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Coordinates: 40°28′13″N 90°41′16″W / 40.470392°N 90.68774°W / 40.470392; -90.68774
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''[[Business Insider]]'' compiled a list of the "Most Dangerous Colleges in America" in 2012 and ranked Western Illinois University as the #20 Most Dangerous Campus in the United States. In 2011 alone there were 8 forcible rapes at Western Illinois University according to FBI statistics.<ref>http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-colleges-in-america-2012-11?op=1</ref> WIU's Public Safety Director Scott Harris questioned the data analysis used in the ''Business Insider'' list and pointed out that there were approximately 25% fewer burglaries reported than the previous year, and a reduction in this category alone would be enough to remove WIU from the list. <ref>http://www.westerncourier.com/news/harris-we-must-work-together/article_77931ebe-39c8-11e2-811b-001a4bcf6878.html</ref>
''[[Business Insider]]'' compiled a list of the "Most Dangerous Colleges in America" in 2012 and ranked Western Illinois University as the #20 Most Dangerous Campus in the United States. In 2011 alone there were 8 forcible rapes at Western Illinois University according to FBI statistics.<ref>http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-colleges-in-america-2012-11?op=1</ref> WIU's Public Safety Director Scott Harris questioned the data analysis used in the ''Business Insider'' list and pointed out that there were approximately 25% fewer burglaries reported than the previous year, and a reduction in this category alone would be enough to remove WIU from the list. <ref>http://www.westerncourier.com/news/harris-we-must-work-together/article_77931ebe-39c8-11e2-811b-001a4bcf6878.html</ref>

==Future expansions==
* The school has already broken ground and is currently waiting to receive funds from the state of Illinois for its new state of the art Performing Arts center which will feature three different stages for productions along with class rooms and many other amenities.
* Also in plans for the future is development of future parking decks to remove the large parking lots
* A new athletic basketball stadium has been proposed for the future.
* All of the plans for the school can be view at the [http://www.wiu.edu/university_planning/masterplan.php Master Plan] page

==Folklore==
Simpkins Hall, home of the English and Journalism departments, has long been believed to be haunted by the ghost of an adolescent child, in a large part due to its former use as a training school. Simpkins is also said to be haunted by “Harold,” a former janitor or graduate assistant who lurks among the classrooms on the third floor and in the Writing Center. Students have reported hearing the disembodied sound of keys jingling, doors opening and closing, or a typewriter clicking. Another story circulating the hall is that of a woman who can be heard crying in the first floor restroom.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://trueillinoishaunts.com/haunted-places/colleges-and-universities/western-illinois-university/|title= Western Illinois University at the Legends and Lore of Illinois}}</ref> Bayliss, Tanner, Thompson, and Washington residents halls have their own ghost stories, all of which are based on unsubstantiated student deaths ranging from suicides to accidents. In Washington Hall, for instance, a girl supposedly ended her life after a fight with her boyfriend. According to the storytellers, the phone in her former room rings even though no one is on the line.<ref>Michael Kleen, Paranormal Illinois (Atglen: Schiffer Books, 2010).</ref>

The Thompson residence hall has long been believed to be home to the ghost of Mike Lisula the janitor. He is said to have slipped on a wet floor after not putting up a wet floor sign and fallen down the elevator shaft. This myth has been used to explain the echos in the elevator shafts. This myth has led to a movement on campus that encourages the proper use of wet floor signs.<ref>Michael Kleen, Paranormal Illinois (Atglen: Schiffer Books, 2010).</ref>


==Notable alumni and faculty==
==Notable alumni and faculty==

Revision as of 20:10, 2 June 2015

For Quad Cities campus of Western Illinois University, see Western Illinois University-Quad Cities.
"WIU" redirects here. For other uses, see WIU (disambiguation).
Western Illinois University
File:Western Illinois University Logo.svg
MottoHigher Values in Higher Education
TypePublic
Established1899
Endowment$43.2 million[1]
PresidentJack Thomas
Students11,458 [2]
Undergraduates9,645
Postgraduates1,813
Location
Macomb
,
Illinois
,
USA

40°28′13″N 90°41′16″W / 40.470392°N 90.68774°W / 40.470392; -90.68774
CampusSmall town, 53 buildings over 1,050 acres (424.9 ha) on the Macomb campus
AthleticsWestern Illinois Leathernecks
ColorsPurple and Gold    
MascotColonel Rock (Live Bulldog), Rocky (Costumed Bulldog)
Websitehttp://www.wiu.edu

Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university located in Macomb, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. Today, Western Illinois University is composed of two campuses that provide a wide range of academic programs. While the main campus is in Macomb, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities is in Moline, Illinois.

History

Sherman Hall

Western Illinois University was founded in 1899. The land for the University was donated to the State of Illinois by Macomb's Freemasons (Illinois Lodge #17). Macomb was in direct competition with Quincy, Illinois and other candidates as the site for a "western" university. The Illinois legislature selected Macomb as the location. University administrators uncovered evidence of the Freemason's efforts on Macomb's behalf when they opened Sherman Hall's (the administration building) cornerstone during their centennial celebrations.

Sherman Hall served as 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 1,050 acres (424.9 ha). 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.

University presidents

1st John W. Henninger (1901–1905)
2nd Alfred Bayliss (1906–1911)
3rd Walter P. Morgan (1912–1941)
4th Frank A. Beu (1942–1957)
5th A. L. Knoblauch (1958–1967)
6th John T. Bernhard (1968–1973)
7th Leslie F. Malpass (1974–1986)
8th Ralph H. Waggoner (1987–1993)
9th Donald S. Spencer (1994–2001)
10th Alvin Goldfarb (2002–2011)
11th Jack Thomas (2011–present)

Academic organization

Western Illinois University is composed of four academic colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, Education & Human Services, and Fine Arts & Communication, in addition to an Honors College the School of Extended Studies, which includes nontraditional programs. Ranked 413 among the best public and private colleges and universities, from the student's point of view in Forbes.

The University also offers a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed. D.), which was established in 2005.[3]

The University offers 69 undergraduate majors over 51 bachelor degree programs and 13 pre-professional degrees at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, 42 degree and certificate programs are offered. 95% of all courses are taught by full-time faculty.[4]

Western’s Cost Guarantee Plan is a four-year fixed rate for tuition, fees, room and board that remains in place as long as students are continuously enrolled. Western was one of the first institutions in America, and the first state university in Illinois, to offer the guarantee.[5] WIU's program served as a model for all other Illinois state universities through the state's "Truth in Tuition" program; however, Western is the only public university in Illinois that includes fees, room and board in its Cost Guarantee.[5] Western Illinois also offers the Cost Guarantee for graduate students enrolled in a degree program, as well as to transfer students earning an associate degree. Those students who transfer to WIU the following semester upon completing their associate degree will receive the previous year's cost guarantee rates.[5]

WIU also provides the FYE (First Year Experience) Program for all incoming freshmen. This program is designed to ease the transition from high school to college, and fosters the participation of FYE students in co-curricular events such as concerts, art exhibits, and guest lectures. In addition to their FYE program, WIU also provides a TYE (Transfer Year Experience) program to interested students. This program is aimed at introducing transfer students to the services and resources on campus within a residential setting.[6]

Library system

Five libraries make up the WIU Libraries system.[7] The current Dean of Libraries is Michael Lorenzen.[7]

Completed in November 1975, Memorial Library (renamed and rededicated The Leslie F. Malpass Library in 2001) is the main branch of the library system. Designed by Gyo Obata, Malpass Library stands at six levels high and 222,000 square feet.[8][9] Other WIU libraries include the Music Library, Physical Sciences Library, Curriculum Library, and the WIU-Quad Cities Library (Moline, Illinois) that was opened in the late 1990s to support WIU's growing presence in the Quad Cities.

Western Illinois University Libraries house several archives and special collections that aid in documenting the history of the west-central Illinois region.[10] The libraries are the home for the Center for Hancock County History, the Center for Icarian Studies, the Civil War Collection (documenting the western Illinois experience in the war), the Decker Press Collection and the Mormon Collection.[11][12][13][14]

The library's one millionth volume, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations, by Lucy Mack Smith, was added in 2002.[15]

Centennial Honors College

Western Illinois University is home to the Centennial Honors College, which was founded in 1983 in order to attract more adept students as freshman, as well as an avenue by which the most talented students at Western Illinois could distinguish themselves from other students at the university. 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, the second being the College of Business and Technology. Honors students complete a series of courses and projects unavailable to average students studying at Western Illinois, and are also eligible for a host of exclusive foundation scholarships.[16]

Due to the intense nature of honors coursework, students vying for a spot in the Centennial Honors College should be prepared to dedicate additional time and effort to their schoolwork. Honors can be completed in many of the majors at Western Illinois, but there has not been a curriculum fashioned for every discipline.[16]

Consistent with its mission, the Macomb Honors Program provides a curriculum consisting of special tutorials, seminars, guided studies, and research projects, as well as opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills and participate in community and social services. A unique curriculum, honors faculty, and opportunities for leadership and service are integral to the honors experience. These are critical reasons to participate in the Honors Program for students seeking to maximize their collegiate years.[16]

The prestige associated with the Centennial Honors College has led many to believe that graduates from the Honors Program receive preferential job placement, and applications to graduate schools are viewed more favorably than those of typical Western Illinois students.[16]

National rankings

Currently, US News & World Report ranks Western Illinois University as 49th among regional universities.[17]

US News ranked Western Illinois University as 11th in Regional Universities (Midwest).[18]

Western Illinois University has been repeatedly recognized as one of the “Best in the Midwest Colleges” by The Princeton Review.[19]

Student life

Athletics

Main article: Western Illinois Leathernecks

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 Summit League. Western Illinois football competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Western Illinois University was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1914-1970.

Media

The Western Courier is a collegiate newspaper that serves more than 14,000 students, faculty and staff at Western Illinois University, publishing 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 at 80 locations throughout the campus (including residence halls) and throughout the Macomb, Illinois business community.

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.

Greek Life

WIU has 6 PHC Sororities, 11 IFC Fraternities, and 9 UGC organizations

PHC Sororities

  1. Alpha Sigma Alpha
  2. Alpha Sigma Tau
  3. Chi Omega
  4. Delta Zeta
  5. Phi Sigma Sigma
  6. Sigma Sigma Sigma

IFC Fraternities

  1. Alpha Gamma Rho
  2. Alpha Gamma Sigma
  3. Delta Tau Delta
  4. Delta Upsilon
  5. Pi Kappa Phi
  6. Sigma Chi
  7. Sigma Pi
  8. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
  9. Tau Kappa Epsilon
  10. Theta Chi
  11. Theta Xi

NPHC Organizations

  1. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraterntiy, Inc
  2. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc
  3. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraterntiy, Inc
  4. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc
  5. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc

MGC Organizations

  1. Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc
  2. Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc
  3. Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc
  4. Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc

Western Loyalty - Alma Mater

Western students come together,
Learning life’s new way to pave.
Paths before us, ever striving,
Purple, gold, our colors brave.

We all hold the keys within us,
With new knowledge we will grow.
Stronger in our bond unyielding,
Truer to the world we know.

Chorus:
Hail to Western, Alma Mater,
May we honor thy fair name;
Hail to Western ever greater,
On to conquest and to fame.[20]

Campus Safety

WIU's Office of Public Safety (OPS) acts as the University's police force and investigates public safety and parking related problems on campus.[21] OPS publishes an annual Campus Safety and Security Report, along with daily crime logs in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.[22]

Business Insider compiled a list of the "Most Dangerous Colleges in America" in 2012 and ranked Western Illinois University as the #20 Most Dangerous Campus in the United States. In 2011 alone there were 8 forcible rapes at Western Illinois University according to FBI statistics.[23] WIU's Public Safety Director Scott Harris questioned the data analysis used in the Business Insider list and pointed out that there were approximately 25% fewer burglaries reported than the previous year, and a reduction in this category alone would be enough to remove WIU from the list. [24]

Future expansions

  • The school has already broken ground and is currently waiting to receive funds from the state of Illinois for its new state of the art Performing Arts center which will feature three different stages for productions along with class rooms and many other amenities.
  • Also in plans for the future is development of future parking decks to remove the large parking lots
  • A new athletic basketball stadium has been proposed for the future.
  • All of the plans for the school can be view at the Master Plan page

Folklore

Simpkins Hall, home of the English and Journalism departments, has long been believed to be haunted by the ghost of an adolescent child, in a large part due to its former use as a training school. Simpkins is also said to be haunted by “Harold,” a former janitor or graduate assistant who lurks among the classrooms on the third floor and in the Writing Center. Students have reported hearing the disembodied sound of keys jingling, doors opening and closing, or a typewriter clicking. Another story circulating the hall is that of a woman who can be heard crying in the first floor restroom.[25] Bayliss, Tanner, Thompson, and Washington residents halls have their own ghost stories, all of which are based on unsubstantiated student deaths ranging from suicides to accidents. In Washington Hall, for instance, a girl supposedly ended her life after a fight with her boyfriend. According to the storytellers, the phone in her former room rings even though no one is on the line.[26]

The Thompson residence hall has long been believed to be home to the ghost of Mike Lisula the janitor. He is said to have slipped on a wet floor after not putting up a wet floor sign and fallen down the elevator shaft. This myth has been used to explain the echos in the elevator shafts. This myth has led to a movement on campus that encourages the proper use of wet floor signs.[27]

Notable alumni and faculty

Main article: List of Western Illinois University people

References

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2014. "Audit Report" (PDF). Audit Report. Western Illinois University Foundation. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  2. ^ http://www.wiu.edu/about/fastfacts.php
  3. ^ http://www.wiu.edu/academics/
  4. ^ "Western Illinois University Majors Offered". Western Illinois University. 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c First state university in Illinois to offer guarantee
  6. ^ FYE Program
  7. ^ a b Libraries Dean
  8. ^ Library Info
  9. ^ Library Trivia 2010
  10. ^ http://www.wiu.edu/library/units/archives/
  11. ^ Archives
  12. ^ Icarian Studies Archives
  13. ^ Archives Decker
  14. ^ Library Collections
  15. ^ WIU Libraries -- Millionth Volume Digital Exhibit Retrieved December 11, 2007.
  16. ^ a b c d Honors
  17. ^ "US News and World Report Best Colleges 2011". US News and World Report. 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  18. ^ 11th Regional Ranking
  19. ^ "Princeton Review Best Midwestern Colleges". Princeton Review. 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  20. ^ "Western Loyalty - Alma Mater". goleathernecks.com. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
  21. ^ "Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety". wiu.edu.
  22. ^ "Western Illinois University Clery Act". wiu.edu.
  23. ^ http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-colleges-in-america-2012-11?op=1
  24. ^ http://www.westerncourier.com/news/harris-we-must-work-together/article_77931ebe-39c8-11e2-811b-001a4bcf6878.html
  25. ^ "Western Illinois University at the Legends and Lore of Illinois".
  26. ^ Michael Kleen, Paranormal Illinois (Atglen: Schiffer Books, 2010).
  27. ^ Michael Kleen, Paranormal Illinois (Atglen: Schiffer Books, 2010).
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