University News
Western Illinois University Kicks Off Exciting Spring Semester
February 9, 2026
Macomb/Moline, IL- Western Illinois University's Spring 2026 semester is in full swing, and WIU is celebrating new funding for high-impact programming, retention gains, athletic performance, and student achievements. The semester is full of great events that highlight high-achieving WIU students.
The construction of the Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts (GCPA) has been transforming the look of the Western Illinois University Macomb campus for the last several years, and is expected to reach "substantial completion" this spring. While full-scale programming is scheduled for Fall 2026, this milestone represents the largest state investment in WIU facilities in nearly 50 years. Beyond enhancing teaching and learning opportunities for students and faculty, the GCPA is expected to drive tourism and revenue to the Macomb community.
WIU also recently secured more than $3.6 million in federal grant funding for its School Psychology program through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), with $3 million of the grant coming to the University. Western School Psychology faculty will use the grant to create partnerships with local school districts to address the needs of rural school districts in Illinois, as well as to recruit and retain prospective students going into the School Psychology field. The partner school district will be announced at a future date. These funds underscore and expand WIU's long history of providing educational opportunities for students in west-central Illinois and throughout the region.
The Office of Student Engagement's Purple and Gold Points program is redefining student involvement since the campus-wide launch last semester. Throughout the fall semester, students earned points for attending and participating in academic, social, athletic, and other educational events. Attendance at events increased 50% from the previous fall semester, with students swiping in at different events over 16,300 times. This spring, students will continue to earn points they can cash in for prizes and experiences.
WIU's shared focus on student engagement is a centerpiece of an enrollment strategy built on student success and retention. Fall-to-spring retention of first-time, full-time freshman students increased this year, with significant growth for Latinx students, improving from 79.7% to 85.1%. Black freshman student retention increased from 63.9% to 66.1%. The increase in fall-to-spring freshman retention is a result of specific University focus on engagement and retention. WIU looks forward to building on this positive momentum for Fall 2026.
Students will continue to have numerous opportunities to get involved and engaged on campus this spring. Leatherneck Link provides a one-stop location for events, activities, and more. Signature student events continue this spring, including Rockython, WIU's annual dance marathon benefiting Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Since 2014, Rockython has raised nearly $1 million for pediatric healthcare. Rockython 2026 will occur on Saturday, March 7 in the University Union Ballroom on the Macomb Campus.
Leatherneck student-athletes look to continue their academic success into the spring. The Fall 2025 average grade point average (GPA) for 371 Leatherneck student-athletes was 3.31, led by the WIU women's basketball team with a 3.77 team GPA. Not only is the team thriving in the classroom, but they are also achieving great success on the court, at the top the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) standings and is being led in scoring by Mia Nicastro, whose 23.5 points per game rank her 5th in NCAA Division I. The Leathernecks will compete in the OVC tournament in Evansville, IN, March 4-7, with an opportunity to win an automatic bid to the Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. Athletic success extends beyond the hardwood with Dana Surwillo setting the WIU women's pole vault record on Jan. 31 by clearing 3.98 meters. The record-setting vault was good for first place at the Meyo Invitation hosted by the University of Notre Dame.
The competitive successes for Western are not limited to athletics, as the WIU livestock judging team was recently named the 2026 National Western Stock Show Senior College Champion Team in Denver, CO, further strengthening the University's national reputation in agriculture. Multiple students have placed in the top ten in their individual disciplines at national competitions. The award-winning students are supported by faculty from the School of Agriculture.
In addition, WIU Political Science students Winter Hurst-Leadicker and Audrey Pender were awarded the prestigious Project Business Professional (PBP) certification. The PBP certificate is given to those who demonstrate the skills of risk management and business strategy. Western Illinois University is one of the leading universities in the United States for the PBP certificate, which is granted by the Project Business Foundation, a nonprofit think tank based in Munich, Germany. Hurst-Leadicker and Pender have joined a select group of individuals in the U.S., including three WIU faculty members, who have earned the certification. Nearly half of those trained in the U.S. now come from WIU, positioning the University as a growing hub for Project Business expertise.
Western Illinois University will have the opportunity to host the Illinois Supreme Court for its "Riding the Circuit" program on Wednesday, March 11. The Court will hear oral arguments on two cases starting at 10 a.m. One of the goals of the program is to demonstrate the transparency of the Illinois Supreme Court and provide greater understanding and access to the Illinois legal system. The hearings will be open to the public, but seating will be limited. Details on reserving your seat can be found at go.wiu.edu/4adUIu4.
Western Illinois-Quad Cities (WIU-QC) campus is renewing efforts to focus on community-centered education that meets the needs of the greater Quad Cities region. With community impact in mind, WIU-QC offers undergraduate students degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Elementary Education, and Education, with coursework aligned to regional workforce priorities. Graduate offerings include the Master of Science in Education, Master of Arts in Museum Studies, and Master of Science in Education in Counselor Education, a nationally recognized program that prepares compassionate, highly skilled mental health professionals who serve schools, agencies, and organizations across the entire Quad Cities metro area.
"Our talented students, faculty, and staff are laying the groundwork for another great semester at Western," said WIU President Kristi Mindrup. "We all share in our collective success, and we look forward to continuing to tell our great story."
Western Illinois University will wrap up the 2026 Spring semester with Commencement scheduled for May 16. To see a list of inspiring WIU stories throughout Spring 2026 and beyond, visit wiu.edu/successhappenshere.
Posted By: Zachary Messersmith (ZD-Messersmith@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
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