Joliet Junior College , a community college based in Joliet, Illinois, was the first public community college founded in the United States. JJC offers pre-baccalaureate programs for students planning to transfer to a four-year university, as well as occupational education leading directly to employment. Additionally, JJC offers adult education and literacy programs, workforce development services, and student support services. In fall 2008, the college enrolled 14,088 students. Every year, over 22,000 students enroll in the college's academic programs in addition to over 14,000 students in... non-credit programs. The first college of its kind in the United States, Joliet's founding came about in 1901 as the result of a meeting between the Joliet superintendent of schools, J. Stanley Brown, and the president of the University of Chicago, William Rainey Harper. For years, Harper had been advocating a "2+2" approach to higher education, suggesting that undergraduates should focus on general education coursework in their first two years of college to serve as a foundation to specialize in a field of study in their next two years.
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