Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

March 18, 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

Dear colleagues,

For the past year and a half, the other staff from the Office of the Provost and I have been working with and learning from data experts from across the university, including from the Office of Institutional Analysis, Information Technology, Assistant and Associate Deans, and many faculty and staff members. Multiple initiatives are in progress to build and expand data sets and platforms which will support our collective work.

Last May, Bonnie Bowen and I organized a retreat which gathered over 30 faculty, staff, and administrators to discuss, analyze, and identify opportunities to improve our course scheduling processes. Using best practices from across the university, the Office of Institutional Analysis implemented and now provides new scheduling tools, including long-term enrollment forecasts, forecasts of demand for each course for each semester, and visualization tools. The Registrar’s Office and orientation team are working with the colleges to refine the “floating cap” system, which helps schedulers better manage section offerings and enrollments. In related work, Enrollment Management regularly convenes a cross-divisional team of representatives from Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, Housing, the Registrar’s Office, and others to discuss enrollment forecasts and coordinate our support for new students. Similarly, a small team of college representatives and staff from the Office of the Provost are combining data on the interests of incoming students with curriculum maps to improve the alignment and resilience of our schedules.

The team and I have also launched multiple initiatives to explore and share new tools, such as the curriculum mapping and analysis program Curricular Analytics. This open-source program uses graph theory to visualize and analyze curriculum structures, including identifying courses which have the potential to block or delay students from progressing in their majors. Supplementing these maps with data on historical D, F, and Withdraw rates helped identify where additional student supports (such as the Structured Learning Assistance program) might provide the most benefit for students. In related work, we are analyzing how students move between majors as we continuously improve our advising structures.

We are also collecting and analyzing data that can help us identify opportunities for growth through new academic programs and expanding existing programs. Projecting job growth by occupation, identifying competing programs at peer institutions and tracking growth in their degree conferrals, and monitoring the credentials and skills required in current job postings are all important parts of this work. We are currently working with University Marketing to create and gather feedback on expanded reports to support the mission-driven decisions made by our shared governance processes.

Because of these and other initiatives led by our colleagues, I am confident that GVSU has a strong foundation for thriving in the evolving landscape of higher education. By embracing our mission, building on data-informed insights, and fostering a culture of mutual care and support, we will continue to thrive by providing accessible, high-quality education to our students and community. Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information about any of the initiatives I’ve mentioned, or would like to discuss other opportunities.

Sincerely,

Aaron

Final candidates for the College of Computing Dean position have been announced with interviews beginning today. Faculty and staff are invited to attend the open meetings and receptions for each candidate. Please see the Dean search website for additional information:

College of Computing Dean Search website

           Open Meetings

           Candidate Materials

Faculty Voices and Recognitions

The Office of Institutional Analysis will assist the Office of the Provost in distribution of the Provost's Cabinet Member Assessment Survey for those individuals being evaluated this year. Links to the online survey will remain open through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 24. Your thoughtful responses are encouraged. Please contact Mary Albrecht in the Office of the Provost with questions about this process.

Join members of the GVSU Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Honor Society as they welcome new members on March 25, 4:00 p.m., Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus. To learn more about PKP, visit the Chapter website.

Engaged Scholarship

Bogdan Adamczyk, Professor of Electrical Engineering, published Principles of Electromagnetic Compatibility - Laboratory Exercises and Lectures. Principles of Electromagnetic Compatibility is one of the first textbooks on EMC principles that includes laboratory exercises at the end of each chapter, that any engineer or student can perform with standard EMC laboratory equipment. Click here to learn more about this book.

Congratulations to Ryan Otter, Professor of the Annis Water Resources Institute for receiving a $14,062 contract from the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute for "Hosting, maintenance, optimization, and updates of the HESI EnviroTox Database and Tools." This project helps maintain one of the world's best environmental databases for the aquatic toxicology.

Updates

On March 21, Grand Valley will be launching its first-ever Day of Giving. We’re building on a profound legacy of generosity to help ensure every student has the resources they need to thrive. You decide the impact you want to have by giving to the program, area, or scholarship that means the most to you. And then your impact will be amplified as fellow Lakers do the same. Thanks to generous support from donors, there are challenge and match gifts available that will be unlocked once fundraising milestones are reached. We need the entire Laker community’s help to make this day a success. You can help make a difference for Grand Valley this Day of Giving!

GVSU's Academic Research Computing (ARC) team supports university research in various ways, including strategic direction and support for academic technologies. This support effort includes ensuring that all computer labs, both physical and virtual, are prepared for finals. All software requests for Windows and Mac lab machines should be submitted to ARC by March 29.

Events

Join the Philosophy Department for a panel discussion on Philosophical Perspectives on Mental Illness and Mental Health. This event takes place on March 29, 3:00-4:00 p.m., BLL-110 Mackinac Hall, Allendale Campus. 

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events 
3/21 - 12th Art Gallery Music Composition Competition - 6:00 p.m., Haas Center for Performing Arts Gallery, Allendale Campus
3/25 - Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony - 4:00 p.m., Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
3/29 - Philosophical Perspectives on Mental Illness and Mental Health - 3:00 p.m., BLL-110 Mackinac Hall, Allendale Campus
4/8 - Student Awards Convocation - 6:00 p.m., L.V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/9 - Student Scholars Day Keynote Speaker - 4:00 p.m., 2204 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
4/10 - Student Scholars Day
4/10 - Climate Change Student Symposium - Virtual
4/12 - Reach Higher Showcase - 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/17 - Toast to the Class of 2024 - 5:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., L.V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/19 - The Graduate School Citation Awards - 5:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Dates
3/21 - Day of Giving
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