Academic Events Honoring the Investiture of Governors State University’s sixth President and Celebrating Constitution Day
Sponsored and organized by the President’s Investiture Academic Events Planning Committee and the GSU Constitution Day Committee
September 15 – 17, 2021
The Council and Its Mission
The Council on Campus Cultural Programming presents this program in collaboration with academic programs, arts and cultural life units, and research partners across Governors State University. The Council highlights meaningful collections of activities and initiatives to create forums for discussing important topics vital to the culture of intellectual, social, and personal growth of our campus community.
The Council’s Perspective on the Collection
Bringing together faculty researchers from across the colleges, scholarly experts, and students with our campus community Constitution Day events encompass a carefully selected collection of in-person and virtual events. This program of events cultivates scholarly exchanges and intellectual inquiry on the United States Constitution. This multi-event program features faculty conversations on the connection between disciplinary expertise and our university’s priorities of diversity, equity, and inclusion; a scholarly exploration of American literature, culture, and history; and spoken word performances by GSU students interpreting the theme, “We the People?: Power, Equity, and Freedom,” continuing an artistic tradition of wordplay and orality before an audience.
The week culminates with Dr. Cheryl Green’s Investiture as the sixth president of Governors State University.
General Event information and Audience.
Free events. Presented in-person and virtually. Open to our campus and community.
Program Events
September 15 – 17, 2021
FACULTY PANEL
Date: Wednesday, September 15
Time: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Venue: In-person in the Center for Performing Arts and virtual
Format: Panel presentations followed by a question and answer session
This conversational conference-style faculty panel showcases disciplinary expertise and research from across the university colleges under the theme of “We the people?: Power, Equity, and Freedom” and highlights diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Panelists
Matthew A. Cooney, Ph.D., College of Education
Carlos Ferran, DBA, CSCA, CMA, K.M., College of Business
Lorri Glass, LCSW, Ph.D., CCTP - I/II, College of Health and Human Services
Nicole Warmington-Granston, Ph.D., College of Arts and Sciences
Moderator: Rashidah Muhammad, Ph.D., College of Arts and Sciences
SCHOLARLY SPEAKER
Date: Wednesday, September 15
Time: 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Zoom Webinar
Format: Presentation followed by a question and answer session
Ben Railton, Ph.D.
Professor of English and American Studies
Fitchburg State University, Massachusetts
Dr. Railton is interested in all things United States of America: our literature and culture, our histories and stories, our national narratives and myths, our identity and future, and author of six books, including Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism (2021). Railton is a contributor to Saturday Evening Post (current monthly column), Huffington Post, Washington Post’s Made by History blog, Talking Points Memo, We’re History, The Conversation, The American Prospect, and many other websites. Since 2010, he is the author of the high-impact scholarly blog, American Studies at http://americanstudier.blogspot.com Railton is advisor to the American Writers Museum and former President, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA).
STUDENT SPOKEN WORD EVENT
Date: Thursday, September 16
Time: 1 – 3 p.m.
Venue: In-person in the Hall of Governors and streamed live from GSU’s social media
GSU students perform original pieces exploring this year’s Constitution Day theme, “We the People?: Power, Equity, and Freedom.”
PRESIDENTIAL INVESTITURE OF DR. CHERYL GREEN
Date: Friday, September 17
Time: Ceremony begins at 10 a.m.
Venue: Center for Performing Arts
Reception will immediately follow the ceremony.