While changes are on the way for Roosevelt University's Schaumburg campus as anticipated, several more academic programs than just the College of Pharmacy will be surviving there after all.
Degree programs in biology, business, chemistry and psychology will remain available in Schaumburg, according to university officials who identified those as Roosevelt's most popular and successful programs at the suburban campus.
All other programs will begin to be offered exclusively at the university's Chicago campus after this summer. But advisers will assist students who've already begun other degrees in Schaumburg to complete them there in a relatively timely manner, said Tom Karow, the university's assistant vice president for public relations.
The changes, first suggested by Roosevelt President Chuck Middleton last August, represent an effort to make the campus more competitive in response to a declining number of college-age students in Illinois.
"These programs were selected based on their popularity and demand in the Northwest suburban area," Middleton said in a written statement released Monday. "The programs can be completed in their entirety at the Schaumburg campus and we will be investing financially in the programs' further growth and development."
Middleton and other university officials spent the autumn detailing the planned repurposing of the Schaumburg campus.
When the preliminary plan was first announced in August, the College of Pharmacy was the only one of the university's colleges that was known for certain to be staying put in Schaumburg. The university hoped to rent other portions of the campus to other compatible businesses and institutions.
But according to the final plan, three colleges -- Arts and Sciences, Business and Pharmacy -- will retain a strong presence in Schaumburg. And the College of Education will offer programs in collaboration with some Northwest suburban school districts.
The Schaumburg campus also will continue to offer such student services as advising, registration, financial aid, career development and counseling, as well as a library, child care center, cafeteria and workout facilities.
Karow said there still will be space available for other institutions to use, as suggested by last August's preliminary plan. But neither the exact amount of space nor any specific users have been identified.
The more detailed plan revealed Monday appeared to allay the concerns of Schaumburg village officials worried by the prospect of a significant change at the campus.
"What I'm hearing is good," Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson said. "I think there were a lot of students attending the Schaumburg campus or contemplating attending the Schaumburg campus ... it's cleared the air as far as they're concerned."
One of the most important aspects of the 19-year-old campus is its ability to provide higher education opportunities for suburban students not interested in commuting to Chicago for classes, Larson said.