About WIU-QC - Campus Welcome

Campus Welcome

Welcome to Western Illinois University-Quad Cities

Located in Northwestern Illinois, with an urban population of over 350,000, we are the only public university in the Quad Cities Area (Moline and Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa).

Dr. Joseph A. RivesWe serve students seeking bachelor's degree, post-baccalaureate certificates, master's degrees, and specialist and doctoral degree programs- in Educational Leadership. Through articulation agreements, we welcome associate's degree recipients, transfer students, as well as graduate students. We encourage you to investigate our academic programs and to This link will open in a new browser windowapply online.

WIU-QC is a commuter campus with a current enrollment of over 1,400 students who attend classes at one of our three Quad Cities campus locations. WIU-QC is part of the Western Illinois University family that also has a residential campus in Macomb, Illinois as well as distance learning opportunities. All of us at Western operate according to our Higher Values in Higher Education Strategic Plan. We promise you academic excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth, and social responsibility.

This link will open in a new browser windowThe Princeton Review Award

Quality

Western Illinois University is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Furthermore, for the fifth consecutive year we are recognized as one of the "Best in the Midwest Colleges" by the Princeton Review and Western Illinois University continues to be ranked in the top tier of Midwest Universities Master's granting institutions, according to U.S. News and World Report's Annual College Rankings 2010 edition.

As a top tier Midwestern University in the U.S. News and World Report ratings, Western has established an outstanding record for quality, access to education and affordability, and is among 20 public universities included in the Midwest top tier of 74 master's institutions. Western was one of 13 "best practice" institutions selected by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education for our work in successfully recruiting, retaining, and graduating first-generation and low-income students.

Western Illinois University recently was designated as a "Military Friendly School" by G.I. Jobs Magazine and is featured in the "Guide to Military Friendly Schools." According to G.I. Jobs, this honor ranks Western in the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that are doing the most to assist America's veterans as students.

Affordability

Western Illinois University-Quad Cities is a leader in affordability and we offer Illinois in-state tuition to residents of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri. New students do not receive an increase in tuition or fees for four years provided that they maintain continuous enrollment. And, most recently, we have and continue to introduce new programs that allow new students who earn an Associate's degree and immediately transfer to Western to receive a one-year reduction in tuition and fees. In addition, that lower rate will also be guaranteed for four years.

Partnerships

WIU-Quad Cities recently entered into a partnership agreement with the Rock Island (IL) Arsenal (RIA), which allows current – and potential – college students interested in completing college proficiency exams to complete the exams at the Rock Island Arsenal. The WIU-QC exam facility, which is open to the public, is the first testing site in the Illinois Quad Cities. The agreement between Western and the Arsenal allows individuals the opportunity to complete an exam, such as a College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test, in person on Arsenal Island. A full-time WIU academic adviser, whose office is at the Arsenal, will assist in administering exams, provide course and program information and advise students how to register for classes at Western.

This is the second agreement between the Arsenal and WIU-Quad Cities. In January 2008, the two entities joined forces to allow members of the RIA community to seek undergraduate and graduate degrees offered at the WIU-QC campus in accordance with a Department of Defense Directive on Voluntary Education for Military Personnel.

An Exciting Future

These are exciting times for Western Illinois University-Quad Cities. In addition to the many accomplishments of Higher Values in Higher Education, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities campus has received $1 million in contributions from the John Deere Foundation and The Moline Foundation for the University's new engineering program that has begun this fall. The donations -- $500,000 from each foundation -- will support lease space and equipment for the recently renovated Caxton Block Building in downtown Moline. It will temporarily house the engineering program until the WIU-QC Riverfront Campus Building I is open.

Thanks to a generous gift of land and facilities donated by John Deere on the banks of the Mississippi located just west of downtown Moline as well as tremendous community support and a capital construction plan, WIU-Quad Cities receives $15.8 million for phase I of renovation and construction of Building 1 at the new Riverfront Campus and $42 million for phase II. The first building will support the College of Business and Technology, academic and student services and University administration. Phase II will allow for the continued growth of the Quad Cities campus and enable existing academic programs in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Services and Fine Arts and Communication to be part of the Riverfront Campus.

The University is currently in the quiet phase for the largest comprehensive fund raising campaign in the institution's history. Clearly, there are many reasons to be proud of our great University and we are pleased you are visiting us online!

With all my best,
Dr. Joseph A. Rives
Dr. Joseph A. Rives, Vice President for the Quad Cities, Planning and Technology
This link will open in a new browser windowSee Dr. Rives' curriculum vitae.