Students, faculty, and staff participate in the 2023 Silent March
during Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Commemoration Week events

Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

January 16, 2024

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

Laker to Laker: Message from the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

This week GVSU commemorates the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Your presence and engagement in these events is important and much valued and appreciated. I hope to see many of you there.

In continuing with the theme of student success and the supports we are building and strengthening together, I have this week invited Keigh-Cee Bell, Director of Tutoring; Patrick Johnson, Director of the Writing Center; and Jennifer Torreano, Director of the Knowledge Market to describe the academic support initiatives they have been leading and coordinating with many of you.

Have a great week everyone and stay warm,
Fatma

Grand Valley is at an exciting juncture; we are experiencing an increase in enrollment at a time when most universities are seeing a decrease, and we are celebrating our most diverse class of first-year students in history. With growth also comes challenges, and we are working across campus to address those challenges. 

The November 27, 2023, issue of Lakers Ready discussed recent and upcoming approaches to supporting students. Early in the fall 2023 semester, the directors of the Tutoring and Reading Center, the Knowledge Market, and the Writing Center advocated for and received equitable, more competitive pay to attract more student employees. This investment is critical considering the increased usage of these services, and the higher wage validates the important work of peer tutors and consultants and enables the centers to hire and train more of them to meet the demand. 

The tutoring centers, including the Tutoring and Reading Center and eight of the drop-in centers across both campuses, received a 14% budget increase to match the larger first-year student enrollment. Tutoring has a positive impact on retention; students who utilized tutoring in 2022-23 were retained at a 13% higher rate than students who did not. The Library Research Center (LRC) also received a $26,000 funding increase. First-year students who visited the LRC last year were retained at a 10.7% higher rate than those who did not, and similar data reflects the impact of other Knowledge Market programs.

Expanding embedded support options in the classroom helps meet students where they are and gives faculty valuable resources to aid in student success. Currently, in all first-year writing courses, the Writing Center provides support to students in the form of embedded consultants, workshops, presentations, required consultations, and more. Building off the success of the Writing Center’s embedded model, expanded funding for the LRC will allow for increased in-class support for courses with high first-year student enrollment as well as additional service hours in the library.

The Tutoring and Reading Center provides Supplemental Instruction in the form of Structured Learning Assistance (SLA), and funding has been provided for 2024-2025 to pilot expanding SLA to include over 60 sections of high-DFW general education and prerequisite courses each semester. This pilot expansion will allow first-year students from all majors to receive more embedded peer support. Last year, students in SLA courses were retained at a rate of 85%, and 96% of SLA students felt that the service positively impacted their final course grade.   

In total, the Office of the Provost is investing more than $1.1 million to fund student support services over the next two years. Student support programs focus on expanding options and preparing peer tutors and consultants, but faculty and staff are essential in connecting students to these programs. Highly motivated students have a habit of utilizing support, but many students who need assistance may not take advantage of it without encouragement. Connecting students with academic support early helps improve their chances of success and retention. There will be many challenges and opportunities in the coming years, but with expanded funding, ongoing data collection, and a collaborative mindset, Grand Valley can chart this course together.

Keigh-Cee Bell, Director of Tutoring
Patrick Johnson, Director of the Writing Center
Jennifer Torreano, Director of the Knowledge Market

Townhalls

Provost Fatma Mili and Vice Presidents Jenny Hall-Jones and B. Donta Truss will host a series of Townhall meetings around the topics of student access and student success.

These Townhalls will be an opportunity for listening to faculty and staff views and experiences and for sharing the many initiatives planned and underway to adapt to the changing student populations and assets.

We hope to see many of you. Sessions are scheduled:

Updates

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week is is happening now. Check out the the list of scheduled events on the website.

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar when many Muslims fast from pre-dawn to sunset. This may lead some Muslim students to request religious accommodations for their course work. This year, Ramadan will occur in March and April and will conclude before Finals Week. For details about accommodations related to the month of Ramadan, see the webpage hosted by GVSU’s Kaufman Interfaith Institute.

Workday launched on January 3. Please review and complete the Workday @GVSU Go-Live Checklist for step-by-step tasks to become familiar with the system. One item of note is the Travel Bookings course recently added to available training resources. The next course is scheduled for January 18 from 2-3 pm. Need assistance? Visit the Workday @ GVSU Support webpage for self-service resources and to connect directly with Finance, HR, and IT.

Want to learn more or have questions about GVSU's curriculum review process? Join colleagues on January 22, 1-2 p.m. for a virtual, one-hour, curriculum drop-in session via Zoom. Representatives from the four university curriculum committees will be available (GEC, OEMC, UCC, and Grad Council). All are welcome! Please RSVP your attendance plans to receive the link.

Engaged Scholarship

Joel Wendland-Liu, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, examines four myths that dominated U.S. ideology in the 19th century. Myths of white victimization, capitalist progress, the frontier, and the "self-made man" shaped how many Americans thought about themselves. Click here to learn more about this book.

Events

This semester, the Digital Creator Lab and Tech Showcase will host a series of digital skills workshops for students and faculty. These sessions will focus on hands-on practical tech skills that can be used in both academic and non-academic environments. In addition to these standalone sessions, some of these workshops can also be brought into classrooms, please reach out to Justin Melick (melicjus@gvsu.edu) for more information.

Full Circle: Teaching, Creating, and Curating brings together the sabbatical work of Bill Hosterman, Professor of Visual and Media Arts, and a selection of works from the K. Caraccio Printing Studio and Collection in New York City. This exhibition pairs Hosterman's recent work with prints Caraccio has collected over her more than 45-year career in a celebration of printmaking, mentorship, and liberal arts education.

Opening Reception: January 18, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., 1121 Haas Center for Performing Arts Gallery, Allendale Campus.
Gallery Talk and Walkthrough: January 19, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Attend a keynote address by Dr. Mary Murphy on January 23, 8:30-10:00 a.m., Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus. This session will explore how we can create cultures of inclusion. Dr. Murphy's research illuminates the situational cues, like faculty and institutional mindset, that influence students' academic motivation and achievement with an emphasis on understanding when those processes are similar and different for structurally advantaged and disadvantaged students.

Continued Conversations:

Join International Faculty and Friends to celebrate Mexico on January 25, 6:00 p.m. at El Granjero Restaurant, 950 Bridge Street NW, Grand Rapids. Professor Mayra Fortes will share brief information about Mexican Culture. Guests are expected to pay for their own meal. Please RSVP your attendance at www.gvsu.edu/pic/iffmexico

The 2024 Presidents' Ball will take place on February 2, 2024. All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend a night of celebration in one of Grand Valley's longest standing traditions. Please visit the website to purchase tickets and to nominate a deserving faculty member, staff or student.

Join the Office of the President for the second annual Reach Higher Showcase on April 12, 4-7 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The DeVos Center will once again be transformed into a hub of creativity and collaboration as we showcase the innovative work that is happening across campus and fueling GVSU's vision. If you would like to share your work at the 2024 showcase, please submit your project by February 1.

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events 
1/17 - Study Abroad Fair - 10:00 a.m., Henry Hall Atrium, Padnos Hall of Science, Allendale Campus
1/18 - Workday Travel Bookings: CTP Lightning - 2:00 p.m., Zoom
1/19 - Gallery Talk with Kathy Caraccio - 12:00 p.m., 1121 Haas Performing Arts Gallery, Allendale Campus
1/22 - Winter 2024 GVSU Curriculum Drop-In Session - 1:00 p.m., Zoom
1/23 - Student Success Series: Creating Cultures of Inclusion - 8:30 a.m., Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
1/23 - Conversation with Dr. Mary Murphy & Faculty Teaching First-Year Students - 11:00 a.m., 2266 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
1/23 - Conversation with Dr. Mary Murphy & STEM+Health Faculty/Staff - 1:30 p.m., 2266 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
1/24 - Townhall - 1:00 p.m., 2215/2216 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
1/26 - Townhall - 2:00 p.m., Via Zoom
1/26 - AWRI Seminar Series - 2:00 p.m., Multipurpose Room, AWRI Lake Michigan Center, Muskegon Campus
1/30 - Townhall - 3:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
2/2 - President's Ball - 6:00 p.m., DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2/15 - Faculty Awards Convocation - 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/12 - Reach Higher Showcase - 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Dates
2/16 - AP Award Call for Nominations Due
3/3-3/10 - Spring Break
4/20-4/27 - Exam Week
4/26-4/27 - Commencement Ceremonies 

Links
Lakers Ready - repository of this weekly 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