Accomplishment of Presidential Initiatives
To Further Advance Higher Values in Higher Education’s Goals and Priorities
Academic Year 2014-2015
Academic Programs
 Enhance the Quality of Western Illinois University Academic Programs and Services
o 21 programs were reviewed as follows: 11 academic programs, 7 post baccalaureate
certificates, 1 center, 1 temporary center, and 13 one year new program reviews
o 6 programs were reaccredited by external accreditation bodies
 Honors Program
o Increase participation in Undergraduate Research Day
 Participation increased from 214 in 2014, to 265 in 2015
 Established Undergraduate and Graduate Research Day in the Quad Cities
o Nominate students for Rhodes, Udall and other prestigious scholarship programs
 Rhodes – 2 students nominated
 Truman – 3 students nominated
 Goldwater – 4 students nominated and 1 received an Honorable Mention
 Lagrant – 1 student nominated and received a monetary award
 Cooke – 1 student nominated
 Helped student who received a Fulbright
o Participation has increased to 731 students, an increase of 215 students over the last
five years
 Graduate Studies
o Graduate Research Day included 39 podium presentations, 30 poster sessions, and 2
musical performances
o Ph. D. in Environmental Studies
 Recruited first year class
o Ph. D. in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration – for future consideration
o Ph. D. in Instructional Technology – for future consideration
Facilities*
Macomb Campus Master Plan
 Begin Construction of Center for the Performing Arts will begin pending funding
o Completed Construction of the Parking Lot for the Center for the Performing Arts
 Entryway to Campus
o Demolished former Cinema building
o Improved landscaping
 University Union Renovations – exploring options for Phase II
 Security Cameras on Campus: an IT Governance Committee was formed and has completed
a draft of a policy that addresses the appropriate use and scope of security cameras on
campus. The proposed policy will be reviewed through the IT Governance structure and
then brought to the President’s Leadership Team for review.
 Additional lighting has been installed on Murray Street
 Wireless is being upgraded in four academic buildings (Stipes, Morgan, Horrabin, and
Waggonner)
 Environmental Sustainability
o Phase I Energy Savings Study in process
 Science Complex (proposed to IBHE)
 Visual Arts Center – under consideration (proposed to IBHE)
Quad Cities Campus Master Plan
 Complete Quad Cities Riverfront Campus
o Phase II – Opened for Fall 2014 classes
o Phase III Design and Construction (proposed to IBHE)
Enrollment Management
 Increase funding for scholarships for retention and high achieving students – ongoing
 Increase the number of international agreements – ongoing
o 11 agreements signed with schools from countries including China, France, Japan
and Spain.
o 20 pending agreements with schools from countries around the world.
 Increase international student enrollment – ongoing
o Currently there are 503 International Students from 57 countries. This is up from
416 last year. Of these 503 students, 183 are undergraduates and 320 are graduate
students
 Increase undergraduate and graduate student enrollment – ongoing
o Total Enrollment for Fall 2014 was 11,458, down 2.1% (249 students) from Fall
2013
o The number of graduate students is 1,860 (in Spring 2014 there were 1,775 graduate
students and in Spring 2013 there were 1,831 graduate students)
 Open the St. Louis regional office – Completed Fall 2014
 Continue to enhance marketing to tell the WIU Story, including increased advertising
o Successfully implemented digital marketing as a new part of our overall marketing
strategy to increase our application pool
 Revise the Western Commitment Scholarship Program
o Revised Fall 2014 to combine an award based model based on ACT and HS GPA
and a need based model based on Expected Family Contribution
 Continue to increase the retention from freshman to sophomore
o Retention of first time full time freshmen increased from 63.3% in Fall 2013 to
72.1% in Fall 2014
o WIU is participating in the Persistence and Completion Academy. Teams support
work in Macomb, Quad Cities and Distance Learning

Continue to expand linkages programs
o Exploring relationships with Rock Valley, Heartland College, Waubonsee
Community College, Moberly (MO) Community College and Joliet Junior College
Alumni Relations and Development
 Continue hosting active alumni events – ongoing
 Continue meeting with major donors – ongoing
 Continue meeting with the President’s National Advisory Council – met in Fall 2014 and
Spring 2015
 Position the University for successful development efforts – ongoing
Governmental Relations
 Host the annual legislative reception in Springfield – March 4, 2015
 Visit legislators – ongoing
 Provide testimony on budget and other issues affecting higher education – March 12, 2015
Outreach and Communication
o Presidential Blog - Began Fall 2014
Campus Collaboration
 Diversify the Campuses – ongoing
o Overall Campus diversity increased from 29% in Fall 2013 to 34% in Fall 2014
 Hold President’s Roundtable Meetings with faculty – ongoing
o Also held President’s Roundtable Meetings with staff beginning Fall 2014
 Host Town Hall Meetings – ongoing
o Town Hall Meetings held Fall 2014 with students, faculty and the community, as well
as with each college and the residence halls.
o Town Hall Meetings held Spring 2015 with students and faculty.
 ERP Consultant report has been received
 Manage continued budget and cash flow issues to minimize impacts on students, faculty, and
staff, while promoting growth – ongoing
 Continue to provide budget updates
 Continue meeting with campus governance groups
o Met with all governance groups during the academic year 2014-2015
Professional Development
 Continue to Support Faculty Travel Awards – ongoing
 Retention of Faculty and Staff – ongoing
 Enhance Technology for Faculty and Staff – ongoing
Committees
 Long Term Planning Committee – ongoing
 Strategic Enrollment – ongoing
*contingent upon the release of state funding