Sugar Grove – Waubonsee Community College will celebrate the grand opening of its new Academic and Professional Center and honor its “Fabulous 40” students and alumni on Friday, Sept. 14 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., on the north side of its Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive. The event also serves as the grand finale to the college’s yearlong 40th anniversary commemoration.
Due to the progress of the 2020 College Master Plan, this is the third straight fall semester Waubonsee is unveiling a new building on its Sugar Grove Campus. The Campus Operations Building opened in 2005, the Science Building began holding classes in fall 2006, and now the Academic and Professional Center (APC) is up and running.
The 56,000-square-foot APC houses 18 classrooms, 20 faculty offices and administrative support for the college’s Business and Information Systems and Social Science and Education divisions. Disciplines in those divisions include accounting, anthropology, business administration, economics, history, political science, psychology and sociology. There are also three classrooms dedicated to the college’s noncredit Workforce Development training programs.
The classroom spaces and the teaching and learning technology they contain will be on display during the grand opening event. Faculty will be on hand to demonstrate chroma key technology, a psychology software program featuring “Sniffy” the virtual lab rat, and a student response system that allows students to send their answers to their instructor electronically via a remote control.
But the grand opening guests will spend most of their time in the most unique room of the APC, the 400-seat Event Room, which includes a catering kitchen and pre-function lobby.
“The college will utilize this space for a variety of events including Workforce Development training programs, various student activities such as recognition programs and banquets, special programs offered through Community Education and community events such as job fairs,” said Dr. Deborah Lovingood, Waubonsee’s executive vice president of Educational Affairs and Chief Learning Officer.
For the Sept. 14 celebration, the Event Room will host the main program, which will honor the college’s “Fabulous 40,” alumni and students who embody the mission, vision and values of the college. These individuals, who have been announced throughout the past year, represent the diversity of Waubonsee’s students, district and mission. New Illinois Board of Higher Education Chairwoman Carrie Hightman will also be in attendance to congratulate the 40 honorees and offer her remarks.
This event is free and open to the community. Refreshments will be served. Guests are asked to RSVP by calling (630) 466-2411 or e-mailing 40finale@waubonsee.edu. |
