March 2021 Letter to the Editor from Dr. Laurie Borowicz

It was this week a year ago Kishwaukee College was quickly making adjustments for remote learning. Kish and the world have adjusted to the pandemic. In March 2020, I wrote an editorial stating we thought we would be back to normal by Fall 2020. Now, a year later, we still look different than we did before the pandemic. The question we are all asking is, how do we define “normal” now?

Two weeks ago, College staff and I toured Innovative Growers Equipment in Sycamore. Owner Chris Mayer shared how the technology in their industry advanced 10 years in the last year. I feel the same. The use of technology in higher education has increased significantly. The world has changed, and so have we.

As we look ahead at what comes next for Kishwaukee College, some important points have been reinforced over the last year:

1. Kish is true to its mission of providing a quality, affordable education and continues to serve approximately 5,000 students per year. We continue to be a vital part of our local communities.
2. As a community college, we serve a unique purpose in the higher education landscape. Many first-generation college students start with us on their path to a brighter future.  As an open-access institution, we welcome all learners, wherever they are at in their journey to reach their educational and life goals.
3. The College continues to meet local workforce needs, with Career and Technical Education a key part of community college programming. This has become even more apparent during the pandemic as we have worked closely to support many local businesses.
4. Community colleges will be critical in rebuilding the local economy, with degree programs, short-term training and other just-in-time training options to quickly get employees needed skills and into the local workforce.
5. The extensive use of technology in serving our students will continue as we offer flexible learning options for those balancing education, work and life. Technology helps us meet the needs of working adults, including a fully online degree and online support services.
6. With the rapid rate of change, innovation will drive us forward. We will need to be nimble and responsive, listening and adapting to the needs of our students and communities.

We are looking forward to more activity on campus this fall and are planning to offer additional classes in-person as COVID-19 mitigations continue to improve. While in some ways our new “normal” will be different in how we provide higher education and support services, in many ways, we will be the same.

I am honored to serve as President of Kishwaukee College.

#Kishproud

Dr. Laurie S. Borowicz
President, Kishwaukee College