Dominican to Open New City Immersion Campus In Chicago's Pilsen Neighborhood

Dominican University’s long history of expanding access to education and putting students on a path to successful careers will continue in a new and visionary way. 

In August, Dominican announced plans for an innovative city immersion campus in the heart of Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The new campus will offer expanded education opportunities shaped by the university’s relationships with community partners and guided by industry needs.

In partnership with The Resurrection Project, the campus will occupy Resurrection’s La Casa Residence Hall and neighboring Resource Center at 1805 and 1815 S. Paulina Ave. It will be a hub for a variety of programs, including a residential, cohort-based associate's degree, credit and non-credit workforce development certificate programs, adult degree completion options and select graduate programs. 

The Chicago campus is slated to open in Fall 2024. 

“Our university’s legacy, built by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, inspires us to continually adapt to meet the needs of the communities we serve, ensuring all students have the same opportunity to thrive and graduate—with purpose,” Dominican University President Dr. Glena G. Temple said. 

“Our expansion into Pilsen is a way to thoughtfully carry out our founders’ vision in a new, innovative way,” she continued. “Dominican’s city immersion campus will offer a purposefully designed cohort-based program to serve students from the surrounding communities with a rigorous curriculum and community-based programs that build connections to career pathways.” 

Students enrolled at the Chicago campus will reside in a living-learning community with access to academic advising, tutoring, mentoring and career services. They will be accepted to Dominican’s bachelor’s degree programs should they choose to continue their studies. 

The campus is occupancy-ready and can house up to 100 students. 

For 33 years, The Resurrection Project has provided services to help families in Chicago’s primarily Hispanic Southwest Side neighborhoods improve their financial health, access to affordable housing, immigration legal services and advocacy, and community leadership development. 

“Dominican University’s community development and social mobility mission is closely aligned with ours,” said Raul Raymundo, chief executive officer of The Resurrection Project and La Casa Resource Center. “We are thrilled to welcome Dominican to the Pilsen community and for the opportunities this campus will afford our residents, community organizations and businesses.”