Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

January 27, 2025

Lakers Ready is sent by the Office of the Provost
to faculty and staff within the Division of Academic Affairs

In this issue of Lakers Ready:

A Note from the Provost

Dear Colleagues:

As we move forward from last week’s winter storms, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each of you for your flexibility as we shifted to remote status on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I recognize that these transitions can be challenging, and I deeply appreciate your efforts to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff.

This week, the University is proud to celebrate faculty and staff who have reached milestone years of service during the 2024 calendar year. Please take a moment to review the list of award recipients as we honor the dedication and contributions of our colleagues.

I’m also pleased to announce the faculty who will be recognized at this year’s Faculty Awards Convocation on February 18. This special event will highlight the recipients of the various Awards for Excellence, celebrating their outstanding achievements and impact. A list of this year’s University Award recipients is provided below, along with a link to the complete list of honorees. Please join us in this time-honored tradition to recognize the excellent work of our faculty.

Additionally, as President Mantella shared in a January 6 email, she will host a series of informal gatherings throughout the Winter semester, titled Insights and Ideas. These sessions are designed to create space for open dialogue, provide updates on key priorities and initiatives, and discuss topics that matter most to you. I will join President Mantella for the faculty sessions, while staff sessions will feature Vice President Robert Shorty alongside the President. Please see the Events section below for more details and to RSVP. I look forward to connecting with many of you during these conversations.

Warm regards,

Jen

Join your colleagues in honoring the outstanding contributions of our faculty at the 18th annual Faculty Awards Convocation on February 18, 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Chris Haven, Professor of Writing and recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award, will give this year's convocation address.

University awards recognize outstanding achievements in teaching excellence, scholarly contributions that advance the professions and benefit society, mentorship that guides students successfully on their academic journey, and dedication to our University and the broader community. 

Below are those that will be honored with University Awards for Excellence.

For the complete list of Faculty Award recipients, please visit the Faculty Awards Convocation website.

Projects and Initiatives Updates

For the COACHE faculty survey, the program at Harvard also produces “deans’ reports” derived from the full COACHE report. GVSU has paid for these additional reports, and after some editing by the Steering Committee for clarity, these reports are now available for faculty and staff to review. For each college, the revised reports are available in the folder titled "Deans Reports to Share." Before reviewing specific reports, please start by reading the “About the Deans Reports” document in the shared directory. Contact Senior Associate Vice President Ed Aboufadel with questions.

Updates

The search process has begun for the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation and Executive Director, Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence (CSCE). Visit the search website to view the position profile and learn more about the search, the search committee, and the consultants. To submit nominations, make inquiries, or apply for the position, visit the Isaacson, Miller website. Opportunities for campus participation will be shared prior to candidate campus visits.

This is a reminder that a page of frequently asked questions related to teaching is available on the Office of the Provost website, on the Faculty and Staff drop down menu.  Topics include free speech in the classroom, food and drinks in classrooms, taking breaks during longer classes, and asynchronous final exams. There is a question about recording of courses, the answer includes the following, “Students do not have the right to record classroom lectures and discussions without securing prior permission from you, but do have the right to take written notes (or typed notes on a computing device).” See the FAQ page for more on this and other topics.

Is there an Administrative Professional (AP) staff member you admire for their contributions to Grand Valley State University? Help them get the recognition they deserve by nominating your hardworking AP colleague for one of these prestigious awards! Nominations will close at 5:00 p.m. on February 9. Learn more about the award categories and submit nominations on the AP Awards Committee website. 

Nominations are open for two student awards to be presented at the Student Awards Convocation on April 14, 6:00 p.m., L.V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

All nominations are due by February 10. Click on the links above to learn more about the awards and to nominate an outstanding student.

In addition, the Division of Student Affairs and the Dean of Students Office coordinate the selection of outstanding students for two additional awards.

More details about the awards as well as the nomination form can be found on the Dean of Students website. Nominations are due by February 24.

The April Commencement ceremonies have been announced. For complete information about the ceremonies, visit the Commencement website.

Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.

Engaged Scholarship

Al Steinman, Professor of Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute, edited the book Internal Phosphorus Loading: Causes, Case Studies, and Management. Internal loading can be a major source of phosphorus to many water bodies around the world but is often ignored or unmeasured. This book examines the causes of internal loading, how it can be measured and controlled, and provides case studies from globally distributed lakes.
Click here to learn more about this book.

Congratulations to Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, Professor of Psychology, Jennifer James, Senior Affiliate Faculty of Psychology, Kristen Schrauben, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Amy Campbell, Professor of Psychology, on their $2,855,748 grant from the US Department of Education for the M-MINDS project: "Meeting Mental Health Implementation Needs for Districts and Students." The grant will support GVSU School Psychology graduate student placements in local school districts and help expand GVSU's capacity for supporting mental health training and programming in K-12 schools.

Empowered Education

After a brief closure last semester, the Student Ombuds Office is now open and ready to support our students. Visit the Student Ombuds website to learn more about the office and campus resources.

Events

Insights and Ideas is a series of informal gatherings in both Allendale and Grand Rapids throughout the winter semester. Each discussion will provide space for open dialogue to discuss topics important to faculty and staff and for leadership to provide deeper insight into our priorities and key initiatives. The goal is to keep these sessions small to maximize the conversation and sometimes space will be limited. Following each session, the key themes and topics will be shared with the entire community so that everyone is connected to these important discussions. Please contact the Office of the President with questions. 

Please join fellow students, staff, and faculty for a campus post-inauguration conversation on February 5, 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m., 2263 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus. What is on your mind? What are your hopes? What are your concerns? What do you need and want from Grand Valley? How can we honor the diversity of views on this campus yet still build community? Sponsored by Center for Civil Discourse, Geography and Sustainable Planning, Political Science, GVSU Votes!, Women's Commission, Black Faculty and Staff Association, Asian Faculty & Staff Association, and Student Senate.

This semester the Laker Club Talks offer an opportunity to meet two of GVSU’s newest leaders as they share their unique stories, experiences, and visions for the future. Come learn about our new leaders, connect with colleagues, and help us give them a warm GVSU welcome. Submit your RSVP online. 

The 9th Roger That! Conference will be held February 14 - 15 at GVSU and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The theme this year is Communication and Space. There is an exciting line up of virtual speakers from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by in-person activities at the DeVos Center including workshops and panel discussions for families. Retired NASA astronaut and first Native American in space, Cdr. John Herrington, will present in-person on February 14, 6:30 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Grand Campus and on February 15, 11:00 a.m., Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Sibs and Kids Weekend is on February 21 and February 22. This weekend will be packed full of exciting events and activities sponsored by offices across campus. Registration is now live! Tickets are $10 per sibling or child. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to take part in this beloved campus tradition. This weekend is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board in the Office of Student Life.

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events
1/27 - Winter 2025 Nuts and Bolts of GVSU Curriculum Review - 1:00 p.m., via Zoom
2/3 - Insights and Ideas: Staff Session - 4:00 p.m., Laker Club, Allendale Campus
2/5 - Post-Inauguration Reflections: Continuing the Conversation - 1:30 p.m., 2263 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
2/12 - Laker Club Talk: Robert Shorty - 4:00 p.m., Laker Club, Allendale Campus
2/14 - Roger That! Conference - 6:30 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Grand Campus 
2/15 - Roger That! Conference - 11:00 a.m., Grand Rapids Public Museum
2/18 - Faculty Awards Convocation - 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
2/21-2/22 - Sibs and Kids Weekend - Varies Events
2/27 - Insights and Ideas: Faculty Session - 4:00 p.m., Gordon Gallery, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
3/11 - Insight and Ideas: Staff Session - 12:00 p.m., John G. Russell Leadership Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
3/13 - Laker Club Talk: Jessica Karbowski Weare - 4:00 p.m., Laker Club, Allendale Campus
3/24 - Insights and Ideas: Faculty Session - 1:00 p.m., John G. Russell Leadership Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/8 - Student Scholars Day Keynote - 4:00 p.m., 2204 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
4/10 - Insights and Ideas: Faculty Session - 12:00 p.m., Mary Idema Pew Library, Allendale Campus
4/14- Student Awards Convocation - 6:00 p.m.,  L.V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
5/15 - Insight and Ideas: Staff Sessions - 9:00 a.m., Mary Idema Pew Library, Allendale Campus

Dates
2/17- 21 - Mid-term Evaluations
3/2-9 - Spring Break
4/19 - Classes End
4/19-26 - Examination Week
4/25-26 - Commencement

Links
Lakers Ready - repository of this newsletter and a link to submit content
Laker Family Network - repository of the monthly newsletter sent by the Division of Student Affairs to GVSU parents/supporters

Lakers Ready will be distributed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month.