A Note from the Provost

Dear Colleagues: 

There is something special about this time of year at Grand Valley. Our campuses begin to fill with energy again as we welcome new colleagues, reconnect with one another, and prepare for the arrival of our students. It is a wonderful reminder of the shared purpose that brings us together. 

The Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center welcomed our newest faculty during New Faculty Orientation, and later this month, colleagues will come together for the annual Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning. These moments of connection and learning are an inspiring way to begin the year and reflect what I value so much about our Academic Affairs community: our commitment to our students, to one another, and to continually strengthening the work we do together. 

As we begin this fall, we will continue moving forward with the priorities of our Academic Affairs Strategic Plan and the shared vision we have shaped together: 

Lead with intention. 
Collaborate with purpose. 
Create a lasting impact for generations to come. 

Over the past year, we began putting those priorities into action across Academic Affairs. This year, we will build on that progress, with a continued focus on strengthening the academic experience for our students. Together, we will look for new ways to support their learning and success, while supporting our faculty and staff and making thoughtful decisions that position Academic Affairs and Grand Valley well for the future we are building together. 

There is important work ahead, and I am grateful for the leadership, creativity, and care you bring to it. I look forward to seeing many of you at our college start-up meetings and Fall Kick-Off events, as well as to the conversations and collaborations that will continue throughout the year. 

Thank you for all you do for our students and for Grand Valley. I hope the semester ahead brings renewed connections, new possibilities, and many reasons to celebrate the work we accomplish together. 

Best, 

Jen

Advancing Academic Affairs: Update

Karyn Rabourn, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Counseling, will serve as the Strategic Faculty Lead for Unit Head Professional Development for the 2026-2027 academic year. In collaboration with Senior Associate Vice President Ed Aboufadel, Karyn will continue the work she began as a Presidential Fellow, to develop and lead monthly professional development workshops for GVSU unit heads, and to evaluate the current job description and compensation for unit heads. 

Krista Benson, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, will serve as the Strategic Faculty Lead supporting the Academic Affairs/Omni partnership for 2026-2027 academic year. Krista has served in many administrative and service leadership roles, including as one of the Assistant Chairs of IRIS (21-23), faculty co-chair of the COACHE 2.0 Shared Leadership Steering Committee (24-26), and as the chair of the Online Education and Microcredential Council (24-present).

Updates

As we continue our important work to prepare our learners to build Michigan’s future, the Blue Dot Ecosystem is an important part of that effort. The Blue Dot Ecosystem is a university-wide framework that brings people and technology together to advance learning, scholarship, and innovation. Work is already taking place across all our colleges and throughout the upcoming year, there will be opportunities to recognize and highlight the results of these collaborations. 

Within the Blue Dot Ecosystem is the newly named Blue Dot Innovation Lab, which will be located next to the renovated Eberhard Center. If you’re on the City Campus this week, you may notice construction fencing going up as the first step in preparing for physical site work that will begin this fall. This location will help advance strategies outlined in the Academic Affairs Strategic Framework and the Academic Affairs Strategic Plan by connecting AI, digital literacy, environmental sustainability, human-centered technology, research and community partnerships through shared direction, interdisciplinary collaboration and local application.  

In response to your feedback, university leadership is committed to providing regular updates on both the broader Blue Dot Ecosystem and the Innovation Lab throughout the upcoming academic year. We look forward to sharing the progress of this work and the people, partnerships, and ideas bringing it to life. 

As faculty prepare their syllabi for the fall semester, there are policy matters to keep in mind:

Ensuring that syllabi clearly describes the professor's expectations about course schedule or format changes, revised technology requirements, or adoption of new learning materials may be necessary. The Pew FTLC website offers information on Syllabus Design as well as Syllabus Statement Examples.

This semester, Fall Break is scheduled for October 26-27, 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 and Labor Day in that classes are not held and other activities outside of teaching are suspended. As such, there should be no faculty meetings 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.

The Office of the Registrar, in consultation with the Office of Provost, has determined that we are moving the university grading deadline to Monday, December 21 at noon for the fall 2026 semester only, due to the unusual details of this fall’s calendar. Some colleges and units with a history of earlier deadlines might provide further guidance. 

Based on current scheduling guidelines, Monday, August 31 is the latest fall semester could ever begin. This means that generally grades would be due on Tuesday, December 22 at noon. However, the university will be closed for the holiday break Wednesday, December 23 - Sunday, January 3. Staff will be back at work on Monday, January 4, and the winter 2027 semester will begin Monday, January 11. 

With the revised guidelines, undergraduate academic review will start on Monday, December 21. Graduate academic review will occur early in the week of January 4, 2027. 

The Registrar’s Office will send reminders as the semester nears completion. 

Later this week, login for Digital Measures/Faculty Success will switch to GVSU’s Single Sign-In system. The new URL will be: https://login.watermarkinsights.com/connect/gvsu 

Also, a reminder from April: Watermark has introduced a new interface for the system. For the new user interface, Watermark has provided a 12-minute video, a “getting started” article, and a help article on the difference between the former and new interface.  

Finally, a reminder that for transferring teaching assignment information for fall semester and for creating accounts for new faculty, here is our timetable: https://www.gvsu.edu/provost/timetable-for-data-transfer-to-digital-measures-115. 

Please contact SAVP Ed Aboufadel (aboufade@gvsu.edu) with any questions. 

The Dean of Students Office has restructured its team and student support model to better meet growing student needs, following increased CARE referrals and Student Integrity cases and the departure of an associate dean. Ben Witt has been appointed Associate Dean of Students overseeing Care and Student Integrity. The Student Ombuds role has been sunset, and Takeelia Garrett has been promoted to Assistant Dean of Students, overseeing Student Voice and Agency. Read more about the restructure on the Dean of Students website.

Catch up on past Lakers Ready anytime - previous editions are available online. The achieves are a great way to revisit announcements, highlights, and helpful resources you may have missed.

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

Tova Hartle, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Counseling, authored a chapter called "Cognitive Theory" in the book Theories and Models of Counseling: An Integrative Perspective. This textbook offers a fresh, integrative approach by organizing content around the major theoretical forces in psychology. Spanning foundational, postmodern, transformative, family systems, and emerging approaches, this text equips students with a strong foundation for real-world counseling. Click here to learn more about this book.

Events

Join President Philomena V. Mantella and Provost Jennifer Drake on August 19, 11:00-12:00 p.m., Louis Armstrong Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Valley Campus, for the University Address as they share the university's priorities and aspirations for the 2026–27 academic year. RSVP is requested by August 15.

President Philomena V. Mantella invites you and a guest to join her and the GVSU Senior Leadership Team in launching the new academic year at the Faculty and Staff Fall Kickoff Celebration on August 26, 4:00-7:00 p.m., L. William Seidman Center, Pew Campus. Celebrate the start of the academic year with colleagues from across the university. Enjoy great food, refreshing drinks, and live music by Brena as we reconnect and celebrate our shared purpose of empowering learners. RSVP is requested by August 19.

Housing and Residence Life would like to invite you to welcome our new and returning students to campus through our Helping Hands program Wednesday, August 26 - Friday, August 28.  A student’s seamless transition to Grand Valley is made possible by over 400 hours of faculty and staff volunteer hours and over 2,000 hours of student volunteering!  We would love for you to be part of this tradition of service to our community by being a Helping Hands volunteer during the 2026 move-in. Sign up now on the online form.

An outstanding line-up of events – one that will pique your intellectual curiosity, grow your leadership skills, and bring clarity to a complex world. As we continue to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Hauenstein Center will feature several programs that provide fresh insights from our founding, current events, and lessons learned from the presidency. Learn more about these events on the Hauenstein Center website.

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events
8/13 - Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning, L. William Seidman Center, City Campus
8/19 - University Address, 11:00 a.m., Louis Armstrong Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Valley Campus
8/26 - Faculty and Staff Fall Kickoff Celebration, 4:00 p.m., L. William Seidman Center, Pew Campus
8/26-8/28 - Move-in 2026: Helping Hands
9/15 - GV Technology Summit 2026 Proposals Due

Important Dates
8/31 - Classes begin
9/6-9/7 - Labor Day Recess
10/26-10/27 - Fall Break
11/25-11/29 - Thanksgiving Recess
12/12 - Commencement
12/12-12/19 - Examination Week
12/22 - Grades Due from Faculty 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
Laker Weekly - repository of the weekly e-newsletter sent by the Division of Student Affairs to current GVSU students
Inclusion and Equity Institute Workshops - Inclusion and Equity Institute offers free, dynamic, and helpful workshops on a variety of topics

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