Enhanced Facilities & Resources

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enhanced facilities and resources

Enhanced Facilities and Resources— the space and tools our students need to excel

Updates and Upgrades

Forever SIU is not intended to fund construction of new landmark buildings. It will, however, support many smaller-scale campus projects that together will have a far-reaching impact. The focus is to update and upgrade learning spaces and to equip these spaces—and our students—with the latest technology.

In areas such as architecture, the sciences, kinesiology and engineering, we plan to renovate teaching labs. In dental hygiene, physical therapy and radiologic sciences, we are adding new medical machinery, such as digital x-ray sensors—both to improve the teaching environment and better serve patients. In the sciences, we are looking to renovate the Plant Biology Greenhouse and make improvements to the McLafferty Interdisciplinary Research Facility. In media arts, the goal is to keep pace with advances in production equipment that redefine the state of the art every year or two.

Some plans transcend the needs of individual departments and majors. For instance, Morris Library is working to outfit a new MakerSpace lab. Equipped with 3-D printing technology and other tools for creative problem-solving, this lab will be open to students in every area of study, providing the chance to invent and innovate. We also seek to expand investment in a more traditional library priority: funds for acquisitions, giving our students access to expanded print and digital resources.

Equipped for Success

The university’s facilities plans include a diversity of projects, but nearly all share a common purpose: to support experiential learning.

At SIU, we pride ourselves on preparing students for professional success through hands-on experience. To do so, we need to provide access to the same kind of technology they will encounter when they graduate and enter their chosen professions—whether it’s digital instrumentation in a mechanical engineering lab or up-to-date clinical equipment in allied health. In short, a real-world education takes real-world tools.

In addition, every investment we make in learning spaces—from the Saluki Aquarium to the Law Library—is also an investment in SIU’s competitive position. Upgrading teaching labs not only expands learning opportunities but also helps our programs to attract strong applicants—students we know are visiting some other very impressive campuses.

One Mighty Newsroom

Not long ago print, broadcast and web reporting were distinct professions. Today they have converged—and so has the setting where SIU trains future journalists. Mirroring an industry trend, SIU has brought together the forces of the Daily Egyptian and River Region Evening Edition into a single newsroom, a headquarters for collaboration. It’s also working to equip students with state-of-the-art tools of the trade, from new HD technology to audio and video field gear.