By Jeff Wilson
CARBONDALE – As Southern Illinois University Carbondale celebrates Homecoming, it will also celebrate the first major campus construction project in nearly 12 years.
The SIU Foundation will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the Tedrick Welcome Center at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, at the construction site, 1255 Lincoln Drive in Carbondale. The event will take place inside the construction fencing. A reception will follow at the site immediately after the ceremony.
Named for Roger and Sally Tedrick, whose $6 million leadership gift was instrumental in helping fund the project, the state-of-the-art welcome center will be the first stop for prospective students. Open houses, campus tours, orientations, and other events will begin at the welcome center.
“Construction of the Tedrick Welcome Center is 100 percent funded through the SIU Foundation. It will require no taxpayer dollars and no tuition or student fee monies,” said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation. “The Foundation prides itself on maintaining a strong partnership with the university, and the welcome center is its gift to this spectacular campus.”
The building, scheduled to be completed in May of 2026, will include a visitor center capable of hosting conferences, lectures, seminars and catered events for up to 300 people, and the philanthropy center, which will be the new home of the SIU Foundation. It will also serve as a hub for donor visits, alumni activities and campus and community events.
As the SIU Foundation continues the Imagine SIU 2030 fundraising campaign – which has raised more than $360 million toward its $500 million goal – its offices will move into the southern wing of the new building and be known as the Philanthropy Center. In its most recent fiscal year, the SIU Foundation provided $5.4 million in scholarships to 1,842 students, impacting more than 16 percent of all SIU students.
“Aligning with the Imagine SIU 2030 strategic plan, the Tedrick Welcome Center is going to help the university increase enrollment, engage with alumni and friends, and provide a laboratory for SIU to solidify its role as a philanthropic leader,” Chancellor Austin Lane said.
Currently, the SIU Foundation is housed in Colyer Hall, the last active building in the area which is the former home of Greek Row. The university has informed the SIU Foundation that it must vacate that location as the dilapidated building is scheduled to be razed.
In recent years, the power of philanthropy has been on display around campus. Fundraising efforts and major gifts solicited by the Foundation have led to new construction and major improvements in multiple areas, including:
- The revitalization of the Ralph E. Becker Pavilion at the boathouse
- The building of the SIU Credit Union Pavilion at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center
- A new, improved sign at the entrance of Touch of Nature
- The Mike Hanes Marching Salukis Band Tower and practice field on East Campus
- Improvements to the Fermentation Science Institute at McLafferty Annex
- A planned fountain to be added to Campus Lake
- Numerous other yet-to-be-announced projects across campus
“The philanthropic support of our alumni and donors is transforming campus in an incredible way,” Kupec said. “There are many opportunities for enhancements and new construction. SIU is a university on the move. Beyond the construction of the Tedrick Welcome Center, the Foundation will continue to have strategic impact on many improvements across campus.”
For more information about the Tedrick Welcome Center, visit siuf.org/twc.