MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – When Western Illinois University opened its doors 118 years ago, on Sept. 23, 1902, the school was called Western Illinois State Normal School (WISNS). The school’s primary mission was to train country school teachers, and included a “lab school” for area children in which WISNS teacher education students learned their trade. From Western’s initial beginnings through present day, WIU has prepared thousands of teachers throughout the state of Illinois and beyond for successful careers in the classroom. According to Greg Montalvo, College of Education... Read More

The Western Illinois University Office of Student Engagement (OSE), in conjunction with numerous other campus offices, will host “Winter Weeks of Welcome” for the first four weeks of the Spring 2021 semester. The goal of the events is to help engage students and help them make meaningful connections. The schedule includes: • Thursday, Jan. 21 – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Thursday on the Terrace, in-person on the University Union terrace – 3-5 p.m. Fraternity and Sorority Life Activities Fair – 8 p.m. UUB and IHC Paint and Go – virtual – 7 p.m. – UHDS Western Leader... Read More

Western Illinois University’s student-run broadcast news and sports media, as well as the radio station, have been named as finalists for the annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Media Awards, to be held in March. NEWS3 staffers, The Dog WIUS-88.3 FM, and Broadcast Journalism’s sports broadcasters were nominated for a number of categories, including Best College TV Station, Best College Radio Station, Best Sports Pre-Game/Post-Game Show, Best Women’s Basketball Play-By-Play, Best Spot News, Best Use of YouTube, Best Video Sports Report and Best Use of Graphics. Individual... Read More

The student-run Western Illinois University Food Pantry will open next week for the first week of the Spring 2021 semester. The pantry, located in Horrabin Hall, room 10, will be open from noon-5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, and from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 23. Until then, the pantry is open from noon-3 p.m. on Tuesdays during the holiday break. This semester’s co-presidents of the food pantry are junior dietetics and nutrition major Brittany Van Tine, of Macomb, and senior sociology major Davora Buchanan, of Chicago. For more information about the pantry, email Van Tine at BN-VanTine@wiu.edu,... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University will continue to host numerous COVID-19 test dates during the Spring 2021 semester. In keeping with Tier 3 guidelines, which remain in place, employees are encouraged to work remotely when possible and should coordinate with their supervisor to determine appropriate arrangements. Visit wiu.edu/coronavirus for updates and information before returning to campus. For those on the Macomb campus, an appointment must be made by going to beuonline.wiu.edu. Individuals should arrive at the meter parking lot at the northeast corner of the University Union... Read More

Western Illinois University’s School of Agriculture has announced that this year’s planned Farm Expo, the 51st annual event hosted by Western Illinois University’s Agriculture Mechanization (Ag Mech) Club, has been cancelled because of the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. The expo was scheduled for Feb. 6-7 in Western Hall, but restrictions on the number of people allowed to gather on campus forced its cancellation. Next year’s show is scheduled for Feb. 5-6, 2022. Last year the club celebrated the 50th anniversary of the expo on campus, as well as the 100th anniversary... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Michael Sowinski, former vice president, Internal Audit at OSF HealthCare in Peoria (IL) has been named director of Internal Audit at Western Illinois University. Sowinski served as the vice president at OSF HealthCare from 2016-2020. In that role, he developed, directed and oversaw the enterprise Internal Audit Program, the Specialized Compliance Audit Program and the Compliance Project Management function. Sowinski built the first Internal Audit department and was a key member in the development and execution of the Enterprise Risk Assessment, focusing on high-risk areas... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Students at Western Illinois University will have even greater opportunities to further develop their leadership skills with a new initiative that will kick off this spring. WIU’s Transition and Academic Skills Center, Office of the Provost and Office of Retention Initiatives have established the Leatherneck Success Leader, which allows current WIU students to build their communication, mentorship and leadership skills. According to Michelle Janisz, director of the Transition and Academic Skills Center, Leatherneck Success Leaders, which combines the previous student... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University will continue to host numerous COVID-19 test dates during the Spring 2021 semester. In keeping with Tier 3 guidelines, which remain in place, employees are encouraged to work remotely when possible and should coordinate with their supervisor to determine appropriate arrangements. Visit wiu.edu/coronavirus for updates and information before returning to campus. For those on the Macomb campus, an appointment must be made by going to beuonline.wiu.edu. Individuals should arrive at the meter parking lot at the northeast corner of the University Union... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – A total of 678 students earned academic degrees or post-baccalaureate certificates after the Fall 2020 semester at Western Illinois University. Bachelor’s degrees were awarded to 508 graduates. Academic distinction was awarded to baccalaureate graduates who achieved high grade point averages. This includes: Summa Cum Laude, 3.90 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale; Magna Cum Laude, 3.75-3.89 GPA; and Cum Laude, 3.6-3.74 GPA. Master’s and doctoral degrees were earned by 171 graduates, including two Ph.D. graduates and seven doctoral graduates. Graduates, grouped by... Read More