About the Association

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Last Updated: Mar 31, 2025, 03:34 PM

An Advocate for Excellence

As the largest and oldest organization on campus, the SIU Alumni Association has been proudly serving SIU alumni and friends since 1896. It seeks to engage alumni, students, and friends of the university by preserving SIU traditions, promoting pride in an SIU education, and facilitating opportunities for students and alumni to connect professionally.

Today, the Association has continued to grow and serve as a connection between more than 250,000 alumni in every state of the U.S. and in more than 100 countries, as well as family and friends of the university. This is done by the Association playing a major role in key University functions by working with various departments across campus, including SIU Career Services, Saluki Athletics, and the Chancellor’s Office, on events and programs that support the university’s mission.

The Association sponsors the Student Alumni Council, a student run organization linking students with alumni and friends of SIU, and offers a nationally-recognized Extern program, while also delivering financial assistance programs in the form of scholarships and textbooks. Reunions are also organized and steered by the Association in order to bring Salukis back home. These include the Black Alumni Group and the 50-Year Class Reunion.

All of this allows the Association to continue its mission of: "revealing to the world the excellence of Southern Illinois University."

A Long Proud History

The 1897 graduating class taken from "A Picture History" by Betty Mitchell.
The 1897 graduating class taken from "A Picture History" by Betty Mitchell.

In 1896, the Association was established by a group of students whose purpose was to continue the involvement with their alma mater and fellow graduates. Their first meeting was held on June 10, 1896. In 1897, annual membership dues cost a mere 25 cents.

Fifty years later, the organization was officially formed as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and now rests under the university’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations along with its sister organization, the SIU Foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you no longer offering a dues-paying model of membership?

We are no longer soliciting for new annual memberships. Instead, we're focusing on engaging as many alumni as possible in support of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The Association will, however, maintain many of the benefits afforded to its life members in recognition of their commitments. We also still offer life memberships to alumni interested in offering additional support for Association programs and events. Please contact the alumni office at (618) 453-2408 for more information about becoming a life member.

Do I receive benefits for being an alumnus?

Yes, you have access to several services, benefits, and discounts. You can find out more about them by visiting our Offers and Discounts page and our Dawg Deals page. We also publish our online Alumni Magazine four times a year to give updates on campus and the impacts our alumni have made.

What benefits are included if I am already a life member?

Enhanced benefits for life members include advance notice on upcoming events, including some with reduced ticket rates, and recognition during alumni events. You will also have access to our Offers and Discounts and our Dawg Deals.

Will the Alumni Association continue to offer events?

  1. Yes, the Association will continue to host events across the country! You can browse and register for upcoming events on our Eventbrite page.

Will the Alumni Association continue to offer a magazine?

Yes, SIU Alumni magazine is offered digitally four times a year.

I want to continue to support the Alumni Association by giving. What are my options?

We hope you will consider future support for other important areas of our organization, such as local chapter scholarships, our Student Leadership Development Fund, and the Traditions Fund. You will find these giving opportunities and more available by selecting "Give Now" on the header of our website, siualumni.com.

Whom do I contact if I have questions?

Please contact Michelle Dirks, the Director of Student and Member Relations, at micheller@alumni.siu.edu.

Organizational Governance

The Southern Illinois University Alumni Association (hereafter referred to as “Association”) and the Southern Illinois University Foundation (hereafter referred to as “Foundation”) are jointly committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our alumni, members, donors, and friends.

An important benefit of your affiliation with the Association and/or the Foundation is the opportunity to receive communications, offers, products, and services. For this reason, we want you to understand how we obtain information and protect your privacy.

If you are an alumnus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale (hereafter referred to as “University”), information is obtained from your University student record. Nonpublic personal information about alumni, members, donors, and friends is obtained from personal interactions, communications, surveys, transcript requests, and activities with the University and its affiliates.

The Association and/or the Foundation restrict information access to only those who perform authorized activities. The Association and the Foundation have implemented physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure this information, prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure its appropriate use.

You may withdraw from any of our services by notifying the Association at siualumni@alumni.siu.edu or by calling (618) 453-2408.

Alumni Association Strategic Plan

A Gateway for All Alumni

The Association has created a strategic vision for the future. In it, the organization affirms a mission to become a principal gateway for alumni engagement, using five guiding pillars for success.

  • Inclusive Alumni Engagement

    • Strengthen connections among all alumni with an understanding of their attitudes, needs, and expectations.

  • Campus Partnerships

    • Provide a unifying voice that inspires greater alumni engagement through partnerships with university stakeholders.

  • Communications

    • Cement a clear brand of two-way communication across the media landscape to inform and engage alumni.

  • Organizational Sustainability

    • Ensure a sufficiently resourced framework built around enhanced support for alumni, students, and the university.

  • Future and New Alumni

    • Foster a culture of lifelong connection that turns current students and new graduates into an active alumni base.