McKendree University is One of St. Louis RCGA’s Top 50
One of the Region’s “Businesses Shaping Our Future”
Lebanon, Ill. — McKendree University is a 2012 Greater St. Louis Top 50 Award winner,
chosen by the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA). Selection
is based on an organization’s significant contributions to the 16-county bi-state
region, including employment and revenue growth, contributions and enhancements to
the community, acquisitions, green or sustainable efforts, expansion and development.
“We are extremely proud to be one of the St. Louis RCGA’s Top 50,” said Dr. James
Dennis, university president. “McKendree is experiencing unprecedented growth and
development, with the largest enrollment and student retention in our 184-year history.
We provide a high quality education that prepares our students to become leaders in
their field and in the region.”
McKendree ranks among the top quarter of regional universities nationwide in the 2013
U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges” report. It is also a College of Distinction,
named to “America’s 100 Best College Buys,” and recognized as a “Military Friendly
School” by Victory Media for 2013.
The university offers 46 undergraduate academic majors, 37 minors, four graduate degree
programs and a doctoral degree in education. More than 3,000 students are enrolled
at its Lebanon, Ill., campus, Scott Air Force Base Center, two Kentucky campuses,
and online. It employs 272 faculty and staff members locally. The majority of McKendree’s
19,000 alumni live and work in the metropolitan area, holding top positions in education,
nursing, criminal justice, information technology and business.
In 2011, the university completed a $16 million residence hall and major dining hall
renovation. In July 2012, the purchase of Locust Hills Golf Course nearly doubled
the campus’ size, from 125 to 234 acres. Since its 2005 opening, the Hettenhausen
Center for the Arts has become Southern Illinois’s premier performing arts venue.
The Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards program is presented by the St. Louis RCGA in
conjunction with RubinBrown. Honorees were recognized on Nov. 5 at the 17th annual awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency.
