SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT CARBONDALE: Your University
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT CARBONDALE: Your University
Your Home, Your University
Southern Illinois University’s welcoming reputation extends to the Carbondale community. Whether you’re new to our friendly college town or have been here for years, you’ll find lots to do thanks to your proximity to a major university.
From theater to concerts to athletic events, there’s always something happening at SIU. Community members can work out at the Student Recreation Center, explore the outdoors at Touch of Nature Environmental Center, take a class, or benefit from a range of services – including legal, dental hygiene and speech and language clinics. Children can expand their horizons through a variety of summer camps on campus. Learn more at forthecommunity.siu.edu.
Looking beyond our 150th anniversary
SIU is celebrating past achievements and looking forward to the future while marking its 150th anniversary through March 2020. The university has evolved since its 1869 founding, and it continues to re-envision itself based on the changing needs of students, employers, and communities.
SIU is focusing on interdisciplinary academic programs in areas such as sustainability, healthcare, cybersecurity, and fermentation science as well as strong core programs in business, science, education, the humanities, and social sciences. Programs in agriculture, fine and performing arts, media, health and human services, law, engineering, and transportation are also among the university's comprehensive academic offerings.
The university’s goal is to ensure that graduates have both the professional skills they need to succeed in their field and the communication, cultural, and leadership skills they need to succeed in our global society.
As a research university, students also benefit from opportunities to discover new knowledge and flex their creative muscles with guidance from nationally and internationally recognized faculty mentors. SIU faculty members are known for their work in energy, rehabilitation, nutrition, cancer, crop management, consumer behavior, and much, much more.
The university combines its research strengths to address some of society’s most pressing challenges and work to translate these intellectual advances to contribute to the economic prosperity of Southern Illinois.
Students can develop their research and creative projects, as well. The university awards grants to support promising student projects and will provide tools to explore new ideas.
Campus life
SIU continues to develop living-learning communities that bring together students who share similar majors or interests. Each community is unique, allowing students, faculty, and staff to tailor their on-campus living and academic experience.
Students can also participate in traditions like the Cardboard Boat Regatta and Watermelon Fest, take in outdoor concerts or movies, jog around Campus Lake, be a part of events like Saluki Con, a sci-fi and comic book convention, or relax and study in the Student Center or Morris Library. They can join one of more than 275 student-run organizations. They can use the climbing wall at the Student Recreation Center or hike at nearby Giant City State Park or the Shawnee National Forest.
The university will continue to build a robust campus life – and also engage students in the Carbondale community through volunteer service, internships, and the area's vibrant live music scene.
Mission meets action
SIU is focused on fulfilling the promise of its mission statement:
SIU is also a place that is deeply interconnected to its community and region, inviting community members to engage in the life of the university. Any member of the Carbondale community can be considered an honorary Saluki, even if they never attended SIU.
So, if you feel at home in Carbondale, join the pack. You're always welcome.