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Kimmel Center combats Follow along as five resource disparity with students start their new hygiene packages next semester abroad
Men’s soccer secures first home game win of season against Butler
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Thursday, August 31, 2023 Vol. 77 No. 2
the student voice since 1960
University replants native trees in attempt to offset loss of plants, wildlife due to construction MADISON SAMPLE reporter
With the new Woodland Hall parking lot completed and many more construction projects and renovations on the way, ecosystem loss is a large concern to the SIUE community. Co-director of SIUE’s Living Architecture Regional Center of Excellence and Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration Bill Retzlaff said with the completion of projects such as the construction and renovation of the Woodland lot, the university is attempting to recover some of the tree life lost. “The lot was built because the old lot will be used for the new health sciences building and because students crossing the road in the middle of the night was a concern. While we removed some trees, the benefit and safety of the proximity to Woodland was really good,” Retzlaff said. “To offset that, we’ve planted 50 to 100 native trees around campus. At the parking lot, we are
going to replant some more native trees to shade the side of the lot as we finish the renovation.” For future university construction projects, such as the new health science building, Retzlaff said wildlife habitat and tree life are being taken into consideration. Construction of the health science building is set to break ground this fall. “The brand new health science building is placed so not many trees will be removed as the land is mostly mowed grass, so we aren’t taking too much of the ecosystem away,” Retzlaff said. “We estimate that about 70 percent of the 2,660 acres is forested now. We are also very careful about what we remove.” According to Retzlaff, the new building will follow the Environmental Protection Agency’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program. The LEED program consists of four levels: certified, silver, gold and platinum; it ensures that buildings follow environmental guidelines. “We have nine EPA
LEED-certified buildings, and four are LEED silver. If we are using state dollars to fund the construction, it is required that it be green,” Retzlaff said. “The health sciences building will have a target of LEED silver. To get to gold is challenging monetarily, but we can get to LEED silver and have a great green building while still achieving the things we want inside.” Retzlaff also said that his work and research with green roofs and walls on campus not only provide educational opportunities for students, but also increase the sustainability of the campus. “In 2004, a local company called my office asking us to evaluate a new product they were selling. We told them we wouldn’t be able to as we work for the state, but we could test the product to see if plants could live on the roof, what kind of fertilizer was needed and what was the best choice of plants,” Retzlaff said. “Since then, about 200 students
What’s the deal with
283?
ash, hickory and all of those kinds of trees,” Retzlaff said. “Under normal conditions in the Eastern Deciduous Forest, there are one to 12 deer per square mile. Here there are about 50 per square mile, so our deer density is really high.” Retzlaff said that one of SIUE’s greatest appeals is its beautiful nature, and therefore the university must continue to protect its natural ecosystems. “I like when I hit the edge of our campus, I know that I am driving almost a mile on SIUE property to a beautiful campus and the wildlife and trees are great,” Retzlaff said.
283 is a magic number: University launches retention campaign
CHLOE WOLFE opinion editor
Taylor Mudge, a civil services worker, fills an order for cinnamon pretzel bites beneath a “283 special” sign, which many food service places around campus have adopted as part of university administration’s student retention campaign. | Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle
have worked on green roofs and green walls around campus.” According to Retzlaff, some green roofs and walls on campus often go unnoticed by students who have not viewed aerial images of the university. “The biggest green roof is on the Student Success Center. It is 16,000 square feet and covers about 2/3 of the rooftop,” Retzlaff said. “Our goal is to have a sustainable campus.” Even with construction and renovation projects, Retzlaff said wildlife such as deer continue to thrive at SIUE. “We are on the edge of the Eastern Deciduous Forest– which are the trees that exist here: oak,
Towards the end of summer break, signs with nothing but “283” popped up all around campus with no explanation. Until the fall semester started, people were left to wonder – what is 283? 283, according to Chancellor James Minor, is a campaign centered around informing the community about their retention rate goal. He said the university only needed to keep 283 students enrolled from their freshman year into their sophomore year to reach their goal of 90 percent retention. If the university meets this goal, Minor said SIUE will have one of the highest retention rates in the nation for regional metropolitan universities. “I think in the state of Illinois, [a 90 percent retention rate] would put us only second to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which enrolls a very different demographic in terms of the academic profile of those students,” Minor said. “I think nationally, it would make us first and best in class for regional metropolitan universities
to have a 90 percent first to second-year retention rate. That’s our goal.” Prior to the 283 campaign, Minor said his administration had been working towards raising retention rates by focusing on ending courses that offer no credits and giving resources to educators and students to ensure students do not receive Ds, Fs or withdrawals in courses. “I think there’s a lot of work for the university to do in partnership with faculty to address those rates,” Minor said. “This is not about dumbing down the course or making it easier for students. It is saying, ‘Let’s maintain the same rigor in the course, but provide students with more effective support so that they meet those rigorous outcomes that have been established by faculty.’” Retention is not just affected by courses though. On-campus housing plays a major role in making sure that students succeed outside of the classroom. University Housing Director Mallory Sidarous said Housing is dedicated to ensuring that students find a community outside of the classrooms, but they also provide resources for students to
succeed academically. Sidarous said Housing partners with faculty and staff for a program where they spend time with students outside of the classroom and, starting this week, Housing will reopen their study tables across all university housing. She also said that they are “exploring opportunities” to provide tutoring for students. “We’re looking at that sense of community. That sense of belonging is a huge piece to folks’ desire to want to return and be a part of the community,” Sidarous said. “Really just that personal connection through whether students have the opportunity to talk to their residents, to talk to a doctor about what may be going on, and we can point you in the right direction.” Retention rates may have an impact on Housing. Currently, Housing has about 2,750 students, according to Sidarous. Across all campus housing, she said that there is a capability to house 3,000 with the loss of some private rooms. “We do not have a lot of open beds currently because we see 283 on page 3