Who We Are

The South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium (SMHEC) is a unique partnership of 12 higher education institutions: five public community colleges (Joliet Junior College, Kankakee Community College, Moraine Valley Community College, Prairie State College, and South Suburban College); one private, for-profit 2-year college (Northwestern College); one public university (Governors State University) and five private universities [three Catholic universities: Lewis University, St. Xavier University, and University of St. Francis; one private, for-profit university (DeVry University); and one Research 1 university: Illinois Institute of Technology]. SMHEC members are diverse in types and missions, extending geographically from the south side of Chicago, west to beyond Joliet, south of Kankakee, and east to the Indiana border.

Founded in 1992, the Consortium fosters new and enhanced educational services and programs to citizens, businesses and other institutions in the Chicago metropolitan southland region. Through institutional collaboration, the Consortium focuses on programs that promote college readiness, support college completion, enhance educational opportunities and identify economies and efficiencies that result in streamlining and cost savings.

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