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SIU Today - September 30, 2024

Saluki Takeover Tour smashes attendance records in Chicago

The fourth annual Saluki Takeover Tour in Chicago engaged university leaders with alumni and donors while also facilitating partnerships with community colleges, high schools and corporate partners.

SIU to dedicate $7.2M BioLaunch lab with Oct. 4 ribbon cutting, tours  

SIU Carbondale will dedicate the $7.2 million BioLaunch lab, a new, 10,000-square-foot space for cutting-edge life sciences research and more, at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony at the McLafferty Annex, with tours of the facility to follow. 

SIU saluting LGBTQ+ History Month with founder of national celebration and more

Rodney Wilson, the founder of LGBTQ+ History Month, is coming to campus on Oct. 18 as part of university’s monthlong “Reclaiming Queer History” celebration in October. The kickoff celebration is at noon Tuesday, Oct. 1, in Morris Library's John C. Guyon Auditorium.

SIU Carbondale grad succeeds in creating music and flying planes

Composing allows Thomas Edgar a bit more freedom and the opportunity to be more creative than when piloting a plane. This summer, Edgar, who has degrees in piano performance and aviation flight, won a Diamond Prize in the original composition category at the Saint-Saëns International Music Competition 2024 Season 2 for his work, “Inferno to Infinity.” Edgar also won the Saint-Saëns Special Award for Creative Innovation.

Attend the higher ed equity symposium for free 

Thanks to a generous donor, faculty, staff and students may attend the third annual Illinois Higher Education Equity Symposium at SIU Carbondale at no cost. The SIU System is hosting the symposium, which will be Thursday and Friday, Oct. 3-4. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will kick off this year’s conference. Learn more about the symposium, the impressive list of speakers and how to register.

Mandatory annual Title IX training to launch Oct. 15, include new regulations

To be compliant with the new Title IX regulations, all employees must complete training before Dec. 13, 2024. The Office of Equity and Compliance is updating the annual required training to reflect the changes to the Title IX regulations. The training, Preventing Harassment and Discrimination: Supervisors + Clery Act and Title IX, will launch on Oct. 15. The supervisory version is assigned to all employees to meet content requirements. Nick Wortman, associate vice chancellor of human resources and Title IX coordinator, explains in the message. Email notifications will be sent to employees via Vector Solutions. The link to the training will also be available on the Office of Equity and Compliance website.

SIU political, debate experts: Expect contrasting styles in vice presidential debate

Vice presidential debates often generate little public interest as an undercard to presidential debates, but political and debate experts at SIU Carbondale believe Tuesday’s (Oct. 1) meeting between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz could be noteworthy.

Mandatory cybersecurity training begins Oct. 14

The university’s cybersecurity training for faculty and staff will be available, starting on Monday, Oct. 14.  The mandatory training is for all SIU Carbondale faculty and staff, extra help and volunteers, the SIU president’s office and all SIU System office staff members. Employees with the SIU School of Medicine in both Carbondale and Springfield are exempt from this training; they have a separate cybersecurity training course to complete. The training deadline is Nov. 8.

SIU logistics expert: Possible dock strikes could have staggering impact on supply chain

Gregory D. DeYong, associate professor of operations management, predicts that if the country’s largest maritime workers union goes on strike this week at ports along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast, nearly half of the nation’s imports would be without a path into the country, which could cause supply chain disruptions reminiscent of the pandemic era.

Spooky catalyst bike race coming to Touch of Nature Oct. 26  

The Catalyst Race Series, a popular bike race, returns to Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center on Oct. 26 with a twist. Bikers are encouraged to wear costumes for the Spooky Catalyst Race as they compete on one of the Midwest’s premier, professionally designed and built mountain biking trail systems.  

Reminder: Campus Appreciation Cookout is Wednesday 

Faculty, staff and students are invited to share in the university’s recent successes at a campus appreciation cookout from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, between the Student Services Building Pavilion and Faner Hall. The event will be held rain or shine in that location. No reservations are required; just stop by and enjoy the fun and celebrate our accomplishments. 

Illinois Ethics Matters newsletter is available

The latest Illinois Ethics Matters newsletter for September 2024 is available. The Office of Executive Inspector General publishes the newsletter to allow state employees to stay informed of current issues relating to ethics. The SIU System Ethics Office website is siusystem.edu/ethics.