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Undergraduate Catalog

The History and Heritage of Â鶹´«Ã½ Illinois University

Founded in 1899, the Â鶹´«Ã½ Illinois State Normal School was established as an Illinois public institution to address teacher preparation in the state’s grammar schools. The faculty and students of Â鶹´«Ã½ were eager to meet this need, and the institution soon became known for its well-rounded, deeply committed graduates, a tradition that continues.

As the years passed and the name was changed to Â鶹´«Ã½ Illinois State Teachers’ College in 1921, and then to Â鶹´«Ã½ Illinois University in 1957, 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 multifaceted 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.

Throughout time, and most recently as Â鶹´«Ã½ celebrated 50 years as a University during academic year 2007–2008, we have earned and maintained a reputation for expanding public access to affordable, high-quality degree programs and fostering student involvement in University activities.

We are now a leading University with a residential campus in Macomb; a metropolitan, commuter campus in the Quad Cities; and extension and distance learning programs. With an outstanding, diverse faculty and staff committed to multicultural and international education, Â鶹´«Ã½ Illinois University offers undergraduate and graduate programs of study to approximately 7,500 students from Illinois, across the nation, and around the world.