Saluki Takeover Tours

Grey Dawg and Brown Dawg pose for a photo during the Chicago Takeover Tour in October 2021.

TAKEOVER TOURS FOSTER SALUKI SPIRIT, BUILD PARTNERSHIPS

This year, the SIU Foundation began a new tradition – Saluki Takeover Tours. In the inaugural year of the events, the Foundation and many university officials visited Chicago and St. Louis.

The takeover tours were multifaceted, focusing on alumni and donor engagement, recruitment and retention, and brand awareness. Each city visit included several events over multiple days.

CHICAGO

Beginning with more than 125 alumni gathered at Ravinia Brewing Co. on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, the first Saluki Takeover Tour started with a bang.

“There are 46,000 alumni that live in this area,” Matt Kupec, CEO of the SIU Foundation, said at the time. “Here’s the idea: We bring the campus up here, and we plant the flag in the ground. This is Saluki Country.”

The highlight of the Chicago event was the Chancellor’s Reception at the Palmer House Hilton.

“I did my Listening & Learning Tour over the last year, and all I did was listen,” Chancellor Austin Lane said during his speech. “When our alumni started talking, we listened. You said we needed to be in Chicago more. Guess what, we’re here tonight. We’re here all week.” Attended by about 250 Salukis, the evening was emceed by Marc Silverman, SIU alumnus and host of “Waddle & Silvy” on ESPN Chicago 1000 AM.

“We are the Dawgs. We have great things going, and we know, at SIU Carbondale, we have a great thing to begin with,” Silverman said during his opening speech. “Spread the word. Tell your friends about SIU. Tell your coworkers about SIU. We check all the boxes. We’re diverse, we have a beautiful campus, we have a social life, we have athletics, and best of all, we have academics and hands-on experiences.”

The week was capped when alumni and donors gathered to support the Dunbar Leadership Society.

Former U.S. Sen. Roland Burris gave the keynote address during the event at Chicago’s Gallery Guichard. Burris was the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois when he became comptroller in 1978. In 1990, he was elected as Illinois’ attorney general, and was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2009, replacing Barack Obama.

Burris previously made a $100,000 donation to support an emergency fund that assists Black students at SIU in times of need.

“The reason why I created the fund is because I care, and I’m hoping and praying that you all care about the future of our Black kids that need to get a college education,” Burris said.

ST. LOUIS

Chancellor Lane was able to kick off the Saluki Takeover Tour in St. Louis with two major announcements – the SIU Day of Giving had set a record and the Forever SIU campaign was being extended.

On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, before the start of the Chancellor’s Reception at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, the Day of Giving fundraising total had reached $3.5 million. If that weren’t incredible enough, Chancellor Lane told the crowd of over 100 alumni and donors that the Forever SIU campaign would be extended to 2028 with a new $500 million goal.

It was an important week for Saluki Athletics as the men’s basketball team played Drake on Friday, March 4. during the first round of the MVC Arch Madness tournament. Beforehand, the SIU Alumni Association hosted its annual pregame event at the Shark Bar, featuring Brown Dawg, members of the Marching Salukis, and cheerleaders. Former Saluki women’s basketball coach Cindy Scott was inducted into the MVC Hall of Fame earlier in the day.

Chancellor Lane and other university officials met with alumni and donors during many special events to raise awareness of the successes happening on campus.

VITAL PARTNERSHIPS

During both Saluki Takeover Tours, Chancellor Lane, President Dan Mahony, and others attended events aimed at connecting SIU with community colleges and high schools.

In Chicago, Chancellor Lane signed agreements with Harper College, Oakton Community College, and Harold Washington College. These agreements will bring the expertise of a doctoral research university to place-bound students.

“SIU Carbondale is committed to providing access and affordability and removing barriers for all students,” he said.

In St. Louis, Chancellor Lane signed agreements with St. Louis Community College (STLCC) and Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) to participate in the Saluki Step Ahead program.

“Our agreements with SWIC and STLCC fit well with our Imagine 2030 strategic plan, which includes pillars for student success and partnerships,” he said.

MORE TO COME

With the success of the inaugural Saluki Takeover Tours, the SIU Foundation is planning others in more cities and an event in Southern Illinois.

The Chicago Takeover Tour in October 2021 kicked off with an event at Ravinia Brewing Co.

Chancellor Austin Lane announces the expansion of the Forever SIU fundraising campaign during the St. Louis Takeover Tour in March 2022.

Chancellor Austin Lane shakes hands with St. Louis Community College Chancellor Jeff Pittman after signing a Saluki Step Ahead agreement, as SIU System President Dan Mahony applauds.