Батыс Иллинойс Университеті: Тарихы мен дамуы

Public university in Macomb, Illinois, US

Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. Once Western Illinois started offering graduate degrees, it again changed its name to Western Illinois State College. Western Illinois has an additional campus in Moline.

Western Illinois University was founded on April 24, 1899. The land for the university was donated by Macomb's Freemasons (Illinois Lodge #17). Macomb was in direct competition with Quincy, Aledo, Monmouth, La Harpe, and Rushville, as candidates for the site of a "western" university. The Illinois legislature selected Macomb as the location. University administrators uncovered evidence of the Freemasons' efforts on Macomb's behalf when they opened Sherman Hall's (the administration building) cornerstone during centennial celebrations. Classes first began on campus on September 23, 1902 with 229 students enrolled. Founders’ Day is celebrated on campus every September 23 to mark this event. The university's name has changed three times since its foundation as the Western Illinois State Normal School in 1899: the school was first renamed Western Illinois State Teachers College in 1921 and then to Western Illinois State College in 1947 and finally Western Illinois University in 1957. Sherman Hall was the university's primary facility for many years, but as the university and its programs expanded, a need surfaced for further expansion. Today, the Macomb campus consists of 53 buildings over Sherman Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Western's presence in the Quad Cities spans more than 40 years. In Fall 1960, the university offered its first undergraduate course in the Quad Cities. In 2016 and 2017, WIU saw a major downsizing and exodus of faculty and staff as a consequence of state budget cuts and declining undergraduate enrollment.

Centennial Honors College was founded in 1983 in order to attract more adept students and to provide an avenue for excellence. Accordingly, the GPA admissions standard for the Centennial Honors College is nearly a full grade point higher (0.9) than the minimum GPA of any other college at the university. Honors students complete a series of honors courses and projects and are also eligible for exclusive scholarships.

Western Illinois University Quad Cities (WIU QC) is located in the Quad Cities metropolitan area, a region of cities in northwest Illinois and southeast Iowa, and is located along the Mississippi River in Moline, Illinois. Western Illinois has been in the Quad Cities dating back to 1912 when they first began offering extension classes in Moline and Rock Island. WIU QC was previously an upper division commuter site located on John Deere Road in Moline, Illinois. The branch began a move to the Moline riverfront in 2012, and has expanded to serve all levels of the college experience, from the freshman year to professional development. WIU QC offers classes at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and post baccalaureate levels. Riverfront Hall, built in 2012 on the site of the former John Deere Tech Center, houses the College of Business and Technology, including the School of Engineering formerly located in the Caxton Building in downtown Moline. In 2014, the Quad Cities Complex was added, three connected buildings which house the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Services, and Fine Arts and Communications, as well as the library, student services, and administration.

Western Illinois University offers over 250 registered student organizations. Offering various organizations including, but not limited to, multicultural, athletic, philanthropic, academic/professional, Greek, social, and religious based organizations.

The Western Courier is the school newspaper at Western Illinois University. It is published each Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the academic year, excluding holidays and breaks. Summer publication is on Wednesdays only. The Western Courier is the only officially recognized student newspaper on campus and is distributed free.

Western Illinois also has a student run radio station, 88.3 The Dog, WIUS FM. The radio station can be heard across McDonough County on 88.3 FM, as well as online through their website (883thedog. com) and their mobile apps. 106.3 FM, WIUM, Tri States Public Radio, is the NPR affiliate on the campus of Western Illinois University.

NEWS3 is Western Illinois University's student produced television newscast, broadcasting and streaming live 30 minute newscasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p. m. The newsroom, studio, and control room are housed on the third floor of Sallee Hall.

Inspired by the surrounding "vast golden prairie strewn with purple coneflowers," Western Illinois University adopted purple and gold as its official colors in 1902. WIU is the only non military institution in the nation with permission from the Department of the Navy to use the United States Marine Corps Official seal and mascot, the Bulldog. Colonel Rock and Rocky, are the university mascots representing "The Fighting Leathernecks". Colonel Rock and Rocky were named after Ray "Rock" Hanson, a former WIU athletic director and former Marine. As of the Fall of 2009 the men's and women's teams were unified under the Leathernecks name. Previously, the women's teams and athletes at the school were known as Westerwinds. Western Illinois sports teams participate in the NCAA Division I Ohio Valley Conference as of July 1, 2023. Western Illinois football will compete in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the 2023 season. Western Illinois University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1914 to 1970.