South Suburban College to Offer Adult Basic Education Courses

Lee Edwards | As of Thursday, July 31, 2014

South Suburban College’s Division of Adult Education is offering new courses for adults to develop their core education skills.
South Suburban College’s Division of Adult Education is offering new courses for adults to develop their core education skills.

South Suburban College’s (SSC) Division of Adult Education is offering new courses for adults to develop core educational skills.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) helps men and women whose skill levels are below the ninth grade, and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) helps men and women whose skill levels are between the ninth and twelfth grade. ABE/ASE students improve their skills in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Additionally, English as a Second Language (ESL) allows non-native students to improve their English skills from beginning to advanced levels.

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South Suburban College’s Division of Adult Education is offering new courses for adults to develop their core education skills.

According to Jane Ellen Stocker, Vice President of Enrollment & Community Education at South Suburban College, the ABE/ASE can accommodate approximately 230 students at the main campus during the daytime and an additional 50 students at other off-campus locations. During the evening, 150 students can be accommodated on the main campus.

New this fall, SSC is offering part-time ESL courses at the Oak Forest Center. Most of SSC’s Adult Education programs are now offered both full and part-time at the Main Campus in South Holland or the Oak Forest Center.

The registration and assessment at the Oak Forest Center for these programs this fall will take place on September 8th at 9:00 a.m. for ABE/ASE, and September 10-11th at 9:00 a.m. for ESL, with classes beginning Monday, September 15, 2014. The Adult Ed ABE/ASE is five days per week, five hours per day from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. in Room 5230. The ESL class will run five days per week, two hours per day from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. in Room 5320. The registration and assessments will take place in their respective classrooms.

When asked by the Chicago Citizen Newspaper about the student-to-teacher ratio in each class, Stocker responded by saying that SSC's student-to-teacher ratio is around 30/1 with a minimum of 10/1 depending on the number of students that enroll.

“We have aides in some classes, but the program is not designed for individual instruction,” said Stocker. “Students needing that kind of help should seek out a tutor through our Secretary of State’s Grant which provides free individual tutoring for the people who qualify.”

“We have a Transitions Coach whose job it is to help student: get acclimated to their classes and surroundings; assist with any non-academic needs such as food/shelter; help them create a resume and prepare for interviews; and assist with life skills such as note taking, study skills and time management. Instructors also include opportunities to work with social skills,” said Stocker when asked by the Chicago Citizen Newspaper about whether or not the ASE/ABE courses will assist with a student’s social skills."

Please Note: An Adult education student enrolling for the first time at an SSC Adult Education Center must have:

Current State I.D. Or drivers license indicating Illinois residence (Must be an Illinois resident)

Under Age 18–Withdrawal form from the high school of current residence

Proof of social security number

Many adults choose to further build on these skills and pursue a high school education through the High School Equivalency (HSE) program. The HSE program will develop the skills required to pass the GED exams. All courses are offered free of charge. For the purpose of compliance with Section 511 of Public Law 101-166 (the Stevens Amendment) Federal funds of $307,398 provides approximately 36% of the support of these programs.

Additional funding for the ABE/ASE/ESL courses was funded through the Illinois Community College Board (ICCBN).

For enrollment and class information, please call (708) 596-2000, ext. 2385 or ext. 2240, or visit www.ssc.edu under “Non-Credit Offerings, Adult Education.” The Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest, Illinois.

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