Foundation Board Member Joins Chancellor Lane at St. Augustine

By Jeff Wilson

Talk to anyone around campus at SIU, and one topic is on everyone’s mind – enrollment.

Chancellor Austin Lane has spearheaded a fervent recruitment plan, which aims to raise enrollment as early as this fall. So, when the chancellor approached Oyd Craddock about a visit to his high school, Craddock was excited to help.

“St. Augustine is an African-American, all boys Catholic high school in New Orleans,” said Craddock, an SIU alumnus, Saluki Hall of Famer, and SIU Foundation board member. “Both St. Augustine and SIU played a major role in my life.”

On March 19, Chancellor Lane, Craddock, and Todd Bryson, SIU’s interim associate chancellor for diversity, made the trip to New Orleans and spoke to St. Augustine High School students.

“Chancellor Lane affirmed my emphasis on the value of an out-of-state experience and how it helps you grow as a person,” Craddock said. “It was clear he really connected with them. There was a buzz among the students, and there have already been at least six applicants.”

From philanthropy to campus involvement to recruitment and retention, every alumni and university supporter can make a major difference. “I wanted to have a hand in growing enrollment and raising awareness of SIU,” Craddock said. “It was a very special trip for me.”

Craddock attended St. Augustine in the 1970s and, along with four other members of his senior class, was recruited to play football at SIU.

“We had just won a state championship and were able to visit SIU,” he said. “It’s such a beautiful campus, and there was a great social environment. We had a lot of fun and had some great football teams. I only wish we had been able to win a conference title.”

Craddock led a stout Salukis defense in the late-70s. He was inducted into the Saluki Hall of Fame in 2004. He earned his bachelor’s degree in management from the College of Business.

“I worked for IBM for 31 years, and I was able to get started there with the assistance of the SIU Placement Office. They helped me with my résumé and interviews, and the director sent a letter of recommendation to IBM and other companies,” he said. “From start to finish, I had a wonderful experience at SIU.”

Two of the longest-tenured faculty members at St. Augustine are also Salukis. Tyrone Payne, ’81, and Darren Dixon, ’85, spoke to the students during the visit.

“SIU previously had a special connection with St. Augustine. Many student-athletes from my era attended SIU,” Craddock said. “This trip was an opportunity to reignite a relationship.”

St. Augustine commemorated its 70th anniversary this spring, and it’s been quite the celebration.

In February, two of the school’s alumni faced off in the Super Bowl. In March, its basketball team won the state championship, and its marching band was featured on “60 Minutes.”

Four St. Augustine graduates were nominated for Grammys, including PJ Morton, who won for Best Gospel Album. Jon Batiste, a St. Augustine alumnus, won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Score.

“Plus, the Saluki football team beat Southeastern Louisiana University,” Craddock said. “SIU left a strong impression on the students at St. Augustine.”

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This is a season of renewed hope and new beginnings, especially for the SIU College of Engineering. After a diligent search, Dean Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu was appointed as the new dean for the SIU College of Engineering in June 2020.

Liu was the professor and department head of the Computer Science and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas and held the college’s Rodger S. Kline Leadership Chair.

Meera Komarraju, SIU’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Liu brings several strengths to the position.

“Dr. Liu brings teaching, research, and administrative expertise spanning two universities that would benefit our students, staff, and faculty,” she said. “He has a strong track record in promoting student enrollment, engagement and success as well as faculty development and research productivity.”

Extensive Experience

Liu also served as chair of the University of Arkansas’ Computer Activities Council, playing a leadership role in the governance of information technologies. Before joining Arkansas in 2015, Liu served as interim department chair and associate department chair in the computer science department at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Liu is an established scholar in service computing, software engineering, cyber argumentation, cyber manufacturing and applied artificial intelligence. He has participated in 29 sponsored research projects with $8.8 million in funding as principal or coprincipal investigator or faculty participant.

He has published 156 referred journal and conference papers and book chapters. Liu received his Ph.D. in computer science from the Texas A&M University in 1995.

Excited for the Opportunity

Liu said he is excited for the opportunity to serve as dean.

“The college is in a time of significant transformation. I appreciate the confidence given by the chancellor and provost and the trust given by the faculty, staff and students in my ability for leading this transformation,” he said. “I look forward to working with campus leadership, faculty, staff and students in the college and related disciplines to move this college to its next level of excellence.”

The SIU College of Engineering holds fast to a unique tradition of access and opportunity, inclusive excellence, and top-tier research. The faculty encourage creativity within a climate of outstanding student success-focused teaching. The college’s five departments offer a wide range of courses and promotes opportunities for students to participate in activities outside the classroom including research, design competitions, service-oriented projects and leadership development activities.

Growth Opportunity and Reorganization

Dean Liu‘s plan is to build a larger and higher-ranked college that is recognized for student success, excellent academic programs, strong research and a diverse and inclusive learning and working environment. The college has significant growth opportunities. The demand for engineering talents is strong. The student-faculty ratio in the college is low, which indicates that we have significant capacity for growth. The college is building strong academic programs with excellent faculty to educate and train our students to meet the demand. It will strengthen and develop clusters of excellence of teaching and research with national and international reputation.

The college is being transformed to achieve growth through both expansion and organic growth and is being expanded with additional programs, such as computer science and mathematics. The College of Engineering will become College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics due to the recent expansion in the campus reorganization.

Enrollment Turnaround

Enrollment management has been Dean Liu’s top priority since he joined SIU. The college developed an enrollment turnaround plan under his leadership and has been implementing this plan and is making excellent progress on enrollment growth for fall 2021. Still in the middle of the recruitment cycle, the number of complete applications grew 43% and number of admitted students grew 44.9% for fall 2021 compared to 2020. The number of complete applications is the highest since 2018 and the number of admitted students is the highest since 2017. To achieve this, the college revamped its recruitment process to improve its effectiveness, built an effective recruitment team, launched a digital marketing campaign, and reached out to high schools and community colleges. The college hosted many webinars, engaged prospective and admitted students through phone calls, emails, and webinars, hosted open houses, academic showcases, virtual tours, and campus visits.

If you would like to learn more about the SIU College of Engineering, visit siuf.org/engineering.

Through more than four years and one global pandemic, the Forever SIU fundraising campaign has persisted, raising more than $122 million.

“The dedication of SIU’s supporters is astonishing,” said Matt Kupec, CEO of the SIU Foundation. “The last year has been difficult for many people, but the Foundation hasn’t sat on the sideline. We’ve furthered our mission, and as things get back to normal, we’re ready to move quickly.”

The campaign was launched in 2017 with a goal of raising $75 million in three years. Because of the donor generosity, the Foundation sped past that goal seven months early, which prompted the decision to set a new goal of $90 million.

“At the end of 2019, we had already surpassed that new goal, and we knew it was important to keep this momentum,” Kupec said. “That’s when we set our sights on $200 million by June 2024.”

As the country recovers from many of the hardships brought on by COVID-19, the Foundation is redoubling its efforts to meet and exceed the $200 million goal. Despite the hardships, SIU alumni and donors raised nearly $3 million in 24 hours on the Day of Giving in March.

“The Day of Giving is a prime example of what we can accomplish. Our efforts never slowed down – in many ways they’ve increased – but it’s understandable for a fundraising campaign to face challenges during a pandemic,” Kupec said. “This is our opportunity to finish strong.”

Within Forever SIU, donors can choose from a great number of areas to support SIU. They can choose to support scholarships, research, facilities, programs, and faculty. By going to www.foreversiu.org, donors can pick one or many areas to fund.

A recent highlight of the Forever SIU campaign, Saluki Athletics announced its $25 million goal for the Salukis Forever campaign. COVID-19 hit athletic programs especially hard, and there is great need for donor support as part of an overall plan to provide sustainability and success for Saluki Athletics.

“Whether a donor chooses a college, a sport, a scholarship, or a fund, every dollar makes an impact,” Kupec said. “We have just over three years to raise about $78 million. Our great supporters are going to carry us to the end.”

The campaign will feature a new logo, new promotional materials, and much more. Visit www.foreversiu.org for more information or to make a gift.

by Jeff Wilson

SIU’s commitment to diversity is represented through the Dunbar Leadership Society.

Named after Paul Laurence Dunbar, a turn-of-the-century poet and novelist, the society was established in 1904 to organize the activities of African American students. It served as the precursor to the university’s Africana Studies program and the Black Affairs Council. Recently, through the SIU Foundation, the Dunbar Leadership Society has been reintroduced.

“I see great potential at SIU. We’re just scratching the surface,” said society chair Kennard Tucker ’91. “Having engaged and involved alumni is crucial.”

Through the Dunbar Leadership Society, Tucker hopes to reinvigorate SIU’s diverse alumni and create opportunities for current and future Salukis. It’s his plan to raise scholarship funds and host events that resonate with members of a multicultural campus.

“As Black alumni, we want to create a society that is synonymous with the SIU we knew and loved and share that experience with the next generation of leaders,” he said. “There are important conversations happening around the country right now, and campus is a microcosm of what’s happening nationally. We hope to provide the construct so that dialogue can exist and thrive.”

While there are mechanisms in place at the state and federal level to help low-income and minority students, the Dunbar Leadership Society seeks to fill some of the gaps.

“It’s important for students to have support services and social opportunities. There needs to be that balance,” said society board member Dr. Carl Flowers ’75, MS ’85, Ph.D. ’93. “The Dunbar Leadership Society can lead to more access for students who fall in the middle.”

Beginning a college career can be a difficult time for any student, but that can be especially true for students who feel like they don’t belong.

“SIU has been good to my family, but when I started, I was the only Black student in many of my classes,” said society board member Dr. Linda Flowers ’78, MS ’88, Ph.D. ’06. “It’s important for students to see people who look like themselves.”

Having a diverse campus goes beyond the vital step of ensuring equality for Black students, it provides a richer, more fulfilling experience for every member of the campus community.

“Diversity is important for students of all races and ethnicities,” said society board member Susan Smith Ross ’79. “For many, college is the first time you’re included with people who aren’t like you. A diverse campus is an opportunity for all students to gain respect and knowledge of others.”

With the assistance of the SIU Foundation, the Dunbar Leadership Society hopes to raise enough money to endow scholarships, host speaker series, and support diversity initiatives. Gifts of any size are welcome and can be made at siuf.org.

“We want to galvanize the alumni base and create a source of pride for all alumni,” Tucker said. “The program was created to promote and encourage African-American philanthropic giving at the leadership level of $1,000 or greater. Our plan is to support significant scholarship funds and implement important programming. The opportunities are nearly unlimited.”

To donate to the Dunbar Leadership Society or for more information, contact Kevin Clark, director of development, at 618-453-6742 or kevincl@foundation.siu.edu.

(The following article was initially published March 9, 2021. Read below for new update.)

This year, the foundation was faced with the dilemma of trying to host another SIU Day of Giving during a pandemic. The foundation team asked themselves how they were going to capture people’s attention if they could not gather or engage with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community across campus. Thanks to some creative thinking, the foundation determined it would use a livestreaming platform to capture the needed attention. As the details of what was needed emerged, the foundation’s marketing staff quickly realized this would stretch their capabilities to the limit. In short, they worried if they could pull off an eight-hour livestream featuring dozens of deans, heads of units, the chancellor, and several foundation development officers.

That’s when in walked WSIU and extended a helping hand. WSIU’s Interim Executive Director Jak Tichenor, Larry Hunter, Darryl Moses, Mark J. St George, Abby Asher and several other team members, graciously agreed to help co-produce the event at their WSIU station located in the SIU Mass Communications building. Known as the largest station south of Chicago, WSIU helped the foundation staff deliver a professional, polished production that rivaled any fundraising event airing anywhere on television.

Now, For the Rest of the Story

In appreciation for WSIU’s assistance, the SIU Foundation purchased a new laptop for students to use while working at WSIU. Larry Hunter, the director of development for WSIU, says the staff is very excited to receive the laptop.

“This is the first new equipment they have had in a long time and it will really help with producing programs at the WSIU studios. The WSIU staff appreciates the reciprocity the foundation has brought and is grateful the foundation is acting as an accelerator in helping students collaborate across the university,” said Hunter.

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