Once a month we highlight a different NCRA-approved school. The court reporting and captioning programs offered at these schools have met the General Requirements and Minimum Standards established by the Council on Approved Student Education of NCRA. This is a chance for members to get to know these programs and hear from their students and teachers.
Thank you to Margaret C. Sokalski, CRI, program director, Generations College/MacCormac School of Court Reporting in Chicago, Ill., for contributing to this School Spotlight.
JCR | What is the mission of your school?
Generations College (formerly MacCormac College) is a private, nonprofit institution whose mission is to provide a transformative educational experience to its diverse student body in an environment that promotes learning and encourages, empowers, and nurtures the well-being of the whole person. Our comprehensive academic programs challenge students to excel in their academic and career pursuits, prepare students to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens in a global society, and equip students to make a contribution to future generations.
JCR | What sets your program apart from other court reporting programs?
Generations College/MacCormac School of Court Reporting was the first court reporting program in the nation. We pride ourselves on our small classes, which in turn lead to an incredible faculty-to-student ratio. This ratio allows us to provide a more personal touch with our students. Our faculty all have experience as court reporters and have several open tutoring hours each week to help students become as successful as they can be in the program. Additionally, all of our students have access to realtime instruction from the first week of classes.
Generations also has the most up-to-date and best shorthand theory in the nation, the MacCormac College Theory, which was created two years ago by the brightest minds in the profession. It is because of our incredible theory, dedicated instructors, the robust Chicago job market, and some of the brightest student minds in the profession that all of our graduates are in extremely high demand, which is why we are able to boast a 100 percent graduate placement rate over the last 10 years.
JCR | What do your students have to say about your program?
“Generations College provides its students what other online schools cannot — a face-to-face learning environment where instructors are able to see how their students are writing and more of an opportunity to develop meaningful and lasting relationships with peers and faculty. The instructors at Generations stay up to date in all aspects of court reporting and are able to help students immediately with any questions or issues. The school also boasts an exceptional theory that allows students, after graduating, to confidently work in either court reporting or CART captioning.”
– Ezekiel (Zeke) Alicea, RPR, was the 2020 valedictorian at MacCormac College. He is currently working as a freelance reporter in Chicago, Ill.
JCR | Is there anything else you would like to add?
Generations College is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and approved by NCRA. Established in 1904, Generations College is the third-oldest two-year private nonprofit college in the nation. Thousands of court reporters have been educated here, and our alumni have gone on to illustrious careers at some of the most prestigious court reporting agencies in the nation. And some court reporting agencies were even created by our graduates. It was with our illustrious history in mind that we decided to change our historic and prestigious name this past year. We felt that with the impact that we have left on generations of alumni, our community, and families through our student-first approach and our dedication to continue our efforts to provide the most transformative educational experience for years to come, that Generations College was the most fitting name for our school now and in the future. In addition to court reporting, we also offer on-campus, online, and live virtual (Zoom) programs in business administration, criminal justice, and paralegal studies. We live, eat, and breathe #GenLife, and we look forward to a very bright future for our students and the college as a whole.
For more information about our programs and the college as a whole, you can visit us at generations.edu, email us at info@generations.edu, or call us at 312-922-1884.
Learn more about Generations College/MacCormac School of Court Reporting or see all NCRA-approved schools and programs.
