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• Black Alumni Picnic
• San Francisco

Black Alumni Picnic

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Fall Welcome from President Jack Thomas

Dear Alumni & Friends,

I am excited to begin the new school year here at Western Illinois University as the 11th president. I hope to see you back on campus later this month for Western’s Homecoming celebration.

When you return to campus, please note some of the updates and improvements. The University now has an accessible elevator/entrance at the University Union. The newly renovated Memorial Hall is open and now houses classrooms, Career Services and service-oriented
departments. Hanson Field now has a new turf playing field. Renovations continue at Corbin-Olson and Lincoln- Washington halls and the heating plant and steam line tunnel projects are ongoing. While construction has not yet started, the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Performing
Arts Center took place during the Spring 2011 semester. We look forward to construction beginning next year.

One of our biggest challenges continues to be the current budget situation. Because of conservative fiscal management, we have been fortunate to continue to provide the programs and services our students need and deserve, and we are also fortunate to be able to avoid
employee furloughs and layoffs. The University has continued to thrive and move forward with outstanding academic programs and facility improvements. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to President Emeritus Al Goldfarb and the University faculty, staff and
students for their dedication and perseverance in these challenging times.

This year, we are pleased to report that we have the largest freshman class in the last five years. The University has been working closely with the consulting firm, Noel-Levitz, to refine our recruitment initiatives
and to more aggressively promote Western to potential students. We are reaching out to more local students, and have extended our in-state tuition rate to all students from Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. Western is truly an outstanding institution, and our reputation as an
accessible, affordable, and quality university is evident through our rankings in the U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review, and others.

Our strategic plan, Higher Values in Higher Education, will continue to serve as our guide. Our immediate goals for Western include enhancing
our graduation and retention rates, which have already surpassed the national average. We will continue to improve by providing the tools our
students need to succeed. We will also increase scholarship opportunities, redefine the Honors College and the First Year Experience (FYE), work to increase enrollment, complete Phase I of the Quad Cities Riverfront Campus and move to Phase II of the Riverfront Campus project, and continue to move forward with the Performing Arts Center.

Thank you so much for your support of Western Illinois University. I look forward to seeing you at“The Right Place” tent Saturday, Oct. 1.

Sincerely,

Jack Thomas

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