Governors State University Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Governors State University in Illinois is beginning a 50th anniversary celebration with a Birthday Bash on July 17, 2019 and a number of other 50th Anniversary Events scheduled through the rest of the year.

Marilyn Thomas of the Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle authored an excellent summary of the history, "GSU/50: Governors State University grows from a great experiment to a 4-year university." 

Thomas describes the nature of the new institution during its initial few years when "...staff set about designing an innovative university. Students were co-learners and professors were coordinators. Classes were called modules. Modules didn’t meet for semesters — they were eight-week sessions. Nobody earned grades; a transcript spelled out a student’s competencies."

Governors State now operates in a more traditional manner, yet has a track record for innovation that includes early adoption of instructional television to more recent additions of doctoral programs in nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and several education fields.

You can view an interesting short YouTube video prepared for the 40th anniversary, "Governors State University--40 Year Anniversary."