Type PublicFlagship Endowment $117,774,359 (2016) Students 15,987 (Fall 2016) | Established 1869 President Randy Dunn Acceptance rate 81.5% (2014) | |
Motto Deo Volente("God willing") Undergraduate tuition and fees Local tuition: 8,835 USD (2015), Domestic tuition: 21,788 USD (2015) Notable alumni Profiles |
Southern Illinois University is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIU is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university is known as SIU Carbondale, but colloquially as SIU or Southern. The SIU's total student enrollment is 15,987.
Contents
- History
- Leadership
- Academic programs and rankings
- Departmental and program rankings
- College of Agricultural Sciences
- College of Applied Sciences and Arts
- Morris Library
- Student Center
- Recreation Center
- Health Center
- Athletics
- Athletic highlights
- Student life
- Student government
- The Daily Egyptian
- Saluki Patrol
- Residences
- Cardboard Boat Regatta
- Competitive programs
- Notable alumni
- Notable faculty
- Popular culture
- Sister universities
- References
The University is categorized as an RU/H Research University (high research activity) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. SIU is recognized in the U.S. News & World Report rankings as a "National University," that is, a university which grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; SIU's ranking in the 2017 US News ratings is No. 214. Additionally, the National Science Foundation ranks SIU No. 171 among public universities in the U.S. for total research and development expenditures, and No. 107 among earned doctorates. SIU enrolls students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The University offers 192 undergraduate, 80 master’s and 32 doctoral programs in addition to professional degrees in law and medicine.
History
An Act of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly of Illinois, approved March 9, 1869, created Southern Illinois Normal College, the second state-supported normal school in Illinois. Carbondale held the ceremony of cornerstone laying, May 17, 1870. It began with twelve academic departments and an initial class of 1,143.
The university continued primarily as a teacher's college until Delyte W. Morris took office as president of the university in 1948. Morris was SIU's longest-serving president (1948–1970). During his presidency, Morris transformed SIU, adding Colleges of Law, Medicine and Dentistry. Since World War II, higher education has been emphasized as a goal for more students. Southern Illinois University grew rapidly in size from 3,500 to over 24,800 students between 1950 and 1991.
In 1957, a second campus of SIU was established at Edwardsville. This school, now known as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is an independent university within the SIU system.
Leadership
Randy Dunn is the eighth president of the Southern Illinois University System. Dr. Dunn served as president at two other state institutions and was the state superintendent of education, appointed to that role by the Illinois State Board of Education. His career in education includes classroom teaching, serving as principal at two school districts, serving as superintendent for two Illinois school systems, and holding the rank of professor at two universities including SIUC. Dr. Dunn has served on a number of committees, councils and task forces, and he contributes to a variety of scholarly publications. Dunn received his doctorate in educational administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991. He graduated from Illinois State University with a master’s in administration and foundations in 1983, and the B.S. in education in 1980. Before coming to Southern Illinois, he served as president at two other state institutions — Murray State University in Kentucky (2006-2013) and Youngstown State University in Ohio (2013-2014). Before that, Dunn was the state superintendent of education, appointed to that role by the Illinois State Board of Education. He is not a stranger to the SIU System, having held the rank of professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education at SIUC. Dunn started at the Carbondale campus as an associate professor in 1995 and was named department chair in 2000, before leaving to assume the state superintendency. During his term as chair, he also taught in the joint doctoral program in educational leadership at SIU Edwardsville. Dunn began his academic career as an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership at The University of Memphis for two years before taking his faculty post at Southern Illinois University.
Dr. William Bradley Colwell became interim chancellor of SIU Carbondale Oct. 1, 2015. He also serves as a professor in the university’s Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education. Colwell returned to SIU after serving since 2010 as dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Prior to his appointment at Bowling Green, he served at SIU as associate dean for academic and student affairs for the College of Education and Human Services from 2008 to 2010. He was chair of the Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education from 2004 to 2008 and served as the department’s director of graduate studies from 2001 to 2004. He came to SIU in 1996 as an assistant professor and was appointed associate professor in 2001 and professor in 2005. Colwell holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Anderson University in Indiana and a master's degree in educational administration, a juris doctor (law) degree and a doctoral degree in educational administration, all from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. His appointment, approved by the SIU Board of Trustees on Sept. 10, 2015, upon the recommendation of System President Randy Dunn, is effective through June 30, 2017.
Academic programs and rankings
As a major public research university, SIU offers more than 300 academic degree programs across all levels: bachelors, masters, and doctoral. It also offers professional programs in architecture, business, law and medicine. Since 1989, SIU has offered an MD/JD dual degree program, leading to the concurrent award of both degrees after completion of six years of coursework.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognizes Southern Illinois University, Carbondale as an elite institution of higher education, based on breadth of research and academic programs. In the academic year 2013-2014 the University was awarded over $78 million in research grants, the largest of which were to the School of Medicine and the College of Science. Carnegie categorizes Southern as: "RU/H: Research Universities (high research activity)."
SIU Carbondale ranked #70 of "National Universities" overall in the 2011 edition of annual college rankings by US News'; Ranking performance was partially based on ratios of students to faculty. At SIU, 50 percent of the classes cap out at 20 or fewer students; only 5 percent of classes include 50 or more students. The ratio of students to faculty is 15 to 1 and the percentage of full-time faculty is 96 percent.
The Princeton Review ranked SIU in its 2012 list of "Best of the Midwest" colleges. The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition includes SIU. The book, the second annual edition from The Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizes colleges that demonstrate "a notable commitment to sustainability."
Departmental and program rankings
College of Agricultural Sciences
The College of Agricultural Sciences consists of four academic departments: Agribusiness Economics, Animal Science, Food & Nutrition, Forestry, and Plant, Soils & Agricultural Systems. There are eight majors and twenty-six specializations. The college's Ph.D. program was added in December 2007. The Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences is a research degree that prepares graduates for developing and funding their own research program, and for teaching graduate and undergraduate students. In August 2011, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation announced that it is providing $7 million to a multidisciplinary team of SIU researchers. During at least the next six years, the team will examine the best ways to maximize agriculture in central Illinois.
College of Applied Sciences and Arts
Since its inception as the Vocational Technical Institute, CASA has undergone continuous change to address the workforce needs in the southern Illinois region, the state and the nation. The College presently includes four schools which house three master's degree programs, fourteen baccalaureate, and two associate degree programs. The masters of science in Medical Dosimetry and one baccalaureate program, Fire Service Management, are offered off-campus only. CASA provides off-campus opportunities to receive baccalaureate degrees in the areas of Aviation Management, Electronic Systems Technologies, Fire Service Management, Health Care Management, and Medical Dosimetry. The baccalaureate degree in Information Systems Technologies is offered online. Forty-nine hours of upper-level and selected elective courses are available to students at various locations throughout the country.
Morris Library
Morris Library is the main library for SIU. The Library "Holds more than 3.2 million volumes, 200,000 e-books, 43,000 current periodicals and serials, and over 3.6 million microform units." These figures make Morris Library among the top 50 research libraries in the United States and the second largest in the state. Library users have access to I-Share (the statewide automated library system) and to a comprehensive array of databases and other electronic data files. As the campus center for access to academic information and collaborative academic technology projects, Morris Library provides a wide range of services, including reference assistance, instructional and technical support, distance learning, geographic information systems (GIS), and multimedia courseware development. Morris Library is a member of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA).
In 2009, Morris Library completed a massive renovation and expansion at a cost of $41 million. The building's original façade and the HVAC and elevator systems were completely replaced. Every floor of the eight-story building was completely overhauled to drastically improve accessibility and remove confusion. An additional 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) of space was added to the north side of the library. Delyte's, a new coffee shop named after former SIU President Delyte W. Morris, now operates in a portion of the new space.
Student Center
With over 8 acres (3.24 ha) of floor space, the SIU Student Center is one of the largest student unions in the nation. The programs and services offered provide SIU students, faculty, and staff a place to relax, gather a group to study or grab a bite to eat. The Student Center hosts multiple dining locations, the University Bookstore, ATM and Western Union stations, check cashing services, the ID Card office, and Debit Dawg activations and deposits all under one roof. The Student Center offers several ballrooms and smaller, expandable conference rooms for small or large gatherings. Student-run radio station WIDB 104.3 FM broadcasts from the Student Center, and the Black Affairs Office, International Student Council, Student Programming Council or "SPC," student governments and the Greek Council are among the organizations with their offices in the building.
The Student Center operates a Bowling & Billiards facility that completed a major renovation in 2009, including electronic scoring, new lanes, glow-in-the-dark flooring, flat-screen TVs, drop-down screens, and new seating areas. Each lane is equipped with bumpers, and three IKAN Bowling Ramps will be available to attach to any model of wheelchair, allowing the occupant to control the speed, direction, and timing of the bowling ball's release. Twelve new Olhausen pool tables along with new lighting and an updated sound system are featured on the billiards side of the facility.
Recreation Center
The Student Recreation Center, or "Rec," is the university's primary hub for intramural and fitness activities. The 213,747-square-foot (19,857.7 m2) building is one of the largest of its kind in the United States on a college campus. Access to the Recreational Center is free to all SIU students and for a membership fee to Alumni, Faculty and the general community.
Indoor facilities include an Olympic sized 890,000 gallon natatorium (home to the SIU Salukis swimming and diving team), two weight rooms, an aerobics room, martial arts room, a rock climbing wall, tennis court, racquetball courts, squash courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, and two running tracks. Outdoor facilities include several lighted hard-surface tennis courts, the Rec Sports Complex (used for intramural softball, flag football and soccer), a Frisbee golf course, the campus boat dock and campus beach.
Health Center
On February 3, 2006, SIU opened a new, 58,000-square-foot (5,400 m2) health center adjacent to the Recreation Center. The $9.7 million facility provides medical services to the university community and houses the medical clinic, pharmacy, wellness resources, psychiatry clinic, counseling center, and sports medicine and physical therapy facilities. Community partners Southern Illinois Dermatology and the Marion Eye Center also provide services in the new health center.
Athletics
The Southern Illinois Salukis are the athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The university first sponsored athletic teams during the 1913–14 school year, when they were known as the "Maroons." Students and faculty began lobbying for a new mascot during the late 1940s. On March 19, 1951, the student body voted to change the official nickname to the Salukis. The saluki, the royal dog of ancient Egypt, was chosen as the mascot due to its reputation as a fast and tenacious hunter and because the southern Illinois region is known as "Little Egypt."
The Salukis sponsor 16 varsity teams. Most compete in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), specifically in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, softball, women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and volleyball. The football program competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). Men's swimming is part of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Athletic highlights
Student life
Southern Illinois University has a vibrant student culture and is home to more than 400 Registered Student Organizations (RSO). Organizations include honor societies, sports clubs and student activity groups, and 11 fraternities, 8 multicultural fraternities and 9 sororities. The largest RSO on campus is the Student Programming Council (SPC).
Student government
SIU has two primary bodies of student government responsible for distributing part of the Student Activity Fee to the RSO's:
Additionally, one student is elected as one of the "Student Trustees"; the other is elected at SIUE and appointed by the governor as a voting member of the SIU Board of Trustees.
The Daily Egyptian
The Daily Egyptian or "DE" for short, is an award-winning student-run newspaper. The DE is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters with a distribution of 78,000 copies, and an online edition on Friday. The Daily Egyptian has received more than 25 awards from the Illinois College Press Association. In 2002, the paper was the recipient of the National Newspaper Pacemaker Award for General Excellence, the nation's most prestigious college journalism award.
Saluki Patrol
Founded in 1959, the Saluki Patrol is one of the oldest student security teams in the country. The student members assist the Department of Public Safety in their duties.
Residences
There are four main undergraduate residence hall areas, each with their own common buildings and dining halls: Brush Towers, Thompson Point, University Hall, and University Park, for a total of 18 residential buildings. Residence hall rooms are fully furnished, and many have been modified to meet the needs of specific types of disability.
Graduate, single parent, domestic partner, and married student housing is available in Evergreen Terrace, Southern Hills, and Elizabeth Apartments.
Wall & Grand, SIU's first apartment-style residence halls, opened in 2007. The apartments are all fully furnished, including washers and dryers, and are fully accessible to students with disabilities.
According to SIU Housing policies, single freshman students under the age of 21 who do not reside with their parents or legal guardians are required to live in University-owned and operated residence halls. Students are considered to hold freshman status if they have earned fewer than 26 credit hours after high school. These restrictions do not apply to students over the age of 21, veterans, married students, single parents, or students with 26 or more credit hours.
Cardboard Boat Regatta
The Cardboard Boat Regatta is an event held every spring semester at Campus Lake. Participants include university students and community members both young and old. The goal is to complete three trips around a 200-yard course on the lake using makeshift cardboard boats. There are three different categories for entries: canoes or kayaks, experimental boats and instant boats (boats created on-site the day of the event).
The idea for a Cardboard Regatta first originated in 1974 at Southern Illinois University. Richard Archer, a professor of Art and Design, dreamed up a final examination for students in his freshman design class. Buckminster Fuller, then a Distinguished Professor at SIU, had espoused the principle of "doing the most with the least," and faculty members found it intriguing to apply these principles in their classes. Archer felt it would be a real test of students' creativity and three-dimensional design skills to build human-sized boats made only of cardboard, and more than 20 years later, it is still happening. Many communities, organizations and other universities around the country have joined in on the fun and now organize their own Cardboard Boat Regattas.
Competitive programs
Notable alumni
There are currently over 220,000 graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale worldwide. Notable SIU alumni include:
Notable faculty
Popular culture
In the cult hit-comedy movie Animal House the famous "College" shirt worn by actor John Belushi was created for him while attending house parties with his brother, actor James Belushi, who was a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
In the Simpsons episode "Super Franchise Me," it is revealed that the character Gil Gunderson was two credits short from graduation from Southern Illinois University. Also in the Simpsons episode "Sky Police," Gil Gunderson shouts "Go Southern Illinois" and along with Homer and Bart does the Saluki Strut, which is not a Southern Illinois University tradition. Nevertheless, the local Carbondale newspapers reported that Southern Illinois University was mentioned on The Simpsons.