Governors State University is the only public university in Chicago’s rapidly growing south suburban area, serving approximately 6,000 students during the course of a year. GSU provides affordable and accessible undergraduate and graduate education to culturally and economically diverse life-long learners. GSU's high-quality educational programs are enhanced by its commitment to maintaining and increasing accessibility to its students and the community. At its founding on July 17, 1969, Governors State University embodied the most optimistic vision of the 1960s. It believed in its students and their ability to learn and succeed. So it took a deliberate step away from the “establishment” and forged opportunity through experimentation.