DENISE R. HAYMAN, Ph.D.Director, CHANCE

Northern Illinois Universitydhayman1@niu.edu

04/21/23

McKinley “Deacon” Davis CHANCE Program

CHANCE ProgramNORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

EXCELLENCE AND OPPORTUNITY

NIU plays a major role in Illinois higher education because of its close proximity to Chicago. During President Rhoten Smith’s tenure in the late sixties the campus, focused on “excellence and opportunity”, set the stage for a major change in its student body. In Smith’s 1968 Inaugural Address titled, “Excellence and Opportunity”, he challenged universities to open the doors to those most in need of opportunity, the urban poor.

INAGURAL ADDRESS

“A college education has now come to seem…almost indispensable for success in life; it appears to be the passport to future achievement, and though all who possess it will not achieve success, fewer and fewer will succeed without it in the years ahead…And if it be true that ghetto education and the texture of life in the slums prepare one rather for failure than for success, the question arises as to the responsibility of society to act to eradicate these inequities It is my conviction that the universities can and must change their thinking about how one comes to higher education. The public universities, especially, can and must find ways to make more widely available opportunities for earning this passport to the good life. To fail to do so is to bar the door to hopeful future in the very faces of those of our citizens who have least to hope for from life. Our abundant society cannot afford to bar the door.” (President Rhoten Smith, 1968)

OPPORTUNITY

Smith opened a door at NIU with the creation of the CHANCE (Counseling, Help and Assistance Necessary for a College Education) Program. CHANCE is a special admissions program that provides access to college for urban students from Chicago, Rockford, Aurora and other northern Illinois cities. Students entering through the CHANCE program are recruited from targeted high schools. They possess talent to achieve excellence in the university but lack the academic experiences and competitive standard indicators of potential, such as ACT, grade point average, and family background. CHANCE’s sensibilities to the special needs of underrepresented ethnic minorities, women, veterans, and students with disabilities offers an alternative option for students to earn a baccalaureate degree. Similar to the role of historically Black Colleges and universities like Spellman University, Hispanic serving Institutions like the University of Puerto Rico, and institutions serving students with learning difficulties like Landmark College, CHANCE plays the role of an institution established primarily to educate those who are disenfranchised. The campuses approach to college access continues to be an innovative vision of a majority institution. This approach diversifies the campus by annually admitting under prepared CHANCE students as one-sixth of the NIU freshmen class.

Our MISSION

Identify Recruit Assist Graduate

Who Do We Serve?

Illinois residentsStudents w/ DisabilitiesVeteransWards of the StateGEDTrio programsTarget high schoolsFirst generation/low socio-economicFee waiversSingle Parent/Students w/ ChildrenMajority StudentsAsian StudentsUnderrepresented Ethnic Minorities (i.e. Black, Latino,

AI)

Educational Services and Programs

Organizational Chart

ESPCHANCEProgram

ACCESS

UpwardBound

StudentSupportServices

CHANCE Counseling Help Assistance Necessary College Education

ADMISSION

NIU vs. CHANCE Admissions

Traditional NIU Admissions

ACT 19 + 2.75

GPA

Top ½ Class Rank

Versus

CHANCE Individual Assessment

TranscriptRigor of courses

ACT Scores

Personal StatementOvercome adversitiesAchievement potential

Interview

Math Test

Founded in 1895 as Northern Illinois State Normal School

Total Fall Enrollment 2009: 24,424

Undergraduate Enrollment: 18,277

Average Class Size: 25 Students

Instructor to Student Ratio: 17.3 to 1

2008 Undergraduates

By EthnicityAt NIU

CHANCE

By GenderAt NIU

CHANCE

Asian6%

Native Am0%

Other/NR6%

Latinos7%

Caucasian69%

African-American

12%

2008, Asian, 10,

2%2008, Native

Am, 0, 0%2008,

Other/NR, 12, 2%

2008, Latinos, 48, 9%

2008, Caucasian, 22, 4%

2008, African-

American, 442, 83%

Females52%

Males48%

Females63%

Males37%

INTERVIEW DAY SCHEDULE

WELCOME Bursar & Financial Aid Math Test Housing Information Q & A Presentation Interviews Campus Tour (optional)

Northern Illinois University Colleges

BUSINESS EDUCATION ENGINEERING HEALTH & HUMAN SCIENCES VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES

GraduationRequirements120+ Hours

GENERALEDUCATION

MAJOR MINORS

CoreCompetencies

12 Hours

DistributiveStudies

29 Hours

English 103,104Math (depending on major)

Communications 100

Humanities& the Arts

SocialSciences

InterdisciplinaryStudies

Sciences and Math

ELECTIVE

Typical First Semester

Eng 102P

Eng 103P

Math 108P

Math 109P

Math 110P

LTRE 100P

LTRE 190P

Coms 100P

Permit Courses

Eng 102P or 103P 3

Math 108P, 109P or 110P 3

LTRE 100P or 190P or Gen Ed 3

Coms 100 or 100P 3

UNIV 101 1

Total = 13

First Semester Schedule

Summer Orientation

COST: $125 ($25 non-refundable processing fee

with cancellation)

Meet CHANCE Counselors

Placement Evaluation Exams

Consult with Departments on Placement

outcome

Meet with College Academic Advisors

Meet with housing, bursar & financial

aid representatives

Experience residence hall living

Become acquainted with NIU campus

Make new friends, relax & have fun

Enroll in a maximum of 13 credit hours the 1st year at NIU.

Attend all classes and labs as well as meet once a month with your CHANCE Counselor for the 1st year you are at NIU. Absences are excused only for urgent legitimate matters (illness).

Refrain from pledging any fraternities or sororities until you complete 30 credit hours and have a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Use tutoring resources & follow the guidance of your CHANCE Counselor.

Fill out financial aid forms by priority deadlines & follow up immediately with financial aid counselors if you have any problems with the process.

If you withdraw from NIU please see your CHANCE Counselor to “tie up” any loose ends.

NOTE: When you sign the Student Enrollment Agreement you agree to fulfill the expectations & use the services listed above. All students must sign the Agreement prior to enrolling at NIU.

Student Enrollment AgreementCHANCE Program Expectations for Students

. . .

FUTURE DIRECTIONS/GOALS/STRATEGIC ISSUES

Further develop and share CHANCE’s collective mission and vision.

Create more opportunities for student academic engagement.

Maximize our resources.

Improve student retention.

Create more opportunities to tell “OUR STORY”.

Examples of Strategic Initiatives

2009 Summer Math College, Roosevelt University

• 65% tested to next math level

NSF STEP Grant “PROMISE” Program• Campus-wide STEM initiative focusing on academics,

research and professional development

Alumni Advisory Board• Collaborative initiatives with external partners to include

mentoring programs, internships, fund-raising …

THE END