Carbondale businesses may start playing a larger role in recruiting and retaining SIUC students as a result of ideas discussed with SIUC President John Guyon at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, Tuesday.

Guyon was invited to speak at the meeting by Chamber members who said they wanted to know what they could do to help remedy SIUC’s declining enrollment.

Guyon gave the Chamber several ideas about what they could do to help the situation.

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I invite you to have a more obvious presence on campus, Guyon said to Chamber members. I don’t know how we would do that right away, but there’s a zillion opportunities.

Guyon also recommended creating brochures promoting the city along with the University. He said the Chamber calling prospective students to let them know the city is interested in having them come to the University also could be effective.

Guyon said SIUC already calls people admitted to the University to give recruitment operations a personal touch, and if the Chamber did the same, recruitment would be stronger.

The most successful recruiting technique is a personal phone call, Guyon said.

He also suggested Chamber involvement in SIUC’s open house weekends, creating internships and a mobile exhibit promoting the Chamber and area tourism.

Guyon also said both the University and city businesses could improve their customer relations.

I won’t say anything more except that we could be a little nicer in our daily activities, he said.

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Some Chamber members suggested that parents of students be targeted for tourism promotions near SIUC.

Mayor Neil Dillard agreed.

We pack hotels here three or so times a year. We should get them at other times, Dillard said.

Dirk Borgsmiller, owner of Borgsmiller Travel and U.S.A. Postal Center, stressed the importance of making students feel at home in Carbondale.

We have to integrate students into the community, he said. They’re not going to stay if they don’t feel like part of the community.

Borgsmiller said he had been doing business in Carbondale for 15 years and said there was too much divisiveness between students and city businesses.

There’s a lack of trust and communication that I still feel is there today, he said.

Jim Prowell, executive director of the Chamber, said he was pleased with the idea exchange at the meeting and that he expected many of the ideas to be implemented.

We’ve been working together, but we need to do more, he said.