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| Graduate Catalog 2004-2006 |
History
| Academic Structure | Mission | Statement
of Core Values | Vision Statement
Governance | Accreditation | Approved
Certification Programs | Nondiscrimination
Policy
Affirmative
Action/Equal Opportunity Committment | Campus,
Facilities, and Sites
Catalog
Statements and Terms of Issue
Aurora University traces its origins to the 1893 founding of a seminary in the small town of Mendota, Illinois. Though established initially to prepare graduates for ministry, the institution soon adopted a broader mission and moved to a new campus on the western edge of the nearby community of Aurora. With this change came a different name and a growing enrollment. When World War II ended, the campus population swelled again as veterans enrolled in the college’s innovative evening degree program. The 1970s and 1980s saw an expansion of curricular offerings in a number of professional fields and the awarding of advanced degrees in selected disciplines. These changes culminated in the 1985 decision to rechristen the institution Aurora University.
The roots of George Williams College run deep in the YMCA movement of the nineteenth century. In 1884, leaders from America’s “western” YMCAs gathered in Lake Geneva to attend a summer training program. Two years later, the camp was incorporated and the first parcel of the current Williams Bay campus was purchased. Since that time, “college camp” has been a source of inspiration, recreation, education and renewal for thousands of guests and students. In 1992, the Aurora and George Williams College traditions blended when the two institutions entered into the affiliation agreement that paved the way for merger eight years later.
Today Aurora University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. The institution enrolls approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students a year on its Illinois and Wisconsin campuses. AU offers its undergraduates and graduates a wide range of on and off-campus learning experiences. Students participate in more than 40 musical, literary, religious, social and service organizations and play active roles in campus governance. The university also fields sixteen NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams.
The University is currently composed of three colleges:
The George Williams Campus of Aurora University is comprised of two schools:
Aurora University - an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning.
Aurora University draws upon the rich legacies of Aurora College and George Williams College to welcome learners to our campuses in Illinois and Wisconsin. Here all become members of an inclusive educational community dedicated to the development of mind, body and spirit. Today, as in the past, we prize the twin virtues of character and scholarship and affirm our commitment to the values of integrity, citizenship, continuous learning and excellence.
We will adhere to the highest standards of integrity in every aspect of institutional practice and operation. Through this proven dedication to honesty, fairness, and ethical conduct, we will lead by example and inspire our students to do the same.
We will exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in an educational community, founded upon the principles of mutual respect and open discourse. We will live within our means and manage our resources wisely, while creating an environment that fosters teamwork and promotes service to others.
We will work and live as an organization dedicated to continuous learning. We recognize that the university exists in a rapidly changing world and know that we will succeed in helping students achieve their full potential only if we realize our own.
We will pursue excellence by embracing quality as a way of community life. Accordingly, we will set high expectations for ourselves, our students and our university and will work together to attain them.
The university’s core values endure, even as our mission evolves and our vision for the future emerges. As members of the Aurora University community, we enter into a voluntary compact with one another to live and work in ways consistent with these ideals.Aurora University will be known and experienced as an exemplary institution of higher learning. We will draw upon the values of integrity, citizenship, continuous learning and excellence to provide our students with life-changing educational experiences. As an inclusive and vibrant community, inspired by the traditions of the past, we will create a promising future for our university and our students. Toward fulfillment of this vision, we will engage gifted faculty, staff and trustees in the work of the university and will recruit and graduate talented and dedicated students. Together, we will strengthen our educational programs and will improve the learning, living and working environments on our campuses. We will serve the needs of our students through strategic partnerships and will enhance the well being of the communities around us. We will manage our resources effectively and will deepen the financial foundation upon which our aspirations rest.
Through these initiatives, we will
invest in our university and will endow a new generation of Aurora University
graduates with the knowledge, skills, and values to transform themselves
and their world.
An independent, nonsectarian institution organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, Aurora University is governed by a Board of Trustees representing the community at large and various constituencies of the university. Within the university, students are subject to the provisions of the “A-Book” (student handbook); faculty is governed under the provisions of the Aurora University Faculty Handbook; all employees are subject to the university’s Personnel Manual. In common with all schools and colleges in Illinois, public or private, Aurora University is subject to the oversight of the Illinois Board of Higher Education as provided by law. Graduate students are also subject to the provisions of their respective graduate program handbooks.
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools accredits Aurora University at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.
The following individual programs are accredited by the specific agencies listed below: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and approved by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation); Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work (Council on Social Work Education); Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration (National Recreation and Park Association/American Association of Leisure and Recreation); John and Judy Dunham School of Business (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Masters of Business Administration (Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs), and the Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs).
BSN program accredited by:
The National League
for Nursing
Accrediting Commission
61 Broadway
New York, New York 10006
212-363-5555
BSN program accredited by:
The Commission on
Collegiate Nursing Education
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite
530
Washington, D.C. 20036-1120
202-887-6791
BSW and MSW programs accredited by:
The Council on Social
Work Education
1725 Duke Street, Suite 500
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-8080
BS Recreation Administration program accredited by:
The National Recreation
and Park Association/American
Association of Leisure and Recreation
National Recreation and
Park Association
22377 Belmont Ridge Road
Ashburn, VA 20148-4501
703-858-0784
BA and BS in Business Administration and MBA programs accredited by:
The Association of
Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
700 College Boulevard
Overland, Kansas 66211
913-339-9356
BS in Athletic Training program accredited by:
The Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite
1970
Chicago, Illinois 60601
312-553-9355
Aurora University has graduate level initial teacher certification programs approved by the Illinois State Board of Education in: Biology, Elementary Education, English, Mathematics, Physical Education, and History/Social Studies offered through the College of Education.
“Type 73” Illinois certification in School Social Work is offered through the School of Social Work.
“Type 75” Illinois certification and “Code 51” Wisconsin certification in Educational Leadership are offered through the College of Education.
Aurora University offers approved certification programs only in the areas listed above.
Aurora University admits qualified students without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, age, family relationship, or status as a Viet Nam Veteran to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities accorded or made available at the institution, including but not limited to: administration of educational policies, activities, and services; financial aid programs; athletic programs; and student employment programs.
In addition to pursuing a policy of nondiscrimination, Aurora University is committed to a process of affirmative action in all areas of recruitment and employment of individuals at all levels.
This policy extends to all employment practices, including but not limited to: recruitment, hiring and appointment, selection for training, upgrading, promotion, demotion, job classification, assignment, working conditions, employee treatment, hours, compensation, benefits, transfer, layoff, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
This policy extends to all individuals, both employed and potentially employed by Aurora University, and whether on full-time, part-time, student, or temporary employee status.
Questions, comments, inquiries, or complaints should be addressed to: University Affirmative Action Officer, Aurora University, 347 S. Gladstone Ave., Aurora, IL 60506-4892.
Located in an attractive residential neighborhood on the southwest side of Aurora, the 27-acre main campus contains 10 academic, athletic, administrative, and residence buildings. The distinctive, red-tiled roofs specified by Charles Eckhart in his donation for the original campus mark the major buildings. Dunham Hall houses state-of-the art computer facilities as well as the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures and a pleasant atrium that is a popular campus gathering place. Athletic fields, gymnasium, and sports complex (including racquetball courts, fitness center, and weight room) are close at hand. The Charles B. Phillips Library has holdings of more than 110,000 volumes, over 950 current periodicals (including titles in print, CD-ROM, and electronic formats), and more than 10,000 audiovisual materials. Electronic resources include two dozen periodical indexes in CD-ROM and online computer formats. Through several library networks, students have access to over 10 million volumes and over ten thousand current periodical titles held in other libraries in the area as well as throughout the nation. Stephens Hall, houses the fully-equipped Perry Theatre, science labs, classrooms and the Spartan Spot. Music practice rooms, piano labs, and a spacious art studio are also available. Both modern and traditional-style residence halls surround the open central quad.
In addition to the main campus, Aurora University offers programs off-campus for the convenience of students. The Nursing Program provides opportunities for students to earn a BSN degree in a rigorous but flexible program that includes clinical and internship experience at major metropolitan hospitals. The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Arts in Teaching with Certification (MATC), Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MAEL), Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Science in Recreation Administration and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs are offered at the 241- acre George Williams Campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Additional individual classes and degree programs are offered at numerous other sites in western and northern Illinois.
This catalog does not constitute a contract between Aurora University and its students. Where possible, Aurora University permits its students to graduate under the degree requirements in effect when they entered the university provided enrollment is continuous from time of matriculation to graduation, or as provided under the leave of absence policy. However, the university reserves the right to modify or eliminate academic programs and course offerings and to modify academic requirements for all students at any time without prior notice and without incurring obligation of any kind. The university also reserves the right to modify its academic and administrative policies, regulations, and procedures, as well as tuition, fees, and conditions of payment, without prior notice at any time.
While this catalog represents the best information available at the time of publication, all information contained herein, including statements of fees, course offerings, admission policies, and graduation requirements, is subject to change without notice.
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