Events

These are events that alumni, donors and partners are most interested in. You can click here for a complete calendar of University events.

Upcoming


April 16, 2026	Springfield Legislative Advocacy Day. Register Today!
April 23, 2026	Honors Convocation
April 24, 2026	Arbor Day Tree Planting. Details coming soon, but we are in need of volunteers to plant trees (no hard labor required, we need assistance with positioning). Sign up to volunteer today.
April 30, 2026	CSU Cinema Red Carpet Premiere of "Can You Hear Me Now". Admission is free and open to the public.
May 14, 2026	Commencement. Sign up to volunteer here.
May 2026	Annual Alumni Breakfast. Date and details coming soon.
Summer 2026	CSU Summer Camps. Registration now open.
July 24, 2026	MSW Alumni Conference: 25th Anniversary with Keynote Speaker Dr. Shawn Ginwright. Details coming soon.
August 8, 2026	Bud Billiken Parade and Park Festival. Details coming soon.
September 25, 2026	Save the Date: 1stGEN Scholarship Gala: Aspire

2026 Past Events

Winter/Spring 2026

April 13, 2026	Springfield Training #3 - Virtual (5pm)
April 9, 2026	Springfield Training #2 - Virtual (3pm).
April 6, 2026	Springfield Training #1 - In Person (5pm).
March 24, 2026	CSU Day of Giving, our first ever!
March 4, 2026	Demystifying Government: A Conversation with Rep Marcus Evans '19
March 3, 2026	Justice Charles E. Freeman Archives Event
Feb 28, 2026	Women's Basketball Fundraiser: Tringo with the Cougars
Feb 27, 2026	Alumni Peer Mentoring Program MentEE Training Option #2 at Noon
Feb 26, 2026	More Than A Movement: Ten Year Anniversary Celebration of the Success to Save CSU
Feb 25, 2026	Alumni Peer Mentoring Program MentEE Training Option #1 at 4:30PM
Feb 20, 2026	NPHC Scholarship Gala, Alumni Welcome.
Feb 19, 2026	Greek Night Basketball Game: Alumni Lounge and half time stroll
Feb 12, 2026	Black Excellence Night Basketball Game
Feb 12, 2026	Fall in Love with Chubb! Careers at Chubb Insurance Event.
Feb 6 ,2026	Alumni Peer Mentoring Program - Mentor Training Option #2. Sign up for the program here.
Feb 4, 2026	Alumni Peer Mentoring Program - Mentor Training Option #1. Sign up for the program here.
Feb 4, 2026	CSU's Inaugural Football National Signing Day event.

2025 Past Events

Fall 2025

Dec 4, 2025	Track and Field Alumni Social, honoring Former Coach Sudie Davis.
Dec 2, 2025	GivingTuesday Campus Collection Drive and Tree Lighting
Dec 1, 2025	Education Days Celebrating CSU Men's Basketball
Nov 15, 2025	Chicago Crosstown Challenge: Battle of the Dan Ryan - Men's Basketball CSU vs UIC.
Nov 10, 2025	Time for a New Roadmap: A Higher Education Conference by the Illinois Center for Education Equity
Nov 5, 2025	Education Days Celebrating CSU Women's Basketball
Oct 30, 2025	Government Shutdown Town Hall with Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson
Oct 24, 2025	Doctor of Education (EdD) 20th Anniversary Celebration
Oct 14-18, 2025	Black Writers Conference by the Gwendolyn Brooks Center
Oct 4, 2025	Homecoming Tailgate at 10AM. Grilling allowed. Women's Volleyball Game at 1pm.
Oct 2, 2025	Homecoming Student-Alumni Speed Networking Event
Oct 1, 2025	Homecoming Presidential Alumni Reception
Sept 26, 2025	1stGEN Scholarship Gala: Determined, Presented by Northern Trust
Sept 21, 2025	HBCU Run & Brunch 5K. Visit the CSU table while you're there.
Sept 4, 2025	Jazz on the Grass (on campus)

Summer 2025

Aug 29, 2025	Welcome Week Greek Yard Show, 7-9pm in the Quad
Aug 25, 2025	Welcome Week Parade
Aug 20, 2025	Jazz on the Grass
Aug 16, 2025	Football Coach Bobby Rome II Meet and Greet at ChiTown Mecca Fitness
Aug 16, 2025	Small Business Symposium
August 9, 2025	Bud Billiken Parade, come out and watch for the CSU Float half way through!
August 1, 2025	Annual Scholarship Golf Outing
July 31, 2025	Jazz on the Hill, 6pm at the President's Beverly Residence at 10400 S. Longwood in Chicago. No RSVP required, open to the public. Bring your lawn chairs or blanket.

Winter/Spring 2025

June 18, 2025	Juneteenth Campus Celebration
June 13, 2025	CSU Metra Stop Groundbreaking
May 31, 2025	Annual Alumni Breakfast. See pictures from this event here.
May 22, 2025	Veteran's Resource Fair
May 15, 2025	Commencement and a "Boots On The Ground" Alumni Welcome
April 30 - May 1	Countdown to Commencement
April 27, 2025	Reach for the Stars: Celebrating Educational Excellence with Rhymefest
April 25, 2025	Arbor Day Annual Campus Tree Planting
April 23, 2025	Alumni Art Exhibit Alumni Reception
April 23, 2025	Lakeside Chat with Mayor Brandon Johnson
April 17, 2025	Honors Convocation, 6pm in the Jones Convocation Center. Open to all.
March 29, 2025	Financial Planning Workshop: Estate Planning. Learn more here.
March 28, 2025	CPR / Narcan Training. Register Today 9am or 12:30pm sessions.
March 20, 2025	Alumni Exhibit Opening in the President's Art Gallery
March 19, 2025	MSW Dr. Kimberly Mann Welcome Reception
March 18, 2025	Advocacy Day in Springfield. NEW DEPARTURE LOCATION NOW AT CSU
March 15, 2025	Alumni Homebuyer Assistance Seminar, thousands in down payment support!
March 6, 2025	Alumni Ambassadors Training at 6pm. Become and Alumni Ambassador TODAY!
Mar 5 - Apr 29, 2025	South Side Executive Entrepreneurial Training Program. Limitations apply.
ALL FEBRUARY 2025	Alumni Appreciation Month in Cougar Athletics. Discount tickets at the door for all February basketball games.
Feb 27, 2025	Breast Cancer "Walk of Strength" Women's Basketball Game. Survivors celebrated!
Feb 26, 2025	Presidential Lecture Series: Unlocking Success as a Business Owner Virtual Alumni Panel
Feb 20, 2025	Presidential Lecture Series: Unlocking Access to Wealth Creation with Pete Kadens
Feb 15, 2025	Corporate Partner Day at the CSU Women's Basketball Game.
Feb 11, 2025	Equitably Funding Our Public Universities. RSVP here. Free t-shirts to alumni upon arrival while supplies last.
Feb 8, 2025	Black Excellence Day Men's Basketball Game, Celebrating Alumni, Greek Life, Community and Education leaders, featuring the Alumni Lounge on the North Concourse.
Jan 30, 2025	Human Trafficking Awareness: Closer To Home Than You Think
Jan 25, 2025	Financial Planning Workshop Series: Planning for Retirement
Jan 23, 2025	Alumni Ambassadors Training at noon. Become and Alumni Ambassador TODAY!
Jan 16, 2025	President's Gallery Opening: Featuring artwork from the late Joyce Owens and Richard Hunt
Jan 2 & 4, 2025	Women's Basketball Home Opener Weekend in our new NEC Conference

2024 Past Events

Fall 2024

Dec 10, 2024	95th Street Redevelopment Community Meeting
Dec 6, 2024	Alumni Open Track Meet, honoring four alumni record holders
Dec 3, 2024	#GivingTuesday Campus Collection Drive and Tree Lighting
Nov 12, 2024	Financial Planning Workshop Series: Investing (virtual)
Nov 9, 2024	HOMECOMING Step Show in the JDC at 8pm (after the men's basketball game)
Nov 9, 2024	HOMECOMING Alumni Tailgate and Lounge during Volleyball and Basketball games
Nov 8, 2024	HOMECOMING Comedy Show in the Breakey Theater
Nov 7, 2024	HOMECOMING Concert Featuring Lil Boosie and DoubleLL
Nov 7, 2024	HBCU Night at the Men's Soccer Game 7pm, CSU vs Howard, at Gwendolyn Brooks High School
Oct 22, 2024	Transforming Access: Strategies and Stories for Black Student Success
Oct 24, 2024	Fall Career Fair 11am - 2pm. Alumni do not need to register
Oct 26, 2024	Affordable Housing Forum (click for location, this event is not on CSU's campus), featuring CSU Alumni Mattie Carter and Natasha Robinson.
Oct 29, 2024	Ribbon Cutting and Open House of CSU's new satellite space at 79th and Cottage Grove
Oct 29, 2024	Grad School Open House, 4pm - 7pm
Oct 31, 2024	Stroll to the Polls 12 - 1:30pm early voting celebration (early voting in the JCC from Oct 30 - Nov 1)
Oct 8, 2024	Fulbright Scholar: Conversations on Ecological Practices in India and U.S.
Sept 27, 2024	1stGEN Scholarship Gala: Accelerate presented by United
Sept 26, 2024	Spirit Day 12 - 2 pm in the Quad, Alumni welcome!
Sept 14, 2024	Financial Planning Workshop Series: Budgeting
Sept 13, 2024	Black McDonald's Operators Association Scholarship Golf Outing
Sept 5, 2024	Jazz on the Grass
Sept 4, 2024	Cubs Game - College Cap Series (CSU Cubs hat included)

Summer 2024

August 30, 2024	Annual Block Party at 6PM and Yard Show at 7:30 PM
August 26, 2024	Welcome Week Parade at 8:30 AM
August 22, 2024	Jazz on the Grass
August 10, 2024	Bud Billiken Parade and Festival
July 25, 2024	Jazz on the Hill, a CSU Jazz event for the Beverly community

Winter/Spring 2024

May 9, 2024	371st Commencement Ceremony
May 5, 2024	CSU Cubs Game and Alumni Pregame Party
April 10, 2024	Cook County Job Fair
March 19, 2024	CSU Career Fair, alumni welcome
March 12, 2024	Women's History Month Panel and Scholarship Presentation: My Life As A Lawyer
Feb 22, 2024	Presidential Lecture Series: Equity in Education and the Workforce
Feb 19, 2024	Education Partner Day at CSU Men's BBall Game
Feb 9, 2024	Alumni Panel - Is There A Role For African Americans in America's Current Foreign Relations, with alumnus and retired diplomat, George Frederick
Feb 3, 2024	CSU Cinema Movie Fest
Feb 3, 2024	Vision for 95th Street Open House
Feb 2, 2024	ComEd Scholars Event with Scholarship Presentation
February 2024	Black History Month - a month-long list of activities on campus
Jan 23, 2024	Employer Partner Day at CSU's Men's BBall Game

2023 Past Events

Fall 2023

Dec 20, 2023	Alumni and Greek Night at CSU's Men's BBall Game
Dec 30, 2023	Crosstown Showdown Men's BBall Game at DePaul's Wintrust Arena, discount for the CSU Community
Nov 29, 2023	Campus Tree Lighting
Nov 28, 2023	CSU Campus Collection Drive
Nov 2, 2023	CSU Career Fair (Alumni Welcome)
Oct 26, 2023	Chicago Inclusive Teaching Symposium
Oct 17, 2023	Illinois Education Equity Conference
Oct 14, 2023	College of Pharmacy All Alumni Reunion
Oct 6, 2023	1stGEN Scholarship Gala: Elevate presented by Chase
Sept 7, 2023	Jazz on the Grass

Summer 2023

May 5, 2023

Where We're Going From Here Presidential Summit (by invitation only)

Winter/Spring 2023

Apr 5, 2023	CSU Career Fair, Alumni Welcome
Apr 1, 2023	Cougar Athletics in Houston, Texas
Mar 31, 2023	Women's History Month: Women Who Lead Chicago's Iconic Institutions (by invitation only)
Mar 30, 2023	Cougar Athletics in Dallas, Texas
Mar 24, 2023	Women's History Month: Women Who Teach in Higher Ed
Feb 24, 2023	Presidential Lecture Series: Recent Graduates
Feb 21, 2023	Presidential Lecture Series: CSU Alumni School Superintendents