About
The Mission of GovState is to promote diversity and foster equity. The philosophy, strategic plan, and practices inherent at GovState embody this ideal by encouraging us to pursue the goals of diversity, inclusion, and equity as essential components of creating education that transforms; connections that endure and communities that flourish.
Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) Statement
Governors State
University is committed to supporting a welcoming, richly diverse campus
community where all students, faculty, and staff thrive, feel valued, and
experience a sense of belonging.
An inclusive excellence framework is designed to support the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts into the core functions and operations of the university while advancing our efforts to obtain educational excellence through GovState’s four DEI goals:
- Goal 1: Improve recruitment, retention, persistence, completion, and advancement of students from underrepresented communities.
- Goal 2: Improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty and staff from underrepresented communities.
- Goal 3: Support inclusive excellence within the formal curriculum and with our co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences.
- Goal 4: Engage with our alumni and with local, national, and international communities to encourage the pursuit of inclusive excellence beyond the boundaries of GovState.
What's New?
Conversations with Leaders: Joi Patterson
Decades before becoming Governors State University’s (GovState's) Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Dr. Joi Patterson never had dreams of teaching or working in education. “I never thought becoming a teacher was something I could do,” says Patterson, a Chicago native, who didn’t encounter a minority teacher until graduate school.
Read More from the Conversation with Joi Patterson
Upcoming Events
National
Arab American Heritage Month As we delve deeper into the vibrant tapestry of cultural
diversity that enriches our campus, we are thrilled to recognize and
celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month throughout April. This
annual observance provides us with a significant opportunity to honor the
contribution, achievements, and rich cultural heritage of Arab Americans to
our society and our university community. Arab Americans have left an indelible mark in various fields,
their achievements shining brightly in academia, arts, literature, science,
technology, business, politics, and beyond. Their enduring legacy is
not just a part of our nation’s history; it is the fabric that weaves us
together, and we take this time to acknowledge and appreciate their profound
impact. We invite all the members of the Governors State University
community to join us in commemorating National Arab American Heritage
Month. Let us come together to celebrate diversity, promote
inclusivity, and honor the invaluable contributions of Arab Americans to our
shared heritage through the following events on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Thursday, April
25, 2024 Sherman Hall | The
day allows us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of cultural
diversity values and advance GovState’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
priorities. |
Arab America Fine Arts Festival 1:00 – 3:00E-Lounge A festival of student and employee paintings, sculptures,
dance, music, poetry, storytelling, or spoken word. Interested participants should submit
entry by April 15th. A schedule will be created based on participant interest World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 4:00 – 8:00 2024 Theme: “Humanitarian Crisis” The film 1948 Creation and Catastrophe will be
screened. This film includes riveting
and moving personal recollection of both Palestinians and Israelis. A cross-cultural dialogue and panel
discussion will follow this thought-provoking film. Reserve a ticket |
DEI Mini-Grants
Governors State University (GSU) enthusiastically invites applications for the 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Mini-Grant. In keeping with GSU’s mission, we have dedicated $25,000.00 in institutional grant funding to “demonstrate inclusiveness and diversity to encourage acceptance of wide-ranging perspectives among students, staff, faculty, and members of the broader community” and our institutional commitment to fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across the GSU community, and the goals and objectives of the Strategy 2025.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have created five (5) DEI Mini-Grants up to $5,000.00 to individuals or groups to support efforts by GSU’s faculty, staff, and student organizations that strive to help GSU become a “model for belonging, inclusivity, and equity in a diverse community.” This initiative serves two purposes: (1) provide seed funding to conduct projects, research projects, resource development, programming, and initiatives that focus on advancing equity and inclusion, belonging, and dismantling racism in its many forms, especially as it relates to teaching and learning environment and (2) to support cross-institutional capacity, mentorship, and community-building in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The DEI Mini-Grants align with four (4) main DEI focus areas and support innovative and GSU community-focus efforts in these areas:
Students
Improve recruitment, retention, persistence, completion, and advancement of students from historically underrepresented communities.
Employees
Improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty and staff from historically underrepresented communities
Curriculum
Support inclusive excellence within the formal curriculum and with our co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences.
Community
Engage with our alumni and with local, national, and international communities to encourage the pursuit of inclusive excellence beyond the boundaries of GSU.
Timeline
January 2024 | Preview Announcement |
February 14, 2024 | Proposals Open |
March 8, 2024 | Virtual Information Session - Recording |
March 29, 2024 | Letter of Intent Due – recommended but not required |
May 30, 2024 | Proposals Due |
September, 2024 | Recipients Announced |
AY 24/25 | Implementation – September 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 |
Click the DEI Initiatives tab for more information and proposal documents
Event Calendar
Click Events for more details
| DATE | EVENT | NOTES |
| 12/6/23 | Lunch and Learn | See below for more information |
| 1/16/24 | National Day of Racial Healing | See events for more information |
| 1/18/24 | MLK Breakfast event | See events for more information |
| 1/19/24 | DEI Council Meeting | 1:00 PM Room D34000 |
| 1/24/24 | Lunch and Learn re Holocaust | See below for more information |
| 1/25/24 | Who Will Write Our History - Holocaust | Film - F1622 |
| 1/26/24 | CPS Men of Color Conference | |
| 2/14/24 | Lunch and Learn | See below for more information |
| 2/14/24 | DEI Mini-Grant RFP Opens | See DEI Initiatives |
| 2/16/24 | DEI Council Meeting | 1:00 PM Room D34000 |
| 2/28/24 | Lunch and Learn | See below for more information |
| 6/13/24 | Chgo Southland Educator Consortium | Details to follow |
Lunch and Learn
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m.
Room D34000
Snacks Provided
Click
on topic for the virtual link (pw: dei)
Learn More
DEI Council Meetings
3rd Fridays at 1:00 p.m.
Supreme Court Strikes Race-Based Admissions
Governors State University Reaffirms its Commitment to Diversity
This week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued two opinions limiting the consideration of race as a factor in the college admissions process at Harvard College and University of North Carolina, overturning over 40 years of precedent. In light of those decisions, Governors State University reaffirms its commitment to sustaining a diverse student body as evidenced by our status as a minority-serving institution (MSI) and emerging Hispanic serving institution (HSI).
As a regional public institution, GSU has not relied on race-based admissions practices, yet has built and sustained an extraordinarily diverse student body. In addition to drawing students from the Chicago Southland, GSU draws students nationally and internationally. The U.S. Department of Education has recognized GSU as both a minority-serving institution, an accredited academic institution whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment, and an emerging Hispanic serving institution, meaning full-time Hispanic student enrollment is between 15 and 24 percent. Race is only one element of GSU’s diversity, where Black students are 40 percent of the student body and Hispanic students are 19 percent. The average age of GSU’s undergraduate student body was 27.5 in 2022. Students from all walks of life are welcomed and empowered to succeed.
GSU’s mission is to provide an excellent, accessible education. One of the ways it does so is by offering one of the lowest tuition rates of any Illinois public institution of higher education. Another way it does so is by attracting and retaining a diverse work force of educators.
For those institutions that may have relied on race as one factor to increase their student body’s diversity, SCOTUS’ decisions this week come as a disappointment. GSU shares in this disappointment but remains steadfast in its commitment to sustaining its diverse student body and its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The decisions will not negatively impact GSU’s recruiting or enrollment practices in any way whatsoever.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cheryl Green
President, Governors State University