CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the city of Carbondale are going to begin the fall semester hand-in-hand, said Mayor Brad Cole.

Cole, SIU President Glenn Poshard and incoming SIUC Chancellor Fernando Treviño will spend some time this summer working on ways to more closely tie the university and city communities. The collaboration is forming largely due to university officials' push to bolster enrollment, which has been falling in recent years, but also because Carbondale benefits greatly from having SIUC in its backyard, Cole said.

"When I say working hand-in-hand and taking it to a new level, there are going to be some things � to allow a little more integration of the city into areas of the university's life, in areas such as recruitment and in development," he said.

How the effort will manifest itself remains to be seen, Cole said, adding officials have yet to sit down and discuss particulars.

Given SIUC's status as the region's only research university as well as its largest employer, Poshard said joint projects between campus and its home city make the difference to thousands of people.

"That so-called 'town-gown' relationship is really important to us," Poshard said. "In a time of declining enrollment, we have to be concerned about the impact it has on the business community."

SIUC wants to work closely with Carbondale to ensure its actions affect the city in the best possible way, he added.

Falling enrollment has alarmed the community, and people fear further decline will strain the Carbondale economy, which relies heavily on student patronage, Poshard said.

SIUC lost 521 students in the spring compared with the 2006 spring semester. Enrollment dropped 576 last fall as compared to fall 2005. The total student population has fallen below 20,000.

University representatives have been working to better market SIUC, but Cole said they aren't the only ones who can reach out to students.

"As the mayor, I want to be involved. And not just me but the whole city," Cole said. "You can't get to the university without going through the city; so how do we facilitate things going on on campus?"

While SIUC works to bolster enrollment, officials are also working on a major capital campaign and the estimated $500 million Saluki Way project, which includes a brand new football stadium.

The city will consider everything when deciding how it and the university can strengthen bonds, Cole said.

caleb.hale@thesouthern.com / 351-5090@thesouthern.com / 351-5090