For the third consecutive year, SIUE is cited by its peers and reported in U.S.News & World Report Best Colleges of 2012 as an “up-and-coming school.” SIUE is listed as one of seven Midwestern regional universities—one of only three public institutions—for recently making “innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus life and facilities.” The “up-and-coming” category includes a total listing of 46 colleges and universities (only 17 public institutions) throughout the country.
U.S.News & World Report Best Colleges of 2012 lists SIUE among the top 15 public universities in the best Regional Universities Midwest (master's granting) category for the eighth consecutive year. The overall scores are based on the academic preparedness of students, graduation rates, faculty characteristics and the reputation of SIUE in higher education.
For the second consecutive year, Washington Monthly, a national magazine, ranks SIUE among the Top 50 master’s granting colleges and universities in the nation; SIUE is 13th among public institutions on that list. Ratings are based on institutions’ commitment to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility, Research and Service. Under the service category, SIUE was ranked first again in the percent of federal work study funds dedicated to students employed in community service programs. The University placed sixth in expenditures for research—up from eighth last year.
The Corporation for National and Community Service named SIUE to the annual President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year. The University is listed in the Distinction category for the first time. The list recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate a commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
The nationally recognized online news magazine, The Daily Beast, ranks SIUE 21st in the nation among its Top 50 Safest Colleges. SIUE police officers are academy trained and engaged in a Community Policing program. Under the SIUE Campus Violence Prevention Plan, there are more than 80 emergency phones on campus.
In fall 2011, SIUE reached the largest overall enrollment in the history of the University with 14,235 students. Undergraduate enrollment growth is supported by a record freshman class and a new transfer class which is three percent larger than fall 2010. The new freshman class includes 494 merit and need-based scholarship recipients with an average ACT of 27 who have been recognized based on academic abilities and talents.
In fiscal year 2011, SIUE faculty and staff received more than $34 million in grants and contracts for research, teaching and service initiatives. During the same period, the East St. Louis Center received $14.3 million in grant awards and applied those funds toward comprehensive programs, services and training for community residents.
SIUE participates in NCAA Division I Athletics as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, in the Missouri Valley Conference in men’s soccer and in the Southern Conference in wrestling. Spring 2011 marked the 10th consecutive semester all student-athletes have earned a cumulative 3.0 or higher GPA.
GI Jobs, a magazine for people transitioning out of the U.S. military, has named SIUE a Military Friendly School for the third consecutive year. This honor places SIUE in the top 20 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide in offering programs and support for veterans and active duty military personnel.
As evidence of SIUE’s commitment to outreach and service, School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 13,000 people annually through a wide variety of community outreach events.
Offering comprehensive pre-college academic programs, services and training to more than 6,000 people annually, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals in East St. Louis and surrounding Metro East communities.
University Park SIUE, Inc., a 330-acre technology park located on the SIUE campus, provides a unique opportunity for private sector emerging industries and businesses to enhance their competitive positions through beneficial relationships with the University. The Park’s National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center is a one-of-a-kind facility in the field of biofuel research.
As society’s demand for leadership and innovation in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grows, SIUE is rising to the challenge with a center dedicated to strengthening STEM education for all students, as well as for current and future teachers. The center loans science materials to teachers, and offers camps and activities for area K-12 students, as well as educators. The Center has forged vital partnerships, including those with the United States Transportation Command and The Boeing Company, to expand community outreach efforts.
From the installation of a 120-foot wind turbine and 140 solar panels, to the maintenance of more than 17,500-square-feet of green roof space, SIUE is committed to sustainability. The Eco-House is an on-campus living option for students interested in sustainable living, conservation and community service. The 35-acre Gardens at SIUE and the 380-acre Nature Preserve are places where students and faculty take part in valuable research, lab projects and class assignments. SIUE recently won a merit award in the 39th Annual Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) Awards. The Green Star Awards bring national recognition to grounds manicured with a high degree of excellence.
For fiscal year 2010, SIUE had a total regional economic impact of $471 million. SIUE generates approximately 8,800 jobs regionally. Each year, SIUE employees, students and annuitants spend nearly $230 million in the region. These expenditures influenced the creation of 3,000 local jobs. Many of those jobs are held by the more than half of SIUE’s 90,000 alumni living in the region.
Since 2007, SIUE has been working to complete a $250 million construction and infrastructure improvement plan, adding innovative state-of-the-art buildings and enhancing existing structures. SIUE is at the half-way point to completion of the entire plan. Already thousands of students, faculty and staff are enjoying the numerous finished additions to campus life. Current projects include the Science Building Complex, Art and Design Building expansion, Vadalabene Center Lukas Athletics Annex and the Engineering Building expansion.
SIUE offers nationally accredited academic programs of study at the lowest four-year tuition and required fees of all four-year institutions in Illinois. To further enhance affordability, the University awarded $143 million in scholarships and financial aid year last year. That positions an SIUE education as one of the best values in the Midwest.
SIUE offers easy access to professional and cultural opportunities in Metropolitan St. Louis, located just 25 minutes from the campus. The close proximity to St. Louis gives students the benefit of internships, cooperative education opportunities and full-time employment with major corporations like The Boeing Company, Anheuser-Busch, Edward Jones, Express Scripts and BJC Healthcare. Ninety percent of SIUE students secure a job within six months of graduation.
SIUE not only prepares students to become professionals in their fields of study, but also helps alumni begin careers as engaged members of their communities. SIUE alumni have earned accolades recently, including Paige St. John, BS ’86, who received a Pulitzer Prize for her investigative reporting on the Florida insurance crisis, and Annice Brave, BA ’74, who was honored as one of four finalists for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year award.
