SIUE enjoying the best of times |
Antoinette Bernich |
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"Now is the best time to be a student at SIUE" was the theme throughout the State of the University address given by Chancellor David Werner on Tuesday in the Morris University Center. The annual address featured highlights of the past year, as well as upcoming plans for SIUE in coming years. According to Werner, there have been many visible changes to the campus in the past year. "No change is more visible than our $27.2 million Engineering Building," Werner said. "It moves SIUE to the next level in engineering education, and will be the magnet to draw students from throughout Illinois, the region, and indeed, the world." Werner then mentioned the improvements that have been or will be made to the School of Dental Medicine in Alton and at the School of Medicine at the Springfield campus. "Students at the School of Dental Medicine have a renovated Science Building and by the end of the month will enjoy a new branch of the fitness center. Nursing students in Springfield will soon have a new building on the medicine school campus," Werner said. The Edwardsville campus benefited from the most additions and updates. Dance students have new performance and practice floors and art students will have a new photo lab in the early spring. Twenty-five "smart" classrooms were added, computer labs were upgraded and additional materials were purchased for the Lovejoy Library. This year, SIUE enrolled 1,531 new freshmen, the largest class since 1975. The campus is expected to have 13,500 students by fall 2005. SIUE's enrollment is 12,193, an increase of 10.2 percent over last year. When Bluff Hall is completed in summer 2001, Werner said the campus will be able to accommodate 2,900 students in University Housing. Except for the opening of the Edwardsville campus in 1965, nothing has been more significant in changing the university than building residence halls," he said. "What faculty member hasn't noticed the different classroom environment? Who hasn't noticed the increased activity on evenings and weekends? Who hasn't seen the emergence of a more vigorous student life program? Who hasn't felt the new tempo, the new energy?" Werner mentioned that a small group is exploring whether the university needs an additional residence hall or more apartments. There are new program additions to SIUE. This year, a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice has been added, and program approval has been requested for approval and funding of a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and a master of science degree in computer science. Currently, a committee is doing preliminary work for proposing a school of pharmacy. Werner also spoke of the annexation of SIUE by Edwardsville. "Now that we are in the city, we need to strengthen our partnership with the city to make Edwardsville synonymous with academic excellence," Werner said. "There is no reason, short of our own lack of will, why we cannot make Edwardsville one of those cities and towns whose name is equivalent to the institution it hosts in the minds of the academic world, students and parents." Werner said we will continue to move forward in excellence in the year to come. "Now let us continue our progress this academic year, moving into the year 2001 proud of our accomplishments, confident of our future and knowing that the fruit of our labor will be the ability to say again next fall, now is the time to be the best student at SIUE," Werner concluded. | |