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 many initiatives to increase student completion and success to the highest levels in College history. In 2025 the College implemented its All-In Tuition model, with tuition, fees, and textbooks combined into a single cost for students.  The model promotes cost transparency and student success, saving students and their families millions of dollars, and makes all textbooks available to students on day one of class.  

Through Dr. Borowicz’s tenure, Kishwaukee College has increased its commitment to equity for all students. 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 designated a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2024, with more than 25% of students identifying as Hispanic. In 2025, Kish was selected by the Aspen Institute as one of the Top 200 Community Colleges in the United States.

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 among 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.

Served: 2016-present