Director's Message: Continuing a Tradition of Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Accessibility at SIU
For decades, Southern Illinois University (SIU) has been a leader in accessible learning environments, namely in physical spaces. Starting in the late 1940s, President Delyte Morris sought ways to help wounded World War II veterans access this campus through retrofitted residence halls and classroom spaces. By the 1960s, SIU was known as one of the most accessible campuses in the U.S. and is still ranked in the top 20 today. SIU was a leader in accessible learning spaces long before it became a Federal law in the 1970s and 1990s because it was the right thing to do.
Broadening who has access to education has been at the core of SIU’s mission for a long time. As learning environments continue to proliferate in digital and physical spaces, SIU has an opportunity to continue to be a leader in how public universities support students with various learning needs. To guide and support these efforts, the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) website has several resources, posted workshops, and other supports that align with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a nationally-recognized framework our office uses to define excellence in teaching, learning, and accessibility. I hope that you find these resources and the support our office can offer helpful and will let us know how we can be of further assistance.
