Higher Education Matters: Lindenwood holds line on tuition, increases room and board

Lindenwood University’s Board of Directors is holding the line on tuition for the 2016-17 academic year, but the cost of room and board is going up.

Tuition for undergraduate resident students will remain $15,672. Tuition for full-time graduate studies will also remain the same at $7,836.

The school also announced it is partnering with Pedestal Foods to bring students a new dining experience and new meal options to residents and commuters.

In connection with those improvements, the Board of Directors approved a $463 per semester increase in room and board fees and added an annual $300 technology fee. Room and board will be $8,500 in 2016-17, which remains at or below those costs at other colleges in the St. Louis region.

Lindenwood System President Michael D. Shonrock said that in addition to expanding Matt’s Café, the university will launch a campus-wide technology refresh program, along with other technology upgrades.

Jim J. Shoemake, chair of the Lindenwood University Board of Directors, said the board is focused on “delivering an affordable, high-quality experience for students.”

Area high schoolers battle in WYSE Academic Challenge at McKendree

Students from 33 southwestern Illinois high schools competed in the Illinois Sectional Tournament of the 2016 Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Academic Challenge March 14 at McKendree University.

The top school teams in each of the four divisions, based on enrollment size, were Edwardsville High School, Salem Community High School, Nashville High School and Gibault Catholic School in Waterloo.

Student participants came from Althoff, Belleville West, Bond County, Carlyle, Central Community, Centralia, Christ Our Rock Lutheran, Collinsville, Columbia, Dupo, Edwardsville, Freeburg, Gibault, Governor French Academy, Highland, Lebanon, Marissa, Mascoutah, Mulberry Grove, Nashville, O’Fallon, Odin, Okawville, Patoka, Red Bud, Salem, South Central, Sparta, Steeleville, Triad, Vandalia, Waterloo and Wesclin.

Competing individually and on school teams, students are tested on biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, math and physics. Test material is drawn from senior high school and freshman level college curricula and written by college and university faculty. Exams of increasing levels of difficulty are given at the regional, sectional and state finals.

Teams from Edwardsville, O’Fallon, Salem, Waterloo, Nashville, Freeburg, Gibault and Okawville, as well as more than 60 students, advance to the state finals in Champaign, Ill.

SIUE to host Spanish Camp

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Foreign Languages and Literature will host a Spanish Camp for students ages 6-12

It will take place from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 13-24.

Students will engage in a wide range of educational and recreational activities that will develop their Spanish communication skills.

“This is a unique and impactful opportunity, because children who learn a foreign language at an early age demonstrate certain cognitive advantages over children who do not,” said Esther Herrera, camp instructor and lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. “Knowing other languages, especially Spanish, and understanding other cultures are skills that children need to live and work in a global society. No matter what career they choose, they will be interacting on a regular basis with people who do not speak English.”

The goal of the camp is to increase students’ communication, comprehension and cognitive skills in Spanish by being immersed in Latin American language and culture. Participants will learn about history and make traditional crafts and food, play computer games about Spanish culture and geography; and they’ll get a chance to participate in recreation activities including bowling, rock climbing and soccer.

Tuition is $275, with a $50 non-refundable deposit due May 2. Full payment is due May 30. To register, visit siue.edu/artsandsciences/fll/spanish-camp/.

For more information contact Herrera at eherrer@siue.edu or call SIUE’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at 618-650-3510.

SWIC Foundation gets new executive director

The Southwestern Illinois College Foundation has named Haley Thompson of Trenton as its new executive director.

Thompson will oversee a staff with responsibilities for scholarships and fundraising events. The foundation currently administers more than 250 scholarships — supported by individuals, organizations and businesses — which help students pay for their college education.

She brings to the post nine years of higher education development experience. Before joining SWIC, Thompson served as the assistant director of annual giving at McKendree University. Prior to that, she was the director of development and alumni relations at Western Oklahoma State College. She served as director of international programs and development, as well as community liaison of international programs, at Saint Martin’s University in Washington before relocating to Oklahoma.

Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Bentley University and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Oklahoma.

She is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education — District V and Associated Colleges of Illinois.

The Southwestern Illinois College Foundation exists to maintain and enhance the quality of life by developing friends and funds for support of the educational, cultural and service goals of Southwestern Illinois College. The foundation promotes these activities by securing gifts for educational and cultural activities that are not part of the normal college operational budget.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Higher Education Matters: Lindenwood holds line on tuition, increases room and board."