SIUC's Japan campus to close in May 2006

Seventeen years after its creation, the SIUC-affiliated campus in Nakajo, Japan, has broken ties with the University and will close in May 2006.

In a press release, Larry Dietz, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, said poor enrollment, changes in interest of Japanese students and declining economic conditions in Japan have forced the campus to close.

SIUC spokeswoman Sue Davis said the University began its satellite campus in Japan in 1988 and throughout the 1980s, more than 35 American universities began similar operations in Japan. During that time, these universities had strong programs, but because of economic reasons, many universities were forced to shut down.

Now, the only two remaining American universities are SIUC and Temple University.

Davis said in the past, Japanese students would enroll in the SIUC branch to make their transition to American universities easier, but now the students are going straight to American universities from high school.

SIUC officials said enrollment peaked in 1990, with 630 students on campus.

The Nakajo campus has had more than 2,200 students receive training with more than 900 transferring to Carbondale's campus to receive their undergraduate degrees. More than 20 students received their master's degrees, and two students completed their doctoral degrees.

More than 300 faculty and staff from SIUC have worked on the Japan campus since its opening.

In a press release, Dietz also said Carbondale and Nakajo were sister cities, each participating in exchange programs with school children, which was in cooperation between the SIUC in Niigata program.

Davis said although the loss of the Japan campus will hurt ties with Japanese students, friendships have already been made.

"Both sides have gained a considerable knowledge of culture and opportunity," Davis said.