News and Events

The 2009 Spring Commencement will be held on Saturday, June 6, at 11 a.m., at the Holiday Inn Select and Convention Center in Tinley Park.

To help make the event a success, GSU staff, faculty, and students are asked to join the GSU’s Volunteer Team (GSU V-Team). Volunteers are needed to answer questions, provide directions, assist with robing faculty and students, and assist with guest seating. Volunteers help ensure the overall success of commencement and assume an important role in facilitating this most memorable experience for our students, faculty, staff, and guests.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Pulchratia Kinney-Smith at ext. 7466. 

Facilities will test fire alarms in the Faculty Office Center on today, beginning 11 p.m. The audible alarms are quite loud so please plan your schedule accordingly.

For more information, contact Facilities at ext. 4515.

As was announced during the university-wide meeting on May 14, a draft of Chapter 2 is now available for review and feedback via the GSU HLC 2009 website.

As a reminder, feedback may be submitted via email to the HLC committee.

Summer construction projects at GSU include roadway and walkway improvements, roadway lighting, landscaping, site amenities, and a new parking lot for the Family Development Center.

The first of three phases of work begin Monday, June 1, and include reconfiguration and construction of the D-Main entry walkway, the adjacent circular “round-about” road, and the connecting roads on the east and west sides of the bell tower carillon.

These roads will be closed until approximately mid-August. D-Main entry will also be closed with anticipated completion of the walkways by mid-July. Alternate entries to the building and traffic flow directions will be designated with signage. Subsequent phases of work will be announced throughout the summer.

Also beginning June 1, Pace Bus pick-up and drop off will be temporarily relocated to the F-wing entry. The GSU Shuttle pick-up and drop off will be temporarily relocated to the north end “B” Parking Lot.

For more information, call ext 4515.

Enjoy a  tour of the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park from your bicycle. Bike the pathways of the park and enjoy a guided tour of many of the 26 pieces of renowned artwork!

The bike tour is on Saturday, May 30, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Riders will meet outside, behind the Hall of Governors. There is no charge. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All riders must wear helmets. There will be some riding on public roads.

Pre-registration is not required. For more information, email or call the NMSP at ext 4486.  

The upcoming Zip Code change for University Park will soon render Current GSU business cards collector’s items. To ease the transition to 60484, take advantage of the 20 percent discount on new business cards being offered throughout the month of June.

Convenient, new ordering instructions will be included in next week’s View.

Don’t worry if you have a stack of cards with the current Zip Code. That code is valid for GSU until July 2010.

The GSU Foundation and the GSU Alumni Association have announced the 2009/2010 scholarship offerings. For a list of available scholarships, visit www.govst.edu/scholarships. 

The deadline to apply is June 26, 2009.

There is still time to share your GSU story. Contribute your story of the positive impact GSU had on your life in 750 words or less. Many of the submissions will be featured on the 40th Anniversary website. The top submissions will be announced at the GSU Gala Celebration on November 7 and will be printed in IMPACT, a publication commemorating the best submissions.

All literary genres are accepted via electronic submission to writingcompetition@govst.edu. No graphics please. Entries should be submitted as Microsoft Word documents only. The submission deadline is June 1, 2009.

For more information, visit the Writing Competition FAQ or contact Sheree Sanderson at 708.235.3956.

The nest meeting of the Black Student Union will be held on Wednesday, June 17, from 2:30 -3:30 p.m., in the cafeteria annex. Everyone is welcome.

Benefits Choice, open enrollment period, has been extended to Monday, June 15, for the Fiscal Year 2010. Changes will be accepted through the end of business, 5 p.m., on June 15. Changes turned in during Benefit Choice through June 15 become effective July 1, 2009.

This extension does not apply to the Flexible Spending Plan, MCAP, and DCAP. Open enrollment or Benefits Choice Period for these plans will end on Friday, May 29, 2009. Employees who wish to apply or re-enroll must contact HR this week.

While all the students participating in Commencement exercises on June 6 have a story to tell of their journey to graduation, few have come as far as eight students from China earning their MBAs.

These students are among the 20 students attending GSU from Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT) in China. They are the first graduates of a program begun in 2006.

The education exchange agreement between GSU and GDUT was initiated by Hilary Burkinshaw, Director of the CenterPoint for Entrepreneurs at GSU. Burkinshaw travelled to China on a trade mission organized by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The agreement enabled GSU professors to work closely with the Chinese students to prepare them for their learning experience in an American university classroom.

Several of the students’ parents will travel to GSU to celebrate their children’s success at the invitation of Dr. Ellen Foster Curtis, Dean of CBPA.

On the heels of one of the most exciting Presidential elections in U.S. history, Governors State University will feature presidential historian and best-selling author Michael Beschloss as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series. Beschloss will present a lecture on Friday, June 5, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., in Sherman Hall on the GSU campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Michael Beschloss, formerly of Flossmoor, Illinois, is the nation’s premier presidential historian. He is the author of eight books including Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America and The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman, and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945. NBC recently appointed him NBC News’ Presidential Historian, the first such position at any major network.

Beschloss believes that great U.S. presidents exhibit “presidential courage” or the willingness to take potentially career-ending risks, which aren’t immediately admired. Through a discussion of past presidents and a comparison to today’s political climate, he often provides an astute look into the future. He is also known for sharing never-before-told stories of presidents from an insightful and humorous perspective.

On Saturday, June 6, Beschloss will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the university at the graduation ceremony. Commencement will be held at 11 a.m., at the Tinley Park Convention Center.

Seating is limited. To RSVP, call 708.534.4497.

Educator Johnson, Program Coordinator for the Illinois Online Network, will open the Fifth Annual Faculty Summer Institute, on Tuesday, May 26, with a presentation. The Future of eLearning in Illinois looks at trends and developments in elearning across the changing environment of higher education in Illinois.

Carie Lee Page, from EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Program, will deliver the keynote address, Building a blueprint for NetGen students, on Wednesday, May 27. Her presentation looks at changing student characteristics using EDUCAUSE research and other national data.

The Faculty Summer Institute begins each day at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and includes two days of interesting and engaging presentations and workshops and lunch. The Institute is open to all GSU faculty, adjunct faculty, and teaching staff.

To register, visit the FSI website.  

Enjoy a completely different view of the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park. Bike the paved pathways of the park and enjoy a guided tour of many of the 26 pieces of renowned artwork – from your bicycle seat!

The bike tour is on Saturday, May 30, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Riders will meet outside, behind the Hall of Governors. There is no charge. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All riders must wear helmets. There will be some riding on public roads.

Pre-registration is not required. For more information, email or call the NMSP at ext 4486. 

This week, the auditing firm of Borschnack, Pelletier & Co. returned to campus to begin our FY 2009 audits. The audit team will work in room D1430 until the end of the calendar year. The audit team is lead by Paul Pelletier. He is assisted by Bob Sikma, Linda Jones, Robb Knisley, and Kristin Stojcevski.

If the auditors approach you requesting information or asking questions, faculty and staff are asked to respond appropriately. Although this may take time away from daily work, everyone’s cooperation is needed to complete the audits in a timely fashion.

For more information, contact, Karen Kissel, GSU audit liaison, at ext. 4054. 

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S. It involves the theft of personal information used to take over credit accounts, open new ones, take out loans, rent an apartment, or commit other crimes.

As part of the Student Life series on financial literacy, Citibank will host an identity theft seminar on May 28, from 3 to 4 p.m., in Engbretson Hall. It is free and open to the public.

Contact Chay Wilson c-wilson@govst.edu at ext. 7653 for more information.

The parking lot contractor will complete work on Parking Lots B and C on Thursday and Friday, May 21 and 22, weather permitting. 

To complete the work, approximately half of B and C lots will be cordoned off at 4 a.m. on Thursday, and will remain closed until 3:30 p.m. The other half will be open for use. On Friday, the remaining work will be completed by 3:30 p.m.

For more information, call Facilities at ext. 4515.

The window washers recently began cleaning the windows on campus. They should be ready to clean the inside of the windows of the Faculty Office Center by Tuesday, May 26, weather permitting. 

In order to clean the inside windows, there must be a cleared path through the office to the window, as well as a cleared windowsill. If there is not clear access to the window, the window washers will not enter the office. The GSU supervisor and sub-foreman will oversee the crew while interior work is executed.

For more information, call Facilities at ext. 4515.

The Southland Area Theatre Ensemble (SLATE) at Governors State University will hold auditions for its summer production of Into the Woods.

Open auditions for adults will be held on June 1 and 2, from 5:30 to 10 p.m., in Engbretson Hall, at Governors State University. Auditions for children, ages 8 through 12, will be held on May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m., in Sherman Hall.

Auditions are scheduled by appointment only, which can be made by leaving a message on the audition hotline at 708.235.2244. Individuals wishing to audition should visit the SLATE website to download the audition form and view character descriptions and casting requirements.

Congratulations to GSU’s Weight Watchers group, who successfully lost over 200 pounds this year. The Let’s Get Fit Program is rolling out its new Momentum Plan to build on the success. Confidential weigh ins will be available throughout the program.

The next session runs from June 2 through September 23. Participants pay just three payments of $62 via payroll deduction or check. For more information, contact Julia Jamison at ext. 7468.

While the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (NMSP) boasts of one of the most remarkable groups of artwork in our region, other sites in the Midwest also offer significant displays of contemporary sculpture. The NMSP invites you to explore these showcases of artwork during a weekend sculpture tour to Michigan on September 12 and 13.

The trip includes a study guide of the sites to be visited prepared by Dr. Nina Corazzo, holder of the Walter E. Bauer Chair of History at Valparaiso University. She will lead a tour of the collection in the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Participants will also see a bronze pour demonstration at FireArts, the sculpture workshop established in South Bend, Indiana, by artist Tuck Langland.

Through special arrangement, a special pre-opening tour of the Frederick Meijer Sculpture Gardens will be lead by Joseph Becherer, Director of Sculpture and the Lena Meijer Professor of History at Aquinas College. The weekend trip concludes with a docent lead tour of the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, Michigan. 

Overnight accommodations at the Grand Amway Hotel in Grand Rapids include a cocktail reception and a presentation by Geoffrey Bates, Director and Curator of the NNMSP.

The cost of the trip is only $265 until June 12 and $279 after. This fee covers bus transportation, breakfast and box lunch on Saturday, complimentary hors d’oeuvres at the cocktail reception, and all entry fees. A $100 deposit is required, which is refundable through August 1.

For more information or to register, visit the website, call ext. 4486, or email.

Chief Debra K. Boyd, Director of Public Safety, recently graduated from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute executive development program, Police Executive Role in the 21st Century.

“Accessing ongoing educational opportunities is part of our commitment to excellence within the department,” said Boyd. “It is important for the safely and security of the campus that we access continued staff training in new technologies and methods in public safety.”

The program offers a comprehensive and challenging professional development opportunity for police managers and executives to aid in the effective leadership of departments of public safety. Program participants receive instruction on modern police management systems and practices, strategic approaches to patrol and investigations, human resource issues, organizational communication, and executive responsibilities. To compete the program, students must also conduct scholarly research on a contemporary issue in law enforcement and prepare an integrated literature review.

Chief Boyd, of Park Forest, is a 31-year veteran of law enforcement at Governors State University. She is the first female Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety. She also received an award for “breaking the glass ceiling” at the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives in 2008.

Greg Clark has been sharing his love for history for more than 30 years. The retired social studies teacher traveled to Iwo Jima in 2005 for the 60^th Anniversary of the battle. This trip has been featured on the History Channel program Mail Call. 

Clark continues to research this battle, speaking to veterans who served in Iwo Jima as well as other historians who specialize in the Pacific Theater of WWII. He regularly shares his research with civic and veterans’ organizations.
 

Clark taught junior high social studies for Orland School District 135 for more than three decades. He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, VMF 611, 4^th Marine Division Air wing, from 1967 to 1973.

He received his Master’s Degree in Education Administration in 1989. 

With GSU’s Commencement only two weeks away, we’re reminded that it’s that time of the year where graduates around the country move their mortarboard tassels from right to left to signify their academic success.

On Saturday, May 16, President Maimon participated in Kankakee Community College’s ceremony as the commencement speaker. In honor of her remarks and to further the positive relationship between the schools, KCC made a donation of $500 to the GSU Promise.

“We were proud to welcome Dr. Maimon as our commencement speaker,” said Dr. Larry Huffman, KCC’s Interim President. “GSU and KCC have a longstanding history of working together to provide quality educational opportunities to students throughout the Kankakee region. Dr. Maimon's dedication to, and her own pursuit of, educational excellence make her an ideal commencement speaker for our 2009 graduating class."

Dr. Maimon offered the graduates with three specific pieces of advice: “Be truly happy in the achievements and success of your friends and colleagues; be passionate about your work and your life; and keep learning.”

Focusing on the idea of continued learning, she encouraged the grads to visit the KCC Baccalaureate Completion Center. She noted that “the last few years of study have been preparation for achieving a bachelor’s degree. Don’t wait. Don’t rest. Finish what you started.”

Dr. Maimon concluded with a piece of advice that she will echo at GSU’s ceremony on June 6 – “Make us proud. Make us better. Make a difference.”

The Fiscal Year 2009 is ending on June 30 and year-end business transactions must be submitted, completed, and paid with funds encumbered during FY2009 from all sources including grants.

Dates to remember include:

May 21, at 10 a.m., in E Lounge – annual year-end training meeting

June 2 – Last day to submit requisitions for purchases funded with FY2009 dollars 

June 30 - All services must be completed and products received for FY2009 by this date

June 12 – Last day to order office supplies for FY2009

July 14 – Last day to submit travel Reimbursements for travel completed by June 30

July 31 – Last day to submit invoices for FY2009 payments

Requisitions, purchases, and blanket orders with a July 1, 2009 start date may now be submitted for processing in preparation for FY2010. For grant periods that cross fiscal years, new requisitions are required to establish new purchase orders for FY2010.

For information contact, Procurement at ext. 4056, Accounts Payable at ext. 7354, Travel at ext. 7422, and Grants at ext. 7664.  

GSU art professor Heather Page will take part in Land Marks: Restoration & Regeneration. The art exhibit, which takes place from May 15 through June 27, at the Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest, Illinois.

The exhibit will include drawings; encaustic paintings; fiber, wood, and wax works; a group of panels created through extensive reinterpretation and reconstruction of earlier prints; and both wall and freestanding installations.

According to a recent article in the SouthtownStar, “Page's large-scale 3-D houses and multimedia panels incorporate fragments of earlier prints and reference natural forms through labor-intensive layering of papers and other materials with numerous drawing, painting, and printmaking techniques.”

The Department of Facilities Development and Management provides easels with flip-top charts for meetings and events. After use, internal clients are asked to remove the used sheets from the easels and leave them in the meeting room. Individuals who have taken easels/charts back to their offices are encouraged to return them as soon as possible due to an equipment shortage.

GSU Faculty, adjuncts, and teaching staff are invited to submit presentation abstracts for the Faculty Summer Institute at GSU on May 26 and 27. Faculty are encouraged to present on their current subject-matter research, recent scholarship on learning and teaching, or the implementation of learning technologies. Presentations will be informal and approximately 45 minutes long with time for questions. Abstract submissions are due by May 15.

For more information or a submission form, contact to Eric Wignall. To register, visit the Institute website.

The Stuenkel Road/University Parkway rail crossing near the north entrance of the university will undergo repairs from Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22 and will be closed during that period. Several alternate routes to GSU are available. View the alternate routes and download a printable map online.  

Earlier today, Drs. Eric Martin and Ann Vendrely hosted a university-wide update meeting regarding this fall’s Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation visit. The meeting, which nearly exceeded the capacity of the room, drew faculty, staff, and students from throughout the university.

Martin and Vendrely, co-chairs of the steering committee, provided information on the project status and of future steps the committee is taking to ensure successful completion of the self-study document and the November site visit.

The audience also asked several questions regarding the self-study document as well as what would be expected during the accreditation team’s visit. The overarching theme indicated that GSU will present itself in the most truthful light possible – highlighting its many achievements and providing current or proposed action for areas needing improvement.

Drafts of the self-study introduction and chapter 1 are available for review online. Additional chapters will be made available as they are completed. The university community is encouraged to send any questions or comments to the HLC steering committee. 

On the heels of one of the most exciting Presidential Elections in U.S. history, GSU will feature presidential historian and best-selling author Michael Beschloss as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series. Beschloss will present a lecture on Friday, June 5, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., in Sherman Hall on the GSU campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Beschloss is the nation’s premiere presidential historian and author of eight books including Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America and The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman, and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945. NBC recently appointed him NBC News’ Presidential Historian, the first such position at any major network.

Beschloss believes that great U.S. presidents exhibit “presidential courage” or the willingness to take potentially career-ending risks, which aren’t immediately admired. Through a discussion of past presidents and a comparison to today’s political climate, he often provides an astute look into the future. He is also known for sharing never-before-told stories of presidents from an insightful and humorous perspective.

The Visual Arts Gallery presents Diaspora – Dispersing the Light, a graduate student photo exhibition by Peter Bosy, from May 18 to 28. An opening reception celebrating Bosy’s work will be held on Monday, May 18, from 6 to 9 p.m., in the gallery.

In this series of photos, the light is spread and creatively diffused, enabling visual exploration to find a sensitive balance between shadow and light. Bosy is completing his Master of Arts Degree in Photography.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in the E-Wing and is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call ext. 4021.

Noted author, journalist, and educator, Alex Kotlowicz will be the keynote speaker at the Creating Safe Schools Symposium sponsored by the Metropolitan Institute for Leadership in Education (MILE) and the Criminal Justice Program. Kotlowicz is the author of numerous books on urban affairs and social policy including There Are No Children Here and The Other Side of the River.

The symposium will be held on May 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Thornridge High School auditorium, 15000 Cottage Grove Avenue, Dolton, Illinois, and is free and open to the public.

In addition to Kotlowicz, Dr. James R. Coldren, Jr., Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at GSU, will moderate a panel discussion on strategies for controlling and eliminating violence in public schools.

Refreshments will be served. For more information or to register, call 708.534.4024.

A one-day Substitute Teacher Academy with Resources workshop, designed to teach new subs what to expect, what to do in an emergency, how to maintain classroom control, and how to follow the teacher’s lesson plans, will be conducted on July 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Hall of Honors. Participants most hold a bachelor’s degree. Registration is limited to 50 participants. The $50 registration fee includes lunch and materials.

For more information and to register, call 708.534.4024.

The GSU chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) will host a one-day seminar, Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence-Based AAC Interventions on Friday, June 5, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., in room D34012.

The seminar will be presented by Dr. Oliver Wendt, Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Assistant Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Purdue University; and Dr. Ravi Nigam, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Disorders, College of Health and Human Services at GSU.

The seminar fee is $45 per registrant, however, there is no charge to GSU practicum supervisors or GSU students and faculty. The seminar is offered for 0.6 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

The seminar is limited to 30 participants. Pre-registration is required by May 22. For additional information or to register, e-mail the GSU NSSLHA.  

Thomas A. Hurlburt has been named the new Superintendent of Schools for the Frankfort School District 157-C beginning in July, 2009. Dr. Hurlburt served as superintendent for the last three years at Brookfield LaGrange Park School District 95, and prior to that was Principal for five years at S.E. Gross Middle School in District 95.

Dr. Hurlburt received an MA in Educational Administration in 2001.

A recertification course for CPR (Health Care Provider Card) will be offered on Wednesday, May 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., in the Nursing Lab, C3358. The course is open to students, faculty, and staff who previously earned a HCP-CPR Card, which is either current or recently expired.

If there is enough interest, initial courses in HCP-CPR, Heartsaver AED courses for either adult of infant/child (non-professional level), and/or a recertification class at a different time will be offered.

For more information or to register, contact Martha Gainer at ext. 4042.                              

Join the fun and shake off the pounds in Belly Dance classes sponsored by the Recreation and Fitness Center. Instructor, Miss Taj, will lead class on Wednesdays, May 11 through June 3, from noon to 1 p.m., at the Recreation and Fitness Center. The fees are only $5 for students and $15 for non-students. Space is limited.

Belly Dance lessons are the first in Recreation and Fitness Center’s Ethnic Dance Series. For more information or to register, call 708.534.4556.

The HLC 2009 Committee, co-hosted by Eric Martin and Ann Vendrely, invite the university community to an open meeting on Thursday, May 14, from 10 to 11 a.m., in room F1622. The committee will update the GSU community on preparations for  HLC reaccreditation site visit. The meeting agenda includes updates on all five HLC criteria and the writing process.

Drafts of the Introduction and Chapter One of the Self-Study are available for review on the GSU HLC 2009 website.

The meeting of the Friends of the GSU Library on May 13 has been cancelled. The next meeting is on June 10, at noon, in the Library Administrative Conference room.

The deadline to submit applications for the Civil Service Scholarship has been extended to May 15. Eligible scholarship recipients include Civil Service employees, their spouses, and dependent children.

Contact Diane Jones at ext. 7470 to apply or with questions.

GSU’s Recreation and Fitness Center will help you lose weight and get in shape this summer. The center is offering a wide array of courses including Latin Dance, Bellydancing, Yoga, Martial Arts for self Defense, Self Defense for Women, Personal Training, Next Level Fitness, Pilates Mat, Fitness Yoga, Aerobics, Fitness Boot Camp, Beginning a Workout Program, and Total Water Exercise.

For full course descriptions and details, visit the Recreation and Fitness Center website or call ext. 4556.

David Matteson, COE Professor Emeritus in the Psychology and Counseling Division, will discuss his book, Exploring the Spiritual: Paths for Counselors and Psychotherapists, on Wednesday, May 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria Annex. Light refreshments will be served.

Enter a drawing to win a copy of Exploring the Spiritual by sending an email with “Matteson Book” in the subject line to Diane Dates Casey, by May 20 at 5 p.m.  

It’s no secret that eating well is essential for good health. GSU will offer Weight Watchers at Work from June 3 through September 23, in coordination with the Let’s Get Fit program.

An informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20, from 12:30 to 1 p.m., in room F1603. The program also includes complimentary, confidential weigh-ins.

The program requires 20 or more participants to commit to a 17-week session, so bring your friends.

Since 1969, GSU has touched tens of thousands of lives. To commemorate and record the positive impact and enduring memories of GSU, community members, alumni, students, retirees, or employees are asked to put their fingers to keyboards and record their stories.

Share the positive impact GSU for featuring on the posting on the 40th Anniversary website or, if chosen, for the commemorative publication, Impact.

The submission deadline has been extended to June 1. Electronic submission should be sent to writingcompetition@govst.edu. No graphics please. Entries should be submitted as Microsoft Word documents only.

The Stuenkel Road/University Parkway rail crossing near the north entrance of the university will undergo repairs from Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22 and may be closed intermittently during that period. Several alternate routes to GSU are available. View the alternate routes and download a printable map online.  

The HLC 2009 Committee, co-hosted by Eric Martin and Ann Vendrely, invite the University community to an open meeting on Thursday, May 14, from 10 to 11 a.m., in room F1622. The committee wishes to update the GSU community on preparations for the HLC accreditation site visit for affirmation in seven months. The meeting agenda includes updates on all five HLC criteria and the writing process.

Drafts of the Introduction and Chapter One of the Self-Study are available via the GSU HLC 2009 website.

Two-for-one tickets are available for the Montana Repertory Theatre production of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird on Saturday, May 9, at 8 p.m., at The Center for Performing Arts. The offer begins on Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m., and ends on Saturday, May 9, at 7 p.m. The regular ticket price is $27.

Visit or call the box office at 708.235.2222.

The Friends of the Library still have plants, herbs, and flowers for sale just in time for Mother’s Day. Potted plants and roses will be sold while supplies last, on May 7, from 11 a.m., in the Hall of Governors.

The Friends of the Library are very grateful to its many volunteers and to those who have already purchased plants.

Shake off the pounds and smooth those curves in Belly Dance classes sponsored by the Recreation and Fitness Center. Instructor, Miss Taj, will lead class on Wednesdays, May 11 through June 3, from noon to 1 p.m., at the Recreation and Fitness Center. The fees are only $5 for students and $15 for non-students. Space is limited.

Belly Dance lessons are the first in Recreation and Fitness Center’s Ethnic Dance Series. For more information or to register, call 708.534.4556.

The 15th Annual Student Research Conference will be held on Wednesday, May 20, beginning at 9 a.m. The conference provides students with an opportunity to present their research work before an audience of their peers, and a forum to highlight research accomplishments at GSU.

Conference registration forms are available online. The registration and abstract submission deadline is Friday, May 8. There is no registration fee. All abstracts will be published in the conference proceedings.

Students may present their work in podium presentation or poster presentation formats. Podium presentations are 15 minutes long followed by a five-minute question and answer session. Posters will be displayed after lunch.

Certificates of Merit will be awarded to all student participants.

The Civil Service Senate is sponsoring a bake sale on Thursday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. Volunteer sales personnel and bakers are needed. All sales support Civil Service Senate endeavors.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Renee Rainey at ext. 7525.

The RIMI/HDR Workshop Series continues with Preparing Budgets for Grant Proposals on Monday, May 11, from 1 to 3 p.m., in room D2441. Dr. Linda F. Samson, Dean, College of Health and Human Services, and Interim Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies presents the workshops.

To register, contact Ralph Bell.

The help and guidance you need to get fit and healthy is right here at GSU.
 

Summer Golf League

Golf counts as a fitness session in Let’s Get Fit!
Contact Dave Drechsel for details.

Freedom from Smoking Class

Wednesdays, May 13 through June 24
5:30 to 7 p.m.

Room F1603

Bring your Fitness Record Card 
 

Weight Watchers

Wednesdays

Noon

F1603

Bring your Fitness Record Card
 

Torch Run for Special Olympics

Purchase a t-shirt or cap, donate, walk, jog, or run

Raise money for a good cause

June 10

Contact Officer Crystal Richards 
 

Join the Fitness Center

Swimming, basketball, volleyball, racquetball, yoga, aquacise for seniors,

work out on the treadmill, with weights, and with a trainer

708.534.4945

The CenterPoint for Entrepreneurs will host a Veterans Entrepreneurial Boot Camp on Wednesday, May 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. There is no fee for veterans or the families/business partners of those serving in the military.

The event features presentations and seminars from industry professionals, opportunities for free one-on-one business counseling, lunch with a panel of ex-military business owners, and access to CenterPoint’s numerous entrepreneurial services and resources. Breakout sessions focus on marketing, business financing options, human resource management, and business planning.

The event is co-sponsored by Phoenix Business Solutions, Behold Signs and Graphics, GSU, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. For information or to register, call 708.534.4929 or visit the CenterPoint website.

Ed Piatt is the northeast senior account manager for the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. Prior to joining the DCEO Opportunity Returns team, Piatt worked as a marketing specialist with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, handling special projects such as bringing Boeing's corporate headquarters to Chicago. Piatt also worked for several years with Central Management Services Real Estate Leasing Division, where he handled all the real estate-leasing related needs of state agencies, boards, and commissions in a seven-county region.

Piatt is a graduate of the College of Business and Public Administration, receiving his MBA in 1987.

GSU has established a Swine Flu Hotline to enable the university to evaluate facts, respond appropriately, and communicate actions as needed to the campus community. The purpose of the hotline is for information collection only. Information is submitted voluntarily and will be used confidentially.

The GSU Swine Flu Hotline is 708.235.2827 or extension 2827.

Persons with either suspected or confirmed H1N1 Type A Flu (commonly referred to as Swine Flu) are asked to report their condition in a message on the confidential hotline.

GSU is grateful for the cooperation of the campus community.

President Maimon recently penned an article that appeared in the newsletter of the American Council on Education’s Office of Women in Higher Education. The article, Be Ready for Luck, discussed Dr. Maimon’s lifelong successes and the idea that “luck comes disguised as the opportunity to accomplish something that you are passionate about.”

Since 1973, the Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE) of the American Council on Education has provided national leadership in the advancement of women into executive positions and campus presidencies.

Download the full article.

The Montana Repertory Theatre will perform Harper Lee’s award winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird on Saturday, May 9, at 8 p.m., at The Center for Performing Arts.

For ticket information, visit www.centertickets.net or call the Center box office at 708.235.2222.

A conversation with members of the Montana Repertory Theatre will be held on May 9, at 3 p.m., at the Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Avenue, Flossmoor. This event is free and open to the public.

GSU Faculty, adjuncts, and teaching staff can submit presentation abstracts for the Faculty Summer Institute at GSU, May 26 and 27. Faculty are encouraged to present on their current subject-matter research, recent scholarship on learning and teaching, or the implementation of learning technologies at GSU. Presentations will be informal and approximately an hour long (45 minutes with time for questions). Please use the attached form to submit your abstract to Eric Wignall. Abstracts are due by May 15. 

This year, GSU welcomes two engaging keynote presenters to GSU's 5th Annual FSI. Scott B. Johnson, Program Coordinator for the Illinois Online Network, will kick off the FSI on Tuesday, May 26, with The Future of eLearning in Illinois, a look at trends and developments in online learning across the changing environment of higher education in the state. On Wednesday, Carie Lee Page, from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Program, will deliver the keynote address, Building a blueprint for NetGen students - Looking at changing student characteristics using EDUCAUSE research and other national data.

Visit the Faculty Summer Institute website to register. 

A seven-week Freedom From Smoking workshops will be offered on Wednesdays, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., from May 13 through June 24, in F1603. The class will be taught by the Will County Health Department and is open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. 

For more information or to register, call 708.235.7468.

The Department of Human Resources is sponsoring a benefits fair for GSU employees on May 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Hall of Governors. Information will be available on health insurance, dental insurance, college savings plans, the credit union, vision insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings plans.