Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL

http://www.wiu.edu/

Western Illinois University – Recognized as a “Best in the Midwest Colleges” by the Princeton Review, as well as a top tier Midwest Universities Master’s granting institutions by U.S. News and World Report, Western Illinois University (WIU) serves approximately 13,000 students in the heart of the Midwest through its traditional, residential four-year campus in Macomb, IL (population 20,000) and its upper-division urban commuter location in the Quad Cities/Moline, IL (QC population 376,000; Moline population 44,000). In addition to the U.S. News and Princeton Review acknowledgments, Western was selected as one of only two Illinois public universities for the Center for Student Opportunity’s (CSO) “College Access and Opportunity Guide” for its retention of first-generation and low-income students. Western also received a “Best Practice” recognition from the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity as one of only 13 institutions nationally for the retention of first-generation and low-income students.

WIU’s friendly, accessible, campus communities are dedicated to higher values in higher education and are comprised of dedicated faculty, state-of-the-art technologies and facilities and a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities. The four core values at the heart of WIU are academic excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth, and social responsibility.

In 1999 Western established its Cost Guarantee program in which students entering WIU are guaranteed to pay the same rate for tuition, fees and on-campus room and board for their four years of continuous enrollment. Western’s Cost Guarantee is the only public university program in Illinois that provides no increases in fees and room and board in addition to the Illinois statutory requirement of guaranteed four-year tuition rates. WIU’s guarantee was expanded to include graduate degree-seeking students in 2004.

Western also offers a special admissions program to select students who wish to enroll and show academic promise, but have not achieved the minimum requirements for general admission.

Western Illinois’ faculty and staff are dedicated to preparing students to be productive citizens, diverse thinkers, and engaged community members through excellence in teaching and learning. WIU is committed to providing opportunities and access to its faculty through teaching and research along with excellent benefit programs. Western is a comprehensive university offering 62 undergraduate degree programs and 36 graduate degree programs. With a student to faculty ratio of 16:1, WIU’s 627 fulltime faculty teach 93 percent of all undergraduate as well as graduate courses in addition to 13 pre-professional degree programs and 15 certificate programs. The University serves students from 92 counties in Illinois, 43 states and 57 countries. Western is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

Western Illinois is a member of the NCAA Division I (NCAA Football Championship Subdivision), sponsoring 10 men’s and 10 women’s sports. The University is a charter member of The Summit League and the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

WIU is the cultural center of the region, with 12 major theatrical and dance productions and more than 12 studio shows presented annually in Western’s three theatres. Outstanding concerts, lectures, dramatic presentations, films, and dance attractions by nationally known performers are presented on campus by the Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the University Union Board.

The Gwendolyn Brooks and Casa Latina cultural centers offer programs and activities focusing on the African American and Hispanic cultures, respectively, while the Women’s Center promotes gender equity through education, support and advocacy. Western’s Unity organization provides support of educational, social, and political goals for the bisexual, gay, lesbian and transgender population and their heterosexual allies.

Western’s Leslie F. Malpass Library ranks among the finest at comprehensive universities in the United States and features two state-of-the-art electronic classrooms, a wireless computer network, and other ongoing technical improvements. The Malpass Library and its four branches house more than 1 million volumes; and the Library subscribes to more than 100 online databases offering access to more than 30,000 unique journal titles in full text.

Future capital projects at Western Illinois University include building the region’s premier Performing Arts Center at the WIU-Macomb campus and an expanded campus along the Mississippi River in Moline, IL.

WIU-Macomb, IL (Student Population: 10,785): A traditional, residential four-year campus with select graduate programs, WIU-Macomb is located in the heart of west central Illinois in historic Macomb (population 20,000). A tradition of partnership between WIU and the City of Macomb has made Macomb the educational, cultural, and athletic center of the region. Macomb is an Amtrak city with twice-daily service to Chicago. Macomb is located approximately 75 miles from the Quad Cities International Airport (Moline, IL) and 70 miles from the Greater Peoria Regional Airport (Peoria, IL). In addition to having three 18-hole golf courses, Macomb’s recreational offerings include two area lakes with boating, camping and hiking; as well as special annual events such as a Hot Air Balloon Rally, the Al Sears Jazz Festival, Dickens on the Square, and Heritage Days.

WIU-Quad Cities (Student Population: 1,360): The only public university in the Quad Cities area, WIU-QC offers upper-division degree completion programs and select graduate programs at its urban commuter location in Moline, IL (population 44,000) set on a wooded 10-acre site. Thanks to a gift from John Deere and Company and a growing partnership with the City of Moline, plans are underway for the WIU Riverfront Campus in Moline. The Quad Cities (population 376,000) rests on the banks of the Mississippi River and is comprised of Moline and Rock Island in western Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf in eastern Iowa. This metropolitan area is a family-friendly center for music, the arts, museums, festivals, professional sports, riverboat casinos, shopping, biking, and hiking trails. The Quad Cities is home to the Quad Cities International Airport, and special events and entertainment venues include the Figge Art Museum, the iWireless Center, the John Deere Golf Classic, the Bix, and the John Deere Commons.

Western Illinois University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to diversity. WIU has a non-discrimination policy that includes sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, or veteran status.