Definetely sounds like the college is blocking IRC access.
You can contact the IT department and verify this with them.
As a registered student at the college you have the legal right to obtain this information from the IT department.
If they are blocking it, you can ask if there's a way for you to legally by-pass the block (sometimes a special username and/or password is required).
If they say that they won't help you by-pass, then you're sol, as illegal methods of by-passing are not supported on this forum, and can get you suspended or possibly even expelled from the college.
