In This Issue

April 2026 newsletter message

                                                                  I listened to the earth-talk,

                                                                        the root-wrangle,

                                                                           the arguments of energy,

                                                                             the dreams lying

                                                        just under the surface,

                                                              then rising,

                                                                  becoming

                                                                     at the last moment

                                                   flaring and luminous –

 

                                                                                       from “Trilliums,” by Mary Oliver

They’re open for business the last week of April every year, into May, and it’s a real highlight of my year: the white carpet of trilliums that erupts along Sand Creek. It’s also among the joys of working on the Allendale (aka “Valley” campus) of this university. If you live in Grand Rapids you can stop to pay homage as part of your outbound or inbound commute, and it’s less than a mile hike into Aman Park from the parking area trailhead. Along the way are patches of Dutchmen’s Breeches, Jack-in-the-Pulpit (or Jill-in-the-Pulpit, for this androgynous plant), and—as a climactic precursor to the Trilliums—a brilliant splash of Virgina Bluebells.

Each year, my mother wonders if this will be the last year she will be physically able (even assisted) to make it down to Sand Creek to see this gorgeous display. I sure hope she will still be able to get down there this year.

The root-wrangle dreams of our students emerge, with us, for years. Seeing these eruptions of brilliance at Student Scholars Day, or capstone project presentations, or the Sustainability Showcase,  mark an energizing (and at times exhausting) April each year. The May 1 commencement ceremonies for the graduates of our remarkable degree programs is but the final blast. This year, we get the additional bonus of hearing from a student commencement speaker that is one of our own: Dallas Matthews is an Integrative Studies graduate!

I hope to see you, to marvel with you, on the trail.

March was Women's History Month!  Our Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program and the Division of People, Equity, and Culture have partnered to bring Dr. Janell Hobson to campus on March 19th for a talk titled "We Fem the Past to Fem the Future: From Harriet Tubman to America's Founding Feminists." Janell Hobson, Professor of women's, gender & sexuality studies at the University at Albany, discussed why women's histories matter now more than ever. 

GVSU delegation to the 2026 National Model Arab League Conference (March 26-29) in Bethesda, MD — at which MES 370 students represented the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. our delegation met Jordanian diplomats at the Embassy of Jordan in Washington D.C. It was a great visit and conference! 

Last Month, The Equestrian club, Beekeepers Club, and Farm Club students-with support from the Office of Sustainability Practices gathered together to make horse treats. 

Join us on April 16th from 3:00pm-4:30pm in the Honors Multi-Purpose Room to Celebrate Griff's "life 2.0" retirement party.

Griff has been  serving as the administrative director of the General Education Program as well as a Professor in the Natural Resources and Environmental Management Program in the Biology Department.  She has been with GVSU over 20 years and we are looking forward to celebrating her as she moves to her post-retirement "life 2.0 adventure".  

Starting this Winter semester, all Brooks faculty teaching 15-week courses will be required to submit final grades by midnight on Monday, May 4, 2026. This will allow the Dean’s office to use the time available on Tuesday morning to address any missing grade reports and meet the University deadline of Tuesday, May 5 at noon.  Please note that different deadlines apply to six- week and other parts of term courses and those will be communicated to you by the departments at the start of each semester. You will continue to receive regular email reminders before grades are due, clarifying the deadlines for submission.

If you have questions or concerns about this new deadline, please reach out to Interim Associate Dean, Julia Mason 

 

 

 

Check out the office of Sustainability Practices Earth Month Event Calendar! 

Brooks Faculty, 

The Padnos International Center is hoping to receive more responses to their brief (5-10 min) survey about study away programs and possibilities. Any thoughts you are willing to share are appreciated. Thank you to those who have already submitted responses!

The GVSU Inclusion and Equity Institute is committed to providing learning and development for faculty and staff to further knowledge, skills, and abilities related to these core values. Each week, the I&E Institute offers FREE, dynamic, and helpful workshops on a variety of topics. 

You can review the list of workshops HERE

Brooks May Writing Retreat - May 4-8th (Lake Ontario Hall 120)

Looking to make progress on your own writing projects amongst a community of fellow writers? Join us for a writing retreat! 

Each day involves goal setting in the morning, reporting progress at the end, and conversations with fellow writers during lunch, which is provided for all attendees along with light snacks and coffee/tea

 

 

Please contact Patrick Johnson, Writing Center Director (johpatri@gvsu.edu), for questions or to sign up. additional information is available HERE 

SAVE THE DATE! 

Our Annual Brooks College Start-up Meeting is happening on the Health campus (DCIH 102 & 104) on Friday, August 14th from 8:00am-1:30pm. 

 

Congratulate the following Brooks students on their awards! 

M. Seykora Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Campus Community:

Andy Hardgrave, Environmental and Sustainability Studies 

Gayle R. Davis First Generation College Student Emerging Leader Award:

Daylona Jackson, Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Excellence in a Discipline Awards 2026:

Brittany Jansen, Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Jada Dobbins, Global Studies and Social Impact

Anna Whipple, Honors College

Red Herrera, Integrative Studies

Jared Parham, Leadership and Business Fundamentals

Antanie Wilson, Professional Innovation

Shannan Byerly, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Last month, the Office of Sustainability Practices hosted the Sustainability Champions award ceremony. Sustainability Champions are individuals who, by practice and belief, support the ideals of sustainable practice and using a triple bottom-line approach to problems and issues. The champions have demonstrated that they support both in word and deed, and can be looked to as leaders in sustainability.

Many Students, faculty, staff and community members were recognized for their commitments to sustainability. Pictured is Senior in ENS and Brooks Dean's office student worker Zachary Danevicz who was a recipient of a sustainability champion award and also received the Nichols Sustainability Scholarship.

77 Idea Quest offers an exciting opportunity for GVSU students from all majors to turn their ideas into real-world solutions. This competition challenges students to identify problems and propose innovative answers that can make a difference. Students gain valuable skills that set them apart in their career, while competing, collaborating, and innovating with peers from across disciplines. Brooks student Erika Govea-Garcia was awarded a $500 College Champion Award. 

View the Video for Erika's pitch presentation HERE.

Dallas Mathews is a Brooks College Senior in Integrative studies, and she will be addressing and representing her classmates at spring commencement. Her integrative studies degree focuses on Communication, Leadership, and Community Engagement in Higher Education and she is a part of the combined Undergraduate/Graduate degree program which has allowed her to enroll in graduate credits while completing her bachelor’s degree. Her graduate coursework is in the GVSU Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESAA) program.

Dallas has had many memorable experiences at GVSU including participating in SLAM (Students Leaving a Mark) and has served as the president of the organization for the past two years. She was selected by her peers to be a part of 2025 homecoming court and has also worked a number of on-campus jobs that have given her a love for working in higher education. 

Reflecting on her integrative studies major, Dallas says “ I immediately knew that would be the right fit for me as a student. I really appreciated the flexibility and autonomy I had as an Integrative Studies major. My academic advisor, Brian Trager, has been so helpful in supporting me as an INT major...I absolutely love being on a unique academic journey that is entirely crafted around my passion and future goals! I feel like being an Integrative Studies major provides you with a great sense of confidence and autonomy in your education.” 

Integrative studies student Robert Anglin recently published an article, “Drawing a Blank. DfM and Die Process” for MetalForming Magazine. Drafting and editing the article was a part of his practicum project in INT 491 of Fall 2025 overseen by Associate Professor Denise Goerisch. Check out the magazine HERE

Human Rights professor Brian Johnson, recently published a book chapter titled. "Human rights and the private security industry: The need for alignment." in Citizens; the State and Justice: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (Routledge). The edited collection investigates the evolving relationship between the state, citizens, and private actors in ensuring justice. 

Our student colleagues are balancing work, courses, and the many other ways they are involved across campus and in the community. To read more about their work and summer plans, click HERE. 

Stop by the Dean's office for some popcorn & thank a student! 

As we continue to highlight all of the programs and centers across Brooks College over the next few months we look forward to sharing our student and faculty successes with you. In April, we celebrate Earth month which makes it the ideal time to spotlight our Office of Sustainability Practices and Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP). 

At GVSU, sustainability is one of our core values.  The sustainability office offers initiatives and experiences for students which promote awareness about sustainable development and how sustainability best practices can be applied to gain progress against  ongoing environmental issues. 

Zero waste football games, and growing and harvesting produce at the SAP are just a couple of ways students can get hands on experience with sustainable practices. When our students graduate, they don’t just leave with a diploma, they leave with direction.

Investing in interdisciplinary education isn’t just good for students, it’s good for the future.

March 27 (5pm)- Withdraw with a "W" Grade Deadline

April 25- Classes End

April 25 - May 2- Examinations

May 1- Commencement

May 4- Grades Due From Faculty

May 7- Grades Available to Students 

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

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