MACOMB, IL – Students in Western Illinois University’s Speech Pathology and Audiology program got a recent boost with the donation of 100 protective face shields by the Wahl Clipper Corporation in Sterling, IL. The donation was sought by company employee Jody Dirks, the mother of Erica Armstrong, a graduate student in WIU’s speech pathology program. “Wahl is a family owned company, which really cares about their employees and community,” said Dirks. “They made and donated these shields to local hospitals and emergency workers in the area. I asked if I could get some... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University’s virtual summer orientation experiences are underway, and will continue throughout June. Incoming new first-year students on the Macomb campus can sign up for their virtual summer orientation day by logging into their STARS account. During virtual summer orientation, students will meet their orientation leaders and begin to learn how to be a successful student at WIU. New students will continue to have opportunities to engage with staff and have opportunities through the summer to take part in extended online new student orientation sessions.... Read More

MACOMB, IL – – Ten Western Illinois University Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets were commissioned virtually as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army during Commencement weekend. LTC Joan Sommers, military science department chair, spoke to the cadets before the commissioning and swore them in as second lieutenants. The 10 WIU cadets who took the oath of office of a commissioned officer include: David Block, of Cary, IL, received his bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and justice administration. He will commission as an active duty signal officer Kevin Dukes, of Mount... Read More

MACOMB, IL – Organizers of Western Illinois University’s Leatherneck Country Meats – The Purple and Gold Standard of Western Illinois, are preparing for the group’s next sale, this time with a shifted focus to pork raised outdoors. Leatherneck Country Meats is a student-run organization that offers pork sales to the public. This is the third year LCM has been holding sales. This year, LCM is raising Berkshire hogs on the University Farm. The first piglets have already been placed outdoors. This year’s retail sale is expected in early October. “Raising berks on pasture... Read More

MACOMB, IL – During a time of stretching budget dollars, two Western Illinois University administrators have come up with a creative way to reduce mowing on campus and provide food for livestock at the University Farm at the same time. Facilities Management Executive Director Troy Rhoads and School of Agriculture Director Andy Baker collaborated on the project, which sets aside approximately 32 acres of University property to be baled instead of doing traditional mowing. Rhoads said the idea was born from an informal brainstorming session the two had about the amount of acres Facilities Management... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – A total of 1,349 undergraduate students enrolled at Western Illinois University were named to the 2020 Spring Dean’s List. The total includes 127 students at the WIU-Quad Cities Campus. To receive this award, an undergraduate student must earn at least a 3.6 grade point average on a scale of 4.0, which equals an A in a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded courses; pass-fail hours are not counted (e.g., student teaching, internships). Students earning Dean’s List honors are listed by Illinois counties, cities and towns; as well as other states/towns and other nations. The... Read More

Western Illinois University announces the following administrative changes and hires. Centennial Honors College Lorette Oden, chair of the Department of Health Sciences and Social Work and interim associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services, has been named interim dean of the Centennial Honors College, effective July 1. She will serve in her role as department chair concurrently. Oden has served as the associate dean since August 2018 and as chair of health sciences and social work since 2015. She joined the department (formerly called the WIU Department of Community Health and... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – As Western Illinois University continues to prepare for a traditional campus experience for Fall 2020, scholarship incentives and more are available for incoming new freshmen and transfer students. WIU operates on a “rolling deadline,” which means prospective students can apply any time at wiu.edu/apply. Prospective students can apply to WIU for free through June 30. To support current high school seniors who are unable to take or retake a Spring 2020 SAT/ACT, and current high school juniors who may be unable to take an ACT/SAT test at this time due to the pandemic,... Read More

The deadline is quickly approaching to be a part of the Final Phase of the Western Illinois University Alumni Plaza brick project. The last date to purchase a brick, which will be installed in July, is Monday, June 15. More than 750 donors, representing 31 states have already placed about 800 bricks in the plaza, raising more than $110,000. The plaza is a brick patio, just north of the anchoring the North entry to the University Union. Once the project is complete, it will adjoin a Mascot Memorial Plaza, paying tribute to WIU’s live mascots, “Rocky” and “Ray.” The... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL –Western Illinois University’s virtual summer orientation experience kicked off Wednesday, May 27, and will continue throughout June. Incoming new first-year students on the Macomb campus can sign up for their virtual summer orientation day by logging into their STARS account. Several dates remain available in June. During virtual summer orientation, students will meet their orientation leaders and begin to learn how to be a successful student at WIU. New students will continue to have opportunities to engage with staff and have opportunities through the summer to take... Read More