Dear Alumni,

A lot is happening with your Alumni Association. The Alumni Association Facebook page is up and running. We hope you'll sign up and "like" our page.

Our Alumni Book club has set their schedule for the next three months; the Alumni Dance club is setting lesson dates and we have a special invitation for Alumni Golfers.

If you don't already have Premium member status in the Alumni Association, I hope you will consider joining/renewing. Your support helps us bring these programs and much more to you.

If you plan on visiting campus on a Friday in June or July, you might want to call ahead. Beginning June 10, GSU is observing "summer hours" where most departments are closed on Fridays.

Read on and stay connected to your alma mater. Feel free to visit the alumni website to view past editions of the e–connections newsletter and our bi-annual print newsletter, Alumni Connections and to get up-to-the-minute details.

Sincerely,

Rosemary D. Hulett
Associate Vice President
Advancement and Alumni Relations

The 2011 Spring Commencement is fast approaching and volunteers are needed to help make the Saturday, June 4 ceremony a success. What better way to volunteer for your alma mater than to welcome students to our growing family of alumni!

If you would like information on volunteering, please contact the Alumni Relations Office at 708.534.4128 or alumnirelations2@govst.edu.

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In honor of the 2011 graduating class, all alumni with premium membership status can purchase items from the GSU Bookstore at a 10% discount off the regular price from June 4 through 13. You must have a current premium membership card to participate. Items can be purchased in the bookstore by showing your alumni membership card.

You can also make a purchase through the Follett Bookstore website at www.govst.edu/bookstore. The online site will show the regular price, so you will need to call the Alumni Office at 708.534.4128 after ordering to request the 10% discount to be applied to your purchase.

If you do not currently have Premium Alumni Membership status, visit www.govst.edu/alumni for information or call the Alumni Office at 708.534.4128.

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The Alumni Association has launched its new Facebook page. Click the here or click the "like" link on the right side of the facebook page to receive the most up-to-date information available about what's happening with the Alumni Association.

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The Alumni Book Club met in May and set future meeting dates and book selections for the next three months. Join the excitement. Call the Alumni Relations Office at 708.534.4128 to join the Alumni Book Club Now or e-mail alumnirelations2@govst.edu and say "sign me up for the Book Club."

Book Club Schedule:

Date: Book Being Reviewed:

June 16, 2011 The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

July 28, 2011 The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

August 26, 2011 Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

Read more here

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The next meeting of the Alumni Dance Club will be Monday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m., in GSU's E-Lounge. Dance lesson locations, dates and times will be decided. Light refreshments will be served. Please e-mail alumnirelations2@govst.edu or call 708.534.4128 and let us know if you plan on attending.

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It is time to separate the green from the rough, dust off those golf clubs, and get swinging. The GSU Golf League has started its season. Whether you signed up to join the Alumni Golf Club or not, All GSU Alumni are invited to join the fun. The group golfs every Tuesday through September 6 at 4:30 p.m., at Golf Vista, 5001 W. Augusta Boulevard in Monee, weather permitting. Arrive by 4:15. Groups will be assigned.

Identify yourself as a "GSU Golf League" member to receive the special rate of $5 for nine holes (walking), add a cart for $10, or share the cart fee and cut your costs.

The league is open to all university students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community. The golf season culminates with the GSU Dave Drechsel Annual Golf Outing, which will be held at University Club in September.

Contact the Alumni Relations Office at 708.534.4128 or alumnirelations2@govst.edu if you would like to join the Alumni Golf Club (there is no charge to join Alumni Clubs).

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You've probably heard about the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park's Autumn Art Odyssey overnight tours – last year's excursion sold out and we expect this year's weekend trip to St. Louis to be the same. Join Park Director Geoffrey Bates and your friends for a weekend packed with new places, new sights, and new ideas. September is a wonderful time to visit St. Louis – twilight lingers and evening temperatures are warmer than Chicago and the fall color will have just commenced. Get all the details here.

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Vivian Gussin Paley has spent a lifetime teaching and learning from very young children. For her outstanding and influential work as an educator, Gussin Paley is receiving an honorary degree from Governors State University.

She will also share her knowledge during a public presentation, The Ideal Early Childhood Education, on Friday, June 3, at 3:30 p.m., in the Hall of Honors, at GSU. The lecture is free and open to the public.

With 37 years of experience as an early childhood educator, Gussin Paley is considered one of the nation's experts on the education and enrichment of very young children. Her work has influenced how children are taught and teachers are trained. Her presentation will include observations on the world of young children, academic and social growth, and the development communication. Join us for the special lecture.

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Multicategorical Special Education Cohort – June 6

Certified teachers interested in earning a Master of Arts in Multicategorical Special Education with coursework leading to LBS 1 Unlimited Certificate are invited to attend an information session hosted by GSU. The session will be held on June 6, from 3 to 4 p.m., in the Washington-McKinley School Spartan Center, 25 West 16^th Place, Chicago Heights. Read more here.

Alternative Teacher Certification – June 8

Learn how to earn elementary or middle school teacher certification and secure a teaching position through Governors State University's Alternative Certification Program. Information sessions will be held on Wednesday, June 8, in Engbretson Hall, at Governors State University. Read more here.

Master of Public Administration – See schedule below

Governors State University will host several degree program information sessions in June throughout the region. The graduate application fee will be waived for qualified Master of Public Administration students who complete an application at one of the sessions. Full Schedule.

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Father's Day is fast approaching. Why give dad another tie he won't use? Instead - take him and the whole family out for a wonderful day of baseball. At the same time, you'll be supporting GSU students. GSU's College of Education, working through the GSU Foundation, is sponsoring this fun filled evening at the ball park with The Grow Your Own South Suburban Consortium.

Tickets are available for the Joliet Slammers game on June 19 for only $10 each. The Slammers play ball at Silver Cross Stadium and the first pitch is at 6:05 p.m.

Included with each ticket is entry into a drawing for an authentic Chicago Cubs jersey signed by pitcher Kerry Wood. The more tickets you buy, the more chances you have to win the jersey.

All proceeds help to provide scholarships for GSU students participating in the Grow Your Own South Suburban Consortium program, which supports educating teachers from the community for the community.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Andrea DalPolo at 708.534.4582.

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GSU recently announced its new Illinois International Trade Center and additional educational opportunities for regional businesses. The programs are designed to help firms that are already involved in exporting to expand their markets and introduce additional Illinois products and services to overseas markets. Read more here.

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Brainstorm 2011, a national juried art competition at features 46 pieces selected from 167 entries. The exhibit includes artwork by 28 artists from around the nation. The show is open from May 23 through June 25, at the Visual Arts Gallery.

A closing reception and awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 25, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

Distinguished jurors were Allison Peters Quinn, Director of Exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center, and Whitney Tassie, Gallery Director of the Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago. The jurors chose work that reflected the theme of the show - artwork that documents, analyzes, or is inspired by intellectual activity, the thought process, dysfunction, or problem solving by the human mind.

The Visual Arts Gallery is open Monday and Wednesday, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, from 5 to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. by appointment. For more information, visit gsuvisualartsgallery.blogspot.com or call 708.534.4021.

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