Lindenwood University – Belleville


Lindenwood University–Belleville, also known as Lindenwood Belleville, is a private university operated by Lindenwood University. Lindenwood Belleville is located in Belleville, Illinois and occupies the campus that was formerly Belleville West High School. Lindenwood Belleville offers a evening programs for working adults.

History

As a result of key partnership agreements and state approval in 2003, Lindenwood University purchased the abandoned former campus of the Belleville West High School with original architecture dating back to 1925 by William B. Ittner. Lindenwood-Belleville began by launching a master of arts programs in education and educational administration. Other programs were added through the university's School of Accelerated Degree Programs, an evening-based accelerated format designed for working adults and non-traditional students.
As part of a campus restoration campaign, Lindenwood invested over $23 million. The plan included restoration of the auditorium and updating several historic buildings on campus and surrounding properties for academic and administrative use. When it opened in the fall of 2009, the Belleville campus was the only Lindenwood satellite campus to offer daytime classes. For the 2009–2010 academic year, semester-based programs were only offered to junior- and senior-level students, but in the fall of 2010 the University expanded semester-based programs to all underclassman. 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. Under the new accreditation, Lindenwood University-Belleville will keep the same name and the same governing board as the St. Charles campus, and is now considered a sister school as part of the Lindenwood University System. However, citing "ongoing financial and enrollment challenges", LU-Belleville will cease to offer traditional semester-based undergraduate programs after the 2019–20 academic year. Students enrolled at the Belleville campus will be allowed to transfer to the St. Charles campus, who promised to honor all financial aid guarantees, and the evening programs were unaffected by the closure.

Campus

The campus is located on West Main Street in Belleville, Illinois, about 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 Lindenwood Belleville campus. The building also houses many of the academic space and facilities and Matt's Cafe.
Lindenwood Belleville also includes a 900-seat auditorium for performance art and guest speaking engagements, built in 1925 by noted architect William B. Ittner. In 2009, the University began construction of the Alice E. Ackermann Welcome Center, which added adjacent to the current auditorium. Other additions to the campus include the Communications Center, Alan J. Dixon Student Center, William L. Enyart Veterans Success Center, Badgley Tennis Complex, and Fred J. Hern Residence Hall.
The campus also includes a number of recreational and intercollegiate athletic facilities. The Lynx Arena is the home to the basketball and volleyball programs while also housing a recreational gym and fitness center on the lower level. Other current sports facilities include tennis courts, a soccer field, and a football stadium.
In 2014, Lindenwood Belleville opened an extension site in nearby Collinsville, Ill. which offers a variety of accelerated program options.

Housing

In February 2012, Lindenwood Belleville announced that it purchased the EconoLodge motel, formerly known as the Hyatt Lodge motel, at 2120 W. Main Street for use as student dormitories now called Lynx Lodge. The addition of the Lynx Lodge property increased the residential student capacity to about 500 for the 2012–13 academic year. Lindenwood Belleville has continued to purchase private residential homes surrounding the campus to increase on-campus living capacity with a total of 35 homes as of 2017 with continued acquisitions expected.
Lindenwood 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 female students. It was built at a cost of $4 million. A second residence hall, the Fred J. Kern Residence Hall, completed in 2014, is a three-story building that houses 200 male students. With completion of the second residence hall, Lindenwood Belleville has the capacity to house approximately 1,000 students on campus.
Lindenwood Belleville offers many different types of housing options, from traditional residence halls to apartments and residential houses. The Fred J. Kern Men's Residence Hall opened in 2014, and the Lady Lynx Lodge opened in 2013. Apartments and residential houses are available to upper classmen. The rooms are furnished and have Internet access.
The campus offers three dining options: Matt's Café, located in Old Main Hall; the Dixon Center Dining Hall; and Grab-and-Go, located in the U.S. Senator Alan J. Dixon Student Center. All of them offer a variety of options with flexible hours.

Academics

Lindenwood Belleville has full accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Lindenwood Belleville is also fully accredited by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Lindenwood's Plaster School of Business and Entrepreneurship is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Athletics

Lindenwood Belleville teams are known as the Lynx. The University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and competes as a member of the American Midwest Conference.
For the 2014–15 season, Lindenwood Belleville joined the American Midwest Conference. During that season, Lindenwood Belleville added 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 Lindenwood Belleville football program plays in the Mid-States Football Association beginning in 2015.

Athletics history

Lindenwood Belleville athletics are undergoing a rapid expansion from only a few sports during the initial 2009–10 season. Since beginning the Lindenwood Belleville athletic program, the University has steadily increased the number of sports offered, with more to be added in the future. The University began competition as a member of United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Lindenwood 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 as well as the USCAA.
–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.
Lindenwood Belleville joined the American Midwest Conference starting in the 2014–15 academic year and the Mid-States Football Association for the 2015 season. Lindenwood Belleville also added men's and women's ice hockey as well as men's and women's swimming and diving.
The University continued to expand athletics, with the announcement of men's and women's rugby and women's field hockey.
As part of the university's cessation of traditional undergraduate programs, 2019-20 will be the final season for all but two intercollegiate athletics programs—the swimming/diving and men's hockey teams were disbanded after the 2018–19 season.

Teams

The university currently fields 33 varsity teams for men and women. Teams compete in the American Midwest Conference, Mid-South Conference, Mid-States Football Association, and American Collegiate Hockey Association.
Men's sports include: baseball, basketball, competitive cheer, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, Volleyball, and wrestling.
Women's sports include: basketball, competitive cheer, competitive dance, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.
For details pertaining to Lindenwood University-Belleville athletics, visit .

Football

In December 2011, Jeff Fisher was announced as the first head football coach of the Lindenwood Belleville football team, which began play in fall 2012. Fisher came to Lindenwood Belleville after serving as an assistant coach and the offensive coordinator for McKendree University for 15 years.
In March 2012, Lindenwood 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 Lindenwood Belleville football program opened its first NAIA season on September 1, 2012 against Avila University.
The first college football game played at the stadium was a 43-37 victory over the Avila Eagles on September 1, 2012.
Dale Carlson was hired as head football coach for the 2015 season.