Date: July 5, 2006
Contact: Lindsay Gladstone
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: l-gladstone@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, July 5, 2006 – Students can learn from books, lectures, or experiences presented by expert teachers. When they can be taught from all three, the knowledge they gain is broader and deeper, more meaningful and more valuable.
So imagine how rich the learning experience will be when Senator Debbie Halvorson, majority leader of the Illinois State Senate and long-time senator representing the 40th district, teaches the graduate level course at Governors State University.Students certainly will gain more than just three credit hours.
“Senator Halvorson brings not only the academic component to the courses she teaches, but also practical aspects she gained from her years of public service and very real experience in politics and with public policy,” says Dr. Larry Levinson, Chair of the Division of Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences at GSU.
Halvorson will teach the graduate level course, Topics in Public Policy, in the Political and Justice Studies program. The class will also be open to students in other degree programs and undeclared students until the maximum enrollment is reached.
“I plan to go beyond the textbooks to teach this course. Public policy issues should be studied from all sides and perspectives. I hope to bring the issues to life through my experiences in government,” explains Halvorson.
“Forming a viable, effective public policy involves so much more than just wanting to do the right thing. It involves negotiation and compromise. Politics is the art of compromise,” adds Halvorson.
The course will cover a wide range of public policy issues including criminal justice, education, heath care, and economic development. The syllabus will also include policy formation and the implementation process.
In addition to her desire to share her knowledge with her students, Halvorson is also pleased to be back at Governors State University. Having earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from GSU, she has a great deal of respect for the university.
“I was able to raise my children, be a State Senator, and go to school to earn my degrees all at the same time because of Governors State University. The flexibility of class scheduling enabled me to gain the education I had long desired.”
The course will be held on Mondays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the Fall Trimester beginning on September 5. Currently, applications are being accepted, and registration for all Fall Trimester courses begins July 17.
Governors State University is located at 1 University Parkway, University Park. For more information, call (708) 534-5000, or visit www.govst.edu
