Students working at sound board.

In Spring 2006, Western earned more awards than any other Illinois school when our broadcasting students received several awards, including two first place and four second place finishes, at the Illinois News Broadcasters Association’s annual competition.

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What Students Should Know

You, our students, are the foundation of Western Illinois University. Here you can enjoy a complete collegiate experience that will become the best years of your life. Just use good judgment and common sense along the way.

To make it the best experience, be involved and be responsible.

First Year Experience

Western’s First Year Experience (FYE) program, designed to help freshmen feel more at home on our campus, provides the unique opportunity to explore the WIU campus and establish friendships while earning academic credit. Students take one FYE course their first and second semesters. Courses are taught by fulltime faculty and volunteer peer mentors assist with many class and co-curricular activities students attend in FYE groups, such as concerts, theatre productions and art exhibitions.

University Themes

Opportunities for personal growth, the development of ethical decision making and personal responsibility are an important part of your education at Western. We have an annual University Theme, a call to action, where the entire University joins in common dialogue, activities and events throughout the academic year.

The University Theme website includes information about the current theme, a list of related activties and message boards. Upcoming themes are:

 

Be Involved

The ways to be involved and in-tune with your overall education are virtually limitless.

There are lectures: some specific to an academic discipline, some challenging or controversial, some by University personnel and some by the biggest names in the lecture circuit and in the news.

There are a variety of performances sure to please all kinds of arts lovers. Western’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs brings top-named shows and arts to Western’s stages; the University Union Board schedules some of the top college circuit entertainment; there Western’s own College of Fine Arts and Communication which offers University Theatre, University Dance Theatre and near nightly School of Music performances; the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center and the Casa Latina Cultural Center sponsor and host cultural musical and dance performances; and it that’s not enough, there are student open mic nights to do your own thing.

Rocky Mascot, lecturer Jerry Greenfield, and MTV Invasion band.

Intercollegiate Athletics offers 20 competitive sports - - 10 each for men and women. Western competes at the NCAA Division I level through the Mid-Continent Conference in all sports except football, which competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) as a member of the Gateway Football Conference.

Western also prides itself on its commitment to public service and volunteerism, operating its open Volunteer Services unit within the Office of Student Activities, which also coordinates with Volunteer Now: Macomb Area Volunteer Center.