SIUE reported their most diverse student body ever this semester, but in recent years three historically Black fraternities and one multicultural fraternity have left campus. SIUE is trying to bring them back, as well as invite new ones to campus. 

SIUE has announced it will not hold a traditional graduation ceremony at the end of the fall semester. This follows the cancellation of Spring 2020 commencement ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of last week, Counseling Services is offering services to faculty and staff at SIUE completely free of charge

Starting this fall, the SIUE School of Business is offering a new cybersecurity specialization. Through all-new curriculum and partnerships, this program aims to fill large cybersecurity job vacancies in Illinois and around the country. 

While fewer people on campus means fewer crisis intervention calls to SIUE police, students may be less likely to seek mental health services in an online format, raising concerns. 

Cougar Cupboard, SIUE’s on-campus food pantry, is currently calling for donations to create holiday boxes in time for Thanksgiving.

After seeing a lack of collections pertaining to anti-racism at SIUE, the new diversity and engagement librarian is taking matters into her own hands. 

With the pandemic impacting every aspect of campus life, those on campus this semester are noticing many changes, including having classes in unorthodox spaces.

The pandemic continues to change certain aspects of Dining Services. Most recently, Skywalk Cafe closed, joining Auntie Anne’s as a quick option no longer available to students. 

This year, there has been a push — both local and international — to remove statues of historical figures with controversial pasts. The Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center held a discussion on the matter, titled “Monuments in the Age of BLM: The View from St. Louis.”

A new series of workshops based on the teachings of author Ibram X. Kendi has been introduced to the SIUE community, entitled “So You Want To Be An Anti-Racist?” 

With SIUE planning on utilizing the University of Illinois’ SHIELD test system for COVID-19, many questions and discussions are being held regarding these tests. 

Health Service has been offering COVID-19 screening tests to members of the SIUE community, but many available appointment slots have gone unused. To increase testing on campus, mobile screening sites will now be in residential communities over the next few weeks.

Campus is a whole lot quieter this semester for a number of reasons surrounding the pandemic. Returning SIUE students may have noticed the absence of “the Quad preacher” and those protesting his speech.

A new committee has been formed to discuss the future of the campus faculty and staff discussion listserv, which was shut down over the summer following a heated exchange between participants.

The University of Illinois made headlines for its system of mandatory COVID-19 testing, which revealed a spike in cases on campus. A similar COVID-19 testing system will soon be at SIUE, but some community members wonder why it wasn't already in place, and what damage has been done in its absence.

Certifiable changes, such as the Political Science Department requiring students to take classes related to race and identity, led SIUE to win the HEED Award for its diversity efforts. 

SIUE leaders revealed plans to implement a mandatory COVID-19 testing process for students and staff on campus and to hire a contact tracer during a COVID-19 update webinar held Sept 11.

Despite the prevalence of “anti-maskers,” SIUE’s mask mandate has been received positively by the campus community, according to the dean of students and MUC staff.

An architect in Facilities Management recently found himself at the center of a strange attack: via a dash camera, he caught a coworker spitting on his car. This was only the beginning of the story surrounding the incident.

In a Counseling Services brochure dated last month, it was announced that SIUE Counseling Services would be adding visit, service and no-show fees. This has sparked discussion — and strong opinions — among many students.

To honor the 100-year anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Women’s Studies program held a discussion about the film “Iron-Jawed Angels,” a fictional telling of the women’s suffrage movement in America, as well as the movement’s impact on those of the future.

After shutting down last spring due to COVID-19, the School of Pharmacy is once again teaming up with Saint Louis University’s School of Medicine to provide free healthcare to Chinese-speaking patients. 

SIUE Police will combat sex trafficking and child pornography with the help of a new electronic storage detection dog, the first of his kind at any university in the country. 

“Black at SIUE,” a new Instagram account created by Student Government, allows Black students and faculty to speak out about racism and microaggressions encountered at SIUE. 

SIUE, as well as many other locations in the area, is offering COVID-19 testing, each with different testing methods and requirements. 

Over the summer, Lis Pankl was chosen as the new dean of Library and Information Services at SIUE. Pankl assumed this role earlier this month and said she hopes to bring new potential to the Lovejoy Library and help it grow in many ways.