State Representative Amy Elik joined local leaders at SIUE to discuss the economic impact of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The University’s Economic Impact Report included a myriad of data that shows how wide the reach of SIUE goes.
Rep. Elik was also joined by Chancellor James Minor, SIU System President Daniel Mahony, State Senator Erica Harriss, State Representative Katie Stuart, Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy, SIU Board Chairman J. Phil Gilbert and Vice Chair Ed Hightower.
“SIUE’s economic impact goes further than this campus and the City of Edwardsville,” said Elik. “The University continues to go above and beyond providing communities and students throughout the region the opportunities to succeed and thrive.”
“The SIU School of Dental Medicine, which has its home in Alton, consistently graduates the best of the best and is a valued asset to the Alton community,” added Elik.
Highlighted in a Feature Story from SIUE’s Newsroom, other financial advantages from SIUE’s Economic Report included:
- SIUE’s total operational expenses – $311,162,685
- Total output from University’s operations – $636,816,638
- Total student off-campus spending – $129,665,705
- Total visitor spending – $4,338,569
- Taxpayer’s return on investment in SIUE – $3.41 in tax revenue for each state dollar spent
Also highlighted were Points of Pride for SIUE and Public Impacts. Some of them included:
- The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and International Trade Center (ITC) at SIUE received the “E” award for export service. The award is the highest recognition a person or U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
- The Center for Predictive Analytics (C-PAN) at SIUE is a university-wide research center that serves both the SIUE community and external partners by using and developing state-of-the-art data analysis, machine learning, and data visualization techniques to mine complex data for meaningful insights and real-world applications.
- The SIUE Center for STEM Research, Education and Outreach is a collaborative enterprise among several SIUE academic units, local community colleges and school districts, regional offices of education, and the community at large. The Center’s mission is to develop, strengthen, and promote STEM research, education, and outreach in the region.
- According to Washington Monthly, SIUE is “2023 Best Bang for the Buck” among Midwest institutions. Among Illinois public institutions, SIUE ranks 4th on Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Top Colleges based on return on investment, including success after graduation, student debt and student satisfaction.
- All new campus construction is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certifiable by the U.S. Green Building Council.
- The Center for Sustainable Communities and Entrepreneurship at SIUE is its Illinois Innovation Network hub and provides a framework to leverage the University’s strengths in support of economic and workforce development, sustainability, equity-minded engagement, and community impact.
- School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings, and education to more than 13,000 people annually through a wide variety of community outreach events.
- The SIUE East St. Louis Center received more than $14 million in grant awards and applied those funds toward comprehensive programs, services, and training for children and families in the community. A vital educational resource and a supportive neighbor to the Metro East Community, the Center empowers individuals and families to lead successful and healthy lives.
The Southern Illinois University System employs more than 7,000 faculty, staff and administrators who serve approximately 23,500 students through its campuses in Carbondale, Edwardsville and Springfield. The SIU System Office and SIU Medical School are in Springfield, Illinois as well as SIU Medicine clinics that serve thousands of patients.