About WIU-QC - History

History
Western Illinois University Quad Cities

Timeline

Year

Milestone
1899 In 1899 the Western Illinois State Normal School was established in Macomb, Illinois to address teacher preparation in the state's grammar schools. The faculty and students of Western were eager to meet this need, and the institution soon became known for its well-rounded, deeply committed graduates, a tradition that continues.
1921 The name changed to Western Illinois State Teachers College and the college continued to focus on teacher preparation.
1957 The college name changed to Western Illinois University. The institution'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.
Late 1960s WIU began offering classes in the Quad Cities.
2007 WIU celebrated 50 years as a University earning, and maintaining a reputation for expanding public access to affordable, high quality degree programs and fostering student involvement in university activities.
...the future WIU-QC is in the planning stages in the development of the WIU-Quad Cities Riverfront Campus, thanks to a donation of a former 20-acre John Deere Technology Center property by John Deere and Company.


Growing a Reputation for Affordability and High Quality

We are now a leading university, with

  • a commuter campus in the Quad Cities,
  • a residential campus in Macomb, and
  • extension and distance learning programs.
With an outstanding, diverse faculty and staff committed to multicultural and international education, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities offers undergraduate and graduate programs of study to students from Illinois, across the nation, and around the world.