At North Central College we believe that learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom. In fact, our goal is to create an overall campus environment that encourages the engagement, growth and development of all students. The activities and services available on campus provide students with opportunities to practice classroom theories, to sharpen leadership skills and to learn problem-solving techniques.
Office of Student Life
The Office of Student Life plays a key role in supporting students throughout their experience at North Central College. The staff in Student Life coordinate programs designed to help new students make a successful transition to college as well as provide advocacy and referral service to students who may need assistance with personal or academic problems. Students are welcome to visit the Office of Student Life on an appointment or walk-in basis.
Office of Residence Life
The Office of Residence Life exists to foster safe, student-centered communities that focus on individual student needs. We empower residents to maximize their potential in order to achieve both academic and personal success. Through intentional student development within a living and learning environment, we teach skills relevant for a lifetime. Recognizing and valuing diversity within our community, we promote an atmosphere of appreciation and respect. We are committed to being personally involved in our students’ success. Residence halls are staffed by full-time professional hall directors and a team of resident assistants who are students trained to provide support to their peers living on campus. Student involvement and community engagement are key components in the Residence Life program.
All residence hall rooms are furnished with a bed, dresser, desk, chair and closet space for each resident. Some upper-class residence hall rooms have private bathrooms and kitchens. Residence halls provide public computers and printers, drink and snack machines, free laundry facilities, and common gathering spaces available to the residents. All residence halls include air conditioning and wireless internet access.
Office of the Chaplain
The Office of the Chaplain serves the whole North Central community by extending radical hospitality, fostering intentional community, and inspiring bold action. Building on our roots as an inclusive campus, we strive to build community that empowers students, faculty, and staff to work for the common good, especially those most marginalized and oppressed in our communities.
Chaplain Max Blalock is a confidential resource for students, faculty, and staff. The Chaplain’s Office supports ongoing programs focused on spiritual wellness, religious understanding, and building transformational, empowering community.
The office of the chaplain maintains and coordinates use of several spaces for worship, prayer, mediation, and spiritual growth on campus, including Koten Chapel and the Gathering Space in Kiekhofer Hall, as well as the Multifaith Prayer Room in Schneller Hall.
The chaplain advocates for justice, equity, inclusion and belonging for all students. If you have a specific personal, religious, or spiritual concern or requirement, contact him directly. He is happy to discuss any concern. That’s why he is here.
The Office of the Chaplain is located in Kiekhofer Hall 110.
First-Generation College Student Initiatives
The Office of First-generation Student Initiatives provides programming and support for first-generation college students (defined at NC as neither parent/guardian having completed a Bachelor’s degree). Cardinal First provides a supportive and welcoming community for first-generation college students and their families, a campus culture that values and celebrates first-gen identity as an asset, and a program that fosters a connection to peers, faculty, resources and experiences that promote personal and academic success from enrollment through graduation. Cohort programming is offered through monthly one-hour workshops offered at multiple times.
First-gen Academic Groups, facilitated by faculty mentors and student liaisons, meet once/semester and are designed to provide discipline-specific mentoring and networking for students with similar academic interests.
The First-gen Center and staff offices are located on the first floor of Seybert Hall.
More info available at www.noctrl.edu/cardinal-first.
Veteran & Military-Affiliated Student Services
Student Veterans:
North Central College recognizes and appreciates the many assets student veterans bring to our campus and classrooms – including global perspective, self-discipline, maturity, work ethic, critical thinking, goal-focused approach, teamwork, leadership skills and life experiences.
The Veterans Resource Center in Larrance Academic Center Rm 15 provides a place for student veterans to study, socialize, enjoy a snack or coffee, and/or attend the monthly Veterans Lunch.
North Central’s Veteran Success Team consists of 18 staff members serving as points of contact for various offices/programs; each is committed to responding to veteran inquiries in a timely manner and through full resolution. Veteran Appreciation Month is celebrated each November and includes a Veterans Lunch with the President. The Hail & Farewell Banquet, our end-of-year celebration, is for our student, faculty and staff veterans and ROTC cadets.
ROTC Cadets:
North Central students may apply to participate in Army ROTC through Rolling Thunder Battalion (housed at Wheaton College) or Air Force ROTC Detachment 195 (housed at University of Chicago). More info availbale at www.noctrl.edu/ROTC.
Student Engagement & Belonging
The Office of Student Engagement & Belonging (OSEB) is your go-to destination to get engaged on campus! We foster valuable student leadership skills, create opportunities for students to build stronger connections, and empower advocacy to enhance the student experience.
We host a number of on-campus events, off-campus experiences, and other programs to promote transformational learning and to foster a strong sense of community and belonging through Welcome Week, Homecoming Week, the Sankofa Experience spring break trip, Campus Recreation activities, and our annual identity and cultural heritage celebrations. Join us for our biannual Student Engagement Fairs where you can explore how to get involved with the 100+ student clubs and organizations, including Student Governing Association, Cardinal Activities Board, Residence Hall Association, and more. To elevate our student leaders, we facilitate workshops to enhance their leadership development and provide platforms to recognize their contributions to NCC!
The Office of Student Engagement & Belonging offers a variety of resources and programs to best support the needs of our diverse student population. We are dedicated to strengthening our efforts in building an inclusive campus community through the Premier Scholars Program, our Commuter Life initiatives, the Multicultural Student Center (WAC 206), and bias-related incident response and support. We also invite students, faculty, and staff to join us for Brewing Conversations to encourage cultural humility through intersectional dialogue. Our goal is to inspire the campus community to cultivate cross-cultural, interpersonal experiences.
Visit our office in Upper WAC (Harold & Eva White Activities Center) or LinkTree to stay connected through social media platforms, explore resources, and discover all of our engagement opportunities. Check out Modern Campus Involve (Presence), our primary student engagement platform where students can explore organizations, campus events, and more.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Student Disability Services has been designated by North Central College to coordinate reasonable accommodations in compliance with Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Student Disability Services provides accommodations to students with documented physical, psychological, and/or learning disabilities, as well as chronic health conditions. The goal of these services is to provide equal access and support to allow students to pursue their educational goals and participate in the activities of the College.
Student Disability Services engages in an interactive process with each student on an individual, case-by-case basis to determine reasonable accommodations. The interactive process includes, but may not be limited to:
Accommodations do not guarantee success and will not be assigned based solely on verification recommendations. Following completion of the interactive process, students will then request their Notice of Accommodation (NOA). Student Disability Services will provide the NOA within 3 business days to the student via NC email. Students may not use academic accommodations until they email their NOA to each professor. While a student may request accommodations at any time, it is recommended that they do so early in their academic career as most accommodations are not retroactive.
Students can contact Student Disability Services at 630-637-5264, 630-637-5576, or email sds@noctrl.edu. Also visit the Student Disability Services HUB page for the most up to date information
Library Services
The Oesterle Library at North Central College is a place where new ideas are formed and where campus finds a place to relax, study, learn, and create. The goal of the Library is for every student to graduate with the information seeking behaviors that will make them valuable, productive citizens of the world. The Library does this with carefully curated print and digital collections that meet the educational and research needs of our campus community. The library also provides access to resources from across the state of Illinois and beyond through sharing partnerships with other academic libraries.
The North Central College Archives seeks to identify, preserve and make available the permanent records of the College and provides students with opportunities to use primary documents in their research. Housed in Oesterle Library, the Archives are open to the public. Four additional collections include the Shimer College Archives, the Suburban Studies Archives, the Illinois Prairie Path Papers, and the Harris W. Fawell Congressional Papers.
Center for Global Education
The Center for Global Education (CGE) serves and supports a diverse community of learners by fostering equitable opportunities for international education and supporting programs that offer meaningful cross-cultural engagement. For students, an education at North Central College includes many opportunities to add a global dimension to their degree program such as selecting a globally-oriented major or minor; studying one of five foreign languages (Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish); joining an internationally focused student organization; involvement in the international living and learning community or participating in one of our 36 semester-long education abroad programs and/or a Cardinal Destination Course Abroad. These opportunities support North Central’s goal to graduate students who are curious and engaged leaders and global citizens.
The Center for Global Education (CGE) houses four distinct areas – Education Abroad, the English Language Institute, International Admissions and Recruitment, and International Student Services and Engagement– each strategically focused on the important international efforts and priorities of the College. The CGE Executive Director provides leadership and vision for the College’s international efforts through the students we serve and the important work we do through the Center for Global Education.
Center for Career and Professional Development
The Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) guides, supports, and empowers North Central undergraduate students in every stage of their career journey, helping them explore interests, prepare for success, and pursue meaningful opportunities.
Located in Oesterle Library, the CCPD offers a welcoming space that includes the Drop-In Center, one-on-one coaching appointments, workshops, and career-related recruiting events. Students also have access to a range of online tools including Handshake, Big Interview, and What Can I Do With This Major?
Through the Explore, Prepare, and Pursue framework, students can:
- Explore their interests, values, and strengths to discover possible career paths and fields of study.
- Prepare by building essential career skills such as developing resumes and cover letters, practicing interviews, growing professional networks, and planning for internships or graduate school.
- Pursue opportunities by applying their knowledge and experience to internships, jobs, or graduate programs, and learning to evaluate and negotiate offers.
The CCPD serves as students’ “GPS” for career and professional development, offering individualized guidance, practical tools, and a supportive community to help every student move confidently toward their goals.
Center for Social Impact
Housed in the Leadership, Ethics & Values Program, the Center for Social Impact provides opportunities for students to grow as leaders as they explore, experience and influence the causes they care about most. Through five “Pathways to Social Impact” (Civic Engagement, Social Entrepreneurship, Advocacy, Service and Scholarship) students can find academic and co-curricular offerings, student organizations, major campus events, funding opportunities and mentorship that will prepare them to enter any community and career with a deep commitment to the common good and skills to lead change.
Through the Leadership, Ethics and Values curriculum students can enroll in interdisciplinary courses, a leadership concentration, academic minors and majors focused on ethical leadership, social entrepreneurship, social innovation and conflict resolution. Students gain leadership skills through student groups including Design for America (designing solutions with community partners), Break Away (alternative break immersion trips) and the Blue Key Leadership Honor Society (leadership and service). Students as well as the wider community benefit from events such as the annual Changemaker Challenge (a social venture pitch competition), workshops, conferences, and more. Through the Change Fund, students who want to take their social impact ideas to the next level can apply for funds for the purpose of exploration, project implementation or to support the launch of a social enterprise or non-profit organization.
Dyson Wellness Center
The DWC is an integrated health center that provides both in-person and telehealth, confidential medical, counseling and interpersonal violence support services as well as health education to all full-time registered students. There is no cost for a visit with a provider. Visit the DWC Hub page to see a detailed description of services, upcoming events eligibility and to meet our team. You can schedule by going to the appointment reqeust form on the HUB page, stopy by or call at 630-637-5550. Dyson provides in-person or telehealth appointments.
All DWC services are available to registered students. Medical and advocacy for interpersonal violence services are available to faculty and staff, and medical services are also available to spouses and children/dependents of faculty and staff, ages 3-26. While mental health counseling is offered to students only, DWC staff members do provide referrals in addition to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided through Human Resources. Everyone is encouraged to consult with DWC staff to promote collaborative care.
The Dyson Wellness Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, 455 S. Brainard Street, Naperville, Illinois 60540. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and can be contacted at 630-637-5550 or DysonWellness@noctrl.edu. After-hours resources can be found on the DWC Hub page.
If unable to be physically located in Illinois at the time of your appointment, which is the state in which the DWC providers are licensed, eligible students can use TimelyCare 24/7/365 telehealth medical, counseling and emotional support services. Whether you are out-of-state or in-state, if you prefer to use TimelyCare 24/7/365 telehealth services for any reason, you may do so. Just use your NC email address to access and register.
Dispute Resolution Program
The North Central College Dispute Resolution Center provides services, training and development opportunities to students in a variety of contexts. A comprehensive program provides the following services: resolution of non-disciplinary student disputes through peer mediation; training of students to mediate disputes; a variety of community service programs; and course work and academic minors in dispute resolution through the Leadership, Ethics and Values Program.
Title IX Office
North Central College is committed to creating a safe learning environment for all members of our community, free from sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
The Title IX Office offers support and resources to those impacted by interpersonal violence, while also overseeing both formal and informal grievance processes. Privacy in these cases is of the utmost importance and services are provides in a trauma-informed and compassionate manner. Additionally, the Title IX Office works closely to monitor and address other forms of sex and gender-based discrimination, such as protecting the rights of pregnant students and evaluating climate and inequity reviews. Title IX works closely with prevention, training, and compliance efforts and welcomes all campus members to visit the Title IX Coordinator’s Office in Old Main, Room 524 with any questions or to simply have a discussion. Title IX violations can be reported at titleixreport.northcentralcollege.edu.
Food Service
The College partners with Parkhurst Dining to provide made-from-scratch food with menus that focus on seasonal items and provide continuous selections that change throughout the day. You have your choice of a wide variety of delicious and healthy meals, featuring local and sustainable food sources, build-your-own-meal concepts, and special options for every diet, including vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free and gluten-free.
Kaufman Dining Hall, the college’s all-you-care-to-eat facility, features several stations with a variety of foods so that students may choose a meal that best fits their dietary needs. Program highlights include self-serve entrees, salad bar and deli. Additional food service is available in The Cage at the Harold and Eva White Activities Center, Cardinal Corner in Wentz Science Center, and at the Rolland Center Boilerhouse Café. There are 4 flexible meal plans available for students to choose from, which offer varying increments of meals and bonus bucks. All students living in college-owned residence halls are required to have a meal plan. Students living off-campus may purchase a commuter meal plan or use cash or card at each of the food service venues.
Performing Ensembles
The Department of Music features several large and small, instrumental, jazz and choral performing ensembles. Choral ensembles include: Concert Choir, Cardinal Chorus, Women’s Chorale, Chamber Singers, Opera Workshop, Naperville Chorus and various smaller chamber ensembles. Instrumental ensembles include: Concert Winds, Symphonic Band, Chamber Winds, Cardinal Athletic Band (marching and basketball band), Percussion Ensemble, Chamber String Ensemble, Flute Choir, Woodwind Quintet, Brass Quintet, Small Brass Ensemble and Saxophone Quartet. Jazz Ensembles include: Big Band, Vocal Jazz Ensemble and several combos. Ensembles perform regularly on and off campus and some tour regionally, nationally and internationally. Explore the Department of Music website (www.northcentralcollege.edu/music) for director names and contact information.
Theatrical Productions
The North Central College Department of Theatre presents an ambitious theatre season every year, providing students with creative and leadership opportunities through valuable production experience. Unique to the program is our proximity to the Chicago industry and the numerous opportunities for students to perform, design, direct, and dramaturg. Our shows are led by Chicago-based professional directors and designers, including our professional faculty. A typical season will include two musicals, a dance production, and a range of dramas or comedies, including two fully produced student directed pieces mounted as part of the advertised public season. The student clubs produce a cappella concerts, choreography and dance, experimental theatre and musical tributes, and sponsor social events throughout the year. While students go on to a variety of successful careers, all majors build a portfolio of work across their area/s, with a prestigious industry showcase for graduating performers. Designers and directors further build networking in production with extended individual collaboration with guest artists: https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/theatre-guest-artists. Explore the Department of Theatre website (https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/college-arts-sciences/theatre) for more information.
Intercollegiate Athletics
Athletics play an important role in campus life at North Central College and in the personal development of the student-athletes who participate in the 26 intercollegiate sports offered by the College for men and women.
North Central women compete in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, volleyball and wrestling. The men’s athletic program includes baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball and wrestling.
North Central athletic teams, known as the Cardinals, compete as members of Division III in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and as members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, considered by many sportswriters to be the best small college conference in the country. The athletic teams have won 45 national championships including championships in football, men’s track and field (indoor and outdoor), men’s cross country, women’s basketball, women’s triathlon, men’s swimming, and women’s wrestling.
Individually, 154 North Central student-athletes and relays have won national titles through the years along with 1,377 All-Americans, 255 Team Conference Championships and 984 National Academic Awards.
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