Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

October 13, 2025

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:

A Note from the Provost

Dear Colleagues: 

We are seeing progress in student success, and that reflects the care, creativity, and commitment you bring to your work every day. Through strategic investments in faculty, staff, academic advising, academic support programming, and course redesign, we are beginning to see encouraging signs that our collective efforts are making a real difference for students. 

First to second year retention increased 1.4% this past year.  It is important to note that the largest increases were seen in student groups that have traditionally been challenged in the college environment: 

The percentage of students who were on probation or academically dismissed in their first year has steadily decreased over the past two years: 

Efforts that supported these increases in student success include: 

We are on track to continue seeing increases in student success through: 

Thank you for the many ways you contribute to this shared momentum. Together, we are creating a learning environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive, and where our mission as a relationship-rich, student-centered university comes to life. I will continue to keep you informed as we assess our impact, and I am grateful for your partnership in this work. 

With gratitude, 
Jen 

Your voices are essential as we refine the Strategic Framework and move toward implementation. Until October 15, you can provide your feedback on the AASF website.

Projects and Initiatives Updates

The Integrated Student Success Initiative is a comprehensive approach to enhancing student experiences through coordinated academic policies. Rather than treating institutional policies in isolation, this initiative recognizes how various requirements collectively influence student outcomes. In collaboration with multiple campus departments and student representatives, educational modules were developed to address key policy areas that impact student success. Click on the links below for resources pertaining to upcoming academic events. For questions or additional information about this initiative, please contact Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Felix N. Ngassa.

Video Resources:

Updates

Grand Valley State University generates $3 billion in annual economic activity and sustains more than 116,000 jobs across Michigan, according to our newly released Economic Impact Report. The findings show the power of GVSU as Michigan’s talent engine—driving workforce growth, sparking innovation, and strengthening state and local economies. View the report to learn more about GVSU's exceptional return on investment to taxpayers, the lifetime earnings advantage of a GVSU degree, and the university’s role as Michigan’s talent engine.

This semester, Fall Break is scheduled for October 19 - 21, 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 in that classes are not held and other activities outside of teaching are suspended. As such, there should be no faculty meeting 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.

Each February during the Faculty Awards Convocation, excellent faculty are honored for a range of accomplishments: teaching, scholarship, service to the institution and community, and mentoring students. The nomination deadline for these awards is November 1. See the Office of the Provost website to learn more about the criteria and nomination processes.

Faculty and staff are invited to join the Fall 2025 graduates to celebrate their academic achievements by participating in the Commencement ceremony scheduled on December 6, 4:00 p.m., at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. If you plan to attend and process, complete the RSVP form on the Commencement website.

The student commencement speaker application in now open. Please encourage students graduating this semester to apply for this special honor. The online application will be open until October 26, at 11:59 p.m. To learn more, visit the Commencement website.

GVSU is partnering with Corewell Health to provide drop-in flu vaccine clinics. No appointment is required. 
Visit the events page to find dates, times, and locations.

Faculty reminder: Submit textbook orders and course materials through the Laker Store by these deadlines - Fall: February 25, Winter: March 25, Summer: October 25. Early submission is critical for student financial aid planning and cost transparency.
Planning to use third-party tools in Blackboard? Submit integration requests at least three months before the semester starts. Check available approved integrations first. For more information, visit the Faculty Guidance webpage or contact AVP Felix N. Ngassa.

Ongoing updates and resources related to new executive orders, federal memos, and other important federal actions are available on Division of People, Equity, and Culture website. Updates on executive orders impacting federally-funded projects can be found on the Office of Sponsored Programs website.

Engaged Scholarship

Congratulations to Sarah Johnson, Assistant Professor of Biology, on her $23,709 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with the Burke Center for Ecosystem Research for "Invasive Species Spread and Native Plant Assessment in the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage of northern Wisconsin." The effort maps aquatic plants and manoomin (wild rice) and supports a GVSU graduate student to work with Dr. Johnson on the project.

Congratulations to Maureen Wolverton, Senior Affiliate of Interdisciplinary Studies, for 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.

Joel Wendland-Liu, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, authored Simply to Be Americans? Literary Radicals Confront Monopoly Capitalism, 1885-1938. Simply to Be Americans? delves into the transformative power of radical U.S. literature from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, uncovering how writers boldly confronted the intertwined forces of Americanism, capitalism, racism, imperialism, and patriarchy. Click here to learn more about this book.

Events

Every Wednesday in October, the Knowledge Market is running Jumpstart - an educational support series designed to help students. Each week will cover a different theme and all are run by peer consultants from research, writing, speech, and digital literacy. Our goal is engage with students by having peers share their favorite strategies, resources, and advice with fellow students. Plus, there will be free pizza (while supplies last). Sessions are on Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00 p.m., 002 Mary Idema Pew Library, Allendale Campus.

Please join the GVSU Department of Public Safety and the Faculty Facilities Planning Advisory Committee for the 2025 Safety Night Tours from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. on the Allendale Campus on October 16 or the Pew Grand Rapids Campus on October 13. These guided tours invite faculty, staff, and students to experience campus after dark, share observations, and help shape strategies that keep GVSU welcoming and secure. Dates and registration information are available on the GV DPS website.

GVSU Athletics invites you to explore a day in the life of a student-athlete. Tour the facilities, attend practices, learn about recovery and connect with student-athlete support services. This October 14, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Fieldhouse Arena, Allendale Campus, event will give guests the chance to see firsthand the dedication and the behind-the-scenes efforts that drives collegiate sports excellence. RSVP your attendance plans.

Hosted by the Pace Initiative for Student Mental Health and sponsored by the Pew FTLC, this event brings together faculty, students, and staff to explore strategies for enhancing student mental health on campus. All GVSU community members are welcome to attend all or part of this event on October 15, 1:00-4:00 p.m., 2250 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus. This event will include an experiential opening, student perspectives panel, a presentation and roundtable discussions. Learn more about the summit on the events page.

The Division of Student Affairs is proud to announce the opening of GVSU's new Universal Testing Center located in DeVos Center - Room 116A. The center is a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the diverse individual testing needs of GVSU students in one centralized, accessible space and brings together a wide range of academic testing services including make-up and alternative testing and accessibility services. Attend the open house on October 16, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.,  116A DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

The Art Museum will lead a panel discussion with faculty from various disciplines to call upon their expertise and knowledge to discuss the potential path our usage of AI is leading us.

This event will take place on October 23, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Louis Armstrong Theater, Haas Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus. RSVP on the Art Museum website.

Join on October 29, 5:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Grand Rapids Campus for The 3-Minute Scholar (3MS) Contest. This event invites GVSU faculty and staff to share their research, scholarship, and creative activity in just three minutes - one slide, no jargon. A beer/wine and dessert reception will follow the presentations. RVSP to attend on The Graduate School website.

In Case You Missed It

9/24 - Important HR Update, Mobile Mammography Event, GVSU Teach-In
9/30 - President's Forum: Opportunities for Grand Valley and Grand Rapids in a Shifting College Sports Landscape
9/30 - PEC - One-Year Reflection & Commitment to Our Community

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events
Wednesdays in October - Jumpstart Workshop Series for Students, 12:00 p.m., 002 Mary Idema Pew Library, Allendale Campus
10/13 - Safety Night Tour - 7:30 p.m., Pew Grand Rapids Campus
10/14 - Open Athletics Day - 9:00 a.m., Fieldhouse Arena, Allendale Campus
10/14 - GVSU Fall Career and Internship Fair - 1:00 p.m., DeVos Place Convention Center, Grand Rapids
10/14-16 - Climate Change Education Solutions Summit, Various times and locations
10/15 - GVSU Student Mental Health Summit: Belonging as Resilience, 1:00 p.m., 2250 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
10/16 - Universal Testing Center Open House - 3:00 p.m.,  116A DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
10/16 - Safety Night Tour - 7:30 p.m., Allendale Campus
10/23 - AI and Ethics in the Humanities - 6:00 p.m., Louis Armstrong Theater, Haas Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
10/29 - 3-Minute Scholar Event - 5:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Dates
10/19-21 - Fall Break
11/26-30 - Thanksgiving Recess
12/6-13 - Exam Week
12/6 - Commencement
12/16 - Grades Due by 12:00 p.m.

Links
Lakers Ready - repository of this 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

Lakers Ready will be distributed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month.