We like bikes!
SIU was named a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists in Nov. 2016 and we continue make positive changes, including revamping bicycle lanes and adding markings on about two miles of campus roads in 2018.
Total eclipse of the sun
SIU is the “Eclipse Crossroads of America.” A total solar eclipse took place here on Aug. 21, 2017, with the point of longest duration quite close to campus, and another will happen here on April 8, 2024.
SIU goes green
For the sixth consecutive year we’ve earned a spot in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 399 Green Colleges: 2018 Edition” in recognition of our sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. We’ve installed water refill stations throughout the campus, which have helped Salukis avoid using more than one million single-use water bottles, thus keeping them out of landfills. The refill stations are just one of the initiatives that on campus. The stations are largely paid for by the Green Fund, created in 2009 by a student-led initiative. The fund collects about $10 per semester from students and has awarded more than $2.1 million to 181 diverse sustainability projects. We’ve also earned a silver STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) ranking from The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. And, we’re a 2018 Sierra Club magazine “Cool School.”