Nearly 300 alumni, students and friends gathered Tuesday, March 31, at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Makanda to launch the 3rd Annual Saluki Takeover Tour Southern Illinois, kicking off a monthlong effort to celebrate SIU pride and strengthen recruitment across the region.

The tour will visit approximately 50 high schools across all 17 Southern Illinois counties, reinforcing SIU’s commitment to meeting students where they are.

Chancellor Austin A. Lane said the Southern Illinois tour serves as the capstone of the university’s broader Saluki Takeover efforts nationwide.

“There’s no place like home being right here in Southern Illinois,” Lane said.

The event marked the first of five regional stops scheduled throughout April, with additional receptions planned at Lake of Egypt in Marion on April 7, Mount Vernon on April 16, Carterville on April 21 and Red Bud on April 23.

Lane emphasized SIU’s focus on recruiting students locally and strengthening relationships with high schools and community colleges. He said the university has worked to address past concerns about outreach through consistent school visits and increased regional presence.

Dr. Joshua Stafford, superintendent of Vienna High School, said those efforts are making a difference.

“We now see students from our own communities choosing not just the university in their backyard, but an R1 university,” Stafford said.

Lane also highlighted SIU’s national standing as a Research 1 and Opportunity University.

“There are 4,000-plus universities across the country. Only 21 of them are Research 1 and an Opportunity University,” he said. “For our students in this area to have that opportunity in their own backyard, that is special.”

He encouraged attendees to share information about the Saluki Commitment, which covers tuition and mandatory fees for eligible Illinois students, including first-time freshmen and transfer students from families with annual incomes below approximately $120,000.

Brian Croft, director of Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, highlighted the center’s long-standing impact on SIU students and the region, along with recent improvements made possible through university support, student fees and donor investment. He also emphasized partnerships with academic programs, youth camps and community organizations that expand the center’s reach beyond recreation.

“I think that’s what makes SIU special,” Croft said. “It’s what we’re learning in the classroom, but we’re learning outside the classroom, too.”

The event also showcased student creativity through the SIU Metalsmith Society, where students displayed and sold handcrafted items, demonstrated their craft and unveiled a wind chime to be auctioned at a later date. The group also announced plans to design and forge a commemorative sculpture for Touch of Nature, recognizing more than 50 years of metalsmithing at SIU.

After the program, attendees explored the grounds through tours, s’mores, food, drinks and hands-on activities, turning the evening into both a celebration and a showcase of the student experience.

For the SIU Foundation, the takeover tours provide an opportunity to connect with donors as the record-breaking Imagine SIU 2030 campaign continues. The campaign aims to raise $500 million by June 2028 and has already surpassed $464 million.

The Saluki Takeover Tour Southern Illinois continues through April 23 with stops designed to bring together alumni, donors, prospective students and community members across the region.

Remaining stops include:

• Lake of Egypt (Marion): Tuesday, April 7, 6 to 8 p.m., Pyramid Acres Marina, 12057 Marina Road
• Mount Vernon: Thursday, April 16, 6 to 8 p.m., DoubleTree by Hilton, 222 Potomac Blvd.
• Carterville: Tuesday, April 21, 6 to 8 p.m., The Historic 131 Building, 131 S. Division St.
• Red Bud: Thursday, April 23, 6 to 8 p.m., 1860 Public House, 102 S. Main St.

Learn more at siuf.org/southern-illinois.