SIU Today | SIU News

SIU Today - August 31, 2026

Family Weekend will bring football, shared memories and fun

Prepare for three days of Saluki pride as Family Weekend 2026 rolls into SIU Carbondale Sept. 11-13, with football, tailgating, and a ton of fun events and activities for everyone.

Make Saluki Central a stop while at the Du Quoin State Fair 

Be sure and stop by Saluki Central — the roundhouse in front of the main grandstand — during the Du Quoin State Fair through Labor Day. Several units on campus will represent SIU Carbondale throughout the 10-day fair, which includes SIU Day/Coal Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Saluki Takeover Tour 26-27 starts Tuesday in Atlanta 

SIU staff will be in the Atlanta area this week to kick off the 2026-2027 Saluki Takeover Tour. These tours emphasize SIU’s recruiting commitment for both in-state and out-of-state students who will only pay in-state tuition. Staff will visit area high schools and colleges in the region Tuesday through Friday, Sept. 1-4, to meet with administrators and students.

Sen. Durbin joins Simon Institute for open house, water award presentation

More than 50 friends and supporters gathered at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on Aug. 28 for an open house featuring a special appearance by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who presented the institute with a Water Award recognizing Durbin’s work to advance the legacy of former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon.

Volunteers needed to help with SIU Day on Sept. 23 

More than 750 high school students could soon get their first experience of Saluki Spirit. This month, faculty and staff will welcome students from across the region to campus to explore what SIU Carbondale has to offer, and to discover where college can take them. Volunteers should sign up online by Sept. 17.

Red Cross blood drive is Thursday in Morris Library 

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month and the American Red Cross and Morris Library are hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in the library’s first-floor rotunda. To schedule an appointment, visit the Red Cross website. Enter SIUCMorrisLibrary in the “ZIP or sponsor code” section. Walk-in donors are also welcome. Donors will receive Hello Kitty swag.

SIU hosts Metalsmiths’ conference Sept. 4-5

Get ready to hammer down and light the forge at the annual Southern Illinois Metalsmiths Society (SIMS) conference at SIU Carbondale on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4-5.

SIU to host inaugural Southern Illinois Behavioral Health Summit Sept. 24-25

SIU Carbondale will bring together behavioral health professionals, educators, health care providers and other experts for the first Southern Illinois Behavioral Health Summit, Sept. 24-25.

SIU’s Export Controls newsletter is available

The monthly SIU Export Controls newsletter for August 2026 is available. The newsletter provides a resource for current export control issues and events that could affect SIU and its faculty. This edition includes a review of the international travel registry requirement and a reminder on SIU’s Clean Laptop Program . Previous Export Controls newsletters are also available.

No SIU Today on Sept. 7 

There will be no SIU Today on Monday, Sept. 7, due to the Labor Day holiday. SIU Today will resume on Thursday, Sept. 10. Submission deadlines remain the same: two business days before the desired publication date. Tuesday, Sept. 1, is the deadline for the Thursday, Sept. 3 edition. The deadline for the Sept. 10 edition is Sept. 8.