BREAKING NEWS: Moline Mayor Stephanie Acri wants to break up with Western Illinois University, but the public riverfront campus wants more time to work things out. Last month, new WIU president Guiyou Huang wrote to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker  about ongoing discussions regarding a potential transfer of the WIU Quad-Cities campus to another state institution. Huang became president Jan. 1, 2021. At that point, Western has not been included in the discussion, he noted, copying Mayor Acri and Quad Cities Chamber president/CEO Paul Rumler. She responded that she’s had concerns about the impact of... Read More

Western Illinois University’s (WIU) Initiative for Social Justice Pedagogies (ISJP) will host a virtual spring book study in March for Bettina L. Love’s book, “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom.” This book study is open to anyone in the WIU community who is interested in educational reform and civic engagement: current and future educators, staff, administration and community members. This book study will meet a total of four times: March 10, 17, 24, 31, from noon-1 p.m. Love is an award-winning author and a professor... Read More

For faculty at Western Illinois University, watching their students excel in and out of the classroom is gratifying. When that academic work crosses over into the University’s core values, and includes unique and ground breaking research, that pride is elevated. As Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA) graduate student Taylor Brooks, of Chicago, finishes her degree, she is doing research on the exploring how Black residents’ leisure choices and involvement are impacted by living in a rural part of the country. Her research helped her win the poster presentation division... Read More

A Western Illinois University dance instructor has been invited to dance “Spanish Dance,” in celebration of the life of internationally-known dancer Daniel Nagrin. WIU Dance Instructor Donald Laney was the last dancer Nagrin taught “Spanish Dance” to prior to his death. The performance will be part of “The Daniel Nagrin Celebration: A Concert of Solos by the Rebel of Modern Dance,” April 30 and May 1 in the Dogtown Dance Theatre in Richmond, VA. Nagrin’s interesting career history ranged from gigs at summer resorts and clubs to Broadway musical, acting... Read More

A Western Illinois University Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration professor and a department graduate student have helped create a virtual field trip program through the Regional Office of Education to give young people some fun activities during COVID-19. Winter Wanderings was created through the McDonough County Youth Task Force, with help from RPTA Instructor Jullie Eggleston and RPTA graduate student Rok Locksley, of Takoma Park, MD. The task force is chaired by RPTA Assistant Professor Megan Owens. The collaborative field trip project is designed to engage children from around the... Read More

For Western Illinois University art professor Bruce Walters of Davenport, a 37-year career teaching in higher education has been accentuated by the personal artwork he’s created, in a wide variety of media. As he prepares to retire from teaching in May, an exhibit of part of his inspired work — titled “What the Hand Dare Seize the Fire?” — is on display at the University Art Gallery in Macomb through April 2. The title of the current exhibit is taken from a 227-year-old poem, “The Tyger,” by William Blake. “The first drawings in this exhibition are drawn from... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — COVID-19 surveillance testing is underway at Western Illinois University and will continue as the semester progresses. Additional open appointment times may be added periodically for those who would like to be tested,but have not been selected as part of the surveillance test population. In addition, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has added select dates for free test clinics on the WIU-Macomb campus (see below). Each week, approximately 700 students, faculty and staff* will receive an email encouraging them to get a free COVID test provided by Beu Health... Read More

The Western Illinois University Office of Student Engagement (OSE), in conjunction with numerous other campus offices, will host “Spring Into a Fun Semester” during week seven and eight of the Spring 2021 semester, March 1-13. The goal of the events is to help engage students and help them make meaningful connections. The week seven and eight schedule includes: • Tuesday, March 2 – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Tuesday on the Terrace with the Women’s Center, from the Multicultural Center, located on the Union Terrace • Wednesday, March 3 – 4-5 p.m. – FSL Human Bingo, virtual –... Read More

Several Western Illinois University students were honored during the Illinois Residence Hall Association (IRHA) Virtual Leadership Conference Feb. 20-21, hosted by Northern Illinois University. The conference is made up of Illinois schools, and the weekend is dedicated to showing school spirit, attending and presenting programs and showcasing and learning what other schools around the state are doing. WIU students who attended include junior nursing major Brooke Barnes, of Plainfield; freshman University advising major Jon’a Levi, of Bettendorf, IA; freshman art major Rivers Ashton, of Lincolnton,... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Western Illinois University will host an All Major Career and Internship Fair from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, March 9. The event will be held on the Handshake platform and is open to all current WIU students, alumni and other regional college and university students. Participants can register in advance on Handshake, at joinhandshake.com, and sign up for virtual one-on-one sessions and 30-minute group meetings with the over 50 organizations that will be in attendance. Local and regional employers offering internships, part-time and full-time positions in business, government,... Read More