In This Issue

I touch the future.

I teach.

--Christa McAuliffe

Higher Education writer Bryan Alexander’s 2020 book Academic Next: The Futures of Higher Education is dedicated…

To all adjunct faculty, who do more than anyone,

with less than anyone,

to build the future of higher education

Brooks College is fortunate to have so many committed adjunct faculty in our midst, supporting our students and our programs. The pay they receive is perennially inadequate, and many of us try to address that. What we—and students—gain is certainly far beyond what those resources represent. And many of our contingent faculty show up term and term to bring their committed teaching to our classrooms and online modules.

Local entrepreneur Ryan Lafferty continues to provide innovative engagement with Honors students, year after year. Together with his teaching partner, Paul Lane, they challenge students to think from mindsets beyond those of northern hemisphere privilege to search for creative and practical answers to poverty and disinvestment by societies. Christine Yared inspires students, as she did with her remarkable (and upsetting) book, Private Love Public School: Gay Teacher Under Fire. This semester, our students have the privilege of having the current Grand Rapids Poet Laureate Chrisine Stephens-Krieger as an instructor. And all of us are enriched by having a world class scholar of African-American History in our midst: Adjunct Faculty colleague Anna-Lisa Cox. Whenever she opens her mouth, I sit up and listen, take notes, and furiously add to my own reading list.

I’m sorry to just mention a handful of our talented and committed colleagues who happen to fall in the employment category: “contingent faculty.” We thank you and appreciate you for all you do.

Lenesha Aska is the new Office Assistant in the Brooks College Dean's Office. Lenesha is a GVSU alumna, having earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science in April 2025. Before joining Brooks College, she gained valuable experience in administrative support and client relations through various professional roles. Lenesha is excited to contribute her organizational skills and enthusiasm for collaboration to support the faculty, students, and staff of Brooks College. She looks forward to being part of a team that fosters academic excellence and community engagement. Lenesha plans on continuing her education by pursuing a master's degree. 

Congratulations to the Brooks College faculty and staff who were nominated for Celebrating Women Awards. Crystal Scott-Tunstall was nominated for the Jennifer Palm Community Impact Award and Ginele Johnson was nominated for the Unsung Hero Award.

 

Kennedy Betancourt, Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Minor was awarded the Jean Enright Women and Gender Studies Scholarship

Information and answers to recent questions posed about the Blackboard Design Assistant can be found at :

https://www.gvsu.edu/elearn/blackboard-ai-design-assistant-139.htm   

Blackboard does not utilize student data or faculty-created instructional materials to train its artificial intelligence models. For more information, please see Anthology’s official statement on their Trustworthy AI Approach.

It’s also important to note that the use of Blackboard’s AI features is entirely optional and at the discretion of each instructor. These features are only engaged when the AI Generate button is intentionally selected within the available tools. If the button is not selected, no AI functionality is engaged. 

Dean's Office Student Assistant & ENS student Zach Danevicz tabling at the academic majors fair in late September. Thanks to all Brooks faculty and staff who helped promote our programs at the event! 

Some members of the Brooks Dean's office team participate in Walktober with a walk through the ravines led by Dean Mark Schaub. 

View this calendar from the office of sustainability practices featuring all sustainability related events happening this month. 

GVSU is partnering with Corewell Health to provide drop-in flu vaccine clinics this fall. No appointment is required. Please see details below.

Flu Vaccine Clinics – Fall 2025

Allendale

Tuesday, October 14 – 2:00 PM–4:00 PM | Fieldhouse, Upper Arena

More information and additional clinic locations can be viewed HERE

The 2025 GVSU Arts celebration includes 5 events across three categories (Visual Arts, Literary Arts, and Performing Arts)

View the event list and details HERE 

The Inclusion and Equity Institute is hosting a number of upcoming workshops.

View the event list and details HERE

Conversations about Muskegon’s lakes, rivers, and community:

Shared Waters is a three-part series exploring Muskegon’s lakes, rivers, and waterways through dialogue on development, restoration, and safe water for the future.

For more information and to register visit wgvu.org/community-conversation/

 

Lead the Way to Safe Water October 21 | 5:30pm – 6:30pm | Hackley Public Library in Muskegon

The GVSU History Department invites you to join  the 2025 Great Lakes History Conference, which focuses on “Climate, Environment, Psyche, and History.”

Panel sessions will take place on Oct 17-18 in the Regency Room (adjacent to Loosemore Auditorium) at the downtown DeVos campus.  

 

View the conference program and additional details HERE

Join celebrated Ojibwe scholar and author Dr. Anton Treuer for a thought-provoking talk at Grand Valley State University. With honesty, humor, and trust responsibility, and how decolonization creates real opportunities for empowerment. Students, faculty, and community members alike will gain tools for supporting Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in their success, while imagining more inclusive ways paths forward in education and society.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Cook DeWitt Center Auditorium
Refreshments/Appetizers Following the Event!

As you plan for the remainder of the semester, please consider inviting a speaker from the GVSU Padnos International Center to give a Study Abroad presentation in your class. Presentations can be any length (as brief as 5 minutes) and will highlight programs relevant to your students. 

Please submit a Study Abroad Presentation Request, or email studyabroadoutreach@gvsu.edu with the date/time/location of the classes/event you'd like PIC to attend.

 

Crystal Scott-Tunstall's "My STEM Story" video was commissioned by one of our community partners (STEM Greenhouse) The videographer is GVSU public and non-profit administration alumni, Joshua Harris.

The video gives viewers a look at Crystal's work as an ENS professor and Internship coordinator and features her involvement with the SAP and her advice for students. 

Watch the full video here:
https://lnkd.in/eA9BPhCY

Eric Covey, Affiliate Faculty in Brooks College explores the history of Interdisciplinary Studies at GVSU dating back to 1968 as the college wraps up its twentieth anniversary year. Read the full piece Interdisciplinary Studies at Grand Valley State: Brooks College at Twenty  HERE

Maureen Wolverton, Senior Affiliate of Interdisciplinary Studies, received a $10,000 grant from the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) to redesign the Gateway Course INT 100. The grant will provide support for time and effort and other costs to implement course redesign strategies, as well as technical assistance to guide the implementation.

October 19th - 21st-Fall Break

November 26th - 30th-Thanksgiving Day recess

December 6th- Classes end

December 6th- Commencement

December 6th - 13th- Examinations

December 13th- Semester ends

December 16th- Grades due

January 12th- Classes begin

January 19th- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day recess

March 8 - 15- Spring break

April 25- Classes end

April 25 - May 2-Examinations

May 1st- Commencement

May 5th- Grades due

Note: partial term courses have different tuition and refund deadlines. View additional deadlines in the course index. 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Fill out the form below to submit an event or announcement (with photos!) for the Brooks College Newsletter or email brookscollege@gvsu.edu

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