4/4/2019 WIU Details Academic Realignment | Tri States Public Radio

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WIU Details Academic Realignment

By EMILY BOYER (/PEOPLE/EMILY-BOYER) • JUL 16, 2018

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(//www.tspr.org/sites/wium/files/styles/x_large/public/201807/20180716_104313_1__0.jpg)

The realignment announcement on WIU's Macomb campus.

TSPR'S RICH EGGER

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4/4/2019 WIU Details Academic Realignment | Tri States Public Radio

Western Illinois University laid out its plans for restructuring and realigning its academic offerings during
a much anticipated news conference on Monday.

The announcement comes less than a month after two dozen faculty received layoff notices
(http://tspr.org/post/numbers-look-wius-faculty-layoffs). At that time, Western also eliminated 62 vacant
or soon to be vacant positions.

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“This restructuring is in light of what we see in the future for Western Illinois University,” President Jack
Thomas said. “Eventually, once we start growing and we see growth in particular areas, we have to invest.
 We have to invest in terms of faculty, to make sure we have the appropriate faculty to teach those classes
and whatever else we would need in terms of growth.”

Western administrators are working to move past the two-year state budget impasse, better market
current academic offerings, and attract more students to campus. 
https://www.tspr.org/post/wiu-details-academic-realignment 2/8
Thomas
4/4/2019 said the University’s institutional
WIU areas of strength
Details Academic are:| Tri States Public Radio
Realignment

science and technology

business
education
community service
areas that meet regional and state needs

He said the University’s Honors College will also be at the forefront and the program will be moved into
Simpkins Hall, which will be renovated to meet its needs.

When it comes to defining future investment in academic affairs, Thomas said 37 different academic areas
have been identified as ‘Centers of Excellence’.

(http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wium/files/styles/x_large/public/201807/37189509_101037576052
CREDIT WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

“Students, faculty, and staff in ‘Centers for Excellence’ must have optimal learning environments,” said
President Thomas. “We are a preeminent institution in terms of quality and we will have a new academic
structure, state of the art equipment to support our leading edge instruction.”

Realignment Plan:

The University will maintain four academic colleges. Under those umbrellas, many programs and
departments will be folded into newly developed schools.  
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Interim
4/4/2019 Academic Provost Kathy Neumann will Academic
WIU Details overseeRealignment
the academic alignment,
| Tri States Public Radio which the administration

predicts will position Western for the future.

“These are strategic changes in realignments that are designed to foster collaboration and synergies that
will allow, what are now, considered different departments, to advance together versus protecting
territory be being in separate departments,” Neumann said.

Neumann said there will be no changes in staffing levels due to the reorganization affecting administration
or teachers.

(http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wium/files/styles/x_large/public/201807/37288343_101037576052
CREDIT WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

The reorganization includes:

College of Arts and Sciences

With the exception of biology, nursing, and psychology, all areas will move as part of the
reorganization to form two new schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of
Natural Science and Mathematics.

College of Business and Technology

Economics will join accounting and finance to form the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance.
Engineering technology will merge with the School of Engineering to form the School of Engineering
https://www.tspr.org/post/wiu-details-academic-realignment 4/8
 and Engineering Technology.
4/4/2019 WIU Details Academic Realignment | Tri States Public Radio

College of Education and Human Services

Emergency Management will join the School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. Social work
will return to a department dedicated to that discipline with additional discussions underway about
how best to support the remaining disciplines in health sciences.  The various areas dedicated to
education will merge to form the School of Education.

College of Fine Arts and Communication

Graphic design and graphic communication will be brought together.

Neumann said all of Western’s programs must be “...built on a solid foundation of general education to
enhance and reinforce the importance of critical thinking, solid communication skills, the pursuit of
knowledge, the difference among people, and the importance among all forms of wellness."  

Neumann said there are also efforts underway to streamline general education offerings and increase the
number of degree programs offered online.

Neumann said the realignment announcement does not change the fact that Western has 12 signature
programs.

No timeline for the implementation of the realignment was announced during the news conference.  

TAGS:  WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY (/TERM/WESTERN-ILLINOIS-UNIVERSITY)

KATHY NEUMANN (/TERM/KATHY-NEUMANN) JACK THOMAS (/TERM/JACK-THOMAS)

CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE (/TERM/CRISIS-CONFIDENCE) ACADEMIC REALIGNMENT (/TERM/ACADEMIC-REALIGNMENT)

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4/4/2019 WIU Details Academic Realignment | Tri States Public Radio
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Chones • 4 months ago

Illinois is a dying State.
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Michael Sprague • 2 months ago

Trade School? Will they start advertising on street benches and late night tv?
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