged a general “Regional Delivery Fee” per credit hour. According to the Bursar’s Office, these fees help the operations of NIU regional centers and the rental of non-NIU facilities.

Tuition at NIU Rockford is $188.48 per credit hour and there is a $40 per-credit-hour fee assessed as well.

The center has “helped more than 3,000 Rockford-area residents earn graduate degrees or complete their undergraduate study,” according to NIU Rockford’s Web site.

A master’s in business administration, public administration and science in education are all offered through NIU Rockford. Six bachelor degrees are offered, including a bachelor’s in nursing and a bachelor’s in computer science.

There are also six non-degree programs to choose from, including human resources education and health and human sciences.

“We change programs based upon market needs,” Lewis said.

Lewis said he believes NIU Rockford is unique to NIU’s DeKalb campus because there are no residence halls and there isn’t student life. Facilities also are used differently at NIU Rockford.

“There are a lot of companies during the day and at night there are classes,” Lewis said.

NIU Rockford is set apart from NIU’s main campus and community colleges because most classes offered through the satellite campus are upper-division graduate programs.

Professor Terrence Bishop teaches two business courses at the satellite campus along with two other courses on NIU’s main campus. He has been teaching on and off at NIU Rockford since it opened.

“The content of the courses are different because the students are different,” Bishop said.

Bishop said students who are enrolled in his classes usually have previous working experience in the area of study and enjoy coming to class in Rockford.

“The facility is convenient for faculty and students,” he said.

NIU Rockford, 8500 E. State St., has two-tiered classrooms, four executive classrooms and one computer lab.

“The building is designed for adult students furthering their education,” Eisele said.

There is also an auditorium, three seminar rooms and two video conferencing rooms that have hosted business conferences by Grant Writing USA in Las Vegas and H.C. Franzheim Associates in Seattle.

“A variety of local businesses and manufactures use the facilities for training,” Eisele said.