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Where Is MORRISON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY?
 

    Morrison Institute of Technology
    Admissions Office
    701 Portland Avenue
    Morrison, Illinois 61270
    Telephone (815) 772-7218
 

Driving Directions Here

Facts about Morrison Institute of Technology

Morrison Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational, not-for-profit institution of higher learning.  The college was founded in 1973 by acquiring the assets of the Institute of Drafting and Technology located in Morrison, Illinois.  The college was originally a for-profit corporation.  In 1977, the corporation sought not-for-profit corporation status and is presently governed  by a local board of directors.

The college was first authorized by the State of Illinois to grant an Associate in Technology degree in 1973.  The first accreditation held by the college was granted by the Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD) in 1976.  In 1980 ECPD changed its name to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).  The Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET currently  accredits our program.  The Design and Drafting CAD concentration is also accredited at the design/drafter level by the American Drafting and Design Association (ADDA), its highest level.

All classes are day classes offered at the campus in Morrison, Illinois.  Courses are offered on a semester basis, with semesters starting in January and August.  Dinner graduation ceremonies are held in May and December of each year.

 The name of the college is derived from the agri-business community of Morrison, the county seat of Whiteside County, located in scenic northwestern Illinois.  Morrison, with a population of 4800, is located approximately 130 miles west of Chicago and 15 miles east of Clinton, Iowa and the Mississippi River.

Background

Morrison Institute of Technology is an independent, not-for-profit, two year college that specializes in engineering technology. The college is licensed by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to grant the Associate in Applied Science degree. All classes, except those offered as professional level courses, are day classes and are on campus. Regular courses are offered on a semester basis, with semesters beginning in August and January of each year. On campus dormitory apartments housing is available.
 
 Mission and Purpose

The mission of the Morrison Institute of Technology is to provide for those technology oriented students in the Midwest and surrounding areas desiring to achieve an education in the fields of engineering technology and allied programs.  The college will be predominately an undergraduate institution, which will provide educational experiences that will (a) prepare the student to function successfully in his/her personal life and chosen career, with special emphasis on communication and other skills basic to general education, (b) provide an academic foundation on which the student may continue a lifelong learning process on a formal or informal basis, and (c) prepare the student to assume a productive and contributing role as a citizen, locally, nationally, and worldwide.

In order to best achieve its philosophy of higher education, Morrison Institute of Technology is committed to providing:
   

Accreditation and Approvals

 The college is authorized to operate and grant degrees in the state of Illinois under the applicable state statutes administered by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.  The Engineering Technology program is accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), Baltimore, MA.  Additionally, the  Design Drafting CAD program at Morrison Institute of Technology is certified by the American Drafting Design Association at the design/drafter level.  The college is also accredited by the Council on Occupational Education COE.  The State of Illinois, Department of Veterans Affairs, State Approving Agency has approved Morrison Institute of Technology for veteran's training under Chapter 36 of Title #38, U.S. Code.  The Division of Rehabilitation services (DORS) and the Workforce Investment Act, WIA, (formerly JTPA) both refer clients to the college for training.  The college is listed in the Educational Directory, U.S. Department of Education, as a legally authorized institution of higher learning, allowing qualified students to participate in a number of federally funded student financial aid and grant programs.  There are also scholarship and special loan programs available to qualified students.  The college is also a member of the Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC), thus extending educational opportunities to service personnel while on active duty.  The college is also a member of the Better Business Bureau.

Class Size

 The college maintains small class sizes to provide students with more individualized instruction.  Maximum multi-media lectures will not exceed sixty students.  Remaining lecture courses have a maximum of forty students.  Typically, many lectures are well under the maximum levels.

 Computer laboratories have a maximum of fifteen to twenty students.  All other laboratories typically have a maximum of twenty-four students and many are well under the maximum level.
 
 
 

Concurrent Enrollment

Morrison Institute of Technology is a member of the Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC), which means that the college recognizes appropriate credits earned by servicemen in military schools or college extension programs while serving their country. Also, Morrison participates in the Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAp) sponsored by the Army Recruiting Command. In this program, a person can enroll at Morrison at the same time that he or she enlists in the military or while he or she is currently serving. In this way, the student is guaranteed a place when his or her hitch is completed with tuition and fees being paid for from Montgomery G.I. Bill education benefits.
 
 

Personal Attention

Morrison is a small college. Our total enrollment is about 200 full time students. However, because we are small, our staff and faculty know the students on a first name basis. Our student to faculty ratio is about 15 to 1, which means that an individual student receives personal attention. Our faculty are all experienced in the areas they teach. Many are sought out by businesses to provide consultative services. Our students learn what the profession is all about from working professionals.
 
 

In addition, the college maintains a staff of student tutors who are available to all students free of charge.  The college and its staff are committed to seeing that all students are provided the necessary assistance to perform well in the college level courses offered.
 
 

Typical Two Year College/Community College Graduation Rates vs. Morrison Institute of Technology

According to a 1994 Student Longitudinal Study done by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics only 17.5% of those students that begin their education at a 2 year college will graduate with associate degrees in 5 years. Similarly, only 6.3% will attain a bachelor's degree in five years.

On the other hand, according to 1997 IPEDS data, 62% of the students that began classes at Morrison Institute of Technology in the fall of 1995 graduated with Associate in Technology degrees. Further, according to an internal follow-up study of December 1996 and May 1997 graduates of Morrison Institute of Technology, 29% of the graduates enrolled as full time students in bachelor's degree programs.  In a study conducted in 2003, graduate placement of graduates was at 83.3% and students completing the program was up to 68.18%; both statistics significantly above the national average.

In short, the graduation rate of Morrison Institute of Technology is several times higher than the national average for community colleges and other 2 year colleges. Why? We think it is because: