In busy Schaumburg, one of Chicago’s oldest and most esteemed universities has made itself at home, bringing its own form of liberal, community-centered education to the northwest suburbs.

With it comes a commitment to diversity, leadership and social consciousness that has been the standard of a Roosevelt University education.

“Roosevelt has historically served a diverse and often first-generation college student body,” said Antonia Potenza, vice president and dean of Roosevelt’s Albert A. Robin campus. “Our success in educating this type of student has direct benefits to a business community seeking to strengthen and diversify its workforce.”

As Potenza sees it, it is a combination of undergraduate programs that build communication and management skills, and a host of graduate and continuing education opportunities that highlight leadership, stewardship and life-long learning.

“Our primary role is to educate students who will be productive members of the workforce, whether assuming an entry level position at the start of a career or taking on the challenges of leadership in a field,” Potenza said.

At the Schaumburg campus, Roosevelt offers undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting, finance, marketing, management, human resources and information systems through the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration, and computer science and communications (comprising advertising and public relations) through the College of Arts and Sciences.

A program in training and development is offered through the Evelyn T. Stone University College as well as a fast–track undergraduate program in organizational leadership, which focuses on communication and management skills.

Quite popular are Roosevelt’s certificate programs, which offer interdisciplinary learning, innovative teaching and research and flexible educational opportunities. There are certificate programs in Geographic Information Systems, Organizational Leadership, Telecommunications, Web Technology and Real Estate Development. Some companies take such an interest in the programs that they are offered onsite to employees.

“We have offered undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs at Motorola, Baxter Healthcare, Navistar and other local companies, in areas ranging from the MBA to certificates in organizational leadership to courses in workplace Spanish,” Potenza said.

Such programs are cohort-based, and participants take most if not all of their classes onsite or online.

“We hear from the corporations that hire our students that excellent communication, technological literacy and social competence are still the most desirable skills that an employee can bring to the job,” she said. “A global perspective is also invaluable, and a business education should incorporate course work or experience that allows students to gain understanding of other cultures.”

Such global understanding is behind one of Roosevelt’s unique business programs, an educational speaker series coordinated with JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization.

“JETRO provides information and support to American companies looking for successful entry and expansion in the Japanese market,” Potenza said.

Roosevelt’s College of Business has partnered with JETRO for the past two years to offer programs focused on helping northwest suburban businesses develop relationships with Japanese businesses, both abroad and in the Schaumburg area, Potenza said.

The programs have been comprised of panel discussions on topics such as Japanese business models in Illinois, cross-cultural human resource issues and the future of Japanese –American business relations. Networking receptions always follow the presentations.

Therefore, programs at Roosevelt involve a lot of training and updating within career paths. For example, this fall it will begin offering a series of seminars in continuing legal education to serve northwest suburban attorneys as they meet the new state requirement. It also is starting a BSN program for licensed RNs.

“The shortages in the health care fields are a national trend,” said Potenza. “Responding to a critical need for pharmacists, we are also exploring the establishment of a pharmacy program to begin in 2009.”

Additionally, the school has been offering meeting and convention management as a certificate topic for more than 20 years, something the Chicago campus began as the area was establishing more venues such as McCormick Place and the former Rosemont Horizon, now Allstate Arena. Today, a vast array of convention and meeting sites across the suburbs makes the program an easy fit for the Schaumburg campus.

“Our current faculty, full- and part-time, are among the leaders in the field in Chicago and nationally,” said Potenza. Courses treat both logistics and the people and information sharing aspects of such a career, she said.

Most recently, Roosevelt has been working with the Schaumburg Business Association on a leadership institute.

The goals of the institute are to identify new community leaders; expand awareness of the business and civic community, explore leadership and application to local issues; and create networks among emerging and existing leadership. More than 45 participants have completed the ten-month program since its inception in 2005.

“Business education has to be seen as life-long learning,” Potenza said. “With new knowledge, professions evolve and career paths change.”