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Roosevelt University

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Roosevelt University is a four-year, private institute of higher education with full service campuses in Chicago's Loop and northwest suburban Schaumburg. It also offers classes in communities, schools, and corporations, and has the mission of being a metropolitan university and an asset to the surrounding communities.

Roosevelt University currently offers 126 Doctor's, Master's, Bachelor's degree and certificate (Post-Master's, Postbaccalaureate, Less-than-2-years, Less-than-1-year) programs in the arts, sciences, business, and education.

The university includes the Evelyn T. Stone College of Professional Studies, a continuing education school; Chicago College of Performing Arts, a music and theatre program; Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration, a business school; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Education.

The lobby stairwell of the main building (430 S. Michigan Ave.) was featured in the Robert DeNiro movie "The Untouchables."

History

The school was founded in 1945 when Edward J. Sparling, then president of the YMCA College in Chicago, refused to provide his board with the demographic data in his student body. There were quota systems in place that limited the number of blacks, Jews, immigrants, and women that were allowed to receive higher education. Sparling was fired and a number of faculty and students left with him, voting to start a new college with a vote of 62 to 1 for faculty and 488 to 2 with the student body. The school had no library, campus, or endowment.

The new college was chartered as Thomas Jefferson College on March 28, 1945 and had financial backing from Marshall Field III, the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union and other organizations and individuals. Two weeks later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, and with his widow Eleanor's permission the college was renamed Roosevelt College in his memory. In 1947, the Auditorium Building was sold to the university for one dollar and became the permanent home of Roosevelt University. The college was rededicated to both Franklin and Eleanor in 1959. Early advisory board members included Marian Anderson, Pearl Buck, Ralph Bunche, Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Gunnar Myrdal, [Draper Daniels] and Albert Schweitzer. In August 1996 the Albert A. Robin campus was opened in Schaumburg, started in large part by a donation from entrepreneur and immigrant, Albert A. Robin.

In July 2002, Charles R. Middleton became the fifth President of Roosevelt University. He has the distinction of being the first openly homosexual university president in the United States.

Academics and majors

There are more than 60 undergraduate majors and pre-professional programs, 40 master’s degree programs, and selected doctoral programs.

Colleges

Departments and programs are organized in 5 colleges.

Programs and departments

Institutes and centers

A strong supplement to the university's colleges is its centers and institutes that extend the learn and research opportunities available to students and faculty.

Campuses

Downtown Chicago Campus

The majority of all Chicago classes are held within Roosevelt's historic Auditorium Building at 430 S. Michigan Avenue just blocks from the Magnificent Mile. A second downtown campus building is the Gage Building, located at 18 S. Michigan Avenue. It is also the home of the Paralegal Studies Program and the School of Communication.

Neighbors include the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum, and Soldier Field. The 430 S. Michigan Avenue campus overlooks Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Michigan Ave., Columbus Drive, Lake Shore Drive, and Lake Michigan and the Center for Professional Advancement overlooks Millennium Park on Chicago's lakefront.

Albert A. Robin Campus, Schaumburg

Roosevelt University's campus in Schaumburg is the largest four-year university in Chicago's Northwest suburbs, serving roughly 2,500 students. The campus is located in the former regional office building of the Unocal Corporation. Roosevelt converted the building into a full-service campus in 1996.

Student life

Student housing and residence life

Roosevelt University has two dormitories located less than two blocks from one another, housing over 500 Roosevelt students. The Herman Crown Center is located at 425 S. Wabash and houses nearly 200 residents. It is connected to the Auditorium Building (a panorama of the Auditorium Building Lobby) and provides direct access to classrooms, the university's Murray-Green Library, music practice rooms, the university's gym and fitness center: the Marvin Moss Student Center (MMSC), and other facilities including the Office of Student Activities, the Student Government Association, Student Organization office spaces, and the Academic Counseling Center.

The University Center of Chicago is the newest dormitory in the area and was officially opened in the fall of 2004. Located at 525 S. State Street the UC houses students from Roosevelt University, DePaul University, and Columbia College Chicago, totaling 1700 residents from these three schools combined.

Traveling between campuses

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses and Elevated "L" trains. (the principal urban heavy rail and metro serving in Chicago) serve to both downtown Roosevelt locations.

In Schaumburg, PACE (the suburban bus division of RTA: the Regional Transportation Authority) also operates the bus lines to the Albert A. Robin campus.

Intercampus vans are also regularly scheduled to commute between the Chicago and Schaumburg campuses.

Groups and activities

There are many active student organizations at both of the Roosevelt University campuses.

  • Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity: Roosevelt's largest on campus Greek organization
  • WRBC-AM: Roosevelt's student radio station
  • The Torch: Roosevelt's student newspaper (7,500/weekly)
  • Oyez Review: Roosevelt's national and award winning literary journal.
  • Student Government Association
  • Alpha Gamma Delta Women's Fraternity: Alpha Gamma Delta is an international fraternity and a member of the National Panhellenic Conference. The Fraternity has begun the colonization process at Roosevelt and hopes to install it's 182nd chapter there later this year. For more information about the colonization, please visit: http://www.alphagammadelta.org/RooseveltUniversity/default.htm
  • Gamma Theta Chi Sorority: Gamma Theta Chi is a multicultural sorority founded November 1, 2004. Its founding members are from Roosevelt University, DePaul University and Columbia College. The sorority is guided by its principals of community, diversity, friendship, and teamwork.
  • Intramural Sports Club: Dedicated to returning a comprehensive athletics program to Roosevelt through student recognition and involvement.
  • Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance: Roosevelt's campus feminist organization committed to achieving equality for women and men

Distinguished alumni

External links

  • Official website
  • OnLine programs website
  • Biography of University President Charles Middleton
  • Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University
  • College and University Profiles
  • Encyclopedia of Chicago
  • Thomson & Peterson's College Close-Up
  • USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2006: Roosevelt University. At a Glance
  • NNDB: tracking the entire world (Roosevelt University)



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Last updated on Thursday March 06, 2008 at 16:56:17 PST (GMT -0800)
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