Higher Education

Heartland Community College reported Tuesday it has returned to pre-pandemic levels of students. As of the 10th day of classes, student enrollment was 4,436, a 2.5% increase from the start of the fall term last year.

Illinois State University enrollment dropped 2% from last year to the current fall term. But there are some encouraging signs.

Two weeks into the fall semester, Illinois State University's student vaccination rate is now 70%. That's up from 61% after the first week of classes.

Illinois Wesleyan University staff and students have even higher vaccination rates than Illinois State University students and staff, and the rates are above the averages for the state and for McLean County.

An Illinois State University spokesperson says 61% of students have provided proof of vaccination. That's higher than the 51% vaccination rate of the general population in McLean County.

llinois State University is getting ready to sell 26 acres of prime real estate in the heart of north Normal. On Friday, trustees will decide whether to declare the decommissioned Shelbourne Apartments as surplus property.

The state’s higher education agencies released updated COVID-19 guidance Monday encouraging all public and private higher education institutions in Illinois to issue mandatory vaccine policies.

Kurt Kinley, 20, of Normal, went viral over the Fourth of July weekend with a video on Twitter showing him excitedly opening up his admission letter from Heartland Community College.

Terri Goss Kinzy, a scientist and researcher who most recently was an administrator at Western Michigan, took over as ISU president on Thursday. She joined WGLT's Sound Ideas for an extended interview covering COVID-19 vaccination, enrollment trends, student athlete compensation, and more.

Lawmakers, collegiate athletes and athletic directors from some of the state’s most prominent universities on Tuesday hailed the governor’s signing of a bill allowing college athletes to be paid for the use of their name and likeness as innovative and equity centric.