Spoon River College was founded on October 17, 1959 as Canton Community College, after the Canton Union School District passed a referendum to establish a junior college, to allow students from the local high school district the opportunity to receive post-secondary education similar to university curriculum. It held its first classes in 1960, using space in the Canton Senior High School building. Authorized by the Illinois General Assembly and signed by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner Jr. in 1961, legislation was later enacted that created the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The IBHE was tasked by statute with formulating a master plan for higher education in the state of Illinois. In July 1964 the higher education master plan was published by the IBHE, which led to the Junior College Act of 1965. Under the Junior College Act, Canton was classified as a Class II Junior College. In the mid-1960s, the college moved its operations out of the high school building and into leased space in Canton. In 1968 the formation of Junior College District 534 completed the college's separation from the Canton public school district, and the institution was officially renamed Spoon River College and reclassified as a Class I institution.
Campus
Spoon River College currently has its main campus in on of land four miles from the city of Canton, Illinois. In 1984, a large second location, known as the Macomb Campus, was opened in Macomb, Illinois, and occupied the old Macomb High School building. The building required extensive renovation which took ten-years and $2.6 million to complete. In addition to these two large campuses, the college holds for-credit classes at learning centers in Havana, Illinois and Rushville, Illinois. Spoon River College also holds non-credit and career development classes at two Community Outreach Centers in Macomb and Canton, Illinois. High demand for both credit and non-classes and training at the Macomb Campus has led to the building of an expansion center. The $2.2 million phase one portion of the project was completed in August 2009. A large $10 million expansion is planned for the extension center in the near future. Spoon River College currently operates a satellite campus at the local Illinois River Correctional Center under contract with the Illinois Department of Corrections. SRC holds vocational and rehabilitative classes at the IDOC facility, closed to the public. .
Academics and demographics
Spoon River College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. It received the maximum ten-year accreditation approval by the Higher Learning Commission of the NCA during its last review in 2002. Spoon River College has transfer agreements with four-year colleges and universities such as Western Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and University of Illinois at Springfield, as a part of the Illinois Articulation Initiative, a statewide transfer agreement which ensures general education credits are transferable among more than 100 participating college or universities in Illinois. SRC has a specific dual-enrollment compact with Western Illinois University that began in 1998. The agreement between the schools permits students at SRC to transition into WIU through a pre-defined curriculum and automatic transfer protocol between institutions. In addition to the IAI, SRC offers students a bachelor's degree completion program that allows students to enroll in one of nine participating institutions and take classes at local SRC campuses or online. There are two primary educational tracks at SRC: Transfer Programs, and Career Educational Programs. The two educational tracks offer a total of 35 associate degree programs, and 36 certificate programs.
Enrollment
As of April 28, 2011, Spring enrollment at SRC was 1,906, of which 943 were enrolled full-time, and 936 were enrolled part-time. In addition, 94 non-credit enrollees were reported by SRC for the same period. In addition, dual credit enrollees obtaining college credit while attending high school stood at 312.
Library
Spoon River College provides a library within its Learning Resources Center at its main Canton, Illinois Campus. It has facilities for study, research, leisure reading, class preparation, and Internet access for students.
Student life
Student housing
Although the Illinois Public Community College Act prevents community colleges from building student housing, SRC offers campus housing for its students through a special arrangement with Western Illinois University. Under a November 1994 agreement between SRC and WIU, SRC students have the opportunity to live in WIU campus housing. The agreement allows a smoother transition for SRC students seeking to transfer to WIU, while allowing the university to utilize unused housing space. Spoon River College students who live on the WIU campus also can access WIU's Beu Health Center.
Academic clubs and cultural activities
SRC hosts several registered student clubs involved in academic, competitive, and cultural based activities. In addition, the campus has an active chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges and academic programs. SRC also publishes the journal Kaleidoscope, which is a journal of student produced artwork. It is published each spring and offered to the residents of the college district.
