Quad Cities Campus
Historical Highlights
- WQPT celebrated its 40th anniversary and received an Emmy Award for "Your Dutch Friend." The documentary tells the story of two young sisters, Juanita and Betty Wagner from Danville, Iowa, who became pen pals with Anne Frank and her sister Margot after Amsterdam was occupied by Nazi Germany on May 10, 1940.
- Western Illinois University, with leadership from Dr. Lindsay Meeker, finalized a multi-year lease to establish the Bilingual Early Learning and Family Empowerment Lab in partnership with the Moline Boys and Girls Club.
- Campus as a space for art: “Luchadores Immigrants,” a multi-media exhibit by Iowa artist Miriam Alarcon Avila, WIU Faculty and Staff Art Show in April, and served as a site for Congressman Eric Sorenson to host the annual Congressional Art Show which brought high school students from Springfield to Freeport and points in between to the WIU Quad Cities campus to show their work and compete for the opportunity to display their winning piece in the United States Capitol Building.
- Western Illinois University – Quad Cities inspired and engaged summer campers in math and science concepts during two summer camp sessions offered in July. Enrollment goals were exceeded for both camps, and a record 47 fourth through eighth grade campers attended Math on the Mississippi, and 20 attended Muggles in a Wizard’s World.
- The environmental science team expanded its network of water level and microclimate sensors to include a new site at Nahant Marsh in Davenport, IA. The new sensor system was acquired with support from the Carver Family Trust, and complements existing sensor arrays located from East Moline to Macomb. WIU Environmental Science researchers continued work with the City of Moline to address new regulatory requirements for nutrient monitoring on the Rock and Mississippi Rivers.
- The Jeff Leibovitz Special Collection of Holocaust Education Materials, located in the Quad Cities Library, continues to grow and provide regional teachers with instructional materials and information related to the Holocaust. The Leibovitz Board is planning a 30th anniversary celebration for the collection in October 2024 by hosting an institute on the Quad Cities Campus for regional teachers and teacher education students to learn how to integrate Holocaust education into their classes.
Six new online programs for Fall 2022:
- Business Analytics (Bachelor of Business)
- Emergency Management (Bachelor of Science)
- Finance (Bachelor of Business)
- Accountancy (Master of Accountancy)
- Applied Statistics and Decision Analytics (Master of Science)
- Mathematics (Master of Science)
- A renewed strategic position for the Quad Cities campus was developed to position WIU’s location in the Quad Cities campus as a destination for quality, applied academic programs that meet Quad Cities regional workforce demands through emphasis on practical, hands-on experiences, research, workforce preparation, and career placement with a commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- University administration announce the addition of degree in public health at QC campus
Esports room opens for all students on campus, which features chess, online gaming, and dual screen computer stations.
School of Engineering received ABET certification for the Mechanical Engineering Program.
Phase II of the Quad Cities Complex was completed and includes a 94,800 square foot classroom complex set on the scenic Mississippi River. The $42 million project allows for further growth of the Quad Cities campus and will house academic programs in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Services and Fine Arts and Communication.
WIU-QC completed Phase I 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. Grand Opening was January 17, 2012.
Western Illinois University was named:
- Best in the Midwest College by the Princeton Review
- Tier 1 school- U.S. News and World Report
- One of the Best Universities in the Country-Forbes
In its 27th year as the Quad Cities regional public television broadcaster, WQPT announced its new affiliation with Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, and returned to its mission of creating local and public affairs programming.
Governor Pat Quinn released $62 million to begin construction at the Riverfront Campus, with a groundbreaking ceremony for Building One March 31, 2010 at 3300 River Drive, Moline.
School of Engineering received ABET certification for the General Engineering Program.
College of Business & Technology announced the addition of the School of Engineering.
School of Engineering created the QCML (Quad City Manufacturing Lab), which is housed at the Rock Island Arsenal.
A contribution from the John Deere Foundation and The Moline Foundation supported the new School of Engineering with $1 million toward renovation, equipment, and lease space at the Caxton Block Building in downtown Moline.
An partnership developed between the internationally renowned Figge Art Museum in Davenport and the Museum Studies Master of Arts degree program.
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.
Former IBM building was renovated, thanks in part to state dollars and donations from John Deere, along with multiple local businesses.
Undergraduate and graduate courses were also offered at the Rock Island Arsenal.
Western Continuing Education Center was moved to Black Hawk College Campus and became known as the Western Illinois Regional Undergraduate Center.
Western leased John Deere School in East Moline to create The John Deere School of Continuing Education Center.
WIU began offering classes in the Quad Cities.
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.
First graduate classes in the fields of Art, Economics, Literature, and Math.
Development Moline/Rock Island Western Alumni Club
School name changed to Western Illinois State Teachers College
Development of extension classes focused on teachers upgrading their knowledge and skills; First state -supported extension classes Moline
Western Illinois State Normal School was established in Macomb, IL, to address teacher preparation in the state’s grammar schools. Western faculty and students were eager to meet this need, and the institution soon became known for its well-rounded, deeply committed graduates, a tradition that continues.
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