A Focus on Student Success

This week is Move-In and the Commuter & Transfer Student Welcome, marking for many students a transition to life at Grand Valley. We welcome them all to our learning community. It’s no secret that students today face challenges their predecessors didn’t encounter, and providing a strong start for our first-year students is, now more than ever, a priority. We continue to build a robust infrastructure to support those students and the faculty who teach them. 

The Center for Student Success and Experiential Learning (CSSEL) has an outstanding group of professionals who provide support for our students. For instance, the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) has a team of success coaches who offer students holistic support to help with setting goals, building academic skills, and engaging with the campus community. The Exploratory Advising Center has a team of advisors who are cross trained in advising and success coaching to help students identify academic programs that align with their skills, their interests, and their career and life goals, and they help move those goals to action. This fall SASC and the Exploratory Advising Center will be offering drop-in hours in the North C residence center. We encourage you to send students their way.  

Because we know that the first-year experience is a key component of student retention, dedicated faculty and staff have coordinated on the development of a first-year academic experience over the last year. This fall, about 67% of our incoming FTIAC students are involved in a first-year academic experience, including learning communities, the EDH 181 college success course, and first-year experience courses offered in Brooks, Computing and Seidman, and that number grows even higher when we include students participating in the Embarking Experience of the CLAS Voyage. 

Likewise, faculty and staff in the University Libraries & Art Museum provide multiple forms of student success supports: a dedicated student success faculty librarian, classroom and supplementary instruction in support of First Year Writing, digital literacy, visual thinking strategies, discipline/field-specific information literacy, and research support at all levels of the curriculum. The full complement of Knowledge Market services that include the university's Tutoring & Reading Center (which includes Supplemental Learning Assistance), Fred Meijer Center for Writing & Michigan Authors, Speech Lab, Library Research Center, and the Digital Creator Lab are essential and growing.  

Faculty and academic advisors are critical to helping students access these resources. As you kick off your classes this fall, please tell your students that the Knowledge Market Services are about: 

These explicit reminders from faculty and staff will help get students into our doors, both physically and virtually, supporting retention and supporting success. 

Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that meeting students where they are doesn’t mean abandoning rigor. Good teaching has always been about meeting students where they are and providing the appropriate level of support to thrive. For faculty, this presents us with an opportunity to examine our course design and carefully consider what we prioritize in the classroom. We encourage you to consider what content is directly connected to student learning outcomes, and what adjustments can be made to better address student needs. At the same time, we know faculty also need support to thrive. The Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (Pew FTLC) remains ready and available to consult on student-centered pedagogical practices in all stages, including, but not limited to, discussing evidence-based strategies for setting clear academic expectations, generating engaging in-class activities, and restructuring program curriculum from the bottom up. 

We’re excited to continue this work together and look forward to supporting you and your students in the coming year. 

With gratitude, 

Donovan Anderson, Vice Provost for Student Success and Experiential Learning  
Christine Rener, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation 
Melanie Shell-Weiss, Dean of University Libraries & Art Museum  

Updates

Faculty are reminded that Sabbatical leave proposals are due on the sabbatical website no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 1.

Faculty who were on sabbatical for the 2025-2026 academic year or the Winter 2026 semester, are reminded that a final sabbatical report is due by the end of the Fall 2026 semester. However, you are encouraged to submit your sabbatical report as soon as possible. Guidelines for writing a successful sabbatical report as well as directions on how to submit the report are available on the sabbatical website. 

Following up from the previous Lakers Ready, login for Digital Measures/Faculty Success has switched to GVSU’s Single Sign-On (SSO) system. The new URL is: https://login.watermarkinsights.com/connect/gvsu. Please update your bookmarks. The new URL is always available on GV’s DM website. The old login page no longer works.

Please be transparent in listing the textbooks and supplies that will be needed for your course. The ability to plan for expenses for each course is an important part of student success. Additional course supply and text requirements should not be added after the course has started. You are highly encouraged to use Open Educational Resources whenever possible. Contact Ashley Rosener, Open Education and Scholarly Communications Librarian at rosenera@gvsu.edu for more information and support.

The deadline for students to request a change from a letter grade to a credit/no credit grading format coincides with the 75% tuition refund deadline for a course. For full-term fall courses, this deadline is September 25 at 5:00 p.m. For courses that meet for only a portion of the term, deadlines can be determined by reviewing the searchable course schedule. 

The Academic Spaces website offers room capacities for each classroom on campus, photos, attributes (e.g. tables on wheels), floorplans, and other information. This page also provides information on were to report classroom issues or where to make a space request.

Workday Student will replace Banner in 2026–2027. Start preparing by marking your calendar for training, which begins this fall for some staff and in late January 2027 for faculty. Short demo videos offer a preview of common tasks, while unit readiness teams in colleges and departments help support the transition. Visit the Workday Student website for training resources, demo videos, the project timeline, readiness team listings, key milestones, and more.

The GVSU Surplus Store permanently closed at the end of fiscal year 2026. Going forward, disposal activities will continue to be coordinated through Procurement Services in accordance with existing university policies and the updated surplus property and disposal procedure. Additional information was sent in a message to the campus community in July. 

Ask an Alum connects GVSU students with alumni who can offer quick advice career insights, industry perspectives, and real-world encouragement. Students submit questions about career paths, industries, and more. Their question is then matched with an alum who has the experience to provide an answer. Students then receive a response from the alum direct to their email. Share Ask an Alum with your students as a way for them to gain insights, advice, and start building a professional network.

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 GVSU faculty and staff who received grants and contracts during the 2026 fiscal year (July 2025-June 2026). The university received 174 awards totaling more than $26.7 million. Academic Affairs accounted for 140 of those awards, representing more than $17.4 million in external funding.

Adrienne Wallace, Professor of Communications, co- authored The PR Agency Handbook. The book introduces many of the sub-fields of integrated communication practice, including traditional public relations and corporate communication, marketing, social media, creative production (print, digital, video, audio), web and user experience design, and search engine optimization (SEO). Click here to learn more about this book.

Events

Most think of the Declaration of Independence as an instant milestone, but in 1776, its success was far from guaranteed. Join the Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies in a conversation with historian Emily Sneff, author of When the Declaration of Independence Was News, published for America’s 250th anniversary, on September 1, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, City Campus. Sneff traces how printers, soldiers, diplomats, and others spread the word across the Atlantic world and reveals how ordinary people experienced breaking news in real time.

Every research project starts as a question that draws you in. On September 17, 4:00-6:30 p.m., students and faculty draw them out in chalk on the Northeast Plaza of the Mary Idema Pew Library (near the Cook Carillon Clock Tower), with guidance from GVSU alumna and chalk artist Emily Miller ('14, '20). Register as an artist or encourage your students to by September 11, 11:59 p.m. This Symposium is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, everyone is welcome to stop by and enjoy the gallery.

The Climate Change Education Solutions Summit (CCESS) is an annual GVSU forum on climate education rooted in community action, innovation, and collaboration. CCESS2026 will examine diverse epistemological and methodological frameworks exploring Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, nature-based solutions, rights of nature, and culturally responsive socially transformative pedagogies oriented toward environmental justice. This summit will take place on October 14 and 15. Registration and additional information can be found on the Climate Change Education Solutions Network website. Students are encouraged to attend.

The GV Technology Summit returns on November 3. Free for all GV faculty, staff, and students, the Summit features a keynote by Dr. Imran Mazid, a high-performance computing panel, and breakout sessions on AI, cybersecurity, digital accessibility, and more. Poster presentations will highlight innovative work across GVSU. Want to present? Submit a proposal by September 15 for a breakout session or poster presentation.

The GVSU Teach-In: Lifelong Learning Toward Educational Equity and Action is a campus-wide opportunity that explores educational equity across disciplines. Join us November 10 on the Valley Campus and November 11 on the City Campus. Consider incorporating the Teach-In into Fall courses, programs, or departmental activities. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to submit session proposals by October 11. Sessions require at least two presenters, preferably including a student.

It's time to nominate eligible candidates for the 2026 Homecoming Royal. Staff and faculty engage with students daily and know some truly remarkable Lakers. Nominating a student gives them the opportunity to represent GVSU during Homecoming and be recognized for the positive impact they've made on campus. Staff and faculty are welcome to submit as many nominations as they'd like. Thanks for helping us celebrate the incredible students who make GVSU a special place! Nominations are due September 1. 

In Case You Missed It

8/11 - GVSU Teach-In: November 10-11

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events
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
9/1 - When the Declaration of Independence Was News, 6:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, City Campus
9/15 - GV Technology Summit 2026 Proposals Due
9/17 - Chalk Art Symposium, 4:00 p.m., Mary Idema Pew Library, Valley Campus
10/10-10/11 - GVSU Teach-In
10/14-10/15 - CCESS2026 "Ways of Knowing in Climate Change Education", Kirkhof Center, Valley Campus
11/3 - GV Technology Summit, 8:30 a.m., Kirkhof Center, Valley Campus

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.