2006-2007 Undergraduate Catalog

Table of Contents

Overview

Academic Information

Directories

More Information

Overview of the University

In an emerging global community, universities must educate students so that they uphold standards of civility and civic responsibility and continue learning after graduation. Western Illinois University prepares its students and graduates to contribute to the global community as it grows and changes. This preparation is rooted in the values that our university embraces: academic excellence; educational opportunity; personal growth, and social responsibility.

Our Heritage

Founded in 1899, Western Illinois University was established to address a serious educational problem: poorly prepared teachers in the state's grammar schools, especially the several thousand country schools. The faculty and students of Western Illinois State Normal School were eager to meet this need, and the institution soon became known for its well-rounded, deeply committed graduates. As the years passed, Western's mission continually broadened to include academic majors that prepared high school teachers, the state's earliest and most successful extension program, a multi-faceted graduate school, a liberal arts program, and, eventually, distinguished colleges devoted to Arts and Sciences, Business and Technology, Education and Human Services, and Fine Arts and Communication. During that time, the institution earned a reputation for expanding public access to affordable, high quality degree programs and fostering student involvement in University activities. Western is now a leading comprehensive university, with a non-residential campus in the Quad Cities as well as a traditional, residential campus in Macomb. The University, with an outstanding, diverse faculty and staff, offers programs of study to more than 13,000 students, not only from Illinois, but from across the nation and around the world. Despite more than a century of growth and development, the University maintains a strong sense of community and has retained its deeply rooted commitments to holistic education, academic quality, public service, and progressive social change.

Our Values

Academic Excellence: Central to our history and tradition is the commitment to teaching, to the individual learner, and to active involvement in the teaching-learning process. Western Illinois University's highly qualified, diverse faculty promotes critical thinking, engaged learning, research and creativity in a challenging, supportive learning community. We are committed to an academic environment that encourages lifelong development as learners, scholars, teachers, and mentors.

Educational Opportunity: Western Illinois University values educational opportunity and welcomes those who show promise and a willingness to work toward achieving shared educational goals. We are committed to providing accessible, high quality educational programs and financial support for our students.

Personal Growth: Because Western Illinois University values the development of the whole person, we are committed to providing opportunities for personal growth in an environment that supports the development of wellness, ethical decision making and personal responsibility.

Social Responsibility: Western Illinois University is committed to equity, social justice, and diversity, and maintains the highest standards of integrity in our work with others. We serve as a resource for and stimulus to economic, educational, cultural, environmental and community development in our region and well beyond it.

Our Vision

Western Illinois University will be the leading comprehensive university in the United States.

Western Illinois University Mission Statement

Western Illinois University, a community of individuals dedicated to learning, will have a profound and positive impact on our changing world through the unique interaction of instruction, research, and public service as we educate and prepare a diverse student population to thrive in and contribute to our global society.

University Profile

Recognized as one of the “Best in the Midwest Colleges” by the Princeton Review and selected as one of just 24 public universities ranked as a Tier 1 Midwestern Masters Institution by “US News and World Report,” Western Illinois University serves approximately 13,400 students in the heart of the Midwest through its traditional, residential four-year campus in Macomb, IL (population 20,000) and its upper division urban commuter location in the Quad Cities/Moline, IL (QC population 376,000; Moline population 44,000).

WIU’s friendly, accessible, nurturing campus communities are dedicated to higher values in higher education and are comprised of strong faculty, state of the art technology and facilities, and a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities for students and staff. Committed to empowering students through the opportunity to earn a high quality education that is also affordable, WIU’s GradTrac and Cost Guarantee programs ensure that students can achieve their degrees within four years while paying a fixed rate for tuition, fees, plus room and board. WIU remains the only university in Illinois to guarantee the cost for tuition plus fees and room and board for students over a four-year period at both the undergraduate and graduate level. WIU’s Cost Guarantee program is the model for the state’s “truth-in-tuition program” that has helped students control cost.

Western Illinois University was established April 24, 1899, and began operation September 23, 1902. The University offers 57 undergraduate degree programs and 36 graduate degree programs for more than 13,000 students. Approximately 84 percent of WIU students are undergraduates and 16 percent are graduate students. The curriculum includes the humanities, social sciences, fine arts, business, education, and a number of pre-professional and technical fields of study. Although students primarily come from Illinois, more than 1,100 are from out of state, including 269 from foreign countries. Between July 2004 and June 2005, 2,376 students completed undergraduate degree requirements.

High academic standards, quality instruction, excellent opportunities for job placement, outstanding academic and residential facilities, exciting extracurricular activities, and low cost characterize Western Illinois University.

Faculty: Providing excellent instruction is the highest priority of the University’s 731 faculty members. The faculty is responsible for 95 percent of the total student credit hours earned at the undergraduate level with graduate teaching assistants contributing the remaining 5 percent. As a group, full professors devote approximately 90 percent of their professional responsibilities to undergraduate instruction. The on-campus ratio of students to faculty is 17:1 and the average undergraduate class size is 25. Although primarily dedicated to teaching, the WIU faculty participate in extensive research and creative activities.

Libraries: The Leslie F. Malpass Library, WIU's main library, holds more than 1 million cataloged volumes, 3,200 current journal subscriptions, and 24 foreign and domestic newspapers. Library users enjoy access to 44 Illinois library collections through the ILLINET System. In addition to the main library, there are three branch libraries on the Macomb campus: the Music Library, the Physical Sciences Library, and the Curriculum Library. The Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Library provides library services to students and faculty in Moline.

Computing Facilities: More than 1,000 computers are available for use in 23 labs, 15 teaching facilities, and 11 resource centers throughout campus. Local Area Networks provide access to numerous software packages, the Internet, the World Wide Web, electronic mail, and campus information systems. Students have access to Macintosh and IBM PC-compatible microcomputers, plotters, scanners, laser printers, CD-ROM readers, and Zip drives.

Cultural Center: The University offers a rich variety of cultural and artistic opportunities for the citizens of west-central Illinois. The College of Fine Arts and Communication is the center of music, theatre, communication, and visual arts activities on campus and throughout the community. Students, faculty, and guest artists of the School of Music perform numerous concerts and recitals during the year. There are 12 major theatrical and dance productions and more than 12 studio shows presented annually in Western’s three theatres. The Department of Broadcasting regularly schedules radio and television broadcasts. The University Art Gallery exhibits work by students and faculty as well as nationally recognized artists. The events sponsored by the Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the Performing Arts Society provide a variety of performances for targeted regional audience members of all ages.

Campus: Fifty-three buildings are situated on more than 1,000 acres in Macomb. In addition, the University operates the Alice L. Kibbe Life Sciences Station on the Mississippi River, the Frank J. Horn Field Campus, and the University Farm, which provide nearby facilities for students enrolled in agriculture; biology; and recreation, park and tourism administration courses. A separate campus in Moline, Illinois, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, provides baccalaureate degree programs in accountancy; the Board of Trustees program; elementary education; information management; law enforcement and justice administration; management; manufacturing engineering technology; marketing; and recreation, park and tourism administration. Sixteen graduate degree programs and eight post-baccalaureate certificate programs are also offered at WIU-QC.

Location: The main campus is located in Macomb, the McDonough County seat, 40 miles east of the Mississippi River. The city has a population of 20,000. Two U.S. highways, 136 and 67, intersect at Macomb and provide direct access to Interstates 74, 80, and 55. Rail passenger service is available from Quincy and Chicago to Macomb. Western Illinois University-Quad Cities is located in Moline, Illinois, which is approximately 70 miles north of the main campus in Macomb.

Residence Halls: Residence hall facilities provide more than 5,300 students with living and dining services. Several residence halls offer lifestyle floors such as Honors, First-Year Experience, Major, and Wellness. A new residence hall featuring a state-of-the-art suite-style environment opened in the fall of 2004. All residence halls are smoke-free and wired for Internet and LAN use. Many off-campus housing possibilities, including fraternities and sororities, are open to upper division students.

Student Organizations: More than 200 student organizations on campus represent a wide range of student interests. Opportunities for participatory student governance are provided by the Student Government Association, Inter-Residence Hall Council, Panhellenic Council, Student Tenant Union, Black Student Association, Latin American Student Organization, International Friendship Club, and other organizations.

Sports: Intercollegiate athletics include 10 varsity sports for men and 10 for women at the NCAA Division I level (I-AA in football). Both the men’s and women’s athletic teams compete in the Mid-Continent Conference. Men’s football competes in the Gateway Football Conference. More than 50 different intramural events and a variety of sports clubs are available to Western students.

Costs: New students can attend Western Illinois University for about $17,970 in 2006–2007, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, and personal expenses. Financial assistance is provided for qualified students. More than 70 percent of Western’s undergraduate students receive some type of financial assistance. In 2005–2006 more than $88 million in financial assistance was distributed. Of that total, over $43 million was in the form of grants which do not have to be repaid, and $45 million was through loans and campus employment.

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