For Dan Erhart, the decision to pursue his master’s degree at DePaul University’s Naperville Campus was a simple one.

“There’s an absolute convenience factor for people in the western suburbs,” the 35-year-old Geneva resident said. “For me, a trip downtown means either a train ride of over an hour each way, or a one-way drive of nearly an hour with no traffic. It would have been much more difficult for me to pursue a DePaul degree without this suburban location.”

Celebrating the start of its fifth academic year at its current location, 150 W. Warrenville Road, DePaul’s Naperville Campus is a full-service facility offering nine master’s degree programs and three bachelors degree programs. These programs include five DePaul colleges, including the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI), the School for New Learning, the School of Education, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and an MBA program from the nationally ranked Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

The campus also has seen steadily increasing enrollment since its opening. In 1997, the facility opened with an enrollment of 1,400 students. For fall quarter 2001, approximately 1,800 students are expected to enroll at the Naperville Campus.

Judi Bartik, communications and community relations coordinator for suburban campuses at DePaul, said the campus has increased its local visibility since the facility opened.

“When we first came to town, you could talk to local residents and their reaction to DePaul having a campus in town would always be one of surprise,” Bartik said. “Now, people are aware of our campus, our academic programs and events that we sponsor.”

“Over the course of five years, DePaul truly has become a partner in the Naperville community,” said Bill Calzaretta, executive director of suburban campuses, who also serves as chairman of the board for the Naperville Chamber of Commerce. “We will continue to work with local business and service organizations to build upon that tradition.”

Although options for continuing education abound in the Chicago suburbs, Erhart said the high quality of DePaul’s facilities and the school’s emphasis on lifelong learning made the Naperville Campus an easy choice.

“DePaul has done a great job of outfitting their suburban campuses to be conducive to learning,” said Erhart, who works for a telecommunications firm in Hoffman Estates. “And I particularly appreciate all of the expanded opportunities they provide for adult students.”

The Naperville Campus is an 85,000-square-foot facility that features a technologically advanced library, computer laboratories, student lounges and a bookstore. Six classrooms at the campus are equipped with DePaul’s unique Course OnLine distance learning system, developed by DePaul’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI).

Student services are also available on-site, including financial aid, academic advising, and career counseling. In addition to the degree offerings, several non-degree certificate programs are offered at the campus, including a computer career program certificate and a management development center certificate.

Students seeking more information about classes at the campus, campus events or open house dates should call (630) 548-9378.