Lindenwood University – Belleville

Lindenwood University-Belleville
Established	2003
Type	Private
President	James D. Evans, Ph.D.
Dean	Paige Mettler-Cherry
Chief Operating Officer	Jerry Bladdick
Academic staff	60[1]
Students	1,900 total (fall 2013)[2] 1,320 full-time (Fall 2014)[3]
Location	Belleville, Illinois, USA 38°31′17″N 90°00′32″W / 38.521465°N 90.008994°W / 38.521465; -90.008994Coordinates: 38°31′17″N 90°00′32″W / 38.521465°N 90.008994°W / 38.521465; -90.008994
Campus	Suburban 20 acres (8.09 ha)
Colors	Maroon and White
Athletics	Lynx (NAIA)
Affiliations	Lindenwood University Presbyterian Church (USA)
Website	belleville.lindenwood.edu

Lindenwood University-Belleville, also known as LU-Belleville, is a private, four-year liberal arts university. It is a full-fledged, standalone sister college of Lindenwood University with an enrollment around 1,900 students.^[2] LU-Belleville is located in Belleville, Illinois and occupies the campus that was formerly Belleville West High School. LU-Belleville offers a day program, as well as evening programs for working adults (LCIE). LU-Belleville offers both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business administration, human resource management, corporate communication, criminal justice, and professional counseling.^[4]

History

Lindenwood University purchased the campus of the former Belleville West High School in 2003 following key partnership agreements and state approval.^[4] Lindenwood also launched master of arts programs in education and educational administration. Other programs were launched through the school’s College for Individual Education (LCIE) program, an evening-based accelerated format designed for working adults.^[5]

Lindenwood also invested over $23 million^[6] as part of a campus restoration campaign. The plan included the restoration of LU’s auditorium and the updating of several buildings.^[4] The campus opened in the Fall of 2009, the Belleville campus is the only one of Lindenwood’s extension locations to offer daytime classes.^[7] For the 2009-2010 academic year the semester-based programs were only offered to junior and senior level students, but in the fall of 2010 the University has expanded semester-based programs to all underclassman.^[6] In 2011, Lindenwood University-Belleville transitioned from a satellite campus to a separately accredited college. The university was notified of the accrediting decision in November by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.^[8] Under the new accreditation, Lindenwood University-Belleville will keep the same name and the same governing board as the St. Charles campus; now considered to be a sister school as part of the Lindenwood University System.^[8]

Campus

The Senator Alan J. Dixon Student Center

The 20-acre (8.09 ha) campus is located on West Main Street in Belleville, Illinois about 20 miles (32 km) East of St. Louis, Missouri Lindenwood University acquired the campus that was previously home to Belleville West High School. The Administration Building is located at the center of the LU-Belleville campus the building also houses many of the academic space and facilities, and The Woods Cafe.^[9] The LCIE Classroom Building is used for evening undergraduate and graduate level classes.

LU-Belleville also includes a 900-seat Auditorium for performance art and guest speaking engagements.^[5] In 2009 the university began construction on the Welcome Center that added 3,000 square feet (280 m²) onto the current auditorium.^[10] Other additions to the campus include a Future Student Center and Business Center.^[11]

The campus also includes a number of recreational and intercollegiate athletic facilities. The Lynx Arena is the home to the basketball and volleyball programs. The arena also houses a recreation gym and fitness center on the lower level. Other current sport facilities include: tennis courts, a soccer field and football stadium.^[11][12]

Housing

Since the LU-Belleville was formerly a satellite campus, it is still predominately a commuter school. The school currently leases 30 rooms from a hotel next to the campus that currently houses 60 full-time students. LU Belleville recently acquired and is renovating several homes adjacent to the campus that will provide student housing to an additional to 60 more students for the 2010-11 calendar.^[6] In February 2012, LU-Belleville announced that it purchased the EconoLodge motel, formerly known as the Hyatt Lodge motel, at 2120 W. Main Street for use as student dormatories.^[13] The addition of the former EconoLodge property increases the residential student capacity to about 500 for the 2012-13 academic year.^[13]

LU-Belleville opened its first of two new traditional residence halls in early 2014. The first of the new residence halls is a 25,000 square foot building that houses 180 women. It was built at a cost of $4 million. A second residence hall is under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2014. The second residence hall will be a three-story building that will house 200 make students. With completion of the second residence hall, LU-Belleville will have capacity to house approximately 1,000 students on campus.^[14][2]

Academics

Administration Building

Undergraduate degrees are offered at LU-Belleville through traditional, daytime, semester based structure in Business Administration (BBA), Corporate Communications (BA), Criminal Justice (BA), Elementary Education (BA), Human Resource Management (BA), Pre-Nursing (BA), and Psychology (BA)^[15]

Evening undergraduate degree programs are offered in Business Administration (BSBA), Communications (BA), Criminal Justice (BS), Health Management (BS), and Human Resource Management (BS) ^[16] Evening graduate degree programs at the Belleville campus include ^[16] Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Administration (MSA) with emphasis in Management or Marketing, Master of Arts in Communications (MA), Counseling (MA), Education (MA), Educational Administration (MA/EdS), Educational Specialist degrees, Master of Science degrees in Criminal Justice (MS), Health Management (MS/HSM), and Human Resources Management (MS/HRM)

LU has full accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.^[17] LU-Belleville is also fully accredited by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and LU’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).^[18]

Athletics

LU-Belleville Lynx logo

LU–Belleville teams are known as the Lynx; the university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes as a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC).^[19]

For the 2014-15 season, LU-Belleville will join the American Midwest Conference (AMC). During that season, LU-Belleville will also add men's and women's ice hockey as well as men's and women's swimming and diving. The AMC is a non-football conference, so the LU-Belleville football program will join the Mid-States Football Association for the 2015 season.^[2][20][21]

Athletic history

LU–Belleville athletics are undergoing a rapid expansion from only a few sports during the initial 2009-10 season. Since beginning the LU–Belleville athletic program, the university has steadily increased the number of sports offered, with more to be added in the future.^[22] The university began competition as a member of United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).^[7] LU–Belleville was accepted into the NAIA as a full member effective August 1, 2012 and competed as an independent member of the NAIA in the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) as well as the USCAA.^[23]

The university announced the additions of nine new sports for the 2011-12 academic year, including: baseball, softball, table tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s bowling, wrestling, and women’s field hockey.^[24][25]

LU-Belleville joined the American Midwest Conference (AMC) starting in the 2014-15 academic year as well as the [Mid-States Football Association]] for the 2015 season. LU-Belleville also added men's and women's ice hockey as well as men's and women's swimming and diving.^[26][27]

The university continued to expand athletics, with the announcement of men's and women's rugby and women's field hockey.^[28][29]

Teams

The university currently fields twenty four teams:

Football

Lindenwood-Belleville Stadium

In December 2011, Jeff Fisher was announced as the first head football coach of the LU–Belleville football team, which will begin play in fall 2012.^[30] Fisher comes to LU–Belleville after serving as an assistant coach and the offensive coordinator for McKendree University over the past 15 years.^[30]

In March 2012, LU–Belleville broke ground on a $2.3 million renovation to the former Township Stadium. The upgraded stadium, named Lindenwood Stadium has a seating capacity of 4,129. The renovated stadium's turf design, alternating maroon and gray stripes, garnered national criticism after photos of the new turf spread online. Critics claimed that the field "is an abomination to the game" and that "It looks like a flattened out barbershop pole."^[31] Athletic Director Scott Spinner was inspired to add the striped design to the new field after seeing the alternating purple and gray turf at Estes Stadium at the University of Central Arkansas.^[32] LU–Belleville defended the installation, indicating that it supports the branding mission of LU–Belleville athletics.^[33] AD Scott Spinner explained the installation by saying "We did it because it was unique. And we did it for the student athlete experience.”^[32] Spinner went on to say that the players were excited about the field and believe it’s going to set their program apart from others.^[34] The LU–Belleville football program will open its first NAIA season on September 1, 2012 against Avila University.^[34]

The first college football game played at the stadium was a 43–37 victory over the Avila Eagles on September 1, 2012.^[35]

References

External links

• Lindenwood University-Belleville
• LU-Belleville Lynx Athletics
• Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO

Lindenwood University Academics College of Individualized Education School of American Studies School of Business and Entrepreneurship School of Communications School of Education School of Fine and Performing Arts School of Human Services School of Humanities School of Science Athletics Football Harlen C. Hunter Stadium Lindenwood Ice Arena Lou Brock Sports Complex Men's Rugby Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena Women's Ice Hockey Campus Daniel Boone Home J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts Lindenwood University – Belleville LU Commons Margaret Leggat Butler Library Spellmann Campus Center Student Life Overview History Notable Alumni George C. Sibley Mary Easton Sibley Media KCLC 89.1 The Wood LUTV The Legacy Established: 1827 – Endowment: $143.408 million – Students: 12,213 (Fall 2014)