Northeastern Illinois University Explained

Northeastern Illinois University
Former Names:Cook County Normal School (1867–1896)
Chicago Normal School (1896–1938)
Chicago Teacher's College (1938–1965)
Northeastern Illinois State College (1966–1971)[1]
Motto:Excellence. Access. Diversity. Community.
Established:[2]
Endowment:$21 million (2023)[3]
Budget:$133 million (2024)[4]
President:Katrina E. Bell-Jordan (interim)[5]
Country:United States
Students:5,504 (Fall 2023)[6]
Undergrad:4,042 (Fall 2023)
Postgrad:1,462 (Fall 2023)
Faculty:483 (Fall 2022)[7]
Campus:Urban, 67acres[8]
Colors:Blue and gold[9]
Nickname:Golden Eagles
Free Label:Newspaper
Free:The Independent[10]
Website:www.neiu.edu
Provost:R. Shayne Cofer (interim)[11]

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park with three additional campuses in the metropolitan area. NEIU has one of the longest running free-form community radio stations, WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM.

History

The university traces its history to Chicago Teachers College (now Chicago State University), which as Cook County Normal School was founded in 1867 to train elementary and high school teachers. In 1949, Chicago Teachers College (CTC) established the Chicago Teachers College (North Side) branch. The school relocated to the present site at North Park, Chicago in 1961 and changed its name in 1965 to Illinois Teachers' College: Chicago North when control of CTC passed into the hands of the State of Illinois.

In 1967, the Illinois Legislature acted to remove the title of “teachers college” from all state colleges and universities and the college became Northeastern Illinois State College.

In 1971, the school became Northeastern Illinois University after it was granted university status and was given a mandate by the Illinois Legislature "to offer such courses of instruction as shall best serve to qualify teachers for the schools of the State; and to offer such other courses of instruction, conduct such research and offer such public services as are prescribed by the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities or its successor."

In January 1996, Northeastern Illinois University established its own board of trustees.

In September 2016, Northeastern first began to offer on-campus housing for its students. It was constructed on land that was formerly a University parking lot.

Initial plans to expand and construct new dormitories on land seized through eminent domain from the neighborhood were delayed because of strenuous objections from the neighborhood, social activists, some of the faculty, students, and alumni. Beginning the pursuit of the neighborhood land in 2014, the properties were acquired by the University through eminent domain in 2016. Construction is still several years away due to decline in student enrollment. In the meantime, long time residences and businesses have been displaced, and the affected buildings sit empty.[12]

Academics

Undergraduate and master's degrees are offered in four colleges:

Campus

NEIU comprises the following instructional buildings:

Athletics

Northeastern Illinois competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for 20 years until joining the higher profile National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1988. After a transitional season at the Division II level, NEIU moved its athletic program to Division I.

The Golden Eagles played as independents until finding a place in the short-lived East Coast Conference for the 1993–94 season. Northeastern Illinois were then invited to join the Mid-Continent Conference, now known as the Summit League, where it would play for the next four years. The University eliminated all intercollegiate sports in 1998.

The Northeastern Illinois Golden Eagles men's basketball team played from 1988 to 1998 and held home games in the Physical Education Complex.

Chief among the highlights of this era was the baseball team's 1996 Mid-Continent Conference championship and NCAA Tournament bid. Men's basketball player Andrell Hoard won the ESPN National Slam Dunk Competition, but lost the conference championship to Valparaiso University by one point in a nationally televised game where ingloriously the Golden Eagle's Mascot committed a technical foul by body slamming the other mascot at center count like a linebacker on national TV, making ESPN's daily highlights. The women's basketball coach Denise Taylor was chosen to lead the Utah Starzz of the WNBA in 1997, and women's basketball player Delores Jones was a participant in the 1998 WNBA draft.

The school's football team was a charter member of the Division III Illini-Badger Football Conference, where it won five conference titles before dropping the sport in 1988.

In 1977, a men's club soccer team was formed by students from local soccer organizations around Chicago to compete against college varsities from surrounding region. This club, guided by player/coach Frank Hermantz, won all of its games. Varsity status was not granted, however, and the team parted ways.

In 2005, a group of students created a new NEIU baseball club. The Eagles were made up of 24 current students who competed against other collegiate baseball clubs in the Midwest including programs at Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The university also offers women's volleyball, women's soccer, men's soccer, aikido, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, ice hockey, and women's softball. All intramural sports clubs are created and organized by students with the support of the campus recreation department and registered through IMLeagues.

NEIU offers a course called Judo and Self Defense. In 2019, the Golden Eagles Tomodachi Judo Club was formed by students and a faculty member.

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Northeastern History NEIU . www.neiu.edu.
  2. Web site: Timeline NEIU . www.neiu.edu.
  3. Web site: Northeastern Illinois University Foundation Financial Statements - June 30, 2023.
  4. Web site: President’s Report to the Board of Trustees - September 21, 2023.
  5. Web site: Katrina E. Bell-Jordan named Interim President of Northeastern Illinois University | Northeastern Illinois University. www.neiu.edu.
  6. Web site: Fall 2023 Data Digest Enrollment: 1-Year. March 13, 2024.
  7. Web site: College Navigator - Northeastern Illinois University.
  8. Web site: About Us – Northeastern Illinois University. www.neiu.edu.
  9. Web site: University Color Palette NEIU . www.neiu.edu.
  10. Web site: The Independent (1988-present) NEIU Student Newspapers Northeastern Illinois University . neiudc.neiu.edu.
  11. Web site: R. Shayne Cofer named Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs | Northeastern Illinois University. www.neiu.edu.
  12. Web site: NEIU Prevails After 2-Year Fight to Seize Private Land for Student Housing. DNAinfo Chicago. 2018-03-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20180318054426/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160120/north-park/neiu-prevails-after-2-year-fight-seize-private-land-for-student-housing. 2018-03-18. dead.
  13. Web site: College of Business and Technology | Northeastern Illinois University. www.neiu.edu.
  14. Web site: Our Colleges and Departments | Northeastern Illinois University .
  15. Web site: Lorrainne Sade Baskerville. Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. 4 October 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131005003317/http://www.glhalloffame.org/index.pl?todo=view_item&item=138. 5 October 2013. dead.
  16. Web site: Maria Antonia Berrios. Illinois General Assembly. 4 October 2013.
  17. Web site: Bob Biggins. Illinois General Assembly. 4 October 2013.
  18. Book: Yolanda Williams Page. Encyclopedia of African American women writers. 2 June 2013. January 2007. Greenwood Publishing Group. 978-0-313-33429-0. 43–45.
  19. Web site: Walter Burnett, Jr.. City of Chicago. 4 October 2013.
  20. Web site: Dan Crawford. Basketball Reference.com. 4 October 2013.
  21. Web site: John C. D'Amico. Illinois General Assembly. 4 October 2013.
  22. Web site: Christopher Schneider. 2015-02-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20150202012126/http://www.wlu.ca/faculty-profiles/liberal-arts/christopher-j.-schneider.html. 2015-02-02. dead.
  23. Web site: Juliana Taimoorazy builds bridge between Assyrians, non-Assyrians . Snell . Joe . March 21, 2018 . The Assyrian Journal . In 1990, she immigrated to the U.S. with refugee status and earned her Masters degree from Northeastern Illinois University.. August 26, 2020.
  24. Web site: Karen Yarbrough. Illinois General Assembly. 4 October 2013.

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