As Western Illinois University students return to classes this fall, WIU says they will see a renewed focus on student success, academic innovation and strategic investments including major capital projects at its main Macomb campus.
“This will be a significant year of progress,” WIU President Kristi Mindrup said in a news release. “We are building on meaningful momentum and beginning the academic year with renewed energy and purpose.
Students are seeing these significant investments at WIU-Macomb:
- The new Goldfarb Center for Performing Arts (GCPA) opened its doors Monday, Aug. 24. The 100,000-square-foot facility features performance, rehearsal and teaching space, expanding opportunities for community engagement. The $199 million project is the first state-funded academic building at WIU in more than 40 years. (WIU’s Quad Cities Riverfront Campus in Moline opened in 2012.)
The GCPA will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15, that will include President Mindrup, GCPA Director Mick Cumbie, a State of Illinois Capital Development Board representative and the center’s namesake, former WIU President Alvin “Al” Goldfarb. He led the university from 2002 to 2011.
For more information on the GCPA, visit wiu.edu/cofac/gcpa.
- The university’s Office of Student Engagement area was updated to give students a welcoming space to connect, get involved and participate in campus life (located in the lower level of the University Union).
- A new state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center has moved into a permanent home in Sallee Hall. In addition to offering space for supporting campus safety and emergency preparedness, the center provides students with hands-on, real-world training in emergency operations and response. A ribbon-cutting ceremony there is planned for 3 p.m., Monday, Sept. 21.
Last October, WIU celebrated the opening of a new Bilingual Early Learning & Family Center, just miles from its Moline campus. The center, a learning lab for education students and an actual childcare center, remodeled the former Boys & Girls Club of the Quad Cities facility at 407 Seventh St. in the city’s Floreciente neighborhood.
Last spring, the Moline university campus announced it was opening its doors to temporarily house Moline’s Lincoln-Irving Elementary students while their school is renovated into the future Robert Ontiveros Elementary School. The $33 million project by the Moline-Coal Valley School District is well underway.
Final fundraising push
“From opening the Goldfarb Center to advancing academic innovation, student success, and workforce partnerships, we are creating new opportunities for our students to discover their potential and thrive,” Ms. Mindrup added. “The work underway today strengthens Western’s role as an Opportunity University and positions WIU for the future.”
At the same time, WIU’s comprehensive approach to strengthening its future includes efforts such as continuing to build partnerships with other educational and state institutions and investments in technology and infrastructure.
Many of its recent projects have been supported through the Illinois Capital Development Board and grants. Additionally, the GCPA was funded by Rebuild Illinois and received more than $4 million from private donors. It also received a substantial personal donation from Mr. Goldfarb and his wife Elaine.
Donor gifts for the center, WIU said, have ranged from $10,000 to multi-million dollar commitments.
Earlier this month, WIU announced a final push for its seat naming campaign driven by a challenge gift of $25,000 from Chicago-area donor Ernie Wish. His pledge will be fulfilled when WIU donors make gifts to name the remaining 100 seats.
“Adding an additional 100 named seats would be a great statement of support for WIU’s performing arts students and would speak volumes about the commitment to the arts from WIU alumni and the Macomb community,” Mr. Wish said in a news release.
An alumnus of DePaul and University of Chicago, he has been a strong advocate for higher education and the arts across Chicago and throughout Illinois.
As of the end of August, 528 seats have been named – leaving 205 seats available. For $250 each, donors can name a seat and choose an inscription for a plaque to be permanently installed on the backs of the seats. To name a seat, visit bit.ly/GCPA_NameMySeat.
WIU academic rebuild
A WIU news release also pointed to strong student retention this fall semester. (Official 2026 enrollment figures are to be released soon).
“We are encouraged by the progress we are seeing in student retention and by the investments we are making to strengthen the student experience,” Vice President for Student Success Justin Schuch said.
“We know that students are more likely to thrive when they feel connected to their peers, to faculty and staff, to the university and to the communities around them,” he added. “Creating opportunities for students to engage and build relationships is part of WIU’s mission.”
As part of an academic rebuild, kicked off in July, WIU announced it is structuring its programs together in the College of Business, Health and Community Programs (CBHCP) and the College of Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Education (CHASE). The new structure is designed to create greater collaboration across disciplines, strengthen career preparation and experiential learning, and make it easier for students to navigate their academic experiences.
