OCC: Human Resources

HISTORY OF OAKTON AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The first part of the orientation will provide you with both historical and contemporary facts about Oakton.

Des Plaines Campus

Oakton Community College was founded in 1969, but when it opened its doors to 832 students on September 14, 1970, the "campus" consisted of four factory buildings still being renovated at the intersection of Nagle Avenue and Oakton Street in Morton Grove.

Search for a new site for the campus began almost immediately, but it took until 1974 before 170 acres were purchased for the present Des Plaines campus between Golf Road and Central Avenue. Site development began in 1975, and the first students walked through the doors of a new building for summer school classes on June 16, 1980.

The Ray Hartstein Campus in Skokie

In 1980, Oakton began leasing space from Niles East High School to offer the College curriculum and special programs to residents in the eastern part of District 535. In 1989, the College purchased the building with the intent of remodeling it to meet educational and programmatic needs. When consultants reported that this would actually exceed the cost of building a new facility, the College embarked on a major construction project, naming the campus after a founding member of Oakton's Board of Directors, Ray Hartstein. The campus at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue opened in 1995.

History of Community Colleges

Now in its second century, the community college system has become an essential component of the American higher education system. Each year, community colleges enroll 5.4 million students in credit courses and another five million in non-credit activities.

Nationally, community colleges are the primary provider for workforce preparation, offering a range of programs as diverse as early childhood education, office management, auto body repair, fire science and hotel management. Community colleges are esteemed for cutting-edge preparation in computer technology fields and health careers, and these graduates command substantial starting salaries.

Community colleges also have assumed the role of retooling America's workers who have had to develop and refine skills to keep pace with changes in the marketplace and in technology. This accounts for the large number of students at community colleges who already have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Forty-five percent of the nation's first-time college freshmen attend a public two-year college, not just in preparation for a career or transfer to a four-year college or university, but because community colleges offer a great value. They offer a substantially less expensive alternative to four-year colleges, with no sacrifice of quality or loss of competitiveness in the job market.

Demographic trends and a continuously evolving workplace, plus widespread recognition of the positive relationship between education and income, are likely to increase the demand for community college services in the future. And because community colleges have adapted historically to the needs of their students, society and the workplace, they are likely to meet these challenges.

1600 E. Golf Rd., Des Plaines, IL - 847.635.1675
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