Served : January 2016-Present
Kishwaukee College selected its first female President with the hiring of Dr. Laurie
Borowicz in 2016. As a leader through some of Kish’s most challenging times, including
a two-year state budget impasse and the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Borowicz has transformed
the College to meet student and community needs. As a relentless advocate of student success, she facilitated manyinitiatives to increase student completion and success to the highest levels in College history.Under Dr. Borowicz’s leadership, the College eliminated all student fees in 2024 to support transparency and fairness and assist students and families with financial planning to attend Kish.
Through Dr. Borowicz’s tenure, Kishwaukee College has increased its commitment to
equity and inclusion. In 2019, Kish joined the Partnership for College Completion to help eliminate the achievement gap
for students of color and low-income students. In 2022, Kishwaukee College was awarded
the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Equity and Diversity Award for the progress made to improve outcomes for all Kish
students. Kishwaukee College became a majority-minority College in 2023 and was named a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2024, with more than 25% of students identifying as Hispanic.
Partnerships are a cornerstone of Dr. Borowicz’s tenure. She forged relationships with the local business community by creating internships and other work-based learning
opportunities for students. By partnering with other educational institutions, Kish expanded transfer options by creating pathways from high school to Kish to NIU and other universities. With a focus on supporting area student-athletes, the College increased the number of athletic teams and recruitment from local high schools.
To demonstrate a unified culture at Kish by agreeing on how we treat and interact with each other, Dr. Borowicz led the writing of the College Civility Statement in 2022, a joint project between administration, the board and unions/employee groups.
Honoring Dr. Borowicz’s legacy of open, honest, student-focused leadership, the Illinois Community College Trustees Association awarded her the 2024 Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award.