With the chaos and confusion that COVID-19 brought last semester, SIUE was concerned about enrollment for the Fall 2020 semester declining. However, new numbers show this concern will not prove to be an issue.

As students prepare for a fall semester under COVID-19 limitations, Counseling Services reports relatively steady numbers despite the lack of face-to-face sessions.

Following a heated discussion surrounding racial terms, which took place on SIUE’s discuss listserv, the Office of the Chancellor shut the listserv down. Now, the office is creating a committee to reevaluate the purpose of the forum.

SIUE, along with almost every other college in the world, was forced to alter its spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, SIUE has been working to prepare for the fall in order to make it less turbulent.

At the beginning of August, Lis Pankl will step into the role of dean of Library and Information Services.

The latest DREAM Collective webinar honed in on how white anti-racist allies can contribute to equality and inclusion while avoiding being too passive.

SIUE released its “Our Cougar Commitment” plan on June 30, detailing the guidelines students can expect to follow upon returning to campus. With the semester quickly approaching, administration hosted a virtual Q&A on July 17 to answer any questions students and their parents still had.

Many international students were worried about the future when it was announced earlier this month they would be deported if their classes moved online, but those worries have been alleviated as the policy was rescinded. The rescission, however, will still shape the future of international l…

At the SIU Board of Trustees’s latest meeting, the Academic Matters Committee voted to approve changes to SIUE’s academic programs, including restructuring several departments and adding 11 accelerated bachelor’s to master's programs.

After arriving at SIUE in 2017 as the director of Counseling Services, Courtney Boddie will soon be assuming the additional position of associate dean of students for diversity and inclusion.

The news surrounding the pandemic is never ending, making it hard to keep up with the precautionary measures one’s own campus is taking. Here’s what you can expect fall to look like, according to Our Cougar Commitment plan:

SIUE’s Anti-Racism Task Force has been around for just under a month, but they plan to make SIUE a more inclusive and accepting campus. The specifics of their plans are not yet set, but meetings have begun as the task force aims to act with a “Fierce Urgency of Now,” as stated in messages fr…

After the Office for Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support released a survey asking students their concern level for returning to campus in the fall, students reached out to The Alestle to voice a mix of concern and excitement at the prospect.

Over the summer, many changes to SIUE’s Dining Services have been finalized — both in the Morris University Center and elsewhere on campus — according to Director of Dining Services Dennis Wobbe.

As Gov. J.B. Pritzker has moved Illinois into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, the Cougar Commitment Plan was sent in an email to students detailing what they can expect in the upcoming academic year.

More than 400 students, faculty and administrators gathered during the DREAM Collective’s hosted forum, entitled Dismantling Institutionalized Racism in Higher Education.

SIUE administration has created a policy that states all campus employees and visitors must wear a mask.

In response to the death of George Floyd and recent protests, the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion hosted listening sessions via Zoom to hear ideas as to how SIUE can improve race relations.

As police departments are changing their policies in the wake of George Floyd’s death, the SIUE Police Department said they already practice many of the precautions other departments are just now enacting.

Shaken by the deaths of George Floyd and Sandra Bland, Prince Robertson, assistant director of student conduct, turned to a new form of activism: He hosted an open meeting with civil rights academics from across the country.  

During Monday’s town hall meeting held via Zoom, the Academic Continuity Task Force announced five possible courses of action for SIUE during the fall semester.

An email was sent out May 28 by Chancellor Randy Pembrook going over the steps that will be taken to slowly reopen SIUE’s campus. The next day, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan allowed all of Illinois to enter Phase 3 of restoring the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SIUE runs the risk of losing WSIE, a staple for the university and jazz radio enthusiasts.

As Congress debates passing the HEROES Act, which would provide a second round of stimulus checks, many college students are continuing to face financial hardships, especially those who did not receive a check from the first round.

With the help of the Secret Service, the SIUE Police Department was able to send one of their members to receive training in the field of computer forensics.

The SIUE Police Department doesn’t monitor on-campus pornography viewing, despite what some may think.

Spring graduates will have to wait even longer if they want to participate in an in-person graduation ceremony.

The School of Pharmacy’s graduating seniors usually present their senior projects to the general public this time of year. COVID-19 forced them to present online.

On top of the typical responsibilities of being a college student, Myles Nelson is the campaign manager for a U.S. congressman.

As the school year comes to a close, some students are worried that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to the next school year being online as well. That prospect can be especially worrying for graduating seniors who plan on becoming teachers.

Almost everyone who works on campus is now gone due to stay-at-home orders. However, there are a few select people who are allowed to continue to work on campus to complete necessary tasks.

Zoom has proved to be a popular tool in the transition to online only classes for colleges across the nation, but not everybody is on board.

SIUE announced Wednesday the Spring 2020 commencement ceremony will take a different form.

With emails regarding refunds flooding student inboxes, it can be hard to keep track of all this new information. Here are the basics: 

As the spring semester nears an end, SIUE has to collect textbooks for the start of the summer semester. It has been decided that students must either drop them off in a designated box behind the library, or they must ship them back at their own expense.

The current state of the world has made current SIUE students and incoming freshmen unsure about how they will continue their education.

Despite changes in course structure and schedule, faculty and staff are trying to get through this time alongside their students.

SIUE and system leadership have been meeting daily for the past few days to calculate the refunds students will receive for campus resources they no longer have access to.

With fewer students and faculty on SIUE’s campus, most people would expect it to be a quieter place. However, the sounds of construction can still be heard.