Division of Academic Affairs
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Lakers Ready is sent by the Office of the Provost
to faculty and staff within the Division of Academic Affairs
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In this issue of Lakers Ready
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- A Note from the Provost
- Updates
- Fall Kick-Off Events
- Engaged Scholarship
- Important Dates and Links
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Dear Colleagues,
It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you to the Fall 2024 semester. Whether you are new to our institution or returning, we are delighted to have you with us as we work towards our mission of empowering learners in their pursuits, professions, and purpose and enriching society through excellent teaching, active scholarship, advancement of equity, and public service.
As many of you know, President Mantella asked me to step into the role of Acting Provost for the next two years following Dr. Mili’s decision to step down. I am honored by the trust she has placed in me to lead the Division of Academic Affairs as we continue to make progress on our Reach Higher 2025 commitments. My experience as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has taught me how to lead across many disciplines with curiosity and humility and has shown me the impact we can achieve when we work collaboratively towards common goals.
I look forward to outlining our Academic Affairs priorities in the context of our shared institutional work during the start-up meetings over the next two weeks. I hope to see many of you at the fall kick-off events listed below. Warm wishes for the start of a new academic year!
Best,
Jen
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Interim Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching |
As course syllabi are being prepared for the coming semester, we have received many questions about generative AI policies and guidance. Acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all instructional approach, it is up to instructors to craft their own syllabus statements and assignment guidelines, clarifying whether student use of generative AI tools is (a) prohibited, (b) allowable with prior permission, (c) allowable with acknowledgment, or (d) freely permitted with no acknowledgment. While additional guidance will be forthcoming during this academic year, the following examples and resources provide models and can guide course use:
Sample syllabi language:
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| Related GVSU policies and resources:
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As faculty prepare their syllabi for the fall semester, there are policy matters to keep in mind:
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All course syllabi need to include the learning objectives from the updated Syllabi of Record (SOR), per Higher Learning Commission (HLC) requirements.
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A list of information to be given to students at the beginning of the semester can be found in University Policies. Faculty are expected to include a link to the University's list of policies that apply to all courses. Recommended: "This course is subject to the GVSU policies listed at www.gvsu.edu/coursepolicies." (See University Policies SG 3.04.C for more details.)
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Grand Valley maintains a Religious Inclusion Policy (SLT 9.6) that commits the University to accommodate religious and faith observances and holidays for students, faculty and staff members. Please review the Interfaith Calendar before scheduling exams or similar course events.
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Ensuring that syllabi clearly describes the professor's expectations of student is important. For example, including additional expectations about course schedule or format changes, revised technology requirements, or adoption of new learning materials may be necessary. The Pew FTLC website offers information on Syllabus Design as well as Syllabus Statement Examples.
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This semester, Fall Break is scheduled for October 20-22, which includes a Monday and Tuesday. As you build out your course and departmental calendars, please keep the following in mind. Although Fall Break days are not university holidays, they are comparable to Spring Break and Labor Day in that classes are not held and other activities outside of teaching are suspended. As such, there should be no faculty meetings held during Fall Break. In terms of courses, no assignments may be due, and no quizzes, tests or exams may be administered, except for the limited programs that have received an exemption from Fall Break.
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Join colleagues for these events that mark the kick-off of the 2024-2025 academic year:
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University Address - August 20, 4:00 p.m., Richard M. DeVos Center Courtyard, Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
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Faculty and Staff Picnic - August 20, 5:00 p.m., L. William Seidman Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
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30th Annual Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning - August 15, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., L.V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
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Fall Convocation - August 22, 7:00 p.m., Fieldhouse Arena, Allendale Campus
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Faculty and staff who plan to process in regalia during the Convocation ceremony should RSVP by August 13.
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John Ball Zoo Partnership |
Congratulations to Janet Vigna, Associate Dean and Professor of Biology, for receiving $10,500 from the John Ball Zoo to extend support through summer 2024 for student research with GVSU faculty that aligns with the zoo's conservation mission. This summer, eleven students are working on projects ranging from the creation of a new inclusive interpretive trail in the GVSU ravines to remote sensing of habitat qualities in greater Grand Rapids, and species ranging from mussels to rattlesnakes and birds.
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Conspiracies and Other Replacement Realities: How Religious Emotion Threatens Free Society but Can Also Contribute to a Progressive Future |
George Lundskow, Professor of Sociology, published
Conspiracies and Other Replacement Realities: How Religious Emotion Threatens Free Society but Can Also Contribute to a Progressive Future. Progressive social change also mobilizes reactionary fantasies of Satanic sacrifice, racial replacement, pedophilia, and stolen elections. To counter such myths, the authors map out rational, emotional, and spiritual aspects of American identity based on compassion, gratitude, reverence, and love. Click here to learn more about this book.
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Important Dates and Links
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1 Campus Drive
3090 JHZ
Allendale, MI 49401
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