Lindenwood University-Belleville extends its reach to community
Year in Review 2014: Southwestern Illinois
Lindenwood University-Belleville extends its reach to community
Lindenwood University-Belleville celebrated a record year for student enrollment in 2014 with a 25 percent increase from the previous year.
The significant growth can be traced to a number of factors including a new men’s residence hall, an Extension Center in Collinsville, and a new Veterans Success Center.
The university recognized the need for new residential spaces to accommodate its growing enrollment. A $4 million men’s residence hall was built across the street from the Belleville campus and currently houses 200 students. A women’s residence hall was completed in 2013 and houses 180 students.
The Collinsville Extension Center is a new full-service site to provide additional opportunities for students. It includes eight classrooms that hold up to 22 students, academic advising, business offices, and faculty space. Business administration, criminal justice, human resource management, and health-care management are among the undergraduate programs offered there.
On the graduate level, there is an MBA program, master’s of criminal justice, master’s of health care management, master’s of gerontology, and master’s in communication. Graduate education and graduate counseling programs will be offered starting in January 2015.
A Veterans Success Center opened at the Belleville campus in the fall. It is dedicated to military active duty and retired persons to offer camaraderie and support. The center will provide student services, tutoring, and advisors who can help with the admissions process and veterans’ benefits. Lindenwood University was recently named a top school for military students by Military Advanced Education magazine.
“The opening of the Veterans Success Center is an opportunity for this university to show our commitment to the community and to those that serve or have served our country,” says Jerry Bladdick, president.
Lindenwood University-Belleville is also expanding its offerings to students in other areas. It is consistently widening the menu of degree programs. Five years ago, there were only five undergraduate degree programs and today there are 36. Biology, exercise science and athletic training are three new programs approved in 2014. Intercollegiate athletics have been organized with the availability of men’s and women’s hockey and swimming and diving. International recruiting has become a priority for the university with 200 international students currently enrolled.