Narrow streets, single-family homes, apartments, condos and small buildings are typical of Chicago’s many north side neighborhoods. On Argyle Street, you’ll also find the main campus of St. Augustine College. This ACI-member college is unique in many ways. It mostly serves students who speak Spanish as their primary language, plus English. It offers graduate-style classes in Spanish, English or both. Most students live in the neighborhood and have other responsibilities, such as caring for children, their parents or their jobs. The college has no dormitories or athletic teams, and the campus was once home to a well-known silent film studio and star. This year, the college, which serves nontraditional students, will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of its founding.

“We are a college in the community,” says Dr. Reyes González, president of St. Augustine College. “We strive to be where people live and work. We enjoy living with each other in our own neighborhoods.”

A hallmark of St. Augustine College is that students learn in their own language and in their own culture, González says. “We are a true Latino institution. There are other Hispanic-serving institutions. We are a Latino institution. That’s a differentiating factor and one that we’re proud of.”