Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

March 11, 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,

Welcome to the second half of the semester. I hope everyone experienced a change of pace last week and took some time to reset and recharge.

In the Office of the Provost we are busy with several projects including leadership searches and preparations for the academic year 2024-2025. In terms of searches, we are hosting three candidates for the deanship of the Padnos College of Engineering this week and three candidates for the deanship of the College of Computing next week. Please check the information below and participate in the open sessions if you can.  

Have a great week everyone.

Fatma

Final candidates for two open dean positions 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 websites for additional information:

Padnos College of Engineering Dean Search website

          Open Meetings

          Candidate Materials

College of Computing Dean Search website

           Open Meetings

           Candidate Materials

Faculty Voices and Recognitions

Thank you to all of those who have responded to the survey so far.  Our response rate as of the beginning of the Spring Break was 44.5%, which the COACHE program describes as “impressive”.  With our incentive of $25 being added to GVSU’s Student Emergency Fund for each survey completed, so far $10,650 has been set aside for the Fund.  There will be two more reminders sent out to complete the survey:  the weeks of March 18 and April 1, and the survey will be open until Friday, April 5.  Can we get the response rate to 75%?  As noted previously, we have our GVSU-COACHE page with more information.

International Faculty and Friends (IFF) invites you to attend our South Africa Celebration on March 14, 6:00 p.m. at Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant, 421 Norwood Ave SE, Grand Rapids. Professor Jeffrey Kelley Lowenstein will be discussing his new book Comrade King. The cost is $15.00 for dinner. Please RSVP on the website.

Empowered Education

Congratulations to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Chapter and Dr. Sanjivan Manoharan of the School of Engineering for receiving a $4,921 award from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium. They aim to design a lunar flagpole assembly along with a stabilizing mechanism. This design could facilitate the smooth and rapid deployment of the US flag by a suited astronaut on the lunar surface. The student team has been selected to advance to Phase 2, which involves testing the prototype at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

The next Philosophy Colloquium Series will take place on March 15, 3:00-4:30 p.m., BLL-110 Mackinac Hall, Allendale Campus. "On Duty to Not-Vote: Three Perspectives" will be presented by Patrick Anderson. Learn more about this series on the Philosophy website.

Please join the GVSU Art Gallery on March 21, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Haas Center for Performing Arts Gallery, Allendale Campus, for the 12th Art Gallery Music Composition Competition. GVSU student composers have created 60-second compositions inspired by artworks in the exhibition Full Circle: Teaching, Creating, Curating. Enjoy a night of music composed and performed by the New Music Ensemble and vote on your favorite works. The winning composers will receive a cash prize at the end of the evening. Reception begins at 6 pm; the music competition will begin at 7.

Engaged Scholarship

Katherine Moran, Associate Professor of Nursing, published The Doctor of Nursing Practice Project: A Framework for Success. This text provides a roadmap for students on their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholarly project journey, starting from conception through dissemination. With a focus on planning, implementing, and evaluating a project, the text emphasizes the impact DNP-prepared nurses have in shaping the future of nursing and healthcare. Click here to learn more about this book.

Updates

The University Assessment Committee (UAC) is restarting its assessment process using a streamlined model called Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). Programs are asked to submit their assessment plan forms no later than September 1, 2024 via the UAC website (templates provided). All Deans, Associate Deans, Unit Heads, and Program Directors should have received an email from UAC Chair, Julie Henderleiter, on Monday, February 26, with additional information. Please reach out to uac@gvsu.edu with any questions.

LIFT student evaluation surveys will be available to students during the last two weeks of the semester. To encourage high responses rates, instructors are expected to set aside 15 minutes of class time for students to complete the surveys. More information about the LIFT system, including short videos that can be shown in class, can be found at www.gvsu.edu/lift. Please note that units that want to modify formative or open-ended items on the LIFT forms must have approval from the LIFT Management Committee before making changes. 

Examination Week this semester is April 20-27. As outlined in Shared Governance Policies (SG 3.04.F), instructors are expected to provide a culminating experience for each course during Examination Week. This experience should occur at the special time scheduled during Examination week, which can be found on the Registrar's site. (Any exceptions must be approved by the appropriate academic dean.) Final examinations should be given during the scheduled exam time unless that time is being used for another activity, such as presentations. By administering final examinations during Examination Week rather than the last week of classes, student are provided with the opportunity to better prepare, which will support student success. Additionally, the university counts class time during exam week as part of the contact hours for the course, and this is reported to our accreditors. 

Commencement is scheduled April 26 & 27, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. If you plan to attend and process, complete the RSVP form on the Commencement website to receive additional information and your parking permit. 

Effective May 6, 2024, all GVSU students must enroll in MFA to access university systems and services if they haven't already done so. This includes email, learning management systems (LMS), and student portals. All students will enroll in MFA using a platform called Okta. We encourage you to remind students about this change and direct them to the available resources for support. With questions, contact Information Technology at it@gvsu.edu.

Events

Faculty and staff may be interested in the latest edition of the Confluence Thought Series, which is scheduled for April 16 and 17 in Grand Rapids. The Series includes conversations with leaders in technology, design, education, and creativity, and this year’s theme is “Unlocking Creative Capacity: How to Grow a Rainforest Innovation Ecosystem”. The Series includes a field trip to GVSU’s futurEdlab downtown. The Office of the Provost is the Presenting Sponsor for the 2024 edition of the Series, and anyone with a GVSU ID can attend for free. To register for free, scroll down to the bottom of this page:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-confluence-thought-series-tickets-849702321517

On April 17, President Mantella and Alumni Relations are hosting Toast, a celebration for graduating seniors. The event includes giveaways, brief remarks, dessert, and a champagne toast. All attendees will receive a gift of a Laker for a Lifetime champagne flute. Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to participate. Please encourage your graduating students to attend.

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events 
3/12 - Service Awards Celebration - Virtual Event
3/14 - IFF South Africa - 6:00 p.m. at Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant, 421 Norwood Ave SE, Grand Rapids
3/15 - On Duty to Not-Vote: Three Perspectives - 3:00-4:30 p.m., BLL-110 Mackinac Hall, Allendale Campus
3/21 - 12th Art Gallery Music Composition Competition - 6:00-8:00 p.m., Haas Center for Performing Arts Gallery, 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 - 4:00-5:30 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
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