GSU President gets 6-Year extension

On Friday, October 5, GSU's Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend President Elaine P. Maimon's contract through June of 2018.

As GSU's chief executive officer, Maimon earns $275,000 annually and over the course of the 6 year extension her pay is expected to increase to $315,000 by July of 2017.

In addition, Maimon will receive expenditures for housing, transportation, and travel.

According to the agreement, Maimon's salary will be reviewed annually and may be increased or decreased at the Boards discretion and such salary reviews are held in conjunction with the Boards annual assessment of the President's performance.

Trustee Lorine Samuels of New Lenox recently shared her thoughts with the GSU View.               

"Dr. Maimon is responsible for GSU's notable forward progress in recent years. It is because of her that this university is on a trajectory of great success," said Samuels.

Prior to becoming President in 2007, Maimon was the Chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage and she also previously served as Provost at Arizona State University West, and Vice President of Arizona State University as a whole.

Throughout her career, Maimon has held both teaching and high ranking administrative posts at several colleges and universities across the country and she brings four decades of higher education experience to the GSU presidency.

Under Maimon's leadership, GSU has made significant advancements towards its goal of becoming a full service university.   

"The GSU campus is safer, more beautiful, and more sustainable than it was five years ago," said Maimon.

Among her biggest accomplishments, Maimon names obtaining funding for the science renovation of the E&F wings and the universities establishing and receiving the Kresge Foundation support for its Dual Degree Program.

Maimon stated that she's proud of the progress being made at GSU and she credits her current administrative team, as well as the university's faculty and staff members for their hard work and dedication.

 "We are demonstrating that a twenty-first century university can provide high quality pathways for transfer students, while at the same time offering a four-year undergraduate program for students seeking that experience," Maimon said. "We are building residence facilities, while continuing to provide excellent service to commuter students.

Despite a recent 6% reduction in appropriations to public universities, Maimon asserts that GSU's momentum will not be impeded but acknowledges that decreases in spending for public higher education have been her biggest disappointment.

"I am disappointed in decreased public funding, not only in Illinois, but nationally," said Maimon.

Maimon strongly believes that public education is a public good because it benefits society as well as the individual student and she has not been shy about articulating her beliefs to the states legislation.

In 2014, when GSU welcomes the first freshman class in the schools history, the university will do so with Maimon as its president.   

Maimon's contract extension gives her the opportunity to oversee GSU's transition into a full four-year university; a process that she was instrumental in getting off the ground.

As for the universities future, Maimon admits that her goals are ambitious and she hopes by 2017 GSU will have accomplished the following:

·         Incoming freshman class numbers 500, with the cohort, core-curricular plan still in place.

·         The Dual Degree Program (DDP) has proven itself as a national model for a high quality partnership with community colleges; 2-3000 students in various phases of the program with a high percentage of DDP students who entered GSU two years before poised to graduate in May 2018.

·         GSU Promise has at least a 1 million endowment.

·         GSU is a 24/7 active campus, with life-long sports, vibrant campus clubs, student involvement in CPA (performance and tech)

·         Student residences have reached full capacity in Phase I and Phase IA. The university is ready to open Phase II, complete with a dining center and commercial stores.

·         A new facility to address the student services, athletic facility and commencement space needs.

·         GSU's five doctoral programs are functioning at capacity and are recognized as top quality in their areas.

·         GSU's masters programs, on-campus, on-line, and hybrid are high quality and serve the needs of working adults.

·         Increased diversity of GSU's faculty, administration, and student body.

·        GSU is recognized as a public square for its education inclusiveness and for its centrality as a hub of cultural and educational activity in the region.