Barat College
 |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
| Established | 1858 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Forest , Illinois , USA |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
| Mascot | Bulldog |
Barat College of the Sacred Heart was a small Catholic college located in Lake Forest, Illinois, 30 miles north of Chicago. The college was named after Madaleine Sophie Barat, A Sister of the Sacred Heart Order of Nuns. Barat College was purchased by DePaul University and when the college closed, it had about 800 students that were seeking degrees from Barat under the College Charter that was held in tact when DePaul purchased the university in 2001.
Barat College began as an academy for young women in Chicago in 1858 and moved to its Lake Forest location in 1904. In 1918, the State of Illinois chartered Barat as a four-year college, and in 1982, Barat became a coeducational institution. To qualify for federal financial programs, governance of the college passed from the Society of the Sacred Heart to an independent Board of Trustees in 1969. In February 2001, because of fiscal concerns, Barat College was purchased DePaul University, becoming one of DePaul's seven colleges. This the College was renamed to "Barat College of DePaul University"
By the end of it's run, Barat catered to an odd mix of students: slow kids who needed lots of help, smart kids who were stoned all through high school or who had suffered some sort of family trauma, kids who were not at all interested in moving more than a mile, and foreign students who didn't realize where they were enrolling.
In February 2004, the DePaul University Trustee Board voted to discontinue operating Barat College despite a 14-11 vote by the DePaul Faculty Council to continue the alliance.[1] DePaul then began to accept proposals for the future of the college, culminating in the proposal for a relationship with the American College of Education. Through its wholly owned Illinois subsidiary, the acquired a substantial portion of the educational business of Barat College, including the library materials, regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and (subject to necessary consents) permits and other authorizations from governmental authorities, education agencies, or other third parties.
In 2004, the campus was sold to Barat Woods, LLC, for development as condominium residences. The courtyard and part of the Old Main Building were to be preserved. However, the 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) Thabor wing, which was added to the building in 1924 and contains an Italianate chapel, was to be demolished.[2] . The price on the property was a mere $20mil and whether that price was met or not is unknown.
The Barat Education Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 corporation, continues and advances the Barat legacy. Its website provides information of interest to Barat College alumni and friends of the foundation. A brief history of the college from 1904 to 2004 is included in the issue of Barat Magazine.[3]
In March 2008 the Barat campus was one of several locations used for filming of a horror movie entitled The Unborn.[citation needed]
Barat College also housed the academic records of DuQuesne College in Nebraska. These records along with the academic records were transferred to DePaul University. Individuals who attended DuQuesne College (another Sacred Heart School) can ask for their transcripts through DePaul University.
Barat College, in its heyday, employed almost 200 individuals. Barat was well known for a long period of time for their Theatre Arts and School of Dance. Ballet was a major for several years. Barat's focused changed as times changed and over 28 degrees were offered to accommodate the needs of adults in higher education. At that time, Barat became primarily a commuter college where 70% of students commuted to Barat on a daily basis back in the early 1990s.
Barat College had dorms for students over the age of 24 and boasted a Observatory where students could use a telescope (like the Hubble Scope) to view the stars for Science Projects. This observatory has the bragging rights of being one of the only ones in a Chicagoland College.
Barat College's faculty were absorbed mostly by DePaul University and many of them still teach there today. The Order of the Sacred Heart Nuns who still lived on campus were displaced into convents across the country. Retired RSCJ's from Barat live in two convents in Albany and Saratoga, New York Some of the Sacred Heart nuns were also displaced Nebraska when the college closed. Barat's Cemetery behind the dorms is still present, but many of the gravesites have been ripped up.
Jane Byrne, former mayor of the City of Chicago, was a graduate of Barat College.
References
- ^ "President's Report", Illinois Academe: The Official Newspaper of AAUP-IL Spring 2004
- ^ Preservation Online: City OKs 1924 Chapel Demolition for Condos
- ^ Barat Magazine, Spring 2004