Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

May 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 Message from the
COACHE Steering Committee Co-Chairs

Nearly 100 faculty, staff, and administrators met this month on campus for the Shared Governance and Leadership Workshops. These workshops — co-designed by senior leadership, representatives of Provost’s Cabinet, faculty members, and external facilitators — were motivated by the findings from the 2024 COACHE Survey. The purpose of the workshops was to advance shared leadership and shared governance at GVSU, incorporating ideas from multiple perspectives at our university.

Participants attended one or both two-day workshops on May 13/14 and May 22/23, and the workshops were designed to strengthen trust and leadership capacity within GVSU. We engaged in a variety of activities using a modified appreciative inquiry model, led by external facilitators Susan Elrod and Mary Papazian. Lively conversations and opportunities for building and strengthening relationships led to deep discussions of topics such as decision-making processes at GVSU, internal communications, and the necessary predicates for change. Using the Change Leader Toolkit, we explored how to apply a variety of “change leader moves” — such as “sensemaking and learning,” “fostering multiple perspectives,” and “preparing for success over the long term” to nurture a stronger shared leadership model at GVSU.

The workshops followed a structured agenda which included activities to build skills in change management, appreciate the context for past and future changes at GVSU, outline opportunities we could pursue, and identify barriers for change at GVSU. The external facilitators did a fantastic job creating learning spaces for dialogue and not debate. While the days were long, they were also invigorating, and we are optimistic for the future.

Next week, the COACHE Steering Committee will meet to reflect on the outcomes of the workshop, ECS will also take stock at their retreat in June, and the facilitators will be sending a summary report. Further opportunities to engage in discussions and planning about the role of shared leadership and shared governance in the 2025-2026 school year will be announced in August.

Ed Aboufadel and Krista Benson

Updates

Ongoing updates and resources related to new executive orders, federal memos, and other important federal actions are available on Division of People, Equity, and Culture website. Updates on executive orders impacting federally-funded projects can be found on the Office of Sponsored Programs website.

Engaged Scholarship

Congratulations to the grantees of the 2025 Michigan Space Grant Consortium.

Many thanks to GVSU Campus Representative Bopi Biddanda, Professor, Annis Water Resources Institute. 

Donald Zinman, Professor of Political Science, published America's First Wartime Election: James Madison, DeWitt Clinton, and the War of 1812. Professor Zinman has produced the first ever book on the presidential election of 1812, which was the first American national election conducted in wartime. The election campaign of 1812 revealed that some of the same lessons of American politics were just as applicable then as they are today. Click here to learn more about this book.

Events

If you are a faculty member planning to submit a sabbatical proposal, join members of the University Sabbatical Review Committee for one of their workshops.

Faculty Sabbatical Proposal Workshop Q&A Session: One-hour, Q&A session on Preparing a Successful Sabbatical Proposal

Find more details and register on Workday Learning.

Mark your calendar for the GV Technology Summit on October 2, 12:00 - 5:00 p.m., 102-104 DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, Health Campus. Sponsored by IT, this university-wide event brings together faculty, staff, and students to explore how technology is shaping the future of teaching, learning, and working at GVSU. Have you been part of an exciting project or technology initiative that would make a great presentation? Submit a proposal to become a presenter. Presentations can be in the form of a break-out session, roundtable or poster.

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events
6/4 - Faculty Sabbatical Proposal Workshop Q&A Session: One-hour, Q&A session on Preparing a Successful Sabbatical Proposal - 2:00 p.m., 502 C DeVos - Amway Board Room, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
6/10 - Cook Carillon 30th Anniversary Celebration - 12:00 p.m., Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons, Lower Level Atrium, Allendale Campus
6/18 - Faculty Sabbatical Proposal Workshop Q&A Session: One-hour, Q&A session on Preparing a Successful Sabbatical Proposal - 1:00 p.m., 2201 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
7/10 - Faculty Sabbatical Proposal Workshop Q&A Session: One-hour, Q&A session on Preparing a Successful Sabbatical Proposal - 10:00 a.m., Virtual

Dates
6/16 - Spring Classes End
6/17-6/18 - Examination Week
6/23 - Summer Classes Begin

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.