Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

December 9, 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:

A Note from the Provost

Dear Colleagues, 

As we move into the semester break, it's a perfect time to pause and reflect on the resilience we've shown this year. Despite challenges, we've continued to grow, adapt, and persevere. As I reflected on the fall semester, I thought of a poem I wanted to share.

Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness
by Mary Oliver

Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

into a rich mash, in order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out

to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing as we must,
how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?
I don't say
it's easy, but
what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?

So let us go on, cheerfully enough,
this and every crisping day,

though the sun be swinging east,
and the ponds be cold and black,
and the sweets of the year be doomed.

Let's carry forward a spirit of gratitude for the strength we've discovered within ourselves and the support we've shared with others. May the upcoming break bring moments of peace and renewal.

In gratitude,

Jen

Updates

Dr. Adebayo “Bayo” Ogundipe has been selected to serve as Dean of the Padnos College of Engineering. He will officially begin his new role on March 1, 2025. Dr. Ogundipe currently serves as a Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering at James Madison University. He brings an impressive record of accomplishments, a clear sense of purpose, and a collaborative leadership style focused on developing innovative, sustainable, and adaptable solutions. Please extend a warm welcome to Dr. Ogundipe as he joins the Grand Valley community.

GVSU has received $347,070 from the State to support students facing economic hardship. Students may apply for these funds on the Financial Aid website. Funds will be awarded to help with basic needs such as food/housing, course materials, and technology. Students must have utilized all financial aid options including loans prior to being eligible. If you have any questions, please reach out to Michelle Rhodes in the Financial Aid Office.

Last month, the Senior Leadership Team published an updated policy on the possession and consumption of alcohol on campus. The policy includes sections on university events (including athletic events), alcohol sales, special licenses, and residential facilities. There is also a section called "Consumption of Alcohol within the University Curriculum" which describes standard documentation beginning Winter 2025 for courses that include the possession and/or consumption of alcohol (ex. CMB 430 - The Science of Brewing and Beer). This documentation includes (1) a note in the course syllabus, and (2) the completion of a short form each semester to provide dates and other details. At this time, the process for requesting to serve alcohol at Academic Affairs hosted events will not change.

If you're interested in joining a scholarship support group during the break and into next semester, the group will meet weekly to check in and support each other in pursuing creative and scholarly work—whether in the lab, studio, field, or on the page. Please reach out to Merritt Delano Taylor, who is organizing this group alongside his own efforts. The group will begin after finals week, but you are welcome to join at any time.

The Wi-Fi network in the Richard M. DeVos Center will be unavailable beginning December 18, at 7:00 a.m. and will remain offline through the holiday campus closure, available again by January 3, at 5:00 p.m., for essential equipment upgrades. These upgrades will improve wireless network performance and reliability. All equipment connected to the wired network will not be impacted and will remain online. If you have questions, please contact IT Services at it@gvsu.edu or (616) 331-2101.

As we close out the calendar year and head into winter break, please be aware of important deadlines regarding time entry and approval dates for payroll. For a complete list of deadlines, please see the Human Resources newsletter.

Engaged Scholarship

Brian Johnson, Professor of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Legal Studies, published Through Blood and Brotherhood. Based on years of qualitative research, this book provides a distinctive account of what happened in the relatively unknown and under-researched Yugoslavian theater of conflict in World War II. Click here to learn more about this book.

Congratulations to Pei-Lan Tsou, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology, and Sheila Blackman, Professor of Biology, on their 2025 contract for wastewater evaluation and reporting for the Kent County Health Department. This $1,240,055 contract supports Grand Valley personnel, including lab managers, student workers, and Graduate Assistants to collect and evaluate samples and provide the county with timely notice of indicators of communicable diseases like Covid, RSV, Noro Virus, influenza, and bird flu (H5N1).

Events

Join your Grand Valley colleagues on February 18, 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus, for a ceremony to celebrate this year's university-wide awards for outstanding faculty achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service. Award recipients will be announced in January.

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events
1/10 - GVSU Assessment Conference - 8:30 a.m., Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
2/18 - Faculty Awards Convocation - 4:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/8 - Student Scholars Day Keynote - 4:00 p.m., 2204 Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus

Dates
12/7 - Commencement
12/7-14 - Examination Week

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.