News and Events

On November 16, 17, and 18, a team of eight faculty members and administrators from other universities evaluated GSU on behalf of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association. The team has completed its review and will recommend to the HLC that GSU be reaccredited for the maximum number of years (10 years, with the next accreditation visit in academic year 2019-2020). The team’s recommendation is preliminary and will be reviewed by HLC staff and/or review committees. However, the university is optimistic that the visitation team’s recommendation will be the same as the Commission’s final decision.

The team evaluated the university on five criteria:

• Mission and Integrity
• Preparing for the Future
• Student Learning and Effective Teaching
• Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
• Engagement and Service

All five criteria were met. The HLC team was particularly impressed by the clear commitment to the university’s mission, as expressed by numerous people throughout the visit, and the transparency of university decision making and strategic management, as exemplified by PBAC. The team especially praised GSU’s commitment to diversity, the high morale of the institution, and model achievements in engagement with external communities. GSU’s improved infrastructure was also recognized as a campus strength, although the team expressed concerns related to the E and F science wings and the need for immediate improvement in these facilities.

The team also recommended that the HLC approve GSU’s request to offer the nursing programs and the program in Addiction Studies fully online. The team did recommend, however, that the university develop, within three years, an institutional effectiveness plan which integrates the assessment of student learning, general education assessment, and institutional data for planning and improvement purposes. That plan will be reviewed by an HLC team.

President Maimon regards the visit as “highly successful” and another important step toward establishing Governors State University as an educational leader.  “We learned a great deal from the visiting team, and they acknowledged that they learned a great deal from us,” noted Maimon. “That kind of productive dialogue is a major purpose of the peer review system of reaccreditation.”

Special thanks go to Drs. Eric Martin and Ann Vendrely, the HLC Self-Study co-chairs; Dr. David Curtis, Interim Provost; Dr. Sandra Mayfield, HLC Self-Study Coordinator for the Provost’s Office; and Jill Stanley, the support person who managed the travel, meals, and schedules of the team visitors. Additional thanks go to the many members of the university community who contributed time and effort on various self-study committees over the past two years.

“As we look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to express my personal gratitude to this vibrant community. The evaluation team leader commented especially on our forward momentum as a unifying force in our region,” Maimon added.

In approximately six weeks, GSU will receive a copy of the written report that will be officially submitted to the Commission.

In response to Wednesday’s oral report, campus celebrations are already underway.

President Elaine P. Maimon recently joined a new Presidents’ Trust formed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).

President Maimon and an esteemed national group of 81 other college and university leaders from around the country formed the Trust to make the case strongly and collectively for liberal education and its value in today’s world. The Presidents’ Trust is a leadership group within the AAC&U’s national initiative to promote Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP): Excellence for Everyone as a Nation Goes To College.

“At Governors State University, we believe that students benefit from strong preparation in writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving — the liberal learning clearly articulated by the Presidents’ Trust. It is essential that we combine liberal education with career education,” said Maimon.

Members of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust are leaders from all sectors of higher education and are committed to advocating for the vision, values, and practices that connect liberal education with the individual and societal needs of the twenty-first century. Through regional and national meetings and their own advocacy efforts, Trust members will engage with campus members and those outside of higher education about the core purposes and practices of liberal education. They are all also providing leadership for advancing reforms in the practice of liberal education both on campus and with other groups and organizations with which they are affiliated.

While the HIV/AIDS epidemic is not making the news as frequently or with as much urgency as it once did, the disease remains a growing and serious world health issue. World AIDS Day will be marked at GSU with an opportunity to learn the current statistics, facts, and answers about HIV/AIDS.

A panel discussion, with comments by those living with the disease and healthcare professional treating it, will be held at on December 1, at noon and again at 2:20 p.m., in the Cafeteria Annex.

An information fair will also held on December 1, from noon to 5 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. A variety of service providers will offer information on the spread, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Both the information fair and panel discussion are free and open to the public.

This event is sponsored by the Academic Resource Center at GSU. For more information, contact Tamekia Scott at ext 2228.

The Teacher Quality Enhancement Recruitment (TQE-R) grant at Governors State University is offering scholarships, from $500 to $3,000, to students entering the university’s secondary education programs in biology, chemistry, English, or math.

This is a renewable scholarship until Fall 2010 so students may reapply for the scholarship in subsequent terms. Applications for Winter 2010 must be submitted by December 1, 2009. Scholarship requirements and applications are available online.

 
This program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Applications for civil service scholarships are being accepted until January 16, 2010. Four applicants will be chosen to receive awards of $250 each. Applicants need be enrolled in a minimum of three credit hours and must be a civil servant at GSU or married to or a dependent of a member of the GSU civil service.

For more information and an application, contact Senantha Jenkins at ext 4484. 

This fall, Dr. Walt Henne returned to the GSU science labs where he first learned – and helped teach – college level chemistry and started his career in biomedical research. As a Professor of Biochemistry, he will guide a new generation of students toward an understanding and appreciation of how to conduct responsible, effective scientific research that helps change our world.

Dr. Henne is a proud GSU alumnus who received a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1996 and a Master’s in Analytical Chemistry in 1999. He has a remarkable story but much of it is familiar to thousands of other non-traditional GSU alumni who work long hours at multiple jobs to finish their education. It’s also remarkable that four members of his family are GSU graduates, and all attended the university at the same time.

Dr. Henne’s wife Kristene and his brother Jeff both received B.S. degrees in Biology in 2000. His sister Christina received a B.A. degree in Elementary Education in 2001 and his brother-in-law Jerry Kovach graduated that same year with a B.A. in Social Sciences.

A native of a small farming community near Streator, Dr. Henne started attending GSU in 1994 after completing an Associate of Applied Sciences degree at Kankakee Community College.

GSU’s flexible scheduling made it possible for Dr. Henne to go to school while working as an RN at a Kankakee rehabilitation facility. While an undergraduate, he started a second job as a teaching assistant, first in Organic Chemistry and later in Physiology, Analytical Chemistry, and Biochemistry.

After receiving his B.S., he continued his job as a teaching assistant while pursuing his master’s degree. Dr. Henne’s wife and brother also worked as teaching assistants in the science labs.

GSU School of Counseling Common Hour Series continues with the presentation Social Responsibility: Counseling Adolescents and Children in School on Wednesday, December 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in Engbretson Hall.

Speakers include Raymond Piagentini, President of the Illinois School Counselor Association; Dr. Reginald Patterson, Elementary School Counseling, Chicago Public Schools; and Dr Joyce Brown, Secondary School Counseling, Chicago Public Schools.

The Illinois Counseling Association, GSU Chapter, and graduate students in COUN858 (Development of School Counseling Services) are sponsoring this event. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Each year an outstanding senior from each of the four-year degree granting institutions of higher learning in Illinois is named a Student Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

This year’s Lincoln Laureate from GSU is Adam Taylor of Matteson. According to those who nominated him, Taylor exemplifies the characteristics of Lincoln Laureates who are chosen for their commitment to the principles of democracy and humanity as embodied by Abraham Lincoln. Taylor has been an active and contributing member of the GSU community through his work as president of the Student Senate, participant in the Brother 2 Brother program, and member of the Black Student Union. As a student at GSU, he has worked as a Student Life assistant helping plan and implement student activities on campus.

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois established the award in 1965. Each recipient receives the Student Laureate Medallion and a certificate of achievement. Taylor and other award recipients recently participated in a ceremony in Springfield, in the Old State Capitol. A luncheon honoring the recipients was held in the Executive Mansion following the ceremony.|

Taylor will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with teacher certification and will student teach at Collin Powell Middle School in Matteson next year.

Effective immediately, GSU has a No Tobacco Funding policy. According to the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN), which helped develop the policy, GSU is the first university in the United States and the only university in Illinois to have such a strong university-wide statement against accepting tobacco money for research and sponsored programs.

Dr. Daniel Cortese of the College of Arts and Sciences, working with Dean Linda Samson, Interim Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies; Alexis Kennedy, GSU’s General Counsel; and Kimberlee Homer Vagadori of CYAN, developed the university’s No-Tobacco Funding policy. 

Visit the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research website to review the policy.

President Elaine P. Maimon and the GSU Community welcome the HLC Site Visit Team to GSU from today, November 16 through Wednesday, November18. 

As part of the HLC site visit, the team will host a series of open meetings for the GSU community. Attendees should expect to answer questions from the site visit team, but will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the team.

Open Meeting Schedule 
Sherman Music Recital Hall (E1530)

Monday, November 16
Civil Service Staff  - 2 to 3 p.m.
Faculty - 3 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17
A&P Staff - 9 to 10 a.m.
Students - 2 to 3 p.m.
Faculty - 3 to 4 p.m.

For more information, read GSU's self-study online.

As GSU enters the last two weeks of the Campus Community Campaign, the university needs your help to achieve its goal of raising $100,000 (or more!).

In addition to helping the university, the incentives to donate are even greater this year. Prizes include: 

• Grand Prize – Designated parking spot in lot of winner’s choosing for one year
• 1^st Prize – One year member to the GSU Recreation and Fitness Center
• 2^nd Prize – Overnight hotel accommodations at the Matteson Holiday Inn; 2 tickets to The Millers at The Center for Performing Arts; and dinner for two (TBD)
• 3^rd Prize – Overnight hotel accommodations at the Empress Casino in Joliet and a certificate for two to the buffet
• Additional Prizes - Guest passes for two at the East Bank Club; A $50 gift card towards a meal at Maxwell’s; Cooper’s Hawk wine tasting for ten; and lots of theater tickets.

Be sure to turn your Campus Community Campaign Employee Contribution Form in to your CCC volunteer or contact Jackie Small in Institutional Advancement at ext. 2188. Any questions or concerns may also be directed to Jackie. The campaign will officially end on November 30. 

GSU CenterPoint for Entrepreneurs will sponsor Global Entrepreneurship Week from November 16 to 20. Daily events during the week will connect students, educators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, non-profit leaders, and government officials through activities designed to help them explore entrepreneurship and innovation. CenterPoint is inviting GSU students, faculty, and staff to participate in the week’s events.

A free Business Clinic will be held November 16 to 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the CenterPoint offices, Room C3300.

Participants can take part in an Artrepreneur Blog on Monday, Nov. 16.

Tuesday events include Doing Business in a Multicultural Society, from 4 to 6 p.m., and Meet the Entrepreneur – Art Lubinski from 6 to 7 p.m. Both will take place in the Hall of Honors.

The Veterans Entrepreneurial Boot Camp is scheduled Wednesday, Nov. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., in E-Lounge.

Trivia Competitions are slated for Thursday, November 19. The Global Entrepreneurship Week Open House will take place Friday, November 20.

For more information, visit the CenterPoint website or call 708.534.4927. 

The Office of International Services is celebrating International Education Week with a host of activities to introduce students to the world outside of GSU.

Posters on bulletin boards around campus list how to say please and thank-you in Chinese, Spanish, and Hindi. Everyone is encouraged to learn these common words that can open the door to communicating with people from other countries.

On-the-spot processing of applications for new or renewal of existing U.S. passports is available on November 16, 1:30 to 3 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. Proof of citizenship, a valid photo ID, and payments by check are required.

Films and information about Israel, Jordan, Greece, and Turkey will be shown on November 17, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., in Engbretson Hall. Refreshments will be served.

The Global Trade Center and the Office of International Services will present Doing Business in a Multi-Cultural Setting, on November 17, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Hall of Honors. Refreshments will be served.

Learn about study, internship, volunteer, and employment opportunities abroad at a discussion on November 18, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., in Sherman Recital Hall.

For more information about becoming a host family for a student from another country, attend an information session on November 19, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., in Sherman Recital Hall.

The Office of Career Services is sponsoring a career fair for healthcare workers. Current students, alumni, and community members interested in finding employment in the field of healthcare are invited to attend. More than 35 potential employers will be present. Fields represented will include OT/PT, nursing, healthcare administration, and non-profit agencies.

The Healthcare Career Fair is on Tuesday, December 8, from 4 to 6 p.m., in The Center for Performing Arts lobby. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the career fair, call ext 3974.

Your child deserves the best. The Family Development Center offers full and half day pre-kindergarten programs with certified teachers in a state-of-the-art educational facility on the GSU campus.

Tuition discounts available to qualified applicants. For more information, visit the FDC website or call 708.235.7300. 

Associate Professor of Social Work Maristela Zell left Brazil 22 years ago, but did not leave behind her concern for her native country. Not long after arriving in the U.S., Zell became interested in the Movement of the Brazilian Rural Landless Workers (MST), and discovered that there was a non-profit support group for MST in America. She subsequently helped found the support group’s Chicago chapter.

According to Zell, Brazil enjoys the world’s eighth largest economy, but 34 percent of its people live in poverty. A mere 1.6 percent of the population controls roughly half of the arable land.
 

In essence, the Movement of Brazilian Rural Landless Workers is about the mass occupation and settlement of currently unused, undeveloped land by rural, landless workers. Work on the land, as well as childcare, cooking, and other chores, is shared equally. MST workers practice a “diversified, environmentally sustainable” form of agriculture, “based on rational use of natural resources,” Zell explained.

Over the past 20 years, the MST movement has helped settle more than 300,000 landless families. The MST movement also maintains 1,200 elementary schools, employing 3,800 teachers, and caring for more than 75,000 children.

In a 2007 Journal of Comparative Social Welfare article, Zell wrote that education in the MST movement “is conceived as a liberating force that fosters agents of change, capable of dialogue, critical reflection, and collective action, all needed to build and sustain their communities.” The crowning educational achievement of the MST was the construction of the Florestan Fernandes National School. Last year, Zell and her family visited that university.
 

As a researcher and professor, Zell plans to continue helping raise the public consciousness about the pursuit of justice in her native land.

Research supports the positive impact of collaborative projects on learning outcomes. Yet many instructors find that their group projects are less successful than they would like, citing issues such as student resistance to group work, instructor reluctance to use valuable in-class time for students to coordinate team efforts, and difficulties in creating an appropriate group project that actually achieves desired outcomes.

In the Planning Group Projects that Work workshop, instructors will learn about factors that contribute to successful group projects, consider alternative group project formats, and find out how to use the CE-8 Group Manager to organize and facilitate group work. This workshop will help improve the use of collaborative projects as a valuable teaching strategy, whether instruction is online or in class.

Two sessions of this workshop are being offered. When registering, please note which session is preferred. Sessions will be held on Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to noon, in D2430, and Tuesday, November 24, from 9 a.m. to noon, in D2434. To register, email Jan Engle. 

The Black Student Union is sponsoring a holiday food drive. From now until December 11, place non-perishable food items in the bins located around campus. The BSU will make sure the food reaches need families.

Suggested items include canned ham, vegetables, fruits, cranberry sauce, and gravy, cake mix, containers of frosting, packaged potatoes, pasta, and stuffing mix. Juices are also needed. Remember non refrigerated or frozen items may be accepted.

The university is making final preparations to receive the HLC site visit team next week. The group will be on campus from Monday, November 16 through Wednesday, November 18. In addition to many pre-scheduled meetings, the team will take time to talk with individual students, faculty, and staff. Please be receptive, open, and honest to any inquiries you receive from team members. For more information, visit GSU’s HLC 2009 webpage.
 

Site Visit Team

Dr. Nathan Paul Ritchey, Team Chair
Chair, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Youngstown State University 

Ms. Jo. Y. Calhoun
Associate Provost, Student Life Division
University of Denver

Dr. Thomas J. Haas
President
Grand Valley State University

Dr. Maurice A. Lee
Dean, College of Liberal Arts
University of Central Arkansas 

Dr. Jean M. McEnery
Professor, College of Business
Eastern Michigan University

Dr. Scott R. Olson
Provost
Minnesota State University, Mankato 

Dr. Heidi R. Ries
Dean for Research
Air Force Institute of Technology 

Dr. Raylene M. Rospond
Dean and Professor
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Drake University

On November 11, Dr. Elaine Maimon announced in a letter to the GSU community that the university will be adopting a semester-based academic calendar in the 2010-2011 academic year. The change to the semester system will create a more flexible calendar that is better able to address the needs of current and future students. 

The GSU Table Tennis club recently competed at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee in the Upper Midwest Division tournament in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association. GSU members include Xiaoke Yi, Liuzhen Zheng, Yi Chen, Linfeng Xie, Chengwei Yu, Qian Li Ma, and Georges Yacoub. They are students in the MBA program. Dr. Gebe Ejigu and coach and advisor Dr. T.J. Wang accompanied the club to the competition.

The Upper Midwest Division consists of GSU, University of Chicago, Purdue University, Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This was the first competition for the GSU squad, formed in April 2009. Participants competed very well and had a good time. Several members won matches and games. Georges Yacoub and Yi Chen each won matches against players from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Liuzhen Zheng won games against players from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Qian Li Ma won a game against a player from the University of Chicago.

The next Upper Midwest Division competition is in February 2010. It will determine team eligibility for the National Championship in April 2010.

Registration for Winter 2010 classes has already begun and will continue through January 16, 2010. Classes in the new term begin on January 11.

To register online, go to www.govst.edu/register/.

Teaching math today is much more than demonstrating long division and graphing points on a chalkboard. Today’s educators need to know how to use the tools that make teaching and learning math as up-to-date as possible.

Recently, future mathematics teacher Tony Knoblauch of Bourbonnais presented a 90-minute workshop at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) annual conference in Peoria, Illinois on An introduction to Geometry on the TiNspire Graphing Calculator. 

Presenting with Knoblauch was Dr. Dianna Galante, associate professor of mathematics at Governors State University. Knoblauch is a student in the Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics Teacher Education program at GSU. He is currently a student teacher at Lincoln Way Central High School in New Lenox.

Governors State University has reaffirmed its agreement with Prudential Insurance Company for administering GSU’s voluntary Long Term Disability (LTD) Plan for the next few years. At the same time, the university has ended its broker relationship with Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc for its services under the plan. As a result, the monthly premium rates offered by Prudential Insurance Company have been lowered for the next few years.

As of November 1, premium rates for employees participating in the university’s voluntary Long Term Disability Plan have been updated to reflect the new premium amount based on these new rates. Premiums are determined by the participant’s gross monthly disability benefit (two thirds of annual salary) and age as of June 30 of every year. While most employees may experience a decrease in their semi-monthly premium deduction, some may see a slight increase. This could be due to a change in your gross monthly disability benefit (salary change) or attaining a significant birthday. The premium rates are structured in five-year increments (i.e. 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; etc.).
 

For more information regarding semi-monthly premium deductions, contact Julia Jamison at ext.7468, Dave Drechsel at ext. 7467.

Raven James, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Addictions Studies, and graduate student Colleen Wray recently presented at the 2009 National LGBTI Health Summit in Chicago.

Their presentation, entitled Working with LGBT Clients in Substance Abuse: What Counselors Need to Know, used interactive and experiential activities designed to increase awareness of the importance of developing sensitivity to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons in drug and alcohol treatment.

The training was also designed to promote an understanding of how prejudice and discrimination against LGBTI persons and other identities are linked, while examining the impact of external and internal oppression on the recovery process. Dr. James and Wray also provided an overview of assessment and intervention issues and techniques and resources for referral - with the ultimate goal of helping practitioners become more effective in working with LGBTI persons.

The Family Development Center is offering big savings as part of Carson’s Community Day on November 14. 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 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the FDC.

For information, contact Audrey McIntyre at ext. 7320.

Make someone’s holidays happier with a gift you can’t wait to be rid of. The Civil Service Senate is gathering new, unused items for re-gifting at the annual Civil Service holiday celebration.

Donations will be accepted until Tuesday, December 1. Donations accepted by Kathy Miller (room G336), Karen Sinwelski (room E2592), and Donna Rutledge (room B1223).

The Department of Human Resources and the Illinois Diabetes Prevention and Control Program are sponsoring an informative program on diabetes control and prevention on Tuesday, November 17, from noon to 1 p.m., in Engbretson Hall. Participants in the Let’s Get Fit program are encouraged to bring their fitness record cards. Everyone is welcome.

The Visual Arts Gallery is featuring Organic Being, an exhibit of painting and drawings by Margie Glass-Sula through November 18.

Glass-Sula’s girlhood fascination with simple nature created an emotional link that has been rediscovered and redefined in her recent work. By evolving imagery from actual individual organic objects, she transforms each into an abstract organic individual of sorts to reveal the intimate link and beauty she finds within it.

For more information visit the Visual Arts Gallery website or call ext. 4017. 

Thanks and congratulations to all for the great success of this weekend’s culminating activities of our 40^th Anniversary celebration. Many in the university contributed to the planning and execution of a first-class series of events. I especially appreciate the incredible team work and spirit of volunteerism in pursuit of our strategic goals. We sent a strong message to the larger community about the indispensability of Governors State University. We celebrated our past and palpably continued the positive momentum into the future. Everything was A+, from Friday’s panel discussion and the unveiling of the History Wall to Saturday’s Forty Years: Linking Tradition with Innovation video and Motown party to Sunday’s ceremony recognizing Arcadia Elementary School in  District 162. All campus guests, from former GSU President Leo Goodman-Malamuth to Governor Quinn, who was here on Sunday, commented on the beauty and spirit of our campus.

All weekend I was thinking, “We are GSU!”

Sincerely,

Elaine P. Maimon
President

As part of the HLC site visit next week, the team will host a series of open meetings for the GSU community. Attendees should expect to answer questions from the site visit team, but will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the team. As with any other communication with the team, members of the GSU community are encouraged to be open, honest, and positive during these meetings.

Open Meeting Schedule 
Sherman Music Recital Hall (E1530)

Monday, November 16
Civil Service Staff  - 2 to 3 p.m.
Faculty - 3 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17
A&P Staff - 9 to 10 a.m.
Students - 2 to 3 p.m.
Faculty - 3 to 4 p.m.

For more information, read GSU's self-study online.

It was a weekend to remember as members of the GSU community celebrated the university’s 40th Anniversary with a full slate of activities geared toward celebrating the past and charting the future. Alumni, students, retirees, faculty and staff, and community members participated in Friday’s panel discussion on GSU’s continuing legacy, and Saturday night’s gala celebration.

The weekend started with the panel discussion on GSU’s past, present, and future. Dr. Paul Green, a former faculty member who is now director of Roosevelt University’s Institute for Politics, moderated the discussion, which also included Dr. Elaine Maimon, current GSU President; Dr. Leo Goodman-Malamuth, GSU’s second president; Dr. Blondean Davis, Superintendent of Matteson School District 162; Dr. Adenuga Atewologun, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Prairie State College. Following the panel discussion, Dr. Maimon and Board of Trustees Chair Lorine Samuels spoke at the dedication of GSU’s History Wall, located in the main entrance atrium.

Saturday’s activities began with a reception in the Hall of Governors with a wide variety of dishes – and even a 40th anniversary cheese sculpture. Many attendees dressed for the special night, donning ’60s-era love beads and multicolored bellbottoms. A packed house in the Center For Performing Arts enjoyed the classic soul sounds of A Tribute to the Motown Greats and the party continued past midnight, with a crowded dance floor and members of GSU’s family sharing laughter and good times while marking the university’s milestone anniversary.

On Sunday, local School District 162 - led by superintendent Dr. Blondean Davis (a recent GSU honorary degree recipient) and school board president Alicia McCray (also director of GSU's MILE) - celebrated a special award. Arcadia Elementary in Olympia Fields was recently named a Blue Ribbon Award recipient from the U.S. Department of Education. Parents, students, and SD 162 employees celebrated alongside dignitaries including Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jesse White, State Representative Al Riley, and several local mayors.

See the last story in this edition of the View for photos from this weekend's festivities. 

Fall 2009 recipients of the Civil Service Senate Scholarship/Educational Assistance Fund are GSU Employee Eileen Kelly, and the children of GSU employees, Natalie Sauch (daughter of Tom Sauch), Silvia Zhang (daughter of Shirley Zhang), and Robert Buhs (son of Jennie Buhs).

Each recipient received $250 toward their education. The Civil Service Senate congratulates them and encourages all Civil Service staff members, spouses or dependent children to apply for the Winter 2010 awards. Contact Senatha Jenkins in Human Resources for further information.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s principal trumpet and trombone players will perform solos when the Chicago College of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra comes to the Center for Performing Arts on Monday, November 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Trumpeter Chris Martin and Trombonist Jay Friedman will join the CCPA Symphony Orchestra, which is part of the Roosevelt University music program. The concert is free and no tickets are needed.

Under the direction of CCPA Principal Conductor Stephen Squires, the program will showcase 20^th century works for trumpet and trombone, including Andre Jolivet's Concertino for Trumpet and Orchestra (1948) and Jaques Castérède's Concerto for Trumpet and Trombone (1958). Also featured is an orchestral transcription of George Enescu's Légende (1906) Chris Martin, created especially for Martin. Beethoven's monumental Third Symphony (Eroica) concludes the evening. Friedman and Martin will perform as faculty soloists.

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.

Ever wonder why the flags at GSU’s main entrance are at half-staff? Facilities Development and Management maintains a webpage that lists when and for whom the flags are lowered. Simply log onto www.govst.edu/flag anytime to find out.

Mary L. Hopson

Specialist

DCFS

Joanna Sharp

Trainer

DCFS

Sheree Bowen

Telephone Operator I

ITS

Dione L. Wofford

Office Support Specialist

MMPA

GSU will observe International Education Week with a series of events to bring students, faculty, and staff from various counties together to learn from each other and about each other. International Education Week begins Monday, November 16 and concludes on Thursday, November 19.

The Small World Coffee Hour offers the GSU community the opportunity to share coffee and conversation, on November 16, from 11:30 to 12:30 in the Cafeteria. Representatives from the U.S. Post Office will be on campus to process or renew passports on November 16, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. Films on Israel and Jordan, and Greece and Turkey will be shown on November 17, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Engbretson Hall. The presentation, Doing Business in a Multi-Cultural Setting, will be made on November 17, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Hall of Honors. Learn about studying, working, or volunteering abroad on November 18, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., in Sherman Recital Hall. On November 19, a discussion on how to be a host family of an international student will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., in Sherman Recital Hall.

The GSU Office of International Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. State Department sponsor International Education Week.

Restorative Justice Facilitator Training will be offered on Saturday, November 7, Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, from 9 to 4 p.m., at Prairie State College, in Chicago Heights.

This three-day training is free and will help prepare schools and communities to respond to rising juvenile crime in the south suburbs. Restorative justice methods have proven to promote community safety. The training will focus on holding youths accountable, developing responsible behaviors, considering the victims of crime, and empowering communities to provide for the general welfare of its members.

This event is sponsored by F.U.T.U.R.E. Foundation Youth Services, Inc., Prairie State College, Governors State University, and the Metropolitan Institute for Leadership in Education of the GSU College of Education.

Continuing Education Units and Continuing Professional Development Units for social workers and teachers are available for a minimal charge. This event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, call 708.235.3987.

Continuing the tradition, the GSU Foundation will reach out and to express gratitude to this year’s donors. Gratitude Day is on for Tuesday, November 10.

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.

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research recently purchased the following publications to help faculty and staff prepare winning grant proposals:

• The Grant Application Writer’s Handbook — Successful Proposals to Any Agency
• The Grant Application Writer’s Handbook — National Science Foundation-FastLane
• The Grant Application Writer’s Handbook — National Institutes of Health

To borrow one of these volumes, contact Penny Havlicek at ext. 3982.