News and Events

As the HLC site visit (November 16-18) approaches, members of the GSU community are preparing to interact with the team.

Part of the team’s visit consists of impromptu conversations with faculty, staff, and students. Members of the campus community are asked to be receptive to answering questions, which may be asked anywhere – in the hallways, classrooms, offices, and outdoors. The visitors will be looking for answers that focus, primarily, on the university’s strengths.

A positive site visit will reaffirm GSU’s accreditation, which is integral to the university’s operation. Accreditation:

• assures students that they are receiving a high-quality education;
• promises prospective employers that GSU graduates are ready for the challenges of a 21st century workplace;
• provides a strong basis for continued recruitment of exceptional and innovative faculty and staff;
• demonstrates the institution’s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning and student services as well as sound financial management processes that meet nationally recognized standards; and
• affirms that eligible students are able to receive federal financial aid.

To learn more about the university’s self-study preparations, read the self-study report online.

All good things must come to an end, including GSU’s 40^th Anniversary celebration. A year of special events and recognitions will culminate in grand fashion on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, November 6, at 3 p.m., in Sherman Hall, the entire campus community is invited to attend and participate in a discussion featuring a panel of distinguished guests.

The discussion will focus on the birth, growth, and future of the university. The program moderator will be Dr. Paul Green, Director of the Institute for Politics and the Arthur Rubloff Professor of Policy Studies at Roosevelt University, who will also contribute to the discussion.

Current GSU president, Dr. Elaine Maimon and past president Dr. Leo Goodman-Malamuth will be joined by Dr. Adenuga Atewologun, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Prairie State College and Dr. Blondean Davis, Superintendent of Matteson School District 162.

The discussion will be followed immediately by the official unveiling of GSU’s history wall, located in the main entrance atrium. The museum quality wall, features a 40 year timeline of GSU and world events and an interactive touch screen with archival videos, photos, and more.

On Saturday, November 7, the university’s official celebratory event takes place complete with a performance of A Tribute to the Motown Greats, featuring a pre-show reception and post-show dancing with a DJ.

• Pre-Show Reception - 6 p.m.
• A Tribute to the Motown Greats - 7:30 p.m.
• DJ/Dancing – 9:30 p.m. to midnight

The $50 ticket price includes the pre-show reception, A Tribute to the Motown Greats show, post-show DJ/dancing, cash bar before and after show. 1960s attire is encouraged.

A few tickets are still available. Call 708.534.4128 to reserve yours today!

It’s not too late to catch the gratitude attitude as the GSU Foundation sponsors Gratitude Day on Tuesday, November 10. The purpose of Gratitude Day is to simply say “thank you” to donors – no pressure, no donation solicitation – just heartfelt appreciation.

The success of the program depends on volunteers willing to give a little bit of their time to share the gratitude attitude. One-hour calling shifts are available from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sixty volunteers are needed. Interested Gratitude Day volunteers should contact Jackie Small at ext. 2188.

Callers will also have the opportunity to sign up for GSU’s new V-Team volunteer corps. The group will help match up willing volunteers with university events throughout the year.

One of GSU’s healthcare benefit providers, Unicare HMO, will no longer be servicing Illinois as of January 1, 2010.  Illinois’ Department of Central Management Services (CMS) is currently exploring options that will be offered to those members and dependents affected by this announcement.

Employees using Unicare HMO are encourage to continue using their current doctors until the end of 2009. Coverage and available doctors will not change until that time, so please continue to use the services you are enrolled under until January 1, 2010.

CMS has advised the university that employees will not automatically be enrolled in another program, however further information on future options is not yet available. The Office of Human Resources can be contacted at ext. 4100.

GSU’s chapter of the State Universities Annuitants Association will present a free discussion on Thursday, November 12, at noon, in Engbretson Hall. The event is open to all GSU employees and annuitants.

Bukola Bello, Director of the Illinois Retirement Securities Initiative at The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability will present The Pension Landscape: A Candid Discussion of Where We Are and Where We Are Going.

Refreshments will be served, but attendees must provide their own lunches.

You’re not the only one wondering how the year passed so quickly.

President Maimon and the GSU Board of Trustees invite all faculty and staff to a Holiday Reception on Friday, December 11, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., in the Hall of Governors.

Please RSVP to Penny Perdue at ext. 6364.

The Family Development Center is offering big savings as part of Carson’s Community Day on November 16. Get your holiday shopping done early when you use a special FDC Discount Coupon Book. The books are available for $5 each, from the Family Development Center, and 100percent of the proceeds benefit the FDC.

For information, contact Audrey McIntyre at ext. 7320.

The Office of Human Resources and the Illinois Diabetes Prevention and Control Program will present a brown bag lunch session entitled Control & Prevention. The free event will take place on Tuesday, November 17, from noon to 1 p.m., in Engbretson Hall.

The session is also part of the Let’s Get Fit! wellness program and participants should bring their fitness record cards. Attendees must provide their own lunches.

With less than two weeks before the accreditation continuation visit by the HLC site team, the campus community is making final preparations. Faculty, staff, and students can prepare for the visit (and learn a lot about the university) by reviewing GSU’s self study document. The self study provides information on how the university meets each of the Higher Learning Commission’s five criteria:

• Criterion One: Mission and Integrity
• Criterion Two: Preparing for the Future
• Criterion Three: Student Learning and Effective Teaching
• Criterion Four: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
• Criterion Five: Engagement and Service

Download the self study document today.

The 40^th Anniversary Celebration week includes events for students, faculty, staff, and the community. Everyone is invited to join the celebration and commemorate 40 years of educational service and excellence.

For a complete list of 40^th Anniversary events, see the events schedule on the left side of the View.

The Civil Service Senate is hosting an Arts and Crafts Fair, on November 3 and 4, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. A vast variety of merchandise will be on view from various vendors.

The Black Student Union will also have baked goods for sale, on November 3 and 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. Proceeds from the sale will help support a GSU Family Development Center field trip to the zoo.

Strategies for Managing Debt in Troubling Times, a workshop sponsored by the Academic Resource Center, will be held on Thursday, November 5, from noon to 1 p.m. and from 6 to 7 p.m., in B1241. Professor Anthony Andrews from CBPA will be the guest speaker. Everyone is welcome.

The GSU View’s popularity has reached magnanimous proportions with readers and contributors alike. Due to the large number of submissions, the Office of Public Affairs reminds the university community that requests for inclusion should be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the next issue’s publishing date. Information submitted for Monday’s View should be received by 10 a.m. on the previous Friday and information for the Thursday’s View must be submitted by 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Join Mayor Al McGowan and the Board of Trustees of University Park for the end-of-the-year town hall meeting on Saturday, November 7, on 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be in the gymnasium, at the Crete-Monee Middle School, 635 Olmsted Road, University Park, Illinois.

Information on current projects will be shared as well as additional details of capital projects designed to increase the University Park economic, job, and community development opportunities. Everyone is welcome.

Sandra Mayfield, Ph.D., Assistant Provost and Professor of Communication Disorders, will be honored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) at the organization's convention this month.

Dr. Mayfield will be recognized for her work to advance multicultural infusion in Speech-Language Pathology and ASHA; for serving as an advocate in the cause of multicultural issues; demonstrating respect and value for differing backgrounds and points of view; and for having highlighted the impact of culture and/or language on speech-language pathology, audiology, speech-language, or hearing science.