Evanston is a college town, and not only because Northwestern University sits in the middle of it.
Four other institutions contribute to the city’s rich educational community, although it’s tough to judge that by the city’s Web site. Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Kendall College, National-Louis University and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary barely score a mention.
“That’s all right,” said Christian Anderson, director of public affairs for National-Louis, which has been turning out educators since it was founded in 1886.
“We’re happy to fly under the radar a little; we stay on good terms [with the city] that way.”
Though they’re relatively small institutions–they enroll a combined 3,100 students, roughly one-fourth of NU’s Evanston campus. They also offer myriad programs, services and special events that are open to the public.
“People might not know as much about us just because of our size,” Anderson said, “but we’re very committed to public service and always have been.”
Among the offerings on the campuses that are open to Evanston residents are:
– Classes and lectures: All the institutions offer a variety of continuing-education courses, lectures and workshops. National-Louis, 2840 Sheridan Rd., is one of the nation’s largest private education colleges and Kendall, 2408 Orrington Ave., specializes in the culinary arts. Garrett and Seabury are affiliated with the United Methodist and Episcopal Churches respectively, and Garrett allows the public to attend classes for no credit for free.
– Dining: Though all the campuses offer visitors a bite to eat, Kendall gives entirely new meaning to the concept of “college cafeteria food.” Students enrolled in the school of culinary arts run The Dining Room, a restaurant renowned for great food and exceptional service. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner and because of its popularity, reservations are a must. Kendall also offers special events throughout the year.
– Meeting space and lodging: National-Louis and Garrett allow people to reserve meeting rooms on campus for free, on a first-come, first-served basis. Garrett opens its chapel at 2121 Sheridan Rd. for weddings, and dozens are held there each year. “There’s a really nice garden on campus that is good [for pictures]” said Adolf Hansen, Garrett’s vice president of administration. “That’s certainly an attraction for people who are getting married.” Garrett also offers lodging in its residence halls that Hansen said is perfect for out-of-town guests; room fees vary.
– Museum: The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian at Kendall is the only museum in the Chicago area that focuses exclusively on the arts, culture and history of Native Americans. The temporary-exhibit galleries present three shows each year.
– Libraries: The collection at National-Louis focuses on the history of education, reading instruction and special education. The United Library of Garrett-Evangelical and Seabury-Western Theological Seminaries, with more than 300,000 volumes, is housed in both seminaries. Garrett is at 2121 Sheridan Rd., Seabury at 2122. Early prayer books are one of Seabury’s special collections. Early editions of English Bibles are part of Garrett’s special collections.
– Recreation: Residents can swim daily in the indoor swimming pool on National-Louis’ campus. Hours vary according to class schedules. Fee.
– Religious services: Seminarians receive additional training by leading worship services during the week and offering pastoral counseling.
– Stage performances: Several performances each year are presented in the Weinstein Center for the Performing Arts at National-Louis, including many geared to children.
Garrett’s Hanson said, “Northwestern is just so big that people don’t always stop to think about what we offer.
“But if they take a close look, they’ll see we have the potential to give them a lot.”
For more information on:
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, call 847-866-3900 or 800-SEMINARY (73646279).
Kendall College, call 847-866-1300.
National-Louis University, call 847-256-5156.
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, call 800-275-8235.
The United Library of Garrett-Evangelical and Seabury-Western Theological Seminaries, call the reference desk at 847-866-3910.
More sources of higher education
Here’s a look at the other colleges in Evanston:
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
The institution is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Address: 2121 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, 60201
Telephone: 847-866-3900 or 800-SEMINARY (73646279)
E-mail: seminary@northwestern.edu
Web site: www.garrett.northwestern.edu
Degrees: master of divinity; master of theological studies; master of arts programs in Christian education, music ministry, pastoral care and counseling, spiritual formation and evangelism, and in ethics, church and society; doctor of ministry, which has three tracks: theology and leadership, pastoral counseling and psychotherapy, and pastoral care specialist; and doctor of philosophy, with concentrations in Bible and culture, theological and historical studies, liturgical studies, congregational studies, and pastoral theology, personality and culture.
Kendall College
Address: 2408 Orrington Ave., Evanston, IL 60201
Telephone: 847-866-1300
Web site: www.kendall.edu
Degrees: Liberal arts: leadership studies, American studies, social sciences, independent scholar, liberal studies; Professional studies: Culinary management, hotel-restaurant management, hotel-restaurant management with a culinary arts concentration, early-childhood education, business studies, information technology, human services.
National-Louis University
Address: 2840 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60201
Telephone: 847-256-5156
E-mail: nluinfo@wheeling1.nl.edu
Web site: http://nlu.nl.edu
Degrees: 15 undergraduate programs and 35 graduate programs through the Evanston campus. The most popular are elementary education and human services, plus various allied-health programs.
North Suburban Higher Education Consortium
The consortium uses streaming media and Internet technology to link institutions of higher education throughout the northern suburbs.
Office address: 1603 Orrington Ave., Suite 900, Evanston, IL 60201
Telephone: 847-467-5430
Web site: http://www.nshec.org/
Participating institutions: 23, including Kendall College.
Steering Committee: 8 colleges and universities are represented, including National-Louis University and Northwestern University.
Courses: The consortium distributes a directory containing an extensive list of courses offered by the contributing institutions. Courses can be taken in person or through interactive video classrooms on the campuses of the consortium’s partnering colleges and universities. For more information or to request a course directory, call 847-467-5445.
Seminars: The latest seminar series is “Catch the Wave: The Latest Issues and Topics in Online Education for Teachers and Administrators.” Seminars are free and can be viewed online. Call the consortium for more information.
Oakton Community College
The two-year public college operates two campuses in Skokie and one in Des Plaines, serving Evanston, New Trier, Niles and Northfield Townships.
Address: 7701 N. Lincoln Ave., Skokie, IL 60077
Telephone: 847-635-1600
Web site: www.oakton.edu
Students: 10,000 enrolled in programs for credit each semester; 11,000 continuing-education and non-credit students each semester
Degrees: Associate’s degrees in liberal arts, fine arts, science and science in engineering; continuing education programs in English as a Second Language, literacy and health.
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
The institution is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.
Address: 2122 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60201
Telephone: 800-275-8235
Web site: www.seabury.edu
E-mail: swts@seabury.edu
Degrees: master of divinity; master of theological studies, with concentrations in congregational development, Christian ministries, church music and liturgy, and in specific theological disciplines; doctor of ministry with concentrations in Anglican ministries or congregational development; and doctor of ministry in preaching. Other programs for learning and continuing education also are offered.
— Compiled by Christine Tatum
Colleges will offer a variety of events
Here are some upcoming events at Evanston’s other colleges:
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
2121 Sheridan Rd.
May 16: Khiok-Khng Yeo will present a lecture on Asian theology titled “Sinification of Marxism in Maoism” at 11 a.m. Professor Brook Ziporyn of Northwestern University’s religion department will present the Garrett response.
May 17-19: “Faith & Culture Conference: Reclaiming Our Dynamic Heritage as Asian/Pacific Islander Americans.” The conference aims to bring together Asian- and Pacific Islander-American United Methodists to discuss how their cultural backgrounds affect their faith and to identify programs and projects that would promote unity. Registration is $10. Meals and lodging on campus are extra. For more information, call Juancho Campanano at 630-530-9486, Sunju Chong at 847-524-4622 or Sung-Ja Lee Moon at 847-742-7256.
Ongoing: Worship services are held in the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful at 11 a.m. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. Thursdays.
Kendall College
2408 Orrington Ave.
The Dining Room: To make lunch and dinner reservations at the student-run restaurant on campus, call 847-866-1399. Lunch is noon to 1:30 p.m. weekdays and costs $16 excluding beverages and tax. Dinner is 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; the price varies. Menus are available online at www.kendall.edu.
– Spice Up Your Life Series: The series continues with several courses. To register, call 847-866-1325 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
– The Perfect Pie: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12. Fee: $99.
– Hors d’Oeuvres for Everyone: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 19. Fee: $99.
– Introduction to Grilling: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 26. Fee: $99.
– Chicken, Chicken, Chicken: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 2. Registration fee: $99.
– Brunch: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 2. Fee: $59.
– Floral Arts: Join Don Newcomb, chairman emeritus of the Triton College horticulture department. The session will begin with a trip to the Platz Wholesale Flower Market. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 2. Fee: $49.
Wine Series: Robert Bansberg, a Kendall faculty member and an award-winning sommelier, teaches the series. The dinner classes will feature food designed to complement the wines being highlighted. Classes will be held 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 8, 15 and 29. Fee: $60 for each class. To register, call 847-866-1399 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
National-Louis University
2840 Sheridan Rd.
May 18-19: Performances of the “Shadow Boxer” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Weinstein Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets: $10 general admission, $6 students and seniors.
May 29: Performances by graduating theater arts students will be presented in a “Spring Showcase” from 6-10 p.m. in the Atrium. Free.
June 17–22: The Walloon Institute is a weeklong retreat on campus for teachers, administrators and parents promoting and modeling exemplary “best-practice” teaching strategies. Participants will attend workshops and interact with noted authors and experts in the field from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Fee: $675 (includes book, 11 meals and all workshops). Optional credit available for an additional $300. For more information, call the Walloon Institute at 847-441-6638 or e-mail the institute at walloonsum@aol.com.
June 25-29: Camp Care is a day camp for children 8-13 who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Fee: $200. Some scholarships are available. For more information, call 847-556-1999.
July 23-Aug 10: The summer program for gifted 6th- through 10th-grade students at the Center for Gifted will be held from 9 a.m.-noon. Fee: $375. For more information, call Jennifer Rinne at 847-256-5150, ext. 2145.
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
2122 Sheridan Rd.
Ongoing: Religious services are held throughout the week: Morning prayer at 8:30 weekdays, Eucharist at 11:15 a.m. weekdays except Thursday, Evensong at 5 p.m. weekdays except Thursdays and evening prayer at 5 Fridays.
— Compiled by Christine Tatum
