Former names | Illinois State Normal University (1857–1964) Illinois State University at Normal (1964–1967) |
---|---|
Motto | Gladly We Learn and Teach |
Type | Public research university |
Established | 1857 |
Founder | Jesse W. Fell |
Accreditation | HLC |
Endowment | $224.7 million (2024) [1] |
Budget | $561.3 million (2024) [2] |
President | Aondover Tarhule [3] |
Provost | Ani Yazedjian (acting) [4] |
Administrative staff | 3,612 [5] |
Students | 21,546 (2024) [6] |
Undergraduates | 19,107 (2024) |
Postgraduates | 2,439 (2024) |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | Urban campus, 1,180 acres (477.5 ha) |
Other campuses | Springfield |
Newspaper | The Vidette |
Colors | Red and White [7] |
Nickname | Redbirds |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I FCS MVFC — MVC |
Mascot | Reggie Redbird |
Website | illinoisstate |
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of the top ten largest producers of teachers in the US according to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. [8] [9] It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". [10]
The university's athletic teams are members of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are known as the "Redbirds," in reference to the state bird, the cardinal.
ISU was founded in 1857, the same year Illinois' first Board of Education was convened and two years after the Free School Act was passed by the state legislature. Among its supporters were judge and future Supreme Court Justice, David Davis and local businessman and land holder Jesse W. Fell whose friend, Abraham Lincoln, was the attorney hired by the board of education to draw up legal documents to secure the school's funding. [11] [12]
Founded as Illinois State Normal University, it was the first state university in Illinois. Its classes were initially held in downtown Bloomington, occupying space in Major's Hall, which was previously the site of Lincoln's "Lost Speech." With the completion of Old Main in 1860, the school moved to its current campus in what was then the village of North Bloomington, which was chartered as the town of "Normal" in 1865. The new town had named itself after the university.
The editor of the Bloomington Pantagraph wrote in 1882: "The intention was to gather around the institution the different colleges, - classical, agricultural, industrial, law medical, and the other departments of a university, - until, in the end, the State should have here a grand university, equal to any." [13] Thus the school was originally designed as a wide-ranging university with one department of teacher training. That left only a teacher-training school--indeed what was then called a "normal college". It later added many other roles and became a wide-ranging university in the 20th century. [14]
On January 1, 1964, the institution's name was changed to Illinois State University at Normal, and then again in 1967 to the current Illinois State University. [12] The school's motto was originally "and gladly wold he lerne and gladly teche", in the Middle English spelling of Geoffrey Chaucer. It has since been updated to modern English in the gender-neutral form "Gladly We Learn and Teach".
The Illinois Board of Higher Education in 2022 approved plans for a new College of Engineering, with the university seeking to add three programs: general engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. [15] In January 2023, the university announced that Thomas Keyser would be the first dean of the College of Engineering, which was set to welcome its first students in 2025. [16]
Initially designed by William Saunders, [17] the Illinois State University campus quadrangle (commonly known as The Quad), is a popular outdoor venue for students and the local community. Lined with benches and shady trees, the site is a popular spot for students to relax, study, and play informal games of sports. Outdoor events such as the annual RSO showcase, Festival ISU [18] and Concerts on the Quad [19] are popular in the campus community. John W. Cook Hall, or Cook Hall, is a building built in 1898 that resembles a castle on the Quad of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Cook Hall, named for the university's fourth president, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since the winter of 1986.
The ISU Quad is also host to the Fell Arboretum, which is part of a 490-acre site that represents over 154 species of trees from the state of Illinois. Trees on the north side of the quad are from Northern Illinois, and those on the south side of the quad from southern parts of the state. The Fell Arboretum is part of the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus Higher Education Institution. [20]
Illinois State University has six residence halls, one apartment complex, and dedicated apartments for upper class and graduate students. Facilities are administered by the ISU's University Housing Services. [21]
Founded as a teachers' college, the university now offers a range of programs at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. Illinois State is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The teacher preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and certified by the Illinois State Board of Education. In addition, 22 programs hold discipline-based accreditation. [22]
The university comprises seven colleges: [23]
The university has two laboratory schools: University High School and Thomas Metcalf Laboratory School.
Bloomington/Normal Japanese Saturday School (ブルーミントン・ノーマル補習授業校 Burūminton Nōmaru Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a Japanese weekend school, was established in 1986 and held at the Thomas Metcalf School. [25] It has a separate office in Normal [26]
Milner Library has a collection of more than 1.63 million volumes and an ever-increasing number of electronic materials accessible by the Internet to students and faculty. The library's collection is distinguished by materials related to educational theory and policy, curriculum development, and issues related to special education and assistive technology. The Special Collections include extensive Circus and Allied Arts materials and a children's literature collection that features more than 100 first edition volumes signed by author Lois Lenski. Milner Library is also a selective federal depository for government information.
Milner Library administers the Jo Ann Rayfield University Archives, which houses selected official records from university departments and organizations, faculty papers, and memorabilia and ephemera on student life. The archives also hosts a branch of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD). [27] In addition to making physical collections available for in-person use, [28] the Rayfield Archives has made many of the university's official publications freely available for online research use. [29] Additional library facilities include book storage both on and off-site as well as a preservation department.
The Milner Library was named for Angeline "Ange" Vernon Milner (1856–1928), a Bloomington-Normal native and the first full-time librarian of Illinois State Normal University. Milner is credited with organizing the university's initial collection of more than 40,000 items and was a prolific author of more than seventy articles and short monographs in library and education journals during her tenure as University Librarian from 1890 to 1927. [30]
The current library building, opened in 1976, is the second facility constructed to be a dedicated library. The university library has resided in five campus locations: Old Main (demolished 1958), John W. Cook Hall, North Hall (demolished 1965), Williams Hall (first known as Milner Library), and the current Milner Library. [31]
Academic rankings | |
---|---|
National | |
Forbes [32] | 254 |
U.S. News & World Report [33] | 220 |
Washington Monthly [34] | 106 |
In the 2025 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Illinois State University (tied for) 220 among a combined list of America's best 439 private and public "national universities" and (tied for) 112 among 227 public "national universities" in the United States that qualified for the list. [35]
Forbes magazine ranks Illinois State #254 out of 500 American colleges. [36]
As of September 2024, total on-campus enrollment was 21,546, with 19,107 undergraduate students and 2,439 graduate students. [37] The total amount of first time in college (FTIC) students at Illinois State University is 4,285. [37] As of 2019 56.6 percent of students are female, while 43.4 percent are male. About 28.8% of all students were from minority groups. There are currently 613 international students. The average new freshman student had an ACT score near 24 and a gpa of 3.6 out of 4.0. [37]
The school newspaper, The Vidette first published in 1888 as a subscription-based newspaper serving both the university and Town of Normal. In 1915, the paper received funding from the university and dropped its subscription model. [38] In 2021, The Vidette ceased printing newspapers and became an entirely online news source. [39]
ISU owns a public radio station WGLT ("News, Blues and All That Jazz"), which broadcasts on 89.1 in Normal, 103.5 in Peoria, and by streaming audio. The call letters are from keywords of the school's motto: "Gladly-Learn-Teach." The university also maintains a student radio station, WZND. On January 20, 2010, WZND changed its format from a dual format (Rock and Jamz) to a college shuffle format. The station broadcasts on 103.3 FM, channels 4 & 5 in the residence halls and on the web. TV-10, a part of the School of Communication, provides the only live local television newscast produced entirely in Bloomington-Normal.
ISU has over 400 registered student organizations (RSO) and several university groups that sponsor student-focused events. [40] The Multicultural Center is home to student diversity advocacy organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS), Black Student Union (BSU), and Pride. [41]
Illinois State University's student spirit organization, RED ALERT, has over 4,100 members, roughly one-fourth of the student body. The group was founded in 2006 to promote student involvement in university athletics. [42]
ISU is the home of the Gamma Phi Circus, the oldest collegiate circus in the world, founded in 1929. [43] It is one of two collegiate circuses in the US; the other is run by Florida State University.
The ISU Forensics Individual Events team is one of the most successful forensics individual events teams in the country. In 1995, 1999, [44] and 2000 it won the National Forensic Association team championship and in 2005 its team won the American Forensic Association team championship. [45] Illinois State has been selected as the host of the 2011 NFA National Championship. Famous alumni include Nelsan Ellis of HBO's True Blood. [46]
The Illinois State University Mock Trial Team was created in 1987 and competes in intercollegiate tournaments sponsored by the American Mock Trial Association.
The Illinois State University Greek community was established in 1967. Statistics kept by those involved claim more than 10% of the student population as active members of Greek Life.
The ghost of Angeline Vernon Milner, the university's first librarian, is said to haunt the former library building, now called Williams Hall. [47] [48] [49] [50] [51]
The school's fight song is "Go, You Redbirds," a song written specifically for ISU and frequently played at sporting events. The Alma Mater song, also played at sporting events from time to time, is "Glory Hast Thou," written to the tune of Haydn's "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser," and better known as the tune used for "Deutschlandlied," the German national anthem.
In addition to the Redbird teams linked above, the ice hockey club is the oldest registered student organization on campus.[ citation needed ] The Grossinger Motors Arena located in downtown Bloomington is home to the university's three club ice hockey teams, which compete in ACHA Divisions 1, 2, and 3.
The Illinois State University Alumni Center, located at 1101 N. Main in Normal, is designed to serve over 215,000 alumni of Illinois State University, as well as current students, faculty/staff, and the Bloomington/Normal community. [52]
Normal is a town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 52,736. Normal is the smaller of two principal cities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, and is Illinois' seventh most populous community outside the Chicago metropolitan area. The main campus of Illinois' oldest public university, Illinois State University, a fully accredited four-year institution, is in Normal, as is Heartland Community College, a fully accredited two-year institution. Chris Koos has been the mayor of Normal since 2003.
Western Illinois University (WIU) is a public university in Macomb, Illinois. It was founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. As the normal school grew, it became Western Illinois State Teachers College. Once Western Illinois started offering graduate degrees, it again changed its name to Western Illinois State College. Western Illinois has an additional campus in Moline.
CEFCU Arena, formerly known as Redbird Arena, is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena located in Normal, Illinois, on the campus of Illinois State University. Built in 1989, the building is notable for its use of a Teflon-coated roof that gives off a "glow" during night events. Three Illinois State Redbirds athletic teams use the facility as their home court: men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball.
Hancock Stadium is a 13,391-seat multi-purpose stadium in Normal, Illinois. It opened in 1963. It is home to the Illinois State University Redbirds football team as well as University High School. Central Catholic High School also played its games there through the 2004 season.
Charles Edward Hovey was an educator, college president, pension lobbyist and a brevet major general in the United States Army during the American Civil War.
Reggie Redbird is the mascot for Illinois State University located in Normal, Illinois. Reggie is present at all home football games, women's volleyball matches, men's basketball games, women's basketball games, and appears at various other athletic events. Reggie also does numerous of appearances at schools and events within the Twin Cities, the state of Illinois, and the country.
Clifford Emory “Pop” Horton was an American professor in physical education, collegiate coach, and founder of the oldest collegiate circus in the U.S., The Gamma Phi Circus.
Howard Joseph Hancock was an American football and baseball coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Oshkosh State Normal School—now known as the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh from 1921 to 1928 and again in 1930 and at Illinois State Normal University—now known as Illinois State University—in Normal, Illinois, from 1931 until 1944, and compiling a career college football coaching record of 95–65–29. Hancock was the head baseball coach at Illinois State from 1933 to 1946, tallying a mark of 120–112–2, and also coached golf at the school. He was the athletic director at Oshkosh State from 1921 to 1931 and Illinois State from 1931 to 1961. Hancock Stadium, the home venue for the Illinois State Redbirds football team is named for him.
Richard Edwards was a Welsh American educator from Ceredigion (Cardiganshire). Emigrating to the United States with his family when he was a child, Edwards studied at the State Normal School in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He then led a number of schools: the Boys' High School in Salem, Massachusetts (1853–1854); the State Normal School in Salem (1854–1857); the Normal School in St. Louis, Missouri (1857–1861); Illinois State Normal University (1862–1876); and Blackburn University(1891–1893). From 1887 to 1891, he served as the Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The 2016 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for fourth place the MVFC. For the third straight season, Illinois State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Redbirds lost in the first round to Central Arkansas. The team played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.
Raymond Wilber Fairchild was a college educator known for his twenty-two years as the eighth president of Illinois State University, formerly known as Illinois State Normal University.
Edwin C. Hewett was a professor and president at Illinois State Normal University, now known as Illinois State University. He was a prominent president in the early years of the university and an outspoken advocate for equal education.
Robert Gehlmann Bone was the ninth president of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. He was renowned for his leadership experience and welcoming nature. Bone became a staple of the Illinois State University culture by representing friendliness and generosity. He is memorialized on campus through the Hand of Friendship, a small stone statue dedicated to his time at the university. During Bone's presidency, the university grew from a small teacher's college into a large multidisciplinary university. Bone was able to gain funding for the development of residence halls, thus allowing more students to attend the school. He emphasized a reconstruction of several University facilities and sought to make the campus more student-friendly. On any given day, Bone could be seen taking a walk through campus and greeting every student by name, as he sought to make Illinois State a welcoming and inclusive environment.
David Felmley was an American educator best known for his thirty-year-long tenure as the sixth president of Illinois State University, then known as Illinois State Normal University.
Samuel Edward Braden (1914–2003) served as the tenth president of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. He was recognized for his work during an incredibly tumultuous time in United States history, as life proved difficult amidst the Vietnam War. While controversial, his presidency was among several fleeting terms held by other university presidents during this time. He served at Illinois State University between 1967 and 1970, a mere three years. The average term of presidency at the university during this time was only five years, as many presidents sought to develop their professional achievements elsewhere.
David A. Strand was the fifteenth president of Illinois State University, located in Normal, Illinois. He served at the university, in various capacities, consistently from 1978 until his retirement in 1999. He served as the university's president from 1995 to 1999 and helped gain ground on much of the school's educational revamping. He helped Illinois State University match up to other peer schools in the nation.
The 1951 Illinois State Normal Redbirds football team represented Illinois State Normal University—now known as Illinois State University—as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Edwin Struck, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 3–5–1 with a mark of 1–4–1 in conference play, placing sixth in the IIAC. Illinois State Normal played home games at McCormick Field in Normal, Illinois.
The 2003 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Denver Johnson, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 2–5 in conference play, placing sixth in the Gateway. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.
Angeline ("Ange") Vernon Milner was the first full-time librarian hired at Illinois State Normal University. She was also an author and a founding member of the Illinois Library Association.
Alma Mary Hamilton was an American educator and the first recipient of a bachelor's degree from the Teachers' College at Illinois State Normal University.