MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – As Homecoming festivities at Western Illinois University are underway, the scheduled Paint the Paws event has been postponed until Saturday, April 24. The annual event involves the painting of more than 200 paws along University Drive and Western Avenue. The painting was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 27. The special Spring ’21 Homecoming will have a mix of in-person and virtual activities, with the 5K Old Stompin’ Ground Runaround run/walk, scheduled for Saturday, April 3. The virtual option can be completed any time April 3. The in-person race will... Read More

From 2017 to 2019, there were 32 incidents of rape reported at Augustana College, Rock Island, nearly all occurring on campus. The private school’s new program director for sexual violence prevention and education — Zachary Draves – not only wants to prevent those incidents in the first place, but address issues of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Augustana has received a $298,827 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) – over three years, among 52 grants DOJ gave to colleges in 2020-21 from its program to reduce sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence,... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – As part of Western Illinois University’s re-accreditation process, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)Review Team will conduct three open forums via Zoom for WIU faculty and staff Monday, March 29-Tuesday, March 30. The review team will also be hosting an open forum for students March 29. Each faculty and staff forum will be dedicated to a specific part of WIU’s assurance argument. Faculty and staff will be required to register for these events. The HLC schedule and registration specifics will be posted in the coming days at wiu.edu/aasp/accreditation/review.php. The... Read More

It seems like only yesterday when I turned 13. I remember it distinctly, from my party with my friends to some of the gifts I most cherished (a Converse All-Stars Magic Johnson t-shirt, a Duran Duran album, and other things which would certainly date me as a child of the ’80s.) This week, my own son, Jackson, turns 13. And it’s a much, much, different world from when I entered my teen years. I didn’t have cell phones, or the internet, or anywhere near the entertainment or virtual reality options my son does now. I spent most of my time playing outside, my mom was working most... Read More

SAL Family & Community Services (SAL), home to Skip-A-Long Child Development Services, is launching a major new initiative intended to transform the lives of low income expectant families and children until four years of age. Through the first and only Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program (EHS CCP) serving the Illinois Quad-Cities, SAL continues its deep commitment to further the Q-C’s regional vision of cultivating a community that is both equitable and inclusive. The program is made possible thanks to a new annual $3.8-million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — On Monday-Tuesday, March 29-30, the Higher Learning Commission, which is Western Illinois University’s comprehensive accrediting body, will be at the University (virtually) for the WIU’s 10-year accreditation review. As part of the process, the review team will hold open meetings for, and multiple forums with, faculty, staff, students and others interested in participating. Each of these forums will concern a particular aspect of the University’s Assurance Argument, which can be found at wiu.edu/aasp/accreditation/review.php. The meetings and forums will... Read More

Hungry for family history knowledge? Then choose something from our Main Menu on Thursday, March 25th at 2:00 pm! The Special of the Day will feature unique resources available to patrons in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center that are not currently available on the internet. Learn about our in-house digitized records and indexes created by staff, volunteers, and the Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society that might assist you with your family history research. This program is scheduled to be held virtually. Information about how to join will be posted at bit.ly/dpl-mainmenu. Keep... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Applications are being accepted for the Western Illinois University 2021 Martin Dupuis/Mukti Fund Leadership Award in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Communities. The $1,400 award recognizes a student who has provided leadership either for a LGBTQ* group and/or in regards to LGBTQ* issues. Applicants who meet the leadership criteria must be undergraduate students who will return to WIU for the 2021-2022 academic year. To be considered for this award, students must complete an application, write a short essay, provide a resume and include two letters of reference.... Read More

The Western Illinois University Department of English will host the Fred Ewing Case and Lola Case Writers-in-Residence, in a virtual format, Thursday, April 8. This year’s writers include Jennifer Militello, Crisosto Apache and Marianne Boruch. A question and answer session will be held over Zoom from 3-4 p.m. To obtain the link, email English Professor Erika Wurth at ET-Wurth@wiu.edu. A reading by the authors will be streamed through the WIU English department’s Facebook page from 5-6 p.m. • Militello is the author of the poetry collection “The Pack,” and the memoir “Knock... Read More

The Western Illinois University Collegiate FFA (CFFA) chapter will host a drive-thru fundraising pancake breakfast from 7-10 a.m. Wednesday, March 24 in the basement of Knoblauch Hall. The menu will include pancakes, eggs, sausage, milk, orange juice and bottled water. Tickets are $5 in advance from any CFFA member or in the School of Agriculture office in Knoblauch Hall, or $6 at the door. Advance sales can be made by Monday, March 22, using cash, check or venmo. The event is open to the public. This is one of CFFA’s fundraisers each year. The chapter competes at the state and national level... Read More