Lake Land College (LLC) Academics and Admissions

Academics

Lake Land College is a public community college located in Mattoon, Illinois. It was founded in 1966 and has an enrollment of 8,200 students. The college offers numerous associate degree programs, some career focused with the goal of immediate employment, some focused on transfer to a four-year institution. Programs are offered in seven core program areas: Agriculture, Allied Health, Business, Humanities and Communications, Technology, Math and Science, and Social Science and Education.

The college is located on a 308-acre campus with nine major academic buildings, in addition to six support buildings. The campus also features a 160-acre agricultural “land laboratory” featured in the college’s 14 agriculture degree programs. The campus has numerous computer labs, a child care lab, a cosmetology clinic, and a dental clinic. Keeping with the mission of providing educational opportunities to as broad a representation of the surrounding community as possible, Lake Land College offers classes at numerous locations throughout Coles County, including the Kluthe Center in Effingham, the Western Region Center in Pana, the Eastern Region Center at the Forsythe Building in Marshall, and at 15 Department of Corrections Facilities. The college also offers online classes for convenience.

In addition to traditional academic programs, Lake Land College offers a number of options for community members who want to expand their skills or educational experience, but without entering a degree program. One program is the short-term certificate, which includes such career-specific training as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) Certificate, Certificate in Geographical Information Systems, Desktop Pre-Press Certificate, and more. Lake Land also has offered a Commercial Driver Training Program since 1991, which helps men and women find employment in the trucking industry.

Another college program, “Continuing Ed Ventures,” focuses on developing programs for “mature adults” in the Coles County region; and on the other end of the age spectrum, the college offers a “Summer College for Kids,” which offers a number of programs, from test prep to arts and crafts, for younger learners.

The college also offers three study abroad programs, with trips to England, Costa Rica, and Austria available.

The college is a member of the Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Vocational Education, the National League for Nursing, the Council on Dental Education, American Dental Association, and the Commission for Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. The college is also approved as a Class I Community College by Illinois Community College Board and Illinois State Board of Higher Education.

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Information Summary

Ranks 75th in Illinois and 2160th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	61.1
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$4,470
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	21 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	68% / 38%
Enrollment Total (all students)	4,583

Admissions

As most community colleges do, the college maintains an open-door admissions policy with a mission of providing access to higher education for all who can benefit. While admission to the college is open, admission to particular programs may be restricted by specific academic requirements. Also, in such programs, preference is given to qualified in-district students.

Students seeking a degree or certificate must take the Lake Land College placement tests in math, reading, and English. ACT scores may be used in place of the placement tests. Students who have not successfully completed high school or college geometry, or who do not have a transcript on file documenting completion of the course, will be required to enroll in a college geometry course before enrolling in a MAT 100 or higher course.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid All enrolling students seeking financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. More than 500 students each year receive scholarships through the Lake Land College Foundation. The awards range from $100 to $2,000 per year, and all current students and students planning to attend Lake Land College are encouraged to apply. The college also offers private scholarships through community organizations, banks, credit unions, clubs, fraternal orders, businesses, and employers. Students are encouraged to contact these organizations about scholarship opportunities.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6688th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Illinois.

Students

There is no on-campus housing at Lake Land, so all students commute either from home or from apartments and rentals in the area. Despite the non-residential nature of the campus, there are a number of clubs and organizations for students to join. These include: the Agriculture Business and Production Club, the Broadcasting Club, the Civil Engineering Technology Club, the Construction Specifications Institute Club, the Cosmetology Club, the Human Service Club, the Postsecondary Agriculture Student Org. (PAS), and the Welding Technology Club. The college also has an active Student Activity Board, which provides students with social and cultural events on Wednesdays at 11 a.m., and also plans the annual Spring Carnival.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

The college’s sports teams are called the Lakers and the school’s colors are red and black. Lake Land is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and participates in men’s baseball and basketball, as well as women’s basketball, softball, and volleyball.

The home of Laker athletics is the Lake Land College Field House, built in 1974 and renovated in 2009. The seating capacity is 800, but more than 1,000 can fit in the building for rivalry games. The newly renovated field house has more energy efficient lighting and a Geo-Thermal heating and cooling system, which was a part of the college’s 5-year capitol project for the entire campus. The field house also has its own Hall of Fame, which includes numerous All-Americans and championship banners dating back to 1969.

Local Community

Mattoon has a population of about 18,000 and is located in Coles County, Illinois, about 170 miles from Chicago. The town was originally known as “Pegtown,” and was created in 1853 as railroad surveyors from the Illinois Central and Terre Haute and Alton Railroads found their tracks would cross in the area. In 1861, the town was named officially for William B. Mattoon, a chief engineer working for the Terre Haute and Alton Railroad. With transportation in place and fertile soil surrounding the town, the population expanded rapidly through the 1890s.

In 1940, petroleum reserves were found in the countryside, leading to a small oil boom in the 40s and 50s. Oil extraction is still a key economic activity in the area.

Bibliography

Lake Land Community College. Web. 26 August 2011.
City of Mattoon. Web. 26 August 2011.

Lake Land College