As I enter my third month into this position, I continue to be very excited by the trajectory we are taking and our potential to make a life changing difference for our students every day.

The landscape of GVSU is evolving and our students are different than they were five to ten years ago. This is a neutral statement of fact supported by our enrollment data. The great opportunity ahead of us is how we, individually and collectively, assign value to this demographic shift.

The value assigned to serving our changing students is influenced by our experience. More intention and effort are required to support and educate students who come from backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented at GVSU. Similarly, more intention and effort are necessary to support and educate students who are not coming from high schools that offer a full array of college prep opportunities or students who live highly complex lives that present challenges to the traditional college journey. This shift requires  better thinking and approaches to fulfill our commitment to higher education. GVSU is deeply committed to a core value of educational equity and opportunity. I continue to be inspired every day by GVSU colleagues who take on this mission with the utmost sense of responsibility, and the highest level of pride.

This is a long-term journey  to transform the educational experience we provide to our students, and collectively we can support all students in their quest to pursue higher education. As stated by President Mantella at the University address this August, "At GVSU, we fully grasp the vast potential that lies within each individual, and we acknowledge the pressing need to ensure that opportunities are readily and equitably available to all." 

This is important work; it is also hard work. I feel privileged to be working with advisors, faculty, and staff who are embracing  our work with a creative, caring, and collaborative spirit. We can all fully realize that sometimes the smallest interactions, the single individualized touch, the expression of care, might be the single reason for a student to persist.

There is no more important work than that which we are doing today to expand educational opportunities and change the lives of our students as well as the landscape of our communities. When a student graduates, we change not just their life, but that of their family, and their communities. The value of our daily efforts and the opportunity to change the trajectory of students’ lives is something for which we should be immensely proud!

Thank you all for being partners in this journey.

US News & World Report ranks KCON among Top Nursing Programs
The US News and World Report Top Nursing Program Rankings were published last week and the Kirkhof College of Nursing is proud to be ranked for both its DNP and BSN Nursing Programs. It is exciting to know that the work KCON is doing makes a difference in the future of Nursing education!