New CSI Gurnee Campus Hosts Grand Opening & Tours Sept. 29

GURNEE, Ill., Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Gurnee campus of Computer Systems Institute (CSI) will hold grand opening festivities on Thursday, September 29, celebrating a recent move that doubled the school's capacity in Gurnee to 500 students. CSI specializes in fast-track career training programs in computer networking, business administration, medical assisting, and medical billing and coding that can be completed in just eight months.

The open house at 5330 Grand Avenue, across the street from Six Flags Great America, will run from 3-5 pm. Highlights will include music provided by 102.3 WXLC-FM and 1220 WKRS-AM; carnival-style games as well as a balloon artist and movie room for children; and a 4:30 pm ribbon-cutting by Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik and CSI President and CEO Ella Zibitsker.

Attendees will also be able to tour the campus classrooms and labs including:

• A medical assisting lab resembling a doctor's office, with beds, blood pressure machines, centrifuges and other testing equipment.
• 18 computer-equipped classrooms, each with at least 16 PCs used for computer-assisted learning in conjunction with faculty instruction.
• 6 e-learning labs with up to 83 computers per lab, used to supplement classroom and hands-on learning.
• A student lounge equipped with vending machines, tables and bulletin boards showcasing successful CSI graduates.

CSI's Gurnee campus opened in 2005 and has expanded twice in the last six years. The campus currently has 240 students, ranging from recent high school graduates to career changers in their 50s, and is the largest of CSI's six locations at 31,000 square feet.

The grand opening is designed to introduce northeast Lake County and southeast Wisconsin residents to the school's offerings.

"Our Gurnee enrollment has been steadily growing because we fill a need for affordable, fast-track programs that can help the unemployed and underemployed in nearby communities find good jobs in high-demand careers. That's why we needed a larger space," Zibitsker said. "This open house offers an opportunity to explore new career options."

The CSI curriculum prepares students to take certification exams that assist with job placement. That includes CompTIA, Network+, MCP and MCSA exams for network systems administration; National Healthcareer Association and American Medical Technologist exams for healthcare; and Microsoft Office Specialist and Customer Service exams for business.

CSI underwrites the cost of these certification exams as part of its effort to assist students in their job search. The school also offers stipends for academic performance, no-charge retakes of failed classes, a free fast-track GED preparation program, clothing swaps, and other unique support services that help students succeed in the classroom as well as the job market.  

CSI has served more than 10,000 graduates at six campuses since opening its first location in 1989. The school is accredited by the North Central Association, licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education, and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to accept the GI bill. It is also a Microsoft IT Academy and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

About Computer Systems Institute

CSI is a postsecondary education provider that offers a variety of career programs in information technology, healthcare and business administration designed to be completed in less than one year, as well as English-as-a-Second-Language programs serving students from around the world. Founded in 1989, the school has six Chicago-area campuses in the Chicago Loop, Skokie, Lombard, Gurnee, Wheeling and Elgin with a broad range of support services to facilitate academic and career success. For more information, visit www.csinow.edu.

SOURCE Computer Systems Institute