The Campus is located south of Chicago. It is within 30 minutes' drive from cities
Kankakee and
Joliet as well as northwestern
Indiana. The main campus is located on a wooded landscape with several lakes and natural trails.
Points of interest • The Family Development Center (FDC) provides university-quality programs for children and their parents. The Family Development Center will be the Model Early Education Center for the South Suburbs. GSU Family development center programs model the best practices in Early Childhood Education and draw extensively on the expertise of university faculty and staff in Early Childhood Education, Nursing, Communications Disorders (speech and hearing), Psychology and Counseling. University students in these programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are active participants in the Family Development Center. The Family Development Center has been nationally recognized for meeting the highest standards of early childhood education. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation's leading professional organization working on behalf of young children, has awarded accreditation to the FDC. • GSU is also home to the Center for Performing Arts, which draws entertainers and artists from around the world, as well as the local community. The
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra held monthly concerts on a fall through spring seasonal schedule throughout the 2007–2008 season. • Ethnographic Arts Collection, owned by the University Foundation of Governors State University, the beginning of the Ethnographic Collection dates nearly from the beginning of the University. Objects were generously donated by former faculty, students, and patrons for the purpose of direct instruction in
art history classes and ethnic studies so that students might know first hand and be able to study and handle examples from various regions of the world. Initially, some examples were accepted that are not of prime "museum quality" but retained value as teaching objects. Yet over the years donations from generous collectors increasingly included objects of the highest quality and included multiple examples from certain ethnic contexts.
Sustainability In 2008, GSU renovated several parking lots, replacing
asphalt with permeable pavers—interlocking bricks that allow rainwater to seep down, trapping
heavy metals and pollutants before they enter
storm sewers. GSU is also home to one of the state's largest solar-thermal systems, which preheats water for the campus swimming pool and provides about one-third of the domestic hot water for the university's main building. On October 21, 2010, Warren Ribley, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, announced a $153,000 grant for the 50-kilowatt
wind turbine to be located on the University Park campus. With the installation of an on-campus wind turbine, Governors State University will continue reducing its
greenhouse gas emissions, and move toward its goal of becoming Illinois’ "greenest" university. The wind turbine will give Governors State a clean, renewable source of energy, and also be incorporated into the university's academic programs. On October 18, 2011, GSU held a groundbreaking ceremony for the beginning of the renovation of the university's science facilities. The $22.6 million, three year renovation project will create state-of-the-art education facilities while providing more than 130 construction jobs. In addition to the positive impact the renovation project will have on the region's economy, the building renovation will better equip GSU to educate students for regional jobs in healthcare, computer science, scientific, and mathematics research, and science and math education. The area to be renovated comprises approximately of space. During the renovation, crews will replace
HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and lighting systems. Outmoded infrastructure and equipment will be replaced with modern facilities and equipment that will be energy-efficient and meet current codes and regulations. The project design calls for structural infill of existing atrium space, adding about of additional usable space. The renovated facilities will serve students and faculty in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, nursing, communication disorders, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
University Park station University Park station opened in 1977, located adjacent to the GSU property along University Parkway. The station is the southern terminus of the
Metra Electric District mainline and is away from the northern terminus at
Millennium Station in downtown
Chicago. ==Academics==