Campus and Facilities (excerpted from 2015-2016 Graduate Catalog)

PDF version of Graduate Catalog

The University

Western Illinois University was established April 24, 1899, and began operation September 23, 1902. The University offers 67 undergraduate degree programs, 36 graduate degree programs and 2 doctoral programs to approximately 11,460 students. Western Illinois University offers graduate work in 22 post-baccalaureate certificates. The University serves 1,813 graduate students from Illinois, as well as 37 other states and 57 nations.

Sixty-four buildings are situated on more than 1,000 acres on the Macomb campus. In addition, the University operates the Alice L. Kibbe Life Sciences Station on the Mississippi River, the Frank J. Horn Field Campus, University Farms, and the Fink Environmental Studies Field Laboratory and Conservancy, which provide nearby facilities for students enrolled in agriculture, biology, and recreation, park and tourism administration courses. The Western Illinois University-Quad Cities campus in Moline (population 44,000; QC metropolitan population 376,000) provides baccalaureate degree, graduate degree, and post-baccalaureate certificate programs in various disciplines.

The main campus is located in Macomb (population 20,000), the McDonough County seat, 40 miles east of the Mississippi River. Two U.S. highways, routes 136 and 67, intersect at Macomb and provide direct access to Interstates 74, 80, and 55. Amtrak service is available twice daily from Quincy and Chicago to Macomb.

 Housing

Graduate and Family Apartment Housing: There are apartments on campus for graduate students and students with children, spouses, or domestic partners. The University offers both furnished and unfurnished apartments on a first-come, first-served basis. It is recommended that applications for on-campus apartments be made at least one full year in advance due to the long waiting list. All apartments have a stove, refrigerator, basic cable television outlet, Internet access, and air conditioning. Furnished apartments are provided with living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture. All utilities are included in the rental payment. Laundry facilities are also available in the apartment complexes.

Westbrook House: The Westbrook House, located adjacent to campus, is a community of approximately 30 graduate students and non-traditional undergraduate students. The house features a large kitchen and dining room.

Further information and an application for graduate and family housing may be obtained from the Office of Graduate and Family Housing in the Office of University Housing and Dining Services in Seal Hall, (309) 298-3321, or wiu.edu/housing.

Residence Halls: Competitively priced living accommodations that provide an atmosphere conducive to graduate studies are available on campus. Caroline Grote Hall is a suite-style residence hall, which offers single and double rooms, as well as private bathrooms for juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Lincoln and Washington halls, located on the southeast corner, offer single rooms; Corbin and Olson Halls, located on the southwest side of campus, and Thompson Hall, located on the west side of campus, offer unique living arrangements for returning, transfer, and graduate students. Corbin, Olson, and Thompson Halls are a mix of double and single rooms with all the amenities of residence hall facilities, plus extra closet space, an end table, an easy chair, and carpeting.

All rooms are furnished with air-conditioning, beds, dressers, study desks, chairs, closets, and Internet access. Laundry facilities, television lounges, vending areas, computer labs, and limited cooking facilities are available in each hall.

Residents of University housing sign a contract for a full academic year and pay room and board by the semester.

Students enrolling for the first time will receive a housing application/contract form upon acceptance to the University. Students should apply for housing as early as possible, since hall and room assignments are made based on the student’s room application number.

Off-Campus Housing: Listings of off-campus facilities are available in the Student Tenant Union Office located in the University Union. Further information can be found at wiu.edu/student_success/vpss/offCampusLiving.php.

 University Libraries

University Libraries is an integral part of graduate research at WIU. University Libraries houses an extensive collection and offers online database access to thousands of academic periodic journals and publications. University Libraries provides research assistance; instruction in library use; group study space; and student access to computers, printers, wireless Internet, digital commons, and photocopiers. University Libraries participates in several consortiums and can borrow materials through the interlibrary loan process in a timely manner.

The Leslie F. Malpass Library in Macomb is the main branch and provides an inviting environment for research and study. The library houses the University Archives and Special Collections; Government, Legal, Spatial, and Data Services; and Reference Units. The Macomb campus also has three specialized branch libraries for music, curriculum, and physical sciences.

The WIU-Quad Cities Library in Moline is a microcosm of University Libraries and offers a collection specifically tailored to Quad Cities students. It provides access to the same materials as the Macomb libraries.

For more information, visit wiu.edu/libraries or telephone (309) 298-2411 for hours, (309) 298-2700 for the Reference and Information Desk for research assistance, or visit wiu.edu/libraries and instant message research questions.

 Laboratories, Clinics, and Special Facilities

The Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Research Station is a biological reserve of 222 acres, surrounded by 1,258 acres owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Kibbe is the only field station of this size located on the navigable portion of the Upper Mississippi River system near Warsaw, IL. Its aquatic habitats, forests, and prairies serve as an outdoor classroom for field studies and are used in environmental research. The Cedar Glen Eagle Roost is adjacent to the field station and is considered one of the Midwest’s most outstanding natural areas. Cedar Glen contains large tracts of ecologically significant native terrestrial and aquatic resources, and is nationally known as a major winter roosting area for bald eagles. The field station maintains research sites and equipment for sampling on the Mississippi River.

Horn Field Campus is a 92-acre outdoor education and research facility and center for outdoor curriculum and programs. It is located south of Macomb and managed by the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration. This retreat has an eight-acre prairie, woodlands, challenge course, climbing tower, trails, and several historical buildings, which include a lodge and cabins, that contribute to the educational, research and outreach opportunities available to the University community.

The University Greenhouse and W.M. Walter Natural Area were developed and are maintained by the Department of Biological Sciences. The greenhouse has rooms designed for growing xeric and tropical plants. Space is also available for propagation and research. The W.M. Walter Natural Area has a pond, wetland, prairie, and forest that are used in teaching classes. These facilities are adjacent to Waggoner Hall. Also available for teaching and research is the Rodney and Bertha Fink Environmental Studies Field Laboratory and Conservancy. The 77-acre natural area is located 2.5 miles west of the Macomb campus and contains a mix of restored prairie and bottomland forests bordered by the East Fork of the LaMoine River.

The Department of Biological Sciences Collections documents the biodiversity and resources of Western Illinois for teaching and research. The herbaria contain collections of more than 75,000 vascular plants, non-vascular plants, algae, and fungi. The animal collections include both invertebrate and vertebrate animal specimens. The vertebrate animal collections include mammal skulls and furs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, while the invertebrate collections have a wide diversity of insects and freshwater bivalve mussels. The plant, fungal, and animal collections serve as depositories of distribution records and for research on the biodiversity of the western Illinois region. They are available for student and faculty research projects.

Facilities for cell and molecular research are also available in the Department of Biological Sciences. Equipment available includes a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, ultracentrifuge, high-performance liquid chromatograph, PCR machines, a DNA sequencer, microbiological equipment, and other equipment used in student and faculty research.

The Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic provides diagnostic and therapy services for University students and area residents. The clinic has a Computerized Speech Laboratory (CSL), Laryngograph, and other instruments used in the assessment and treatment of vocal disorders and other speech disorders. The clinic offers voice output and electronic speech generating device options for individuals without functional speech. Augmentative communication assessments and treatments using computer technology is also available. Deep Pharyngeal Nerve Stimulation and Vital Stim therapies are used with persons who have swallowing disorders. In addition, the Audiology Clinic has diagnostic testing equipment for the adult and pediatric population. Instrumentation for full audiological evaluations, middle ear testing, real-ear measurement, video otoscopy, Auditory Brainstem Response, Otoacoustic emissions, and a full range of hearing aid technology is used. The clinic offers advanced audiological clinic training and research options.

The Department of Engineering Technology laboratories include facilities for computer aided design/manufacturing, robotics, 3-D printing, metrology, material testing, programmable logic controlling, Auto-ID, and CNC machining. The University is a member of the Quad City Manufacturing Laboratory. This membership provides opportunities for applied research, professional work projects, and graduate internships with its industrial partners.

The Department of Kinesiology has a modern complex, which includes electronic classrooms; wireless network; biomechanics laboratory with Peak Motus 9 two-dimensional video analysis system, AMTI force platform, four-channel Myo Pac Junio EMG and a Biodex isokinetic measurement system; perceptual and motor behavior laboratory with a BIOPAC system that records ECG, EMG, and EEG; a computer laboratory that features a SmartBoard; and a human performance laboratory that includes an environmental chamber, Bod Pod, hydrostatic weighing tank, metabolic and 12-lead ECG systems, Cholestech lipid and blood glucose analysis equipment, and microplate reader and washer.

The Department of Psychology houses a psychological clinic and a psycho educational clinic to provide psychological services to students and area residents. These services include individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, psychological and intellectual testing, consultations, and referrals. Psychology faculty members also engage in research and many have laboratories that contain equipment enabling them and their students to investigate topics from eyewitness memory to neuroscience.

The Department of Geography houses the WIU GIS Center on the third floor of Tillman Hall. The Center is responsible for compiling, managing, and storing GIS data layers. Other facilities include a Remote Sensing/GIS lab with 30 computers that are fully networked and use both ERDAS’ Image software and ESRI GIS, such as ArcGIS and ArcView; an instructional lab with 32 computers for both GIS and meteorology-related instruction; a meteorology lab with 20 Linux computers for meteorological data analysis instruction; a forecast office with direct access to observational weather data, radar imagery, and weather maps and charts; and a geographic information display center with multiple screens. Additionally, the department has two wired electronic classrooms, plus wireless connectivity throughout Tillman Hall.

The Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT) is located at the Macomb campus. CAIT, a center under University Technology (uTech), provides innovative and practical technology solutions (web applications and mobile technology), technical consulting, media design, and sound e-learning on campus, as well as to external clients, such as state agencies, educational institutions, businesses, and public agencies. On campus, CAIT has supported distance learning courses, online training, multi-media presentations, an assessment system for accreditation, an online course evaluation tool, and WIU’s mobile application, to name a few. Additionally, CAIT works with agencies outside of WIU, such as the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois Attorney General’s office, Illinois Community College Board, Metra Railroad, and the McDonald’s Corporation.

The College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) maintains 32 electronic classrooms in Brophy, Currens, Horrabin, Knoblauch, and Stipes Halls, permitting students and instructors to access the latest instructional technologies (e.g., computers, CDs, DVDs, SMART Board technologies, the Internet and distance learning). These classrooms are used by instructors and students to explore and model the use of high-tech teaching tools. The College of Education and Human Services also maintains the GTE Electronic Classroom and the GTE Teleconferencing Center. The GTE Electronic Classroom seats 88 students and incorporates touch screen technology, a projection television, and distance education capabilities through compressed two-way video. The GTE Teleconferencing Center is an administrative conferencing facility.

COEHS provides on-site technology support and training for students, faculty, and staff via Instructional Development Services (IDS). Services provided include the Interactive Multimedia (IMM) Lab, Technology Resource Checkout (TRC), and Faculty Innovators Program. The IMM Lab has been designed for work with one-on-one and small group instruction for both support and course activities. This lab has advanced software and peripherals necessary to develop multimedia projects, scan documents for use as digital artifacts, and convert analog video to digital media. The TRC allows students, faculty, and staff to check out the latest imaging and multimedia development technologies for a nominal fee. Learn more about these services at wiu.edu/coehs/technology.

The Office for Partnerships, Professional Development, and Technology consists of STAR-Onsite and STAR-Online. These services provide pre-service, new, and veteran teachers the training and support necessary for success in the classroom through on-site and online professional development.

 University Union

The University Union is the place where students come to meet friends for lunch, with a student organization to plan the next great event, with study groups, or with a faculty member or colleague. The Union provides food, fun, relaxation, meeting space, and much more. The Union is a common space on campus to connect the campus community and for students, staff, and the community to enjoy. Located between the north and south campuses, the Union services available include a food court and convenience store, meeting and banquet rooms, a bookstore, guest rooms, check cashing and cashier services, and ATM machines. Wireless Internet is available in all areas of the Union.

The staff of the University Union is dedicated to providing services, conveniences, amenities, and a common meeting space for the University community. These services and conveniences are desired and needed by the University community in their life on campus and for getting to know and understand one another through associations outside the classroom.

 Western Illinois University–Quad Cities Campus

Western Illinois University offers graduate programs at the WIU-QC campus in Moline, IL, approximately 70 miles north of the residential campus in Macomb. Graduate degrees are offered in the following disciplines at WIU-QC:

Doctor of Philosophy Program

Environmental Science: Large River Ecosystems

Doctorate in Education Program

Educational Leadership

Graduate Degree Programs

Biology
Business Administration
College Student Personnel
Counselor Education
Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies
Educational Leadership (includes specialist and master’s)
Elementary Education
English
Health Sciences
Instructional Design and Technology
Law Enforcement and Justice Administration
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Museum Studies
Reading
Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration
Special Education

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs

Business Administration
English
Event Planning and Management
GIS Analysis: Ecological GIS
GIS Analysis: GIS Applications
Health Services Administration
Instructional Design and Technology
Museum Studies
Police Executive Administration
Supply Chain Management
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Zoo and Aquarium Studies