Dear GVSU community, 

This week has been an emotional one for many of us. While we paused to remember the tragedy of 9/11, we also learned about and had to try to make sense of more shootings, murders, and bomb threats at places of learning from Colorado to Utah and around the South. Schools, especially universities, are spaces of inquiry, and community. When violence or intimidation attack these places, it shakes not only our sense of safety but also our very purpose.

But as I woke early this morning, facing the challenges of this moment, I focused on my privilege of activating the power of our mission. Despite all the pain and injustice this week, I recalled the many times I witnessed that power…

…in the eyes of an incarcerated GVSU student who discovered that learning is the missing key to his personal power and positive change.

…in a community partnership where deep collaboration created an impact greater than any one of us could shape alone.

…in coming together in fellowship with a rival university’s football team where students, coaches and leadership embraced the power of sportsmanship.

…in the sense of pride and accomplishment of our distinguished faculty, celebrating their moment of promotion and tenure among family members and colleagues.

These special moments are proof of what education makes possible. They remind us why GVSU is important and why it is worth protecting, nurturing, and holding with both humility and confidence. Moments like these happen every single day and I encourage you to take time to look around, see these moments and reflect on your role in making sure they continue long into the future.

For all of my six years here and surely for the foreseeable future, Grand Valley will be a part of difficult discussions, a host for speakers, thinkers and artists with divergent views and even the owner of unpopular or uncomfortable decisions. But as we navigate such a future, we must all live into our humanity, and we must always remember the transformative power of learning and freedom of expression.

At Grand Valley, disagreement is not an act of division but an opportunity for dialogue. At Grand Valley, we learn to engage with care and curiosity, always in the spirit of growth. At Grand Valley, we embrace the opportunity to be a bright spot when the world can feel overwhelming or dark. We should all be proud of all we are, and I hope you will join me in the daily commitment to preserving our special culture.

Let us call one another to our best selves in this moment. Let us choose to be a community that others look to when they need hope, clarity, and conviction.

With deep gratitude and care for each of you,

Philly Mantella

President, GVSU