Shimer College prepares to renegotiate with NCC

Shimer College has reached the end of its initial contract with NCC. As the 2020 fall semester continues, the school will now look to review the program with the Academic Policies and Programs Committee (APPC). An outside reviewer from another Great Books school met with Stuart Patterson, chairperson of Shimer, to discuss details. Shimer has had a great impact on NCC since joining back in 2017.

“It’s not so much that a trap door will open up under us and we’ll disappear,” said Patterson. He believes once the review is done, it will be more factoring in the space Shimer can occupy, their faculty and taking stock of what the program has offered.

Davis Trust

Shimer received funding from the Davis Trust prior to coming to NCC. Shimer was originally located in Mount Carroll, Ill., before its move, where the estate was set up.

“The Davis Trust money is specifically named in the purchase agreement between North Central and Shimer, so the program’s continuation at North Central may be contingent on this money coming in,” said Sam Stecklow, a managing editor to the South Side Weekly,

As of Feb. 5, no formal position has been taken by those who represent the Davis Trust funds, according to a My Carroll Country News article.

“There was a lot of speculation about the Davis estate and what it had to do with the move, and a lot of that speculation was not well informed,” said Patterson. He referred to James Godo, assistant vice president for External Affairs, for more information regarding the matter. At this time, Godo has not given a response.

Impact

The Shimer program allows students to take general education courses in a different format.

“Shimer classes are refreshingly different from most other classes on campus. Where many college classes are lecture-based, Shimer classes are discussion-based,” said Claire Mikulcik, a second-year Shimer student. “This means that the students are really the ones running the class while the professor guides the discussion and occasionally offers professional insight into the topics being discussed.”

Students can also take majors under the program as well, including natural sciences, liberal studies and humanities. The program also oversees a graduate program: the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies.

The program sets students into conversation. These small group discussions help apply real-world techniques that students can benefit from. As they prepare for their program review, Patterson is hopeful they can continue to provide NCC with a new perspective in learning.

“When we came in 2017, it was once and for all. Which is to say, in coming from Chicago as Shimer College, when we contemplated moving to North Central, we sort of saw it as a one-way ticket,” said Patterson.